Types of Skateboards

The first skateboards were nothing but a wooden board on wheels. But as time went by, skateboarding progressed. Eventually, multiples skating styles evolved. Each of them called for a particular deck shape, type of truck, and wheels size and material. Depending on the surfboarding style, there are several types of skateboards that we’ll cover in this post.

Cruiser boards

The key distinctive feature of a cruiser board is its wheels, large and soft. And what’s most wonderful about cruisers is that you can turn virtually any skateboard into a cruiser board: all you need to do is replace the wheels and, if necessary — install the riser pads, which are special liners placed between a truck and a deck to prevent wheel biting while turning.

Soft large-diameter wheels allow a speedy and more comfortable ride even over a road surface that is not quite so smooth. For this reason, cruiser boards with large soft wheels are ideal for someone who uses a skateboard to get themselves from point A to point B.

By the way, cruiser boards should not be confused with longboards. Cruisers are much shorter and hence are incredibly convenient to carry around.

Great for:

• getting around the city streets
• carrying around
• tight turns
• smooth ride

Not quite great for:

• going fast
• beginners
• learning to make turns
• tricks and flips

Mini Cruisers

The name of the board speaks for itself: mini cruisers are a miniature version of cruisers. They are available both in wood and in plastic. Plastic ones are quite popular nowadays. Mini cruisers are much more comfortable to carry around — you can even put one into your backpack. Riding it, however, requires some experience. This is especially true for the smallest boards. For someone not experienced enough, maintaining a balance while skating a mini-cruiser might be challenging. The boards are ideal for kids, though — the small dimensions of a mini-cruiser make it perfect for children to cope with.

Great for:

• getting around the city with comfort
• carrying around (fits in a backpack)
• tight turns
• kids

Not quite great for:

• going fast
• beginners (not as easy to maintain balance)
• learning to make turns

Longboards

Longboards are available in various types and shapes. But their main distinctive feature is a deck’s length, which should be at least 33 inches. Longboards are wider than cruiser boards and are also equipped with large and soft wheels. Based on longboarding disciplines, there are longboard cruisers, boards for the downhill (riding down a winding serpentine road at high speed), boards for freestyling, and boards for dancing (which includes performing various tricks).

Maintaining balance is easier on longboards which makes them a perfect choice for beginners. However, the large distance between trucks results in a larger turning radius. 

Great for:

• getting around the city
• learning skateboarding
• high speeding
• big sweeping turns
• soft riding
• dancing
• nose riding
• flat tricks

Not quite great for:

• jumps and flips
• carrying around (it’s bulky)

Carve Skateboards (Surfskates)

Carve skateboards are somewhat similar to cruiser boards with a large difference, though: they have a different front truck design. This truck arrangement allows for the stronger tilting of the board and changing the direction compared to regular skateboards. Because of this, the rider can easily generate their speed by body pumping and make tight turns, very similar to surfing or snowboarding maneuvers.

Surfskates are ideals for surfers practicing on land in the absence of waves or away from the oceans.

Great for:

• speeding up (pumping)
• practicing surf skills or snowboard skills
• carrying around
• very tight turns

Not quite great for:

• high speeding
• learning skateboard riding
• jumps and flips

Double Kick Skateboards (Skateboards for Performing Tricks)

The kicktail, which is a tail curvature, is one of the most important inventions in skateboarding. It allows a skateboarder to jump higher and perform various tricks, while the nose curve provides for even more possibilities to perform different tricks and jumps.

Double-kick skateboards are, virtually, the boards that skaters use to jump over steps, make flips, and grind along curbs and rails.

Such skates are smaller and narrower than most of the boards. Their wheels are often small and stiff, making it easier to grind but causing problems while riding a poorer quality surface.

Great for:

• grinding and sliding along curbs and rails
• getting around the city
• carrying around
• park skating
• performing jumps and flips

Not quite great for:

• high speeds
• long distances
• skating on poor surfaces

As you can see, there is quite a variety of skates, but each of them is tailored for quite particular tasks. We hope this post will help you finally decide which skateboard you want to choose for yourself.

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