What is longboarding, you ask? Longboarding is the art/sport/hobby of riding a long skateboard, from 24" to 80". Longboarding has its roots in surfing, which is why many longboards resemble surf boards. Skateboarding in general evolved from surfing in the 70s. Much of the success and popularity of skateboarding is due to the west coast, where skaters would skate in empty pools. This style of skating still lives on today, but in relative obscurity. Longboarding started to become popular when these pool skaters started to age. Utilizing these longer skateboards let anyone, no matter their age or skill level, enjoy skateboarding.
Basic longboarding is relatively easy to do because of how many longboards are set up. The boards, as mentioned before, can be anywhere from 24" to 80" long, with the most popular ones being in the 38" to 50" range. Trucks, which consist of a baseplate that mounts to the board and hangers that allow wheels to be attached, are located underneath the board. Longboard trucks are usually 180mm to 215mm wide. Trucks are important in determing how stable the board is and how well it turns. Skateboard wheels are made of polyurethane and come in many different sizes and hardnesses. Longboarding utilizes larger wheels, usually around 60mm to 90mm. Wheels are measured in hardness according to the durometer scale. 100a is the hardest and is often seen on trick skateboards. For longboards, softer wheels are used because they make the ride feel smoother. Typical longboard wheels are around 70a to 90a in durometer, with harder wheels being used for different disciplines (like sliding). The wheels are attached to the trucks by putting bearings in them, which let the wheels roll.
Now that you know a little more about longboarding in general, check out the different riding styles:
Cruising and Carving Downhill Slalom Sliding