Bad Trend Alert! Longboards

Before the weather in Cambridge took its recent turn for the worse, sunburst twenty-somethings wearing seashell necklaces and Cali caps were a regular sight gliding down the sidewalk on enormous, wooden longboards. The bulky, awkward looking mode of transportation seems to have experienced a renaissance this summer comparable to the 2001 scooter boom. “A lot of people between age 18 and their late twenties longboard,” says Jay Neuwinger, employee at Blades, an all-purpose skate shop on JFK Street. “It’s mostly people who did skateboarding when they were younger, who want to keep doing it but also some transportation.” Longbaords provide more stability and speed, and some find that they are easier to control than skateboards. “They’re for cruising around town,” says Neuwinger. “Bombing down the road, getting the thrill of speed.”

Retailing at under $200, longboards are a practical alternative to bicycles, as they are fairly light and do not need to be locked up. While most longboards range from 35 to 55 inches in length, some are actually the same size as standard skateboards. They differ significantly, however, as their wheels are bigger, their trucks wider and their surface more adhesive.

According to Damien, a manager at Blades and the owner of several longboards, the demographic for the sport has shifted away from genuine surfers to posturing surfing fans. Especially in Boston, longboarders should be greeted with a healthy dose of skepticism, as the streets are far too narrow and uneven for the sport to be much fun. “Out west, there are long stretches of roads, so the speed advantage isn’t lost,” says Damien. “It’s kind of a pain to do anything out here on the East coast. You want a car, basically.”