Longboard vs Skateboard. Everything You Need To Know

Skateboarding and longboarding may seem similar to an untrained eye, but take a closer look and you’ll find they are actually quite different.

These two forms of sidewalk-surfing are starkly different. There are even debates going on as to which one is better and which one is more fun.

 

If you're searching for "longboard vs skateboard," you're probably trying to figure out which one to buy. The answer depends entirely on what you want to do with it.

Skateboards are for tricks and skateparks. You foot-push for speed and pop ollies to turn and jump. Traditional longboards are for cruising and commuting. You foot-push for speed and lean to carve gentle turns. 

But there's a third category most comparison articles ignore: carving longboards built for surf training and paddle sports. This is where Hamboards operates, and if you're coming from a water sports background, the distinction matters.

We started building boards in Huntington Beach to solve a specific problem—how do surfers and paddle athletes train on land with equipment that actually mimics the biomechanics of being on water? Skateboards don't do that. Traditional longboards don't either. So we built something different.

The Shape

 

Skateboards run 28-32 inches long. Longboards range from 33 inches up past 60 inches. Width varies from 7-10 inches depending on the style.

But length alone doesn't tell you much. A traditional longboard uses that length for stability during foot-pushing. Our boards use length differently—more wheelbase means you can carve deeper, committed turns without the tail sliding out. Our Classic at 74 inches has the wheelbase to handle surf-style nose riding. Our Twisted Fin at 26 inches can still deliver that carved turn feel because the truck geometry does the work.

Size matters, but it's really about how the wheelbase, deck shape, and trucks work together.

Skateboard decks have kicked tails and noses—those upward curves at each end let you pop ollies and do flip tricks. The concave bowl shape locks your feet in place during technical riding.

 

Traditional longboard shapes vary a lot. Pintails for cruising, drop-throughs for stability, dancers for footwork. They're designed around foot-pushing efficiency and mellow turning.

We shape our decks after actual surfboard designs because we're trying to replicate surf biomechanics, not just make a longer skateboard. That means higher stance for land paddling (critical if you're training for SUP or outrigger), surfboard-inspired contours, and deck flex calibrated for the energy transfer you get in a good carved turn. Our Classic models follow traditional longboard surfboard shapes. The Biscuit takes after fish surfboard designs. Same thinking, different performance characteristics.

Trucks and Wheels

This is where things get interesting, because this is where the actual riding experience gets defined.

Skateboard trucks use what's called TKP (traditional kingpin). They're narrow, stiff, designed for grinding rails and popping tricks. You can lean to turn a bit, but for tight turns you're lifting the front wheels off the ground.

Traditional longboard trucks use RKP (reverse kingpin). Wider hangers, usually 150-180mm, with flexible bushings that let you lean into turns. They're smooth and forgiving, good for stable cruising and gentle carving.

HST trucks are neither of those things. We patented a completely different system that uses stiff springs and spherical wave cams instead of bushings. When the axle rotates, it compresses the springs through these wave-shaped cam surfaces. 

What this does: when you lean into a turn on HST trucks, it feels like banking an airplane wing. You're riding on the edge of the board the same way you ride a surfboard or snowboard on edge. The springs give you that snappy return-to-center that mimics how a surfboard rebounds out of a bottom turn.

The HST 2.0 system is modular, so you can reconfigure the same board for different feels. 40/40 front and rear gives you centered carving with equal turning at both ends—the classic Hamboards feel. 55/20 gives you more front turning with less rear, which creates that surfskate-style response but without the twitchy instability you get from swivel trucks. 40/20 splits the difference, great for board walking and versatile riding. 55/0 locks the rear and maximizes pumping efficiency for long-distance pushing or land paddling.

Same board, swap the baseplates, totally different ride. We've got a whole guide on choosing your HST setup if you want to dive into the details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skateboard wheels are small (50-60mm) and hard (95-101A durometer). Good for tricks and slides, harsh over rough pavement. 

Longboard wheels are big (65-85mm+) and soft (75-85A durometer). They roll smooth, absorb shock, eat up cracks and pebbles.

We run large diameter wheels matched to the durometer that fits your riding style. The size works with the HST trucks to enable those deep, committed carves—bigger wheels give you the grip and momentum to load and release energy through the turn instead of scrubbing speed.

Moving The Board

Most comparisons only talk about foot-pushing, but there are actually four ways to move on a board, and they're not interchangeable.

Foot-pushing is what you see everywhere—kick with one leg while balancing on the board. Works fine, but you're constantly breaking your stance.

Carving for speed is what you can do on a centered longboard with coordinated turning. Good riders can maintain or even build speed through powerful S-turns, creating forward force without pushing. It's aerobic and takes technique, but you stay in stance the whole time.

Pumping 

Pumping is rapid S-turning with more front turning than rear, optimized for forward thrust. Long-distance pumpers can cover serious ground, often faster than pushers.

Land paddling is using an actual paddle—SUP paddle, outrigger paddle, whatever matches your water sport. This is the whole point if you're a paddle athlete. You're building the exact muscle memory and conditioning that transfers to the water. Our boards have higher stance specifically so the paddle mechanics work properly. You can't do this effectively on a traditional longboard that's built for foot-pushing.

So, which one should you get?

 

If you want to learn tricks and ride skateparks, get a skateboard. That's what they're built for.

If you want to cruise to work or campus and you just need reliable transportation, a traditional longboard will do that job really well.

If you're training for water sports—surfing, SUP, outrigger, dragon boat—or you want equipment that teaches you real board sport biomechanics, that's what we build. Hamboards aren't competing with street skateboards or commuter cruisers. We're training equipment for athletes who want their land sessions to transfer to water and snow.

The HST truck system grows with you too. You can start on stable beginner setups (40/0 or 40/20), progress to more responsive configurations (40/40), and eventually dial in aggressive surfskate feel (55/20) or pumping efficiency for distance. Same deck, different truck angles, completely different personalities.

The Hamboards Difference

What makes Hamboards different isn't just length. It's the system.

The HST 2.0 trucks use springs and wave cams instead of bushings. That gives you coordinated lean-and-turn that mirrors surfing and snowboarding, without the sketchy feeling you get from swivel-front surfskate trucks at speed. The springs compress as you lean, storing and releasing energy through the turn.

Hunter Joslin, who founded Indo Board, trains on Hamboards specifically because of the biomechanical transfer. His quote: "There's no better surf training in the world than a good skateboard." He runs the Hamboards Burst with HST 40/20 or 55/20 trucks combined with Indo Board balance work to build surf-ready muscle memory. 

Every deck we make accepts the full range of HST configurations. You're not locked into one setup—you can change the truck angles as your skills develop or as you switch between riding styles. Start stable, evolve into flow.

The higher stance on our decks isn't arbitrary—it's there so paddle mechanics work. If you paddle outrigger or SUP, your land training should mirror your water biomechanics. Traditional longboards sit too low for proper paddle technique. We designed around that from the start.

The Verdict

The skateboard vs longboard question has a straightforward answer if you're looking at tricks vs transportation. Skateboards for parks, longboards for cruising.

But if you're coming from water sports, or you're serious about surf-style riding on land, there's a third option that most comparisons don't cover. We build carving longboards with patented truck technology designed specifically for board sports training.

Not everyone needs that. Traditional longboards are great at what they do. But if you're a paddle athlete or you want equipment that actually teaches surf biomechanics, we're your answer.

Check out our guide on choosing HST truck setups if you want to understand how the modular system works. Or dive into the longboard dynamics article if you want the engineering breakdown of carving vs surfskating vs pumping.

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Updated February 2026

If you decide on a longboard, head to our store now and check out which one that perfectly matches your style!