Down a mountain on a longboard at 144 km/h. How to do it again

You’ve definitely seen videos on the web with daredevils, who rush at great speed along the mountain serpentine on a roller board. We hasten to explain that this is not just madness, but a sport discipline – downhill skateboarding. Yes, it looks dangerous, but believe us, riders who shoot such videos, keep everything under control and think about their safety.

Historical background

In a nutshell, it all started with Signal Hill, a speed festival organized by Jim Mahoney in 1975. It was held on a stretch of road called Hill Street in California, which has a gradient of almost 30%. This is the same place where the first record was set and where the era of longboarding began.

People were mostly interested in fast riding, and safety issues came second. Participants of the festival got a lot of injuries, often quite serious, spectators were also at risk. In 1978, the festival ceased to exist.

A professional skateboarder competing in the downhill discipline

Downhill is downhill longboarding with slides (perpendicular sliding relative to your movement). There is also a direction “freeride”, the main purpose of which is to perform slides in different variations. This is also a part of speed skating.

Downhill – one of the directions of skateboarding, the same as skating in the street or park. In Russia, everyone is used to classify it as longboarding, although it is correct, as they say all over the planet, “downhill skateboarding”. Many people look for downhill skateboarding as a substitute for snowboarding in summer, but it is a completely different board and, accordingly, sensations.

Features of the board, suspension and wheels

Board

Often in skating use a long board with a wide wheelbase, reverse suspension, which has a different angle of rotation, and wide soft wheels. This is necessary to maximize control of the board at high speed. Of course, each rider assembles and customizes the board to suit their own riding style, but these are the criteria that are optimal for downhill speed. A skateboard, cruiser or penny board is inappropriate here.

Suspension

Traditional skateboard suspension is not suitable for high speeds, as it starts to “wobble” in different directions. That’s why they invented a reversible suspension with a kingpin (big bolt) looking outward. Such suspensions can be fitted with different stiffness bushings (polyurethane spacers), which can be used to change the angle of rotation.

When riding downhill, the suspension should be well tightened (some people tighten the rear suspension more than the front, because the front is the handlebar), so that a certain amount of stability is achieved during the ride.

Wheels

At high speeds, you need wide and soft wheels so that all the bumps and nuances of the asphalt can’t affect the ride during the descent on the roads. In freeride, on the contrary, stiff and small wheels are used to make sliding and braking easier.

What you need to be aware of when freeriding

High risk of injury

Downhill is said to be one of the most dangerous disciplines of skateboarding. During downhill, the board accelerates very quickly. You need to control it well and technically brake to avoid falling off, even though there is essentially no brake. Any mistake you make or bump in the road can lead to serious injuries.

I would like to say at once: if you come to skate without protection, in the “party” you will not understand you – you will get a lot of negativity in your address. Most of the falls are accompanied by bumps of the head on the road surface. Once again, you are unlikely to have time to tense your arms and body to minimize the damage.

In addition, you can “fit” into a jackknife or a tree on a corner.

• The main and mandatory protection of the rider is a helmet. It is absolutely impossible to ride without it. A fall at a speed of even 30 km/h can be fatal. Those who ride up to 60 km/h, use a helmet “bowler”. Those who gain speed at higher speeds use a full-face helmet. It will be able to protect when falling at high speed.
• The next attribute – gloves with plastic washers, with the help of which you can perform a slide and stop, as well as keep your palms intact in case of a fall.
• Bukneepads and elbow pads are already an individual approach. But I advise everyone to ride in full equipment.
• At competitions and training at high speed, riders use a special leather suit, which protects the body in case of falls and also improves aerodynamics.

Lack of artificial tracks

Unfortunately, it is difficult to make an artificial track for downhill. To accelerate quickly and roll steadily for 5-7 minutes, you need a long road with good asphalt. This is often a classic car track, which, by the way, also adds danger.

If we talk about freeride, you can ride in parks or small parking lots, because it’s free riding that you enjoy. Not as fast, of course, but also doing different slides and braking.

No brakes

If you want to inspect the longboard thoroughly, you will definitely not find a braking system, none. That being said, it is still possible to brake.

The first option is to slow down with your foot against the asphalt, the so-called footbreak (during the movement you take one foot off the board and start pressing the foot against the asphalt). However, this method will be effective only at low speed.

The second option is when the board goes into a slide, during which you can use a glove or brake without it. It all depends on the riding style of each rider. The most common slide is called Colman slide. During this slide there are two points of support – the board and your hand. You rest the palm of your hand on the asphalt, transferring your body weight to it and giving the board a free glide, so the movement slows down.

What are the different types of downhill competitions

Downhill skateboarding is a real sport. There are official competitions of different levels of organization and format. For example, there is a “race” when 2-4 riders start at the same time. Whoever arrives first wins.

There is also a “slide jam” format: athletes have to perform the longest single slide or a series of them. Slides can be performed both in “own” stance (usual right or left side skating) and in switch (skating with an unfamiliar side for the rider).

We remind you: no matter what kind of sport or extreme sports you choose. Remember that safety must come first. Don’t mindlessly chase adrenaline and before you start any training, buy appropriate protective equipment.

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