How to Avoid a Bump on a Longboard

A skateboard, being much shorter than a typical longboard, is less difficult to ollie on, making it relatively manageable to avoid bumps and cracks that might separate you from your board. Longboarders are at a disadvantage, then, because the board is much longer, and you are not able to easily ollie over bumps and cracks like a skateboarder would. You can, however, take advantage of other features of a longboard to avoid cracks and bumps in ways other than going over them.

Instructions

    • 1

      Practice ollieing on your longboard so that you can go over cracks and bumps in the road. Though the larger size of a longboard makes ollies more difficult, they are not impossible, and can be done in the same way an ollie is done on a regular skateboard, by raising the front of your board with pressure from your back foot on the rear of the board and simultaneously jumping to remove your weight from the board.

    • 2

      Be vigilant about looking at what is in front of you, and taking steps to maneuver out of the way. Longboards are generally more maneuverable than skateboards, and you should use this to your advantage by going around bumps, if possible, rather than over them.

    • 3

      Purchase larger, softer wheels so that you are better able to absorb the impact of a crack or bump without falling off of your longboard. The wheels on longboards are already softer and larger than skateboard wheels for this purpose, but you can always upgrade.