There are just about as many different longboards available as there are longboarders to ride them. Since longboarding doesn't destroy the board in the same way as trick skateboarding, your board doesn't have to be quite so tough. This leads to piles of longboarders making their own longboards! Making your own longboard is a great idea, but this article is aimed at beginners. Besides, there are so many cool longboards on the market to choose from!

What's Your Longboarding Style?
Do you see yourself longboarding around campus? Longboarding to work? Do you see yourself trying big hills? Do you see yourself trying insane hills? Do you want to try riding in bowls? Do you want a smooth, soulful ride, or a quick, agile ride? Take a minuet and think about what you want to do.

Basically, the longer a longboard is, the more stable it will be. However, longer boards are less agile - meaning, they don't turn as quickly or as easily. Shorter longboards are more agile, but less stable. So, keeping this in mind, figure out where you want to be on the longboarding spectrum. If you plan to ride bowls, then you will need a much shorter board.

I recommend borrowing a longboard from a friend, or at least standing on one at a skateboarding shop to see how you feel on it before buying one.