Commuters Seek Alternative Transportation; TheLongboardStore.com Sees Increased Sales to Professionals and Students

Commuters are riding longboard skateboards as a replacement for vehicles and bicycles. The Longboard Store has observed a noticeable shift in sales toward professionals and students. In cities and on campuses, commuters are not only traveling, but also using their longboards for recreation.

Bend, Oregon (PRWEB) November 7, 2007 -- Professionals and college students are investing in longboard skateboards as an alternative, green mode of transportation around cities and campuses. A wave of recreational longboarding is also attracting the generation of ex-skateboarders who are now in their 30s and 40s and want to rediscover the sport.

Manufacturers design longboards to be more stable and maneuverable than traditional skateboards. The decks generally outsize traditional skateboards in length and width, allowing longboard riders to balance more easily. Longboard trucks help the board corner tightly at commuter speeds and wheels vary in firmness, but are typically soft for increased traction and smooth rides. "The major difference of the longboard skateboard over the traditional skateboard is in its use; people ride skateboards for tricks, longboards are used for transportation," says Scott Seeyle, owner of The Longboard Store (http://www.thelongboardstore.com), a major online retailer of longboard products.

In high-traffic metropolitan cities, longboards can replace vehicles and bicycles for professionals commuting to work. To condense travel time, commuters longboard one or several portions of their trek, toting their boards on public transportation. Navigating the same lanes and at the same speeds, longboards offer a more portable alternative to bicycles.

College students ride longboards on thousands of campuses worldwide. Often, the costs associated with parking, insuring, and maintaining a vehicle are not justified for a commute ranging from three blocks to two miles. Matthew McCabe, a Senior at Hope College in Holland, MI, owns two longboards instead of a car. "Longboarding cuts my trip to class in half. It's a relief to get outside and have some wind in my hair everyday," says McCabe.

Longboarding is not solely a means of transportation for its riders. Many seek hills to race, learn tricks and stunts, or carve down the hill for a feeling reminiscent of snowboarding and surfing. Top racers hurtle down hills at over 70mph. One type of trick is sliding. Seeyle describes sliding as "similar to drifting in the automotive world. The rider purposely breaks the traction of the wheels into a controlled slide to perform spins and tricks, take a sharp turn, or safely come to a quick stop."

Carving down hills is the main draw for longboarders older than 40. Carving supplies the empowered feeling of riding a skateboard without the hazards of traditional trick skateboarding.

Specific longboards correspond to every type of riding. Boards are available that are portable, fast, maneuverable, stable, flexible, high-precision, easy-to-ride, or a combination of several attributes. The Longboard Store stocks over 135 different complete models.

As a sport, longboarding has substantially grown in popularity during the past several years. The Longboard Store anticipates a 50% increase in their sale of boards for 2008 over 2007. "Last year there were maybe three longboarders around campus," says Matt McCabe, "I've seen at least fifteen cruising this year."

Consumer searches for new forms of transportation and recreation have led them toward longboarding. The older generation reinvesting into the sport is fueling the industry's success. Longboarding saves money on transportation, but for most the savings isn't the lure.

The Longboard Store

61430 SE American Lane #110 & #120

Bend, Oregon 97702

P: (541) 306.6829

http://www.thelongboardstore.com

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