Whether your thing is “surfing” the Esplanade, busting out massive slides, or nudging 100kph on Conrod Straight, longboarders are riding the new wave, with the heart and soul of where skateboarding all began.Longboarding as a sport requires a couple of different skills to street skating, but the courage, commitment and stoke to be your best is the same. Longboards are a stable platform that handle all kinds of pavement, are easy to push, fun to slide, and very fast. Longboard racing requires race-grade safety gear such as leathers, full-face helmets and sliding gloves, but for a day surfing the Esplanade you’ll only need a helmet and a grin.
Racing at Bathurst (Photo courtesy of B Griffiths)
See Zak Mills-Goodwin (VIC) run at Bathurst 2017
The most important skills required for any longboarder are the ability to stop quickly and safely. These skills are developed through various sliding techniques.
When you get your sliding steeze, cornering at high speeds, and holding a tuck for minimum air resistance and maximum speed will get you into the race.
You also need to plan your skating, and only use areas that are as safe as possible, also skate in a group so that you can look out for each other.
The best way to hook up for a skate session in Melbourne is via the Facebook groups:
Melbourne Longboarders and Old School Skaters
And
Sunset Skate Sessions on Facebook
Skate Melbourne’s parks with a group that insists on Fun!
In Victoria we now have some great longboard events,
that are just what you need to get sliding and racing:
For those of you that are Race Ready are prepared to travel, there are
the premier Australian and international championship
events put on by ASRA in conjunction with The International Downhill Federation
See ASRA Events – for the latest in Australian Racing
The Yarra Ranges Festival of Longboarding
Past Events……
Sherwood Slide Jam – a street legal slide event:
16th November 2014 at Mt Donna Buang
Watch the 2012 event Video…….
Mt Panorama Race Circuit….for possibly the last time.
Click here for Newtons Nation 2013
Link to Videos of 2012 Bathurst Races
Be The Influence BoarderX!
A new racing event that combines the skill of big ramp riding
with the need for speed on a scale that delivers a new and
exciting challenge for ALL skateboarders.
BoarderX hits Melbourne on 16th November 2013!
Slalom racing is dodging cones at speed in a head-to-head shoot-out, or finishing a clean run down a drainage ditch, where the winner is judged by stopwatch, or crosses the finish line first. Anyone who can skate can race slalom.
Chris Miris Ditch racing in Canberra (Photo courtesy of Dave Pang)
See ASRA Events for slalom races and longboard competitions for the latest updates on Victorian and other events across Australia.
Competitors can earn points for the Australian Skateboard Racing Association (ASRA) national ranking system. ASRA is recognised by the VSA as the national sanctioning organisation for downhill and slalom skateboard racing. The ASRA website www.skateboardracing.org.au contains plenty of information on how to ride safely, organise races, and contains a forum so that you can hook up with others in your area for sessions and competition. ASRA is also affiliated with the International Gravity Sports Association (IGSA) and helps to promote Australians competing internationally in a rapidly growing sport.ASRA national rankings links:
-> ASRA National Slalom Rankings
-> ASRA National Downhill Rankings
Ditch racing in Canberra (Photo courtesy of Dave Pang)
VSA and ASRA recommend helmets be worn at all times when riding a longboard and are developing a schools program to explain basic road safety and longboard sliding techniques.
Note: According to Victorian Road Rules, longboards must not be ridden on any road that has either a speed limit of more than 50kph, or a dividing line or median strip. See VicRoads or ASRA for further info.
Slalom racing in Melbourne (Photo courtesy of Haggy ASRA)
