Like all forms of longboarding, longboard dancing has been evolving steadily over the last few years. Inevitably, more complex tricks and combinations have increased the need for specialised decks to dance on.
There's now a huge selection of longboard dancing decks out there, but we've picked two of the classics to help you choose - the Loaded Bhangra and the Lush Legend.
Both of these decks have been around for a long time. They've evolved from tons of rider input over the years specifically for dancing and flatland tricks. They're both quite expensive, but then we're in high-end performance territory here and you shouldn't be looking to skimp in order to get all the features you want.
Specs
Let's kick things off with the numbers:
| Loaded Bhangra (Flex 2) | Lush Legend | |
|
Length |
48.375" / 122.9cm | 45.75" / 116.2cm |
|
Width |
9.5" / 24.1cm | 9.4" / 23.9cm |
| Thickness | 0.57" / 14.4mm | 0.39" / 9.9mm |
| Construction | Cork, Fibreglass, Bamboo | Maple, Fibreglass |
| Wheelbase | 32.75" / 83.2cm | 29.5" / 74.9cm |
| Truck Drilling | New School | New School |
| Deck Weight (inc. griptape) | 2.45kgs | 2.22kgs |
Deck Construction and Flex
Both these decks feature composite materials to enhance their flex characteristics, increase durability and reduce weight.
The Loaded Bhangra especially features a pretty funky construction, using cork, fibreglass and a bamboo bottom sheet.
The Lush Legend uses more straightforward maple/fibreglass mix, with the whole thing soaked in epoxy to add strength.
These two constructions create quite different flex patterns. We find the Legend to be a good deal "livelier" and "springier" underfoot, with a lot of bounce compared to the Bhangra.
The Loaded board by comparison feels a bit more "dead" - not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you are getting into more advanced footwork.
The Legend is quite a lot lighter than the Loaded Bhangra, although this is partly down to deck size (the Legend is a smaller board), the Bhangra's cork/bamboo sandwich is pretty thick and hefty compared to the ultra-thin 6ply maple/glass composite of the Legend.
Durability is a very difficult thing to measure - we've smashed around both of these decks, and they'll both take the inevitable beating that longboard dancing dishes out. However, we've found that the unprotected bamboo bottom sheet of the Bhangra tends to tear out and chip much more easily than the Legend's hardrock maple - but then that's comparing a grass (bamboo) with a solid hardwood soaked in epoxy (maple), so not altogether unexpected.
Shape and Dimensions
Both these boards are, necessarily, quite a bit bigger than most other longboards out there.
At 48.375" long, the Bhangra is one of the longest decks we have in the shop right now! This is definitely a "long"board in the true sense of the term. It's also rocking an enourmous 32.75" wheelbase, you definitely want to put some high angle trucks on this deck!
Coming in slightly shorter overall, the Legend is a "mere" 45.75," but with a much shorter wheelbase of 29.5." That's mostly due to the longer nose and tail when compared to the Loaded board.
The Bhangra is slightly directional - that is to say that it has a "front " and a "back," unlike the Legend which is totally symmetrical. Which you prefer is a personal choice... the directional shape of the Bhangra does make it a bit harder to "loose yourself" on the deck when the dancing gets complicated, but the symmetrical Legend means that fakie and shuvit tricks can be done endlessly with no need to revert or rewind.
Both decks are wide enough to give good leverage over the trucks and create a decent bit of turn/lean... essential on decks this long!
Concave, kicks, standing platform and geometry
These two decks really differ in the subtle concave, nose, tail and standing platforms. The experienced longboard dancers among you will certainly be able to see that there's night and day differences here...
Overall, the Bhangra is much flatter and less defined than the Legend. With extremely mellow kicks, almost no concave, and a shoter nose/tail, the Bhangra is comfier underfoot, but with a lot less grip for your feet, less reference points, and a less responsive ride. The Bhangra does have a bigger "standing platform" (that's the bit in between the trucks that you can go wild with the footwork), which is nice as you'll find that there's a little more space for dancing moves.
The Legend has significantly steeper kicks compared to the Bhangra - and actually compared to most other longboard dancers out there. This makes is much, much easier to pop up, flip and ollie, so it's possibly better suited to more agressive dancing than the bigger, heaver, flatter Bhangra. More concave on the Legend makes for much nicer standup slides, which can add a whole other dimension to your dancing.
The verdict
This all depends on your style of skating. Either of these decks will be awesome for cruising around, but when it comes to dancing, the differences start to become a bit more obvious.
We'd suggest the Bhangra over the Legend if your footwork is a priority over flips, ollies, spins and slides. If all you want to do is dance, the extra space and flatter concave of the Bhangra makes it the ideal choice. For this kind of skating, weight and durability is less important, and the qualities of Loaded's construction can really shine through.
However, if you're a more technical skater, the Legend is where it's at. It's lighter, shorter and livelier, so easier to chuck around. It'll take more impact damage than the Bhangra and that concave gives you just enough for some pretty decent slide moves in the mix.
The last thing to consider is the price. The Bhangra is quite a bit more expensive - that high-end construction isn't cheap. However, it is worth it if it fits your style of skating, the deck has a real nice finish to it so you can see where your money is going!
Setup Recommendations
We'd recommend high-angle longboard trucks on both of these decks. Something like a Paris 180mm or a Sabre Standard Trucks will fit the bill.
For wheels, keep things between 65 and 70mm, and a softer duro - so Cult Chronicle or Orangatang Fat Free's are a perfect match. You're spending quite a bit of the deck so it's worth putting decent urethane on these boards!
You can get your hands on the Bhangra and Legend here:
Lush Legend Deck Only Lush Legend Complete
Loaded Bhangra Deck Only Loaded Bhangra Complete
Be sure to check out the latest version of the Loaded Bhangra - the Bhangra V2! Very similar to the version reviewed here, with a more eco-friendly construction and an updated graphic. What's not to like?
Bonus Round - Lush Kisiwa and Hackbrett Wasser
We do have two other super-long longboards that are worth a look - the Hackbrett Wasser and the Lush Kisiwa. Neither drop into the dancing niche in quite the same way...
The Wasser is a curious beast. It's stiff enough to skate downhill... yes... proper downhill on a 5ft longboard... and it features a very technical concave that really helps lock your feet in. It's also an amazing cruise setup, that huge swallowtail and surfy nose is a real eyecatcher. It'll do some dancing, but if you want to take your plank down some mountain passes too... this is the one.
The Kisiwa on the other hand is completely different. Laminated from hardwood, it's very stiff and very heavy. This gives it epic momentum and amazing response for surfy-style footwork, but good luck getting it off the ground! It's also no good for downhill either, with no concave at all. But for cruising the beachfront and dialling in your surf-style boardwalking and hang tens, then the Kisiwa is where it's at.