Longboard Freeride and Sliding
WHAT'S THE BEST FREERIDE/SLIDE SETUP?
There is a lot of variety in Freeride setups - but generally the aim is to make sliding as easy, controllable and fun as possible.
Big, soft wheels with radiussed edges, stiff deck and a lot of concave are the essential ingredients. Beyond that, you will need to choose your wheelbase, drop-through or topmount, what sort of concave you like, how steep your trucks need to be... there's a lot to choose from and no hard and fast rules!
Choosing a Freeride setup can be made a lot easier by answering a simple question - do you want a tail or not?
If you just want to go fast and slide, and you're not really interested in kickturns, ollies and flips, there is little point in dragging a tail around. Tailless boards tend to have slightly longer wheelbases for more stability at speed and an easier slide initiation.
If, however, you want to skate with more focus on technical riding, you want the flexibility of a tail and/or nose, and with less emphasis on speed, then a deck with kicks or "hybrid" deck makes a lot more sense. A Hybrid is more of an all-terrain vehicle, whereas a tailless setup is more often built as a pure slide machine.
DEDICATED FREERIDE LONGBOARD
If you just want to concentrate on going fast and doing big skids, this is the place to be. Decks can be drop-through or drop-down for more stability and an easier slide initiation (but with way less grip and less turn), or topmount for more control and a nicer board feel. Whatever you choose, without a tail you are looking for longer wheelbases, stiff construction, big soft wheels and an aggressive concave to lock you in.
- Slightly longer wheelbase gives more stability at speed and more predictable slides
- Shorter deck length with a larger standing platform - halfway to a pure Downhill Speed Machine
- Stiffer deck construction makes slides easier to control
- Choose between topmount for better cornering and a snappy hookup, and drop-through/drop-down for an easy slide initiation and more stability.
- Look for aggressive concave to give you plenty of security with foot position
- Pick your truck angle - high for maximum turn at lower speeds, and low for more stability and control when things start to get quicker
- Keep the wheels between 65 and 72mm, with nice rounded or bevelled edges for an easy, predictable slide.
HYBRID - WITH A NOSE/TAIL
These are basically just big skateboards! A full tail and sometime a nose allows for a fusion of street, ramp and hill skating. A shorter wheelbase trranslates to more response, a snappier slide and less stability, so we would recommend this kind of setup for more advanced sliders.
- Kick tail and nose opens up a world of possibilities, now you can pop an ollie in the middle of a slide run, or even use your decks as a big street/park board.
- Shorter wheelbase adds maneuverability and versatility
- Stiffer deck construction makes slides easier to control
- Look for aggressive concave to give you plenty of security with foot position
- Pick your truck angle - high for maximum turn at lower speeds, and low for more stability and control when things start to get quicker.
- Keep the wheels between 65 and 72mm, with nice rounded or bevelled edges for an easy, predictable slide. Watch out for wheelbite as you will not have cutouts on a Hybrid deck!
Which longboard wheels are best for Freeride and Sliding?
Quality of slide is the most important thing here. Stoneground wheels slide more easily out of the box, so that's a good start.
Smaller wheels generally slide better, but then you'll need something a bit bigger if you want a higher speed.
Large cores are generally a good thing, as they make wheels last longer and slide smoother.
Check out our Longboard Wheel Guide for more info!
