Longboards gaining popularity on campus

By: Katie Krull
Feature Editor

Longboarding, a growing craze of new transportation, is sweeping the Saint Mary’s University campus. Many students are using longboards to get to and from class, and for recreational purposes.

Mainly a tradition of the West Coast, only a few Saint Mary’s students would longboard in previous years. Recently, the trend is growing in popularity at Saint Mary’s due to its spread all over the Midwest. Senior Allison Wachal enjoys riding her longboard because, “when you’re on it you kind of just sway back and
forth and you’re in your own zone.”

It is common to see students glide along the long pathway that connects the Old Village and the Toner Student Center, or speed down the hill to the Yon’s lower road. Longboards are a twist on the classic skateboard. They have larger decks and wheels, which allow them to glide over bumps and cracks with little effort.

There are a variety of longboard types such as pintails, bottlenecks, and drop boards which are specific to the type of longboarding one would want to do: down-hilling, coasting, or cruising. Longboards can be purchased at Zumiez, PacSun, or any sort of surf or skateboarding shop, and they range in price anywhere
between $180-$250.