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Written by Renée Shadforth/Tahoe World
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Tuesday, 18 July 2006 |
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 No boat to tow a wakeboard? None of the white stuff for riding your snowboard? Waves on Tahoe aren’t big enough to hang 10 on your surf board?
Well, perhaps it’s time you hit the asphalt and try carving on four wheels on a longboard. All you need is a board, a helmet, and some flat asphalt without traffic to get you started.
But take it easy, tiger, the No. 1 thing when learning to longboard is safety, says Chuck Buckley, owner of Tahoe Longboards.
“When you’re learning, you don’t want to be going so fast you can’t run off the board,” he said.
Other notes of wisdom from Buckley: Stand in the middle of the board with the majority of your weight at the front, kind of like snowboarding. The more you can bend your knees, the more control you will have.
The gear to get you started
Get the Talmont 52: This board was named after the one of sickest hills on Lake Tahoe, says Buckley. The Talmont 52 is the snowboard of the pavement. Added bonus: It comes with grip tape. Cost: $179 at Tahoe Longboards.
Protect your noggin: Pro-tec helmets have the classic skate helmet style for about 25 bucks. www.protechelmet.com
You can also protect your precious joints with wrist and knee guards. Why? Because asphalt hurts.
 Take a test ride
Not sure if you’ll like longboarding? Tahoe Longboards offers rentals for $5 an hour or $40 per day (eight hours maximum). You can also take a tour with Buckley or a member of his staff. They’ll take you to a safe spot and teach you the ways of longboarding.
Tahoe Longboards
Buckley’s shop is located at 8447 N. Lake Blvd. in Kings Beach. Their hours are Monday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call them at 546-4300.
Skate the Lake for Boarding for Breast Cancer
Skate the Lake will return to Lake Tahoe for a second year on Saturday, Oct. 7 in Lake Tahoe.
Skate the Lake is a rad longboard skateboard relay along the shores of Tahoe. All proceeds from this relay will be donated to help Boarding for Breast Cancer’s educational outreach efforts. The weekend will kick off with a registration party Friday, Oct. 6 (location and details coming soon).
At the first light of dawn on Saturday, Oct. 7, the relay will begin. Athletes of all ages and skill levels can either skate the two-mile portion they signed up for at the registration party, or all 27 miles. After the skate there will be an all ages after party with some live music and an educational booth.
Check out Skate the Lake on myspace at www.myspace.com/skatethelake.
Photos by Ryan Salm/Tahoe World
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Last Updated ( Friday, 11 August 2006 )
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