Longboarding is taking the boarding culture by storm and has just recently made its way on to the Kent State campus.

“Kent State’s campus is the ideal terrain for a longboarder because of the crazy hills that make it exciting,” said Brooklynn Hansley, junior teaching English as a second language major. “The best part is the rush you get while boarding.”

This kind of boarding has been around for over 60 years, dominating mostly on the east and west coasts.

“It is something I have never tried before, and I have always wanted to be a skater girl,” Hansley said. “So, when I knew that my roommate knew how to board, I said, ‘Why not give it a go?’”

With the rise of popularity of longboarding, three students from Kent State decided to come together and create “Kent Skate,” a boarding group on campus.

Scott Waite, senior aeronautics major, started longboarding four years ago. When Waite came to Kent State, he met two other friends who shared his passion for boarding, and they started riding together. After longboarding together for a while, the guys thought of the idea to create a Facebook group called “Kent Skate.”

“I founded it out of a growing interest in the sport and the positive social attitude that followed as a result,” Waite said.

The Facebook group “Kent Skate” only started with a few members and now has over 100. The group was created so members had a way to contact other boarders and see when they are free to skate, Waite said.

“I think it is absolutely a growing sport and in a way I see it as being as timeless as surfing itself,” Waite said. “The sport will continue to grow and improve with board design and technology.”

A longboard is similar to a surfboard on wheels and is much longer than the typical skateboard. A regular skateboard varies from 30 to 38 inches in length compared to a longboard that is 42 to 80 inches. The longer board makes for a much more comfortable and easier ride.

Students interested in boarding and becoming a member of “Kent Skate” can visit the group’s Facebook page.

“You just got to grab a board and go for it,” Hansley said.

Contact Abby Bradford at [email protected].