Corian Turning

David McCready: Entrepreneur and Extreme Downhill Longboard Skateboarder

David McCready Downhill Long-Board Skateboarder. An extreme sport viewed by many as insane, but to a select few its a soothing rush of adrenaline. A longboard is a skateboard with a longer and sometimes wider shape used for longboarding. They are most commonly used for cruising, downhill racing, slalom racing, or transportation. Longboards can be shaped in many different ways, depending on the type of riding intended. Their greater weight and bulk make them less suitable for many skateboarding tricks, but contributes to a fluid motion by providing more momentum. Longboarding is often compared to surfing on concrete, and the design allows big turns or quick short carves similar to a surfboard. Longboarding became popular alongside emerging surfing culture through the mid 1950s. Longboarding may have originated in California where the streets gave ground to many longboarders due to the rolling hills but some believe it is a product of Hawaiian origin. Although its origin is unknown, longboarding was first created as a land alternate for surfers.Longboard equipment is very similar to skateboard equipment. Many longboarders wear gloves and a helmet. Wrist, elbow, and knee protection are always recommended. Also in the sliding and downhill disciplines, riders wear “slide gloves” which are a specialized glove made out of a strong material such as leather, and have “pucks” attached, which are usually made of delrin, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (often shortened to UHMW), or corian. Polyethylene cutting boards are also sometimes cut into pucks and used, but it is not recommended as they are less resistant to heat and will sometimes melt when used on rough pavement.

Most longboards measure between 90 and 150 cm (35.4-60 inches). Shorter boards may still be referred to as longboards when their main purpose is in line with that of longboarding (i.e. downhill & cruising). There are several different shapes of longboards including but not limited to: pintails, flat nose riders, and boards shaped like a longer shortboard. Pintails permit looser trucks and larger diameter wheels better suited for carving or a “surfy” feel. Mid-length boards, 94-127 cm (37-50 inches) are the most versatile.

David McCready is known by locals to be the best longboard rider around but David is very humble and stated that he is nowhere near the best. He lives in California and spends his weekends driving all over the state searching for the next best hills to ride. The fastest he has ever personally been clocked on a longboard was 60mph in Californias High country.

To Find out more about David McCready you can now follow him on twitter or visit his website:

www.DavidMcCready.com

twitter.com/David_McCready

Cheers to Life!

David O’Daly

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