Last week, we did a post on social media that was inspired by new videos (Nick’s travels to Brazil) and our own recent Colorado travels testing out new boards. The overall caption? Longboarding changes you. Here’s the thing: We sometimes forget that when you write, right from the gut, people can wholeheartedly relate. No filters. No edits. All gut. As an expansion on our little insta caption:
Here are some amazing ways longboarding can + will change your life.
If you dig deep into the WHY of Original, and especially on the heels of 20 years as a small, family-owned business and the highs, the lows, and everything in between, it all boils down to one thing: Longboarding will change your life…if you let it. Here are some ways it’s changed us.
You Gain a New Perspective
When you have a connection to an activity that has specific parameters–great pavement, specific grade steepness, low-traffic, road crown shape, etc., the way you see everyday roads and surroundings changes.
We see a road not as a means of getting from point a to point b, but instead, by its steepness, pavement (or lack thereof), and hey, even the wind conditions (giving a nod to our surfing roots), depending on if you’re looking for a tailwind. We see the whole journey, the adventure, the ride.
Stopping on the side of the road, dropping a pin, and finding ourselves some beaut to ride
A rural area, concrete jungle, or suburban landscape can become an absolute paradise with just four wheels. Like a forager searching for plants, you quickly find yourself peering out the window looking at unexplored roads wondering, “Hey, is that road paved?” or “How do we get up to that hill over there?” And just like a forager, when you find the perfect pavement, you only share it with a select few friends (if any).
It Changes How You Travel
If we sat down and made a list of the places we have been able to travel thanks to longboarding, it would go something like this:
- Hawaii (Click here for Hawaii Sessions)
- Puerto Rico (Click here for Puerto Rico Sessions)
- Spain (Barcelona)
- France (Pyrenees) (Shot a lot of clips for this video)
- California
- Oregon
- New Mexico
- Texas (Click here for Texas Sessions)
- Colorado ( Click here to watch Western Sessions)
- Vermont
- Costa Rica
- Nova Scotia
- New Zealand
The list goes on, and for the sake of length, it may have been quicker if we listed the states we haven’t explored. Anyway, here’s how travel changes:
Instead of exploring your local hill, you step out of your comfort zone. Undiscovered roads become local favorites (and legendary stories). Steepnesses or conditions you only dreamed of become reality. For a moment, we get a temporary reprieve from our daily life and discover daily newness, all thanks to four wheels.
From your home to your travel destination, you find yourself peering out the window for little stops to explore new roads, and boy, there are some good ones out there waiting to be explored.
Research has shown that travel also makes people become more creative, open-minded, and trusting. We couldn’t agree more because some of our best shapes, concaves, designs, and all of the things that shape our actual longboards were born out of travel. As you hit a new road with a trusty old friend (your longboard), you start to ask yourself, “Well, what if this shape was a little different here?” or “How can we change this to ride just a little better on the steeps?” The culmination of it all? Fresh new eyes, fresh new boards.
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Exploring dream roads with Mirko Paoloni + Simon Lechner with Felix Pirker Photography behind the lens
Roll That Stress Away
Even if you aren’t able to travel, longboarding can allow you to bring that sense of freedom into your own home and daily routine. Let’s be honest: There’s nothing better in life than just plain old letting go and being present in the exact moment. That’s what longboarding does. It grounds you. It makes you present.
The second your foot connects with the board, only one thing matters: The ride.
When your body is happy, your mind follows too. So who cares if your boss is an asshole or you had a bad day at school. Longboarding is the perfect way to let it all roll away, as far as your favorite hill can take you.
You Discover Balance
In the most literal sense, you will discover balance. But in the most figurative sense, you discover the balance between mind and body, ebb and flow, work and play. You discover the ability to just let go! Longboarding is a balancing act.
In an overly chaotic world where people seem to be face down on their phones for most of the day, longboarding lets you STOP cramming so many things into your brain and look up. It lets you seek joy, do something for yourself, and unapologetically have a f*!$king blast.
You do it for yourself, for the ride, for the freedom. Just by doing one thing you love everyday or a couple of times a week, you inject balance into your life. It’s just as simple as that.
Longboarding is the ultimate escape, uninterrupted space in time, adventure, mode of transportation, and a trusty old travel companion. It’s a piece in the puzzle that turns friends into family and a single daily moment into pure happiness. If you haven’t ridden one yet, don’t say we didn’t warn you. And if you have, well, we’re not sorry to say, you’ll probably be hooked for the rest of your life.