Whether you’re picking up your first board, looking to build a quiver—beginner or intermediate, you might be asking yourself, “Should I buy a Pintail or a Drop Through?”
The short answer: Both are great, but it depends on what kind of riding you want to do. Oftentimes, this is determined by the type of terrain you live in. Scroll down to see our top picks determined by ride style.
The big difference: Pintail decks are mounted on TOP of the trucks. They are great for cruising and carving and for most ride styles that keep you under 25 mph, while Drop Throughs have the trucks mounted through the deck. They are great for faster speed riding, downhill, and some long distance riding.
If you’re shredding hills, cruising the flatlands or anything in between, we have a board built for your size, style, and environment.
Going downhill: Grab a Drop Through
If you live in the hills and you have a need for speed, a Drop Through is the name of your speed game, and you’ll want to make sure you pick a longboard that rides low. With half of your trucks concealed since they are dropped-through within the deck, your board has a lower center of gravity and increased stability. This can make all the difference between a podium finish or getting the wobbles and crashing out on the last corner!
Ride of Choice: Freeride 41 RockerConcave →
The Freeride series has a wide standing platform so your aerodynamic tuck doesn’t feel cramped when you’re hitting max velocity. But why the Rocker Concave? The rocker concave and gas pedals let you lock in your feet when you feel the need to drift off excess speed. See you at the finish line!
Surf-style cruising and carving: Grab a Pintail
If you’re looking for a true land surfer, a board that will let you practice cutbacks when the waves are flat or wherever life leads you away from the beach is a must. Pintails are top mounted, so they allow you to carve more deeply, BUT always remember that you want to get a Pintail shape (like ours) that is designed specifically to prevent wheel bite.
Ride of choice: Pintail Series (click for Pintail longboard size guide) →
The symmetrical Pintail shape is designed to prevent wheel bite at all costs, which is essential to getting in those deep carves with confidence. Not only does the Pintail’s flex put a little spring in your step for board dancing, but the flex actually absorbs some of the resistance applied to your ankles from pushing. Our Pintails are built for sharp turns thanks to our signature Original s-series carving trucks.
Commuting in style? Grab a Pintail
Size and simplicity are key when you’re ducking in and out of the train or you find yourself in a grab-and-go from the street to your office or classroom situation. In addition to that unbeatable cruising and carving feel, a Pintail offers a sharp turning radius perfect for dodging pedestrians and navigating traffic. The commute from point A to point B can be treacherous, so fortunately, all Pintails come equipped with soft Radius Sata Ride wheels to smoothen out the bumps, cracks, and pebbles along the way.
Ride of Choice: Pintail 37 →
At just 37 inches, the shortest longboard in the Pintail series provides an unbeatable cruising experience. What this board lacks in length, it makes up in quick turns, and it easily fits under your arm when you reach your point of entry.
Long distance pusher? Grab a Drop Through
The best way to immerse yourself in a new city is to explore by board. Unlike a Pintail, a Drop Through design makes long distance pushing less painful by minimizing the distance between the ground and the riding platform. Thanks to their low-riders, L.D.P. (long distance pusher) skaters on Drop Throughs have less leg cramping on their long treks!
Ride of Choice: The Freeride 38 RC →
A lot of testing—and some LDP trips of our own—helped us while prototyping the Freeride 38 RC. In the end, 0.620” at 10.25” base concave depth locked us in tight without cramping our feet on long runs. Foot cramps = bad times when you’re long distance pushing (or really, anytime). The RC provides a smooth ride for extended urban exploration.
Freeride slides? Grab a Drop Through
If you’re just learning to slide, a Drop Through will help you get your backside slides in no time flat. Why? Slide initiation is a smooth transition on all Drop Through decks thanks to the board’s lower center of gravity (which is much lower than a Pintail). That’s not to say that you can’t slide on a Pintail, but you’ll accomplish your slide dream goals much faster on a Drop Through. Plus, a Drop Through is more likely to get you the concave you need to comfortably lock and load your feet. Another great option is picking up a Top Mount like the Arbiter KT.
Ride of Choice: The Freeride 38 WConcave →
For unbeatable backside slide stability, the W-Concave features a slight hump running down the center of the board that locks in the toes of your feet. This gives riders the confidence to kick out faster backside slides on the hill because you’ll have great board feel right under your feet while also being lower to the ground.
Fast Freeride on steepest of slopes? Grab a Drop Through
When you want to pick up some speed, it’s time you pick up a Drop Through so you have more concave/rocker to secure your feet and more stability at higher speeds thanks to that low center of gravity.
Ride of choice: Drop Freeride 44 →
The Drop Freeride 44 is the longest board in the Freeride family. The added length lets riders skate in a wider, lower stance to maximize their stability. This board isn’t just a Drop Through, either. The Drop Freeride’s standing platform drops it like it’s hawt, dipping down to give you the lowest center of gravity possible and creating “slide pockets” perfect for locking you in. You would be hard-pressed to find a more stable sliding machine than this beast.
Freestyle tricks in the flats? Neither Pintail nor Drop Through
While you can do a little bit of freestyle on either options, if you really want a board that’s built for tricks, we suggest the Apex 40 Double Concave. The Apex’s traditional top mount design positions your deck at an ample height from the asphalt to give you insane pop for insane tricks. Thanks to the twin kicktails, you can pop, flip, and scoop your way into long freestyle lines in the streets.
Ride of choice: Apex 40 DoubleConcave →
Like all Apex decks, the Double Concave is reinforced with carbon fiber inlays that add the durability required to learn new moves. This board’s wide standing platform also makes it a great freestyle dance deck. The Double Concave’s subtle micro-drop gives riders advanced foot placement awareness for greater trick consistency. It’s pretty flipping sweet.
Now that we’ve hopefully made selecting your next longboard a breeze, you’ll have more time on the streets. Less time online = more time riding. Am I right? If you still aren’t sure which set-up best fits your riding style, fear not! You can chat with live Original team riders 7 days a week on our site! Our team of riders can provide all the knowledge and experience required to find your next favorite longboard. Shred on!