Is Longboarding Good Practice for Snowboarding?
Why skateboard crossover makes perfect sense for snowboarders in the offseason
If you snowboard long enough, eventually summer becomes a let-down.
You spend an entire winter honing your balance, carving skills, edge control, and body positioning, then suddenly the snow melts and you start wondering about skateboarding—and more specifically, longboarding and surfskates—and whether this can help get that feeling back and stay in the zone.
Listen to this Story on the 1923 Main Street Podcast
Does longboarding help with snowboarding? Yes it does.
Not because longboards perfectly recreate snowboarding (they don’t), but because both longboard options help to practice movement patterns, stance awareness, carving instincts, and they flow in ways that actually carry over when winter comes back around.
The key is to understand the difference between a traditional longboard and a surfskate—and which one fits your riding style best.
You know the feeling, but you make the choice anyway.
Sometimes what you know might be a bad choice is just a formality for a yes. That fresh powder run through the scenic trees with no end in sight? Check.
Our Bad Choices Inevitable tee by 1923 Main Street® was inspired by snowboarding moments where caution was thrown to the wind and memories were made.
Also available as a sweatshirt.
• Base Item: Gildan 64000 • 100% ring-spun cotton • Dark Heather is 65% polyester, 35% cotton • 4.5 oz/yd² (153 g/m²) • Shoulder-to-shoulder taping • Quarter-turned to avoid crease down the center • Blank product sourced from Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Haiti or Guatemala
Disclaimer: Due to the fabric properties, the White color variant may appear off-white rather than bright white.
This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it may take us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions.
Please note: since all orders are custom created, all sales are final and we do not accept returns, refunds or exchanges. Please check sizing carefully using the guide.
Does Longboarding Actually Help with Snowboarding?
To recap, the short answer is yes.
Not in a “you will suddenly ride like a pro next winter” kind of way. But definitely in terms of feel, balance, and body mechanics.
Longboarding helps snowboarders improve a lot of cross-over skills, including:
Balance and stability
Weight transfer
Turning confidence
Carving motion
Frontside and backside rotation awareness
Board control at speed
Lower body coordination
Most importantly, skateboarding keeps your body thinking sideways all summer long.
If you’re totally new to snowboarding, getting used to the stance matters. If you’ve never been on a board before, the sideways stance can feel weird at first (especially if you’ve been skiing). Longboarding helps you get different muscles to learn the mechanics and keeps your reactions active through the offseason.
DNA Born in Defiance
Snowboarding’s DNA is a little defiance and a little rebellion. Mostly it was about freedom. In the 1980s and ’90s, riders were treated like outsiders, but they kept shredding. The Once an Outlaw series from 1923 Main Street® Snowboarding is a nod to that heritage—bold, unapologetic and built for those who ride with pride.
Also available as a snowboarding hoodie.
• Base Item: Gildan 64000 • 100% ring-spun cotton • Sport Grey is 90% ring-spun cotton, 10% polyester • 4.5 oz/yd² (153 g/m²) • Shoulder-to-shoulder taping • Quarter-turned to avoid crease down the center • Blank product sourced from Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Haiti or Guatemala
Disclaimer: Due to the fabric properties, the White color variant may appear off-white rather than bright white.
This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it may take us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions.
Please note: since all orders are custom created, all sales are final and we do not accept returns, refunds or exchanges. Please check sizing carefully using the guide.
Why Snowboarders Naturally Connect with Skate Culture
Snowboarding and skateboarding have always shared DNA.
The two riding styles flow in many of the same ways. That crossover also affects summer style as well. It’s a little about lifestyle continuity. You ride in winter. You cruise in summer. Same mindset and you get to wear your snowboard tees in July while you practice your carves on smooth asphalt.
Untethered and Free to Ride
The freedom to ride unleashed and untethered. The Life Unleashed Arch skateboarding tee by 1923 Main Street® is lightweight, comfortable and moves with you wherever your path takes you.
All Roads, Unleashed.
Also available on dark t-shirts and a hoodie.
• Base Item: Gildan 64000 • 100% ring-spun cotton • Sport Grey is 90% ring-spun cotton, 10% polyester • 4.5 oz/yd² (153 g/m²) • Shoulder-to-shoulder taping • Quarter-turned to avoid crease down the center • Blank product sourced from Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Haiti or Guatemala
Disclaimer: Due to the fabric properties, the White color variant may appear off-white rather than bright white.
This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it may take us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions.
Please note: since all orders are custom created, all sales are final and we do not accept returns, refunds or exchanges. Please check sizing carefully using the guide.
Traditional Longboard vs Surfskate: What’s the Difference?
One thing to consider for summer riding is your board type. This is where things get a little interesting if you’re not super familiar with skateboarding or longboarding. Not all skateboards are made the same way and your experience will be very different with each one. We’ll skip the classic popsicle stick skateboard and go straight to longboards and surfskates.
Traditional Longboards
While they come in different lengths (from a little longer than a traditional skateboard, to very long), longboards are mainly built with a few key things in mind:
Stability
Cruising
Smooth carving
Distance riding
Speed control
These types of longboards will typically have:
Longer wheelbases
Larger wheels (and softer wheels)
Wider decks
More stable trucks
For snowboarders, this setup usually feels very familiar.
The ride is smoother, more grounded, and more forgiving than a regular skateboard. If you’re brand new to longboarding, this is a good place to start.
Why it Helps Snowboarding
Longboarding helps to teach (or practice) a few things in a way that’s similar to snowboarding:
Edge-like carving pressure
Smooth turning transitions
Weight shifting
Stability at speed
If you love carving on a snowboard, traditional longboarding feels natural almost immediately.
This is the way to go for riders who:
Prefer freeride or carving
Ride all-mountain terrain
Want relaxed offseason riding
Care more about flow and cruising than tricks
If your snowboard is directional and not a twin, this is the way to go.
The 1923/MS Triple Black Snowboarding T-Shirt brings the same attitude and comfort as our iconic snowboard hoodie version, but in a lightweight, all-season tee. Designed for riders who love the mountain lifestyle, this premium cotton snowboarding t-shirt blends streetwear style with all-day comfort.
With its varsity-inspired design from our streetstyle series, this unisex snowboarding t-shirt keeps you looking sharp in classic minimalism. Whether you’re layering up or chilling post-ride, the Triple Black tee is built for good times on and off the snow.
• Base Item: Gildan 64000
• 100% ring-spun cotton
• 4.5 oz/yd² (153 g/m²)
• Shoulder-to-shoulder taping
• Quarter-turned to avoid crease down the center
• Blank product sourced from Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Haiti or Guatemala
Disclaimer: Due to the fabric properties, the White color variant may appear off-white rather than bright white.
This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it may take us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions.
Please note: since all orders are custom created, all sales are final and we do not accept returns, refunds or exchanges. Please check sizing carefully using the guide.
Surfskates
Surfskates, on the other hand, are different.
They use specialized front trucks designed to mimic surfing-style pumping and ultra-tight carving.
The ride is looser, twitchier, and much more dynamic. You generate speed by pumping the board instead of pushing with your foot. But this doesn’t mean that they’re not good for snowboarders.
Why Snowboarders Love Surfskates
Surfskates are good for more experienced snowboarders because they can help to train:
Deep carving mechanics
Compression and extension
Shoulder rotation
Rapid edge-to-edge transitions
Flow and rhythm
In some ways (and depending on your snowboard riding style), surfskates can feel closer to carving on a snowboard than traditional longboards do.
But, I would say that surfskates are more applicable to riders who like:
Surf-style snowboarding
Tight turns or off-trail tree runs
Dynamic carving
Playing with terrain (this is for you, park people)
Surfskates will force your body to stay active the entire time. There is no comfortable cruising or lazy riding here.
Which One is Better for Snowboarding Practice?
Deciding which type of board to get really depends on how you ride and your skill level.
Choose a Traditional Longboard if:
You like speed and/or stability
You want mellow cruising
You ride groomers and freeride terrain
You are new to skateboarding
You want easier learning curves
Choose a Surfskate if:
You love carving aggressively
You ride dynamically
You want maximum crossover feeling
You already have decent balance or you are a solid snowboarder
You enjoy spending time in snowboard parks
Having said all that, let’s face it: for a lot of snowboarders, the ideal setup eventually becomes having both: a longboard for cruising and a surfskate for carving.
Skateboarding has never been about shortcuts.
Every trick earned comes with slams, scrapes and the determination to get back up. A Little Pain Is Part of It speaks to that truth—the quiet understanding every skater shares after hours at the park, in the street or on the road.
It's about pushing past fear, committing fully and breaking through until the ride finally clicks. No hype. No posing. Just progression.
A Little Pain is Part of it is the 1923 Main Street® skateboarding t-shirt built for skaters who know that pain is not the point, but it is part of the process.
Also available on dark-colored shirts.
• Base Item: Gildan 64000 • 100% ring-spun cotton • 4.5 oz/yd² (153 g/m²) • Shoulder-to-shoulder taping • Quarter-turned to avoid crease down the center • Blank product sourced from Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Haiti or Guatemala
Disclaimer: Due to the fabric properties, the White color variant may appear off-white rather than bright white.
This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it may take us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions.
Please note: since all orders are custom created, all sales are final and we do not accept returns, refunds or exchanges. Please check sizing carefully using the guide.
Does Longboarding Improve Your Snowboarding?
Yes it does, but indirectly.
Longboarding will not magically teach you how to ride switch, or master park tricks, or be able to pull of killer powder techniques or rail riding (you’ll need a popsicle board for rails and boxes).
But it absolutely improves board confidence, turning comfort, body awareness and your overall balance.
And after a long offseason, maintaining that feeling matters. The first day back on snow feels much less awkward when you’ve been longboarding over the summer months.
Will Longboarding Help You Learn How to Snowboard if You’ve Never Snowboarded Before?
This is a common question and the answer is yes, absolutely.
Not because longboarding is a dryland version of snowboarding, but because it teaches some of the hardest beginner concepts before you ever step onto the snow.
One of the biggest early hurdles in snowboarding is simply getting comfortable standing sideways while moving. Longboarding helps remove some of that awkwardness and will help you ID whether you’re goofy or regular (stance).
Most people naturally figure this out pretty quickly once they start cruising or carving on a longboard.
Beyond stance, longboarding also helps build:
Basic balance
Turning confidence
Weight shifting
Frontside and backside awareness
Getting comfortable moving at speed while standing sideways
Coordination between upper and lower body
Learning all of these things ahead of time matters more than people think.
A lot of first-day snowboarders struggle because everything feels new all at once (plus you’re dealing with slippery snow and trying not to fall). Getting some of the basics around balance, weight shifting, stance, turning and looking where you want to go will all add up to make day one on the hill a little easier.
Obviously it doesn’t mean you’ll instantly snowboard perfectly. But in my experience, most people who’ve spent time longboarding tend to progress a little faster because they already understand basic board movement.
Surfskates can help here too, especially for carving and body rotation, but for complete beginners a traditional longboard is the easier starting point because it’s more stable and predictable.
So if you are curious about snowboarding but there’s no snow in sight, longboarding is honestly one of the best crossover activities you can do before winter arrives for another season.