Pedestrians walking through campus might notice some new sounds this summer. The gravelly whoosh of wheels on concrete, punctuated by a clack-clack as they roll over seams between slabs on the sidewalk. Suddenly, a figure breezes by, leaning into curves on the path with seemingly no effort. Within seconds the figure is gone again, looking for hills to bomb.

Smaller skateboards, also called trick boards, are more familiar to most people, but longboard skateboards are a more common sight at K-State. According to Anthony Osgood, May 2010 graduate in business operations, they are becoming more popular.

While trick boards are designed for complicated jumps and stunts, the longboard is specifically designed for traveling distances and downhill speed, or "bombing." The larger surface area of a longboard offers more stability for the rider, while the bigger wheels provide more speed and do not require as much pushing, making it ideal as a means of overall transportation.

"I ride this thing everywhere I go because I don't have a car," said Martin Carney, sophomore in secondary education. "I've passed bikes on it."

Longboards are more common on campus because of regulations.

According to the K-State Parking Services website, skating is not allowed in or on buildings, rails, steps, retaining or landscape walls, benches or handrails. Skating and skateboarding is only permitted on pathways designed for bicycles and pedestrians. These regulations make the longboard skateboard more ideal than trick boards for use on campus.

Capt. Don Stubbings of the campus police said these rules are in place primarily because of safety concerns, but also because of damage to the limestone walls and buildings. Stubbings said skaters are welcome on campus as long as the boards are used for transportation.

"I think it's consistent from when I was a kid," Stubbings said. "There's always a culture of skaters. It's a great form of exercise."

The longboard is not as well-known in pop culture because it is more difficult to do tricks on, so it is not featured in movies or video games as prominently as trick boards.

Some skateboarders prefer longboards because the faster speed makes the riding sensation closer to that of surfing or snowboarding. The speeds riders can reach can be both exhilarating and dangerous. Carney said his friend was clocked going 35 miles per hour while bombing a hill at Tuttle Creek.

"It's a rush going downhill," Carney said. "It's kind of like snowboarding on cement."
Osgood prefers riding his longboard because of the convenience and portability it provides. Unlike a bicycle, a longboard can be carried indoors rather than chained up outside, it can be thrown into a car if a friend offers a ride during bad weather and it never gets flat tires – one of Osgood's pet peeves.

One of the disadvantages of longboards, however, is they can be dangerous to ride, especially in bad weather. Carney said another friend of his recently fractured his skull after hitting a rain puddle, and Carney suffered a broken rib last year on campus when he lost control of his speed and hit a fence.

Capt. Stubbings said most injuries are not reported because they are not serious enough to go to the hospital. Safety equipment is not required on campus, but it is strongly encouraged, Stubbings said.