The best longboard for freeride & freestyle
Freeride and freestyle are the playful, technical side of longboarding: descending slopes with controlled slides, and landing tricks on flat ground. It asks for a board that can do both. Below you will learn what freeride and freestyle involve, what to look for when buying, and which Hammond is built for it.
What are freeride and freestyle?
Freeride is about descending slopes while controlling your speed with slides — letting the wheels break loose in a controlled way by turning the board sideways. Freestyle is about tricks on flat ground: manuals, nose-manuals, shovits, 360° spins and kickflips. Both demand control of the board in every direction. Riders often combine them: sliding down a slope and landing a trick at the bottom.
What to look for in a freeride/freestyle longboard
For freeride and freestyle you want a hybrid deck with a nose and tail that lift up — you need those to pop and land tricks. Enough flex gives you pop and cushioning on landing; enough stiffness keeps you stable at speed. A drop-through mount keeps the center of gravity low and the whole thing forgiving. That way you have one board that can both slide down a slope and land tricks in the square.
Best choice for freeride & freestyle
The Hammond Ding Dong is our freeride and freestyle pick. It is built as a hybrid freestyle deck: 39 inches with a lifted nose and tail for manuals, shovits, 360° spins and kickflips, a bit of flex for pop and enough stiffness for stable landings. The drop-through mount keeps the center of gravity low for control in slides. Ships complete in 8-ply Canadian maple with custom 70mm Surf Highway wheels.
Can a beginner start with freeride or freestyle?
Build it up slowly. First learn to roll, steer and brake stably before starting slides or tricks. Begin with the basic trick: a manual on flat ground. Slides are best practiced on a soft, gradual slope with protective gear. A hybrid deck with a lifted nose and tail, like the Ding Dong, grows with you from first manual to first slide.
Frequently asked questions about freeride & freestyle
Which longboard is best for tricks and freestyle?
For freestyle you want a hybrid deck with a nose and tail that lift up, so you can pop. The Hammond Ding Dong is built specifically for this: 39 inches with a lifted nose and tail, a bit of flex for pop and stability for landings — ideal for manuals, shovits, 360° spins and kickflips.
What is the difference between freeride and freestyle?
Freeride is descending slopes while controlling your speed with controlled slides. Freestyle is doing tricks on flat ground, such as manuals and kickflips. A hybrid deck like the Ding Dong does both, being both stable at speed and playful in the square.
Can I slide and do tricks on the same longboard?
Yes, that is what a hybrid freestyle deck is made for. The Hammond Ding Dong combines a lifted nose and tail for tricks with a drop-through mount and flex that also handles controlled slides. One board for both the slope and the square.
Do I need special wheels for freeride?
For slides, slightly harder wheels that break loose in a controlled way help, but the custom 70mm Surf Highway wheels the Ding Dong ships with are a versatile all-rounder that is perfectly fine to start freeride and freestyle on.
Other riding styles
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