Longboarding in Sedona

To Skateboard, or to Longboard, that is the Question

The controversy between skateboarding vs longboarding has been debated for decades. If you are wondering which type of board to purchase, the question to ask yourself is what do you want to do with your board? If you want to perform tricks and are into ramping and grinding, then most people would recommend a skateboard for you. If, like me, you are more likely to use the board for cruising the streets, getting around a college campus, or land paddling for fun, then a longboard is probably your better bet. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of advanced longboarders who compete in downhill racing and excel at carving, glove-down sliding, and noseriding. But for many of us, the longboard is used more often for cruising and transportation. A longboard is my choice of board. 

Once you’ve made the decision to purchase a board, the next step is to research different manufacturers. Yes, I was gifted this awesome longboard by the Exodus Longboard Co. (Exodus), but the opinions and review here are completely my own. I can 100% recommend Exodus longboards to you for amazing quality of handcrafted boards, highest quality wheels and trucks, and the most incredible custom art. Even if it’s merely for cruising, your longboard should be as unique as you are. The founder and owner, Dan Kohout, took time to ask me what I would like for the artwork and which quote or Bible verse I’d like to add. I told him, “I’m from Arizona and I love cacti, red rocks, bohemian patterns, and color. I also love Philippians 4:13.” And you can see the amazing result in these photos. Dan and his group of artists are the best. It was like a dream come true when my board arrived from Exodus. Plus Dan made a point of saying, “This is not just any normal collaboration--but an extravagant gift to show how much He loves you!” I say thank you to Dan for being a light in this world.

Besides my beautiful board, look what Dan and his team at Exodus did for my friend Nash who lives in Hawaii. His board is also a stunning work of art and top quality craftsmanship (See the IG photo here).

Being an artist myself, I know how personally expressive a piece can be. Dan explained to me about the patterns on my board:

    

“The top pattern is a Polynesian style design that they use to symbolize the ocean and fish hooks. The ocean to the Polynesians is a symbol of eternity and the hooks symbolize strength. It's on the very top to symbolize the hope set before you and that you have the strength to not back down. The middle and bottom patterns are more geared towards the patterns you described when we first started. They symbolize the intricacies of life and that everything is connected. While it may seem chaotic and overwhelming- there is uniformity and beauty within it all- even the little things have purpose! The last bit- the three arrows represent the trinity and the word on the tail is the word agapetos in Greek which means beloved and accepted.”

Honestly, my mind is blown by how beautiful and meaningful this art is to me. I am by no means a proficient “skater” yet, but I know what I like, what board rides smoothly, what handles well for me, what looks beautiful, and what represents a part of me.  Xoxo, Shelly

• For the best longboards, I recommend visiting the Exodus website at exoduslongboards.com. You won’t be disappointed! And you can ask Dan any questions about skateboarding or longboarding. He’s been a skater since he was a young teen. 
• For a great article on Dan and his founding of Exodus, please see the article titled “The Future of Exodus Longboards.”
• For a great video on glove-down sliding, I recommend “6 BASIC SLIDES WITH GLOVES | LoadedTV S2 E6.”
• For a super funny & sarcastic article on skateboarding vs longboarding, a must read is “8 Reasons Why Longboarding Is Basically Social Suicide.”

Note: photography by Nash Hagen except those photos supplied by Exodus during the creation of my board, and the photo of Nash skating was taken by yours truly. 

Board custom by & courtesy of Exodus Longboard Co.

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