Following through on our series about the different types of longboarding(such as Choosing a Cruising Longboard), I introduce you to the world of downhill longboarding and show you some of the best downhill longboards out there.
| Picture | Product | Price | Additional Reviews/Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landyachtz Evo | $$ | See Additional Photos and Reviews Here! | |
| Woodstock Chieftain | $ | See Additional Photos and Reviews Here! | |
| Sector 9 Faultline | $ | See Additional Photos and Reviews Here! | |
| Loaded Truncated Tesseract | $$$ | See Additional Photos and Reviews Here! | |
| Landyachtz Tornado Time Machine | $ | See Additional Photos and Reviews Here! |
Top 5 best downhill longboards
Downhill longboarding is all about speed and hills. Starting with just local hills, downhill longboarding has now evolved into international competitions where the speed demons of the world compete.
When reaching any speeds above 20 mph, it is essential that you have a good longboard underneath your feet which is designed for stability at high speeds.
Fun fact: The highest recorded speed on a longboard was just attempted in June 2016. Erik Lundberg hit 80.773 mph.
Landyachtz Evo
A downhill longboard that has 4 world championships in downhill longboarding, the Landyachtz Evo is one of the best downhill longboards out today. To make this longboard perfect for downhill, the deck has tapered ends and space in the middle to allow you to easily get into a tucked pose. The deck is made out of 11 ply maple providing a sturdy deck underneath your feet and no flex.
The deck also features large wheel cutouts which are perfect for avoiding wheelbite when going around sharp turns. One of the best parts of the Landyachtz Evo and the thing that differentiates it from some other best downhill longboards, is the wedging of the front and back trucks.
This provides the front of the board with carving power while the back truck of the longboard provides the stability that downhill longboards need(Confused about how wedging works? Check our full review of the Landyachtz Evo)
Woodstock Chieftain
In a more traditional longboard shape, the Woodstock Chieftain comes in at #2 on the list of best downhill longboards. The deck is made out of 9 ply maple and has a concave to keep your feet glued to the board.
It comes with Bear Grizzly 852 longboard trucks which are some of the best on the market. Due to the shape of the hanger(see our ultimate guide to longboard trucksif you’re unsure of what the hangar is), these trucks can actually be flipped to provide your board with different riding styles.
By flipping the hanger, your trucks will be much more stable which is perfect for downhill riding. In the standard configuration, the trucks are very responsive and give this downhill longboard a dose of pure carving power. Essentially you’re getting a great carving longboard and a great downhill longboard in the same package.
Sector 9 Faultline
The Sector 9 Faultline comes in at #3 for the best downhill longboards because of its many uses. While some of the other downhill longboards might feel “off” when simply cruising or carving around, the Sector 9 Faultline excels at all types of longboarding.
The deck is made out of maple and has a mild concave. This concave ensures that this board is super comfortable to push and the flared edges allow for a stronger foot position leading to increased stability during turns and at higher speeds.
While this board does have top mounted trucks, the deck drops significantly in the center section. This leads to a low center of gravity and increased stability.
A super comfortable board to push and a stable one for downhill? That’s the Sector 9 Faultline. And all for a low price.
Loaded Truncated Tesseract
A short(er) longboard, this board was designed for the express purpose of hitting high speeds on big hills. The deck measures 32” from end to end which is a lot shorter than the rest of the longboards on this best downhill longboards list(don’t let that deter you though!).
Note: The Loaded Truncated Tesseract is the younger brother of the Loaded Tesseract. Truncated simply means the deck is shorter but that can result in a longboard that handles completely differently.
Among other advantages such as the light weight, the shorter length allows you to easily and quickly perform slides for speed checks as you go down the hill. It also makes this board very maneuverable making cruising and carving on this board a breeze.
For stability, the deck features a rocker mold which keeps your feet in the center of the board and aligned when in the speed tuck pose. To maintain traction, the deck comes with Loaded Grip tape already applied which is a must in any downhill riding.
Landyachtz Tornado Time Machine
This time machine won’t take you to the future but it will take you to blazingly fast speeds downhill(Hit 88 mph and who knows? Maybe it will take you to the future.)The deck is speciallu configured to allow the riders feet to sit closer to the trucks. This along with the top mounted trucks creates a highly agile longboard for the length.
The slightly dropped deck leads to the rider standing within a cradle between the ends of the longboard. This lower center of gravity keeps the board stable at high speeds
The combination of a dropped deck and the configuration results in an ultra-maneuverable yet stable board which tears up hills. With this mix of maneuverability and stability, the Landyachtz Tornado Time Machine is perfect for any aspiring downhill rider.
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