Freebord vs Summerboard [Viewer Discretion Advised] not for the Beta Boarders
My ADHD has locked in while shredding and started to ponder why there is so much bitterness in the Freebord vs Summerboard community.
I am not affiliated with either. I own both the Freebord and the Summerboard, and have paid for both out of my own hard worked. So what I have to say is my own personal opinion and I am relatively involved/observing while being in both communities. I will admit that I am not the best rider of either boards, but I ride both for the same experience, but for different reasons, and I HAVE NEVER GONE SNOWBOARDING.
Let's talk about my unbiased opinion, and share my experience with both.
If you are beta, would have clicked out by now, because anyone who doesn't have an open mind to have a conversation is not worth the time.
So have let me ask you,... Have you ever heard of a bicyclist mad that that motorcycles and mopeds were ever invented? Have you heard of people who skate a 7ply deck at the back of truck bay complaining that BOOSTED Board put all E-Boards on the map? Have you ever heard anybody who owns a screwdriver mad that other people own power drills with multi attachments?
The barrier to entry between a Summerboard and a Freebording is..... it depends.
So I ride both, the Freebord and the Summerboard.
In the early 2000s I saw my first Freebord video on YouTube, and I was in love. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxyJKmA6kSI And I think a Freebord was the first thing I bought with first paycheck from my first job ever. I didn’t put any thought into where and how I was going to learn and my Freebord came pretty much arrived the next day. So I put it together and realized, there isn’t anywhere safe in my neighborhood for me to learn. I had no hills, but had some slope area at work when I worked on a college campus. During my breaks on graveyard I would only get myself to learn the skill of being relatively confident with my toe side slide. I had no community, just me wanting to learn how to drift, even though I have never gone snowboarding
I fell on financial hard times and sold my Freebord on Craigslist. [Because that was the only thing I owned to my name] I couldn’t find time, or plan a safe place to just feel the experience of snowboarding. [[Btw! Did I mention I have never gone Snowboarding. Even though I have owned 3 snowboards, that I have meant to ride, and bought and sold. Let’s not get into that! 😅]]
I think over a decade later, I see someone selling a Freebord on Craigslist. This guy wanted to sell it for, I think was $150. I asked him if he would take $75. He agreed and said, "I don’t even know what the fuck that is. My brother had that here for years and I told him if he didn’t pick it, I would sell it, cuz my apartment is too small to have his junk lying around." I grabbed the board and felt like a winner. I found a nearby hill and gave it a few tries and ate shit. I worked, and never got around to being able to find a safe spot to plan to shred. Life Happened and my Freebord lived in my closet for years....
And then!! I saw Leiftech video https://youtu.be/5m5M3FZgpTA
I was working a low paying job, and had a sudden amazing opportunity to make more money, and bought my Leiftech in 2018, then upgraded to the Summerboard Christmas gift to myself in 2019.
I was obsessed on riding the Leif until there was no more sun, because I could find a safe parking lot in my part of town and I would shred right after work. And then installed an inverter in my car to charge my Leif so that at the end of my shift, I could go for a ride at any park or parking lot, not having to wait for an empty hill when people finally settle down at home so I don't get hit by a car by everyone also working a 9 to 5. I just pulled my Summerboard out of my trunk to any parking lot that was relatively empty.
Ok ok, let's not sound completely biased... the Leif/Summerboard has had so many mechanical issues since I've owned it. Belts ripping. Motors misfiring. Centers wheels cracking. Price of maintenance. Hence, the reason, I pulled out my Freebord from the dusty closet, kept the trucks and bought a wider deck that matched my stance on the Summerboard. [If you think, because you can ride a Summerboard, you can ride a Freebord. You're wrong!!!]
Because of mechanical issues that come with driving any machine, I bought a new deck for my freeboard, and scavenged and plan and hunt the area for potential safe hills and plan the timing, either super late at night or super early before cars get on the road. It was a lot of planning. BTW, I was hit by a car from behind hill learning to go down a mellow hill.
But when it came to the Summerboard, on the weekend, no matter where you are or what time, you can find an empty parking lot, or even driveway to learn.
Now which one do I love most? It’s like asking, would you rather ride a bicycle or a motorcycle. It depends...
They share the same experience, but are in different categories like bicycles and E-Bikes. Skateboarder and E-boarders. At the end of the day, we are all just having fun.
Let me end this with a story I vaguely remember, and it goes a little something like this: There was this bird every morning who would just sing it song as loud as can be during the sunrise. The bird flies in front of a mans window, and the man says, "You annoying bird, get the fuck out of here!!' The bird flies to another man's window and the man say, what a beautiful day. Thank you bird for that beautiful song. Wake and bake broo!!" The bird flies away and continues to sing, because that is its nature and didn't even notice either man.
The pettiness from the if you're in the communities is only coming from one direction. The community is like the bicyclist petty about motorcycles.
We, who get on a board, get on a board for the nature of having fun. If you spend so much time clouting on one shredding community over the other. The other community is just shredding and having fun. Shred on my shredders!!!!
Let’s shred!!! 🤙🏽🤙🏽
