I have no experience skateboarding, outside of one drunken pre-dawn morning last summer, but I picked up a longboard this weekend, and I'm both excited and scared by it. Does anyone else partake? and would anyone like to impart some wisdom?

For a second there I was thinking "where da fuck is he gonna surf?". When I think of longboards, I think of surfer boys.

yep

I skated for 16+ years, but haven't really done it a about a year...I still have 2 complete decks in my trunk just in case the old jetta breaks down...Maybe just go to the local school yard and get your balance down..That's the main thing with longboards...Your not going to be doing ollies or other tricks, so just get the balance , and turns down and you should be good ....

I thought of surfboards too. However, I used to have a longboard skateboard until it got run over by my drunk ass roomate. They're really fun and certainly a lot more stable than being on a regular board. I never got really good at it, but it certainly helps if you know how to surf because using that sucker is gonna be a lot more like surfing than skating. Loads of leaning and upper body movement to control the direction of the board. They're a blast though. Once, I tried to do a running stop where you jump of and run and then pick up your board. I was going a bit too fast and completely ate it onto my elbows and knees. Thankfully no one saw. haha.

since aaron is leaving me for the brunettes of boston, my parting gift was a skateboard. i've been out on it twice now. it's really addictive. and i look stupid doing it. but i'm really excited. you and i can be newbie skaters together, jay!

This sounds like a great time. I'm not yet convinced that I shouldn't have got a short board, but mine has a rad skeleton on the bottom. I haven't broken my face yet, but I ran over a gyro last night. That was uggers.

Tell me more about the Boston Brunettes.

if your ever in TO drop me a line - i've got a spare short board here that was aquired several years ago during a night of heavy drinking. i don't ride it much as i already have one. but seriously it's yours if your ever in TO. and stay away from those gyro's, they'll play havoc with your bearings.

I've PM'd you. Our timing couldn't be better.

I snowboarded for a number of years and picked up a longboard to get better balance and for carving in the snow.

One late night I took it for a long ride around town, and unsuspectingly went zipping down a steep hill while a car was going pretty fast around a corner. I was literally inches away from a major injury/death, and after I jumped off I rolled for what seemed like a hundred yards. I became a pretty big sissy on it after that. So, my advice is to learn how to slow down before you go adventuring to unfamiliar places.