The longboard, a recent arrival primarily reserved for high-speed downhill glides, is something lawmakers will soon likely have to deal with, says Vancouver Island’s chief medical health officer.
“[Longboards] will be something that people need to wrestle with at the policy level,” said Dr. Richard Stanwick.
Unlike standard skateboards, longboards can’t really be accommodated in a skate park, he said. They are primarily designed for roadways and sidewalks, where they share space with motor vehicles.
Stanwick noted that a longboard, with no effective brakes, will not fare well in any encounter with a car. “Running into a moving piece of steel, there is no question which is going to lose.”
Unlike standard skateboards, which range in length from 70 to 80 cm, longboards rival surfboards in length — they can be as long as 110 centimetres. According to online skateboard sources, their speeds can exceed 100 km/h.
Stanwick said Greater Victoria may be saved for a while by its geography. It doesn’t offer the same extreme hills as North Vancouver, where longboards have become a public-safety issue.
Victoria skateboarders say longboards here have mostly found favour with students at the University of Victoria, where they cruise from class to class on campus walkways.
