With a lengthy deck and flexible build, longboards are meant to allow boarders to turn and cruise with ease. Seeing a longboarder or two going from class to class is a common sight.
Mechanical engineering freshman Evan Finses said he doesn’t have much trouble weaving through people and traffic on his way to classes, but sometimes his board can be inconvenient.
“The only trouble I’ve had is more really just involved with taking my board into the cafeteria,” Finses said. “For whatever reason Brody cafe is really anal (retentive) about not taking your board into the caf.”
According to Associate Director of Residential Dining Bruce Haskell, longboards are allowed in dining halls.
Because longboards were not allowed in dining halls in the past, confusion about the rule change prompted disagreements between workers and students trying to carry them inside.
“We were shooting for something that was reasonable,” Haskell said of permitting longboards in dining halls. “Because as soon we take control of it like making them leave it at the entrance, then we’re assuming responsibility for (the longboard) and we can’t do that.”
Although longboards have become more frequently used on campus in recent years, MSU alumnus Jim MacGregor realized there wasn’t a store within walking distance of campus that catered to the longboarding crowd. To fill that void, MacGregor opened Action Board Sports in East Lansing three years ago.
MacGregor said the growth of his inventory and sales reflect the growing popularity of the activity itself.
“It had to do with the growth of longboarding nationwide,” MacGregor said.
But there are restrictions on longboarding on campus, many of which MSU students are unaware of.
Mechanical engineering freshman Lewis Johnson was riding his longboard from class one day on Chestnut Road. Johnson was boarding in the bike lane, unaware that it was a civil infraction. Johnson said a police officer stopped him and said he would receive a citation if he was caught boarding in the bike lane again.
“He said it was against the rules and not against the law,” Johnson said.
According to MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor, longboarders and skateboarders are treated as pedestrians. They are allowed to ride on sidewalks and crosswalks, but bike lanes are strictly for bikes. Parking ramps are also off limits for longboarding.
When students board in restricted areas, law enforcement can get involved. It is out of the MSU police department’s reach to deal with boarding in those areas, but the East Lansing Police Department can issue citations.
“They could receive a citation and those fees are set by the court. There’s certain areas on campus that are marked where they are prohibited,” McGlothian-Taylor said.
Boarding violations assessed by East Lansing’s 54-B District Court can cost up to $60.
Though there are restrictions, convenience and security play a large role in students’ preference for longboarding over other forms of transportation such as bicycling.
The chances of getting a longboard stolen are slim — it goes everywhere with its rider. Instead of locking it up outside, students bring their boards into class where they can keep a close watch on them.
According to MSU police, approximately 335 bike thefts were reported in 2012. In 2013, the number increased slightly to approximately 350 bike thefts. Since January, there have been 219 reported bike thefts.
Computer science freshman Turner Anderson said he sees more and more people taking up longboarding. While changing regulations on campus and in dining halls reflect the popularity of longboarding, they could also change how and where students ride their boards.
