An Australian based skateboard company that is bound to turn heads. With unique and beautiful designs, a wide range of board styles and a devotion to sustainability, this brand appears to be ticking all the boxes. But have they focused on aesthetic over function? In this review, I’ll take a deep dive into a range of boards from the Gold Coast Longboards Brand, personally tested over years of riding in various terrain and conditions, to assess whether they ride as good as they look, stand the test of time, and are worth the money from your pocket.
This review will focus on three of their collections;
- Wood Cruiser Style – valued at $189, convenient size and easy riding
- Wood Longboard Style – valued at $259, large yet light, tackles the terrain
- Acrylic Ocean Longboard – valued at $379, head-turning design, good for a stroll
What we will cover:
- The Brand – Who they are, customer service, reliability, and sustainability
- Board Performance – How they feel to ride in various terrains, weather conditions and presentation over time
- Rider experience – Who they suit and the effects of speed, weight, and manoeuvrability
- Price and value
- The ultimate question; are they aesthetic over function?
So let’s dive in!
1. Who Are They?
Established in Queensland in 2015, an Aussie couple took a leap to produce a skateboard with a minimalist design in a market of crowded graphics and bold colour. A board that would visually represent that smooth and calm feel that it delivers as you ride it. The boards sold and the brand took off, but they never lost their eye for sustainability amongst the production. They even used the off-cuts from the boards to create a line of lightweight, polarized sunglasses to reduce their waste. They work with local Queensland artists to produce unique and innovative designs that cannot be mass produced by large-scale factories and competitors.
My personal experience with the company was nothing short of delightful. I purchased my first board from a small skateshop in Queendland in 2021; an Aloha Edition wood Cruiser that provided a perfect introduction to skating on the Sunshine coast. In 2023, a member of the team reached out to me on social media when I posted about a ride to check in on the quality and wear and tear of the board. But I had nothing to report, the board had travelled with me for 2 years but still looked fairly new, and rode like it was fresh out of the box. Nevertheless, the company cared about ensuring that I had a positive experience and ongoing joy from my purchase, a feature I would say is rare in most successful companies. Upon further research, I noticed that Gold Coast Longboards respond to almost each and every review on social media, offer regular giveaways and discounts and often host events and fundraisers to support other local brands in their community. The marks of a brand that not only cares about what they produce, but who they are selling to. I was truly impressed.
2. Board Performance
It’s no question that these boards look great, but how do they perform? Obviously, the different board shapes roll slightly differently, but the most important note is that these boards do not perform any worse than similar-shaped boards from any other brands that I have tried.
- Stability – overall, the longer the board and the closer to the ground, the more stable a board will be. Therefore, the longboards will always be more stable than the cruiser decks and a little better at rolling over those pesky sidewalk cracks, making them great for long, straight, fairly flat, rides along the coastal path or through the park. But when I started as a novice rider on my first cruiser, I was pleasantly surprised by it’s stability in comparison to other cruiser boards. With 28 inches in length, the GCLB Cruisers are on the longer side of most comparable cruisers on the market. Making them a great place to start for a more conveniently sized board,
- Flex – with a longer wheelbase, the longboards tend to have a lot more bend in the middle. This makes for a more comfortable ride with increased shock absorption, but it does take a little getting used to. I couldn’t help notice the Acrylic boards have significantly more flex than the wood. As a keen cruiser, I found it quite difficult to transition to the acrylic board at first and have had a few heavier friends not feel comfortable riding the board due to the flex in the middle. There’s no doubt that it makes for an extremely smooth ride and the board is certainly not going to break, but it can make you feel a little uneasy to stand in the middle if you think about it too much. If you’re going to ride with 2 people on the board regularly, the added flex might be something to consider about the Acrylic range.
- Turning radius – shorter wheel base equals shorter turning radius equals easier to turn, that’s just math. This is where the boards performance can really make a difference to your riding style and terrain preferences. The Longboards are harder to turn, but are perfect for those long, smooth straight lines and downhills. Whereas the cruisers will give you increased control to do tight turns and really enjoy a flow, side to side or to navigate through people and obstacles.
3. Rider Experience
Different boards are good in different terrains and therefore are suited better to different people. Where you want to ride, how fast you want to go, and what purpose you are riding for will all determine which board is best for you.
- Speed and Terrain – The faster you go, the less moving variables your want, meaning a stiffer board like the wood longboards. For straight but flatter terrain, you can play with the flex and radius of the board like the acrylic longboards. For wider paths or more manoeuvrability, the cruiser boards will excel.
- Weight – The heavier something is, the faster it rolls; therefore a heavier board can help with momentum over bumps and flat terrain, making for a smooth and comfortable ride. I found the Acrylic boards to be significantly heavier than the wood varieties of the same size.
- Portability – If you are using the board as transport requiring you to carry it around once you arrive, a heavy board can be a little extra effort than it’s worth. In these cases, the lighter wood boards or smaller cruisers can be better. They will allow you to manoeuvre around with ease and control, and are easy and small to carry when needed.
4. Price and value:
The average price of a skateboard in Australia can vary greatly depending on brand, quality, material and specifications. Generally, you can expect to pay between $100 to $300 for a decent cruiser board and $200 to $400 to a decent longboard. The wood collections of GCLB sit at the lower end of this range, yet still exhibit excellent quality and sustainability. The Acrylic collections do sit on the higher end of this range, however, cannot be denied of their unique manufacturing material that creates a clear board, unlike any other on the market.
The following is a table of the average prices available on the GCLB Website as of May 2024; check out their website for the latest pricing and collections.
| Board Type | Collection | Price |
| Cruiser | Wood | $189 |
| Cruiser | Acrylic – Ocean | $339 |
| Cruiser | Acrylic – Lucid | $259 |
| Longboard | Wood | $259 |
| Longboard | Acrylic – Ocean | $379 |
| Longboard | Acrylic – Lucid | $299 |
| Surf Skate | Wood | $339 |
5. The Ultimate Question; are they aesthetic over function?
After riding multiple boards from this company over the past 2 years, I can confidently say that the board quality and riding experience is second to none. There is no doubt that these boards are unique and beautiful in their designs, but I am happy to report that when you step onto them, you are still given a durable, reactive, and comfortable ride.
The only board that appeared to favour the aesthetic, was the acrylic ocean longboard. I personally found the surface texture of the acrylic board to be a little slippery (something that could easily be fixed by grippier shoes or by adding a clear grip tape to the top of the board) and there was no doubt that this board is significantly heavier than the others (but as mentioned above, this may prove beneficial for some riders).
My personal favourite is and has always been the wood cruisers, as these boards seem to favour my riding style and preferred terrain. In the future, it would be cool to see if this brand branches into trick decks so that I can take these stunning designs into the skate park (who else would want to see a trick deck collection?)
Something for everyone:
So whether you’re a seasoned pro, casual rider or someone just stepping into the exhilarating world of skateboarding, I hope this review gives you a better understanding of what’s out there and what Gold Coast Longboards has to offer. A small business that truly cares about quality, sustainability and rider experience.
Want one for yourself?
