Longboarding has gained a lot of traction in Baton Rouge. Students push and carve their way along University sidewalks to get to class and gather in Free Speech Plaza when school ends to ride in a less restricted environment.
According to Baton Rouge resident Bryan Prince, though, some riders prefer a more open range — and on March 29, these skaters will glide across the historic River Road all the way from Baton Rouge to New Orleans.
“You probably have to be kind of crazy to do the whole long distance thing, but it’s pretty awesome,” Prince said.
Prince is the mastermind behind the 111-mile journey from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, a long distance trek he lovingly calls the Battle Through Da Bayou. Prince created the event to bring long distance longboarders and land paddlers together, and so far 12 other people have pledged to join him on his expedition.
“It’s cool just to get all the people who like to do this together, but we’re also getting people to pledge money to the Leukemia Society for every mile we ride, so that’s pretty great too,” Prince said.
Prince recruited his team of longboarders from all over the city. Some of the riders are former surfers, and some of them belong to the University’s longboarding club, a loose knit group of college students who ride through and near campus. According to David Wynot, biology junior and one of Prince’s fellow skaters, all of them have one thing in common: they are absolutely in love with longboards.
“Longboarding is a lot different from regular skateboarding,” Wynot said.
To demonstrate this point, Prince hopped onto his glossy, 38-inch board, pushed off of the ground and began gyrating down the sidewalk at a breakneck pace, passing all the skateboarders with relative ease.
Wynot said typical skateboards are short and have a concave nose and tail, which makes them ideal for performing aerial tricks and grinding on rails. Longboards, on the other hand, are long and flat, and are designed to achieve high velocities without sacrificing maneuverability. Longboards also have smooth wheels, which allow them to grip surfaces and make them easier to balance on. The wheels are attached to the boards via T-shaped trucks, which can be raised or lowered to suit the needs of the rider. Different angles produce different effects and change the way the board can be maneuvered.
“You can dance or twist around a lot to move, or you can push off with your legs or pull yourself with a land paddle, which is basically just a long wooden stick you use to propel yourself,” Wynot said.
Prince incorporates all three styles of movement into his riding and skates at least 30 miles a day. His favorite place to skate is around the levee, but his ultimate goal is to make it all the way down River Road.
“We’ve gotten some local businesses involved, so there’ll be three stops where we can take a break along the way, but we’ll mostly be riding the whole time, so the whole trip should take 10 or 11 hours,” Prince said.
Wynot said anyone is welcome to join the group on their trip, so long as they follow the safety rules Prince has implemented. All riders must wear helmets and carry a 70 ounce pack of water with them at all times. Everyone is encouraged to bring food. A car will carry the food and a driver will distribute it at each checkpoint. The car will also transport anyone who cannot finish the ride, though Prince doesn’t anticipate that happening to anyone currently in his crew.
“The distance is really just a mental thing, so you don’t have to be athletic,” Prince said. “If you’re in decent shape and you practice a lot, this is definitely doable.”
The ride will begin at the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino and Hotel and will end at Audubon Park in New Orleans.
“We skate, we raise money and we drink chocolate milk and beer, so it’s a pretty sweet deal,” Prince said.
Anyone interested in joining or donating to Battle Through Da Bayou can visit the group’s website at padreprince.wix.com/ultraskate.
“You probably have to be kind of crazy to do the whole long distance thing, but it’s pretty awesome.”

Gallery • 2 Photos

Trey McGlothin

Bryan Prince demonstrates pumping, one of the three techniques he will be using to travel from Baton Rouge to New Orleans in order to save his energy.