Portland State sophomore, 21-year-old Alex Tongue, has made quite the name for himself over the past three years in the longboarding community. He has been on the pro-circuit since 2010, traveled to over 21 different countries to compete and was ranked fourth in the world two years in a row. He is sponsored by an environmentally-conscious brand, designs his own boards and makes school a priority. In other words, he has found success both on and off the board.
Longboarding? Is that skateboarding?
Well, it depends. “In my eyes they are the same thing,” Tongue told the Vanguard. “When it first came out, there were guys bombing hills, guys doing tricks, but it was all just skateboarding.”
There may not be a huge distinction in free or casual riding, but when competing they are very different sports. At a competition, a skateboarder will focus on their tricks or style. A longboarder, however, focuses on racing and speed—a lot of speed.
Tongue reflected on his last race in Bogotá, Colombia, where the track was much shorter than some of the others he had raced on. “There isn’t a lot of room between you and the other racers,” he told us. “A foot is a big difference. In fact, some races can go as fast as 70 miles per hour.” He took first place at that event and was excited to bring home the trophy.
While he may have won that single race, it takes many more wins to gain any kind of reputation in the longboarding community. Over the course of a year’s season, hundreds of riders compete in qualifying races all around the world. While many of the races take place in the U.S. or Canada, a number take place internationally.
When asked where some of the best longboarders come from, he said, “There are a lot of good guys from Canada, Switzerland, Australia…” He continued to list countries, and then paused, “there are good riders everywhere!” However, when it comes down to the end of the season, only a small portion of riders are able to compete for the grand prize. “Usually the event has a cap of 200 riders, then only about half of those actually qualify to race.”
After various four-round races called “heats,” the winners are broken down and ranked. “For the past two seasons I have been ranked fourth internationally,” he humbly said, “but this past season wasn’t my best—I only came in ninth.” Although he felt it wasn’t his best season, he still out rode hundreds of other racers and made his sponsors proud.
A season of riding with Alex Tongue
“During the season, my training involves skating a lot and staying in shape,” he explained. “When it’s the offseason I still skate a lot, but focus more on weight and balance training. Most of the working out is more for injury prevention than anything.”
Injury prevention is a big deal in Tongue’s sport, because crashing at such high speeds can result in serious consequences. Aside from a few concussions and a few broken toes, Tongue hasn’t sustained any massive injuries while riding, although he prepares and plans for the worst.
Like any trip away from home, it normally begins with a long flight. While most riders will stay only for the duration of the event, Tongue makes it a point to stay for a few extra days. When traveling out of the country, Tongue will meet up with a local and stay with him while he is visiting.
“One of the great benefits of being a racer is that you make friends all over the world. Almost any country I go to, I know a friend that I can stay with. After a few days experiencing the local culture, it is time to race,” he said.
A day prior to any major event, most riders will review the course and have the opportunity to practice on the track. Although Tongue spends the day physically preparing, he is also figuring out what strategies will work best, and most importantly, figuring out what the other racers’ strategies are.
“In some ways racing is like a puzzle,” he said, “you have to figure out how three to five other guys are going to handle this particular track.”
When racing, riders need to stay aggressive in order to win their heats. However, the idea of being aggressive at that speed is difficult for many people because riders also need to take into account falling at such great speeds. “Just imagine hopping out of your car while going down the freeway,” Tongue said.
Once the race is complete, there is a podium event where the riders receive their medals and prizes. Later that day there is usually some kind of celebration in honor of the riders. “After all is said and done, it is time to fly home, unpack, repack and fly to the next World Cup,” Tongue said.
A great rider deserves a great sponsor
Unlike most riders, Tongue didn’t sign on with the first company that offered him a sponsorship. “I went a year without a board sponsor, just trying to figure out what felt right to me,” he said. He wanted to make sure that he signed on with a company that made quality products that he felt good about backing, and one that was going to be focused on helping him grow as a racer.
After touring for a year and competing in the North American championship out of his own pocket, the longboarding company Stalk It approached him through Facebook, and Tongue liked what he saw.
Stalk It is a subsidiary of Corn Board Manufacturing Inc., a company that received a unique patent to create pressboard planks out of discarded corn stalks. But Tongue doesn’t just race for Stalk It; he also designs boards for them as well.
Working part time in their research and development department, he has helped to design not only his own professional racing board, but also a few casual boards as well. He also mentioned, “I have always been interested in green companies, and am excited for what they are doing for the longboarding community as well.”
What is he doing at PSU?
“Well, I live in Happy Valley, and if you have ever been there, then you know it’s all hills,” he said with a smile. “Plus, I wasn’t any good at tricks.”
Aside from being the local college, Tongue always liked the vibe of PSU and had always looked forward to attending school here. During the offseason, he spends winter term studying to get a marketing degree.
“You don’t really want to be skating in the rain,” he laughed. “I come home, go to school, and then am back on the road.” He is hoping to do this his entire college career. “I think that the experience of traveling the world is comparable to what I would actually be learning in school.”
While he thinks that what he is doing will help him out later in life, he was also sure to mention how strongly he feels about attending school.
Tongue has always been interested in the business side of things, and is excited to pursue a career in business marketing. When asked if he wanted to go into the longboarding business, he said, “Although I have a lot of contacts in the profession, I just don’t know if that’s where I want to end up.” He explained that it would feel too much like mixing business with pleasure, and wanted to keep longboarding for himself.
What’s next?
Tongue plans to continue competing this coming season. The Vanguard will be trying to keep a close eye on him as he zooms down the hill at a mile a minute, and will be sure to follow up with him to see how his season goes.
Check out his Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/AlexTongueFanPage and his website www.alextongue.com
