The Kent State University Longboarding Club, a new student organization, is looking to establish itself before the weather breaks toward winter.

“All skill levels are completely welcomed,” said Isabella Luzader. “We want to create a comfortable, fun environment. I never want someone to lose out on the benefits of the sport. I don’t care if you’ve owned a board for a week or ten years.”

Luzader a sophomore fine arts major said she worked hard to ensure the club gets off to a proper start, making it a point that the longboarding club is free of any cliques and completely non-judgmental. 

The club’s first official event for mid-October in the form of a “longboard kickback.” The club will give  away prizes from its sponsor, Noble Technique, and hold a random drawing for additional prizes for the attendees. Luzader hopes the event will bring awareness to the club and boost its membership and support. 

“Longboarding is a nice way to spend a day,” said Joe Alcorn a junior aeronautics major, vice- president of the club. “It’s challenging you learn your limits. It’s fun above all.” 

Alcorn a junior aeronautics major exemplifies the diversity of the longboarding sport, Luzader said. He practices a style of longboard dancing influenced by surfboarding, which focuses on simple steps around the board and staying in a consistent carve. Luzader said Alcorn has helped her learn the style of longboard dancing at the club’s evening meetings. 

The club meets every Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. at Risman Plaza. These meetings give members the opportunity to invest in the longboard community they want to see on campus. The last meeting attracted a couple new members in addition to the cruising regulars. 

“The experience has been positive,” said Lisa Olszewski, a seniorbiology major. “We always have a good time. We learn from each other.”

The club is organizing events until the weather breaks, but that doesn’t mean it will be inactive during the winter months. Luzader said she’s planning club skiing and snowboarding trips to Boston Mills and Brandywine to keep the group together during the off-season.

Stephen Jakubowitz, a freshman business major , has been longboarding for about a week. He said he heard about the meetings through the Facebook page and is happy he came. 

Visit the Facebook page of the club, which serves as the main organizer of the club’s events and communications.

Contact Andrew Keiper at [email protected].