SquirtDad,

When you get on the right longboard with the right combination of trucks and wheels and you learn to kick with both legs you will feel great about longboarding. Put on a heart rate monitor and do 5-10 miles every day and longboarding becomes another activity that is not about constant "go for it" and falling. Not that there is anything wrong with tricks and flips. But approaching the sport more along the lines of speed skating is possible and very enjoy able I assure you. I put on my lycra and do three laps of Central Park with regularity for a 1.5 hour work out three times a week.