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Istanbul - Anadolu Agency - Kaan Bozdoğan
Longboard, which has become widespread among young people in recent years, carries the excitement of surfing in the sea to land. It is possible to come across longboard enthusiasts sometimes on the coastline or parks, and sometimes in traffic.
The longboard, which emerged in the USA in the 1950s and became widespread over time and carried to the present day in different categories, attracts the attention of extraordinary sports enthusiasts in many countries. Asphalt experienced the excitement of surfing longboard, also sees great interest in recent years in Turkey.
The Turkish Longboard Group, which was established two years ago in order to encourage people of all ages to participate in sports, to popularize longboarding and to gather those who love this sport under one roof, has 36 branches in 7 countries and more than 4 thousand riders.
It is possible to come across the members of the community, which is based on spreading sports through various events and competitions, on the coastline or parks, and sometimes in traffic.
Enfal Altar Çalapverdi, one of the founders of the Turkish Longboard Group, told AA correspondent that he met longboarding while he was abroad for university education and that he has been passionately practicing this sport for about 8 years.
Stating that he is continuing his career as a team athlete of an international longboard company, Çalapverdi stated that he founded the Turkish Longboard Group with his friend.
Turkey Longboard Community, in the category of Turkey's largest and the world's fourth largest community suggesting that the 24-year-old athlete, they also give consultancy services, train it said some athletes won awards in competitions.
Emphasizing that longboards are safer than many sports branches on the contrary, Çalapverdi said, “Longboard comes from surfing culture. In the 1950s, when California surfers could not find waves, they started by putting their old quat skates under the surfboard. We are constantly moving from point A to point B, moving forward. We are moving as if we are on a wave. " said.
Stating that longboarding is a sport that can be done everywhere, but they need training and training grounds for its popularization, Çalapverdi pointed out that longboarding is a sport that is independent of skateboarding.
He chattered, “In general, everyone thinks of skateboard. When people see the longboard that is almost my size, they wonder what happened and come to us. Then they become friends with us and start this sport. " used the expression.
When I saw people longboard movements before, he said, “I can never do these moves. My foot is broken, my arm is broken. " Çalapverdi, who expressed that he was caught in the feeling, noted that those who started sports started to do the movements easily.
"We are doing a heavy training with 17 muscles working"
Stating that he relieves stress with longboard during the rest of his work and sometimes goes to work with longboard, Çalapverdi said, “I can say that most of those who do this sport are white-collar. They go to their morning meetings, take off their tie, put on their t-shirt in the evening, and slip off with their longboard. We don't practice vagabonds. We do a heavy workout with 17 muscles. As this sport is developing abroad, families buy longboards for their children when they are 3-4 years old. " he spoke.
Pointing out that the longboard provides freedom in traffic, Çalapverdi said that those who want to catch up with a shift or appointment sometimes get stuck in traffic and that he overcomes this situation with a longboard.
Çalapverdi stated that they also contributed to many social responsibility projects as a community.
10-year-old athlete Arya Astarlı stated that she met longboard while skating on the beach and then received her training.
Stating that she won the International Sporfest Competition as a result of the trainings, Astarlı stated that she received the greatest support from her family.
She suggested the lined, longboard, to her peers, saying "If I can, you can do it."