Taking Sharp Turns One of the characteristics that sets longboards apart from other skateboards is how sharp they are able to turn.  Longboarders can take very tight corners at high speeds, but how is this possible? To take a tight turn at high velocities, a boarder must lean greatly into the turn.  This is because of the high angular velocity that is created during the turn.  To calculate angular velocity, the equation is w=d(theta)/dt, where w is the angular velocity, d(theta) is the rate of change of the angle of direction in which the board is moving, and dt is the change in time.  As the angle of theta increases, so does the angular velocity.  So, the sharper the turn, the more the longboarder must lean into the turn.