City Review: Rio Rancho

Rio Rancho is a smaller city near the Albuquerque area with a diverse culture. There aren’t a whole lot of people here in the Rio Rancho/Albuquerque area making it a great place to get up and go when ever you want. Longboarding isn’t a big thing in new mexico in general, and when bystanders see you gliding along the road effortlessly they will be in awe. There are a lot of historical sites in the Rio Rancho/Albuquerque area along with a diverse food selection.

Longboard Dancing in Rio Rancho Overall Score: 2.5

• Riding through the city: 4
• Specific spots for longboard dancing: 2.5
• Longboard dancing community: 1
• Longboard dancing equipment availability: 3

Riding through Rio Rancho on a Longboard

Rio Rancho has a population of about 90,000 people, meaning its never overcrowded and/or too busy to go ride with friends. However the driving in New Mexico is very questionable, for example, if you were riding on the side walk and were about to cross over the cross walk after being given the right away you will always find a car stopping in the middle of the road waiting for you and potentially flipping you off. But overall Rio Rancho is a great place for both long-board dance and downhill long-boarding because of the abundant amount of hills, parking garages, shopping centers, etc.

Best spots in Rio Rancho for Longboard Dancing

When i go out to dance i usually go to plaza @ enchanted hills. Its a great place to go out and ride for an extended amount of time that is conveniently located next to a gas station, car wash, jack in the box, McDonald’s, and Walmart. So if it starts to get hot you can stop by one of these locations and get a drink for as little as $0.75-$2.00. There’s also plenty more shopping centers available out there and a lot of skate parks (universal parks). I also avoid ‘central’ its a road that only will give you problems.

Here’s a list with a few good spots:

plaza @ enchanted hills

cottonwood mall

coronado center

a park above

The University of New Mexico (UNM)

Loma del Norte park

21 skate parks (Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Bernalillo)

Rio Rancho Longboard Dancing Community

The longboarding community in Rio Rancho is very small. Out of the entire time I’ve had a longboard I’ve only met 7 other longboarders (both male and female). However, we try our best to host our own little non profit events for any and all riders (all ages welcome as long as the have the proper equipment). We’ll either do a ride out in the streets, a race down a hill, and/or go to a nearby restaurant (on special occasions we’ll do all three). So if you ever find yourself out in the Rio Rancho/Albuquerque area hit me up on my instagram(@eli_love_41703) or on snapchat(@elilove650) and I’ll go ahead a set something up for you that way you can get the true New Mexican longboarding feeling.

Sessions usually start at 8:00 a.m. and end at 1:00 p.m. However we might do a night session starting at 3:00 p.m. and ending at 8:00 p.m.

Getting proper gear and equipment in Rio Rancho

As usual, you can find absolutely everything you need for skateboarding, however the same doesn’t apply for Longboard Dancing. Locally, there’s a few complete setups available, which might be helpful, especially if you’re new to Longboarding.

For more advanced riders, there’s a selection wheels & bushings available for purchase at 27 seprate shops in the Rio Rancho/Albuqurque area. Majority of the stores have great staff and excellent service, and what’s not available in-store, will happily be ordered for you and arrive within a reasonable time frame. They will also customize your griptape for a small fee of 10 USD. Besides that, you’re pretty limited in choice. Therefore, most longboarders tend to get what they need online.

Summing it up – This is Rio Rancho

Long-boarding in Rio Rancho is a different experience then most with a very small dancing community and the overall weather and locations. As you roll along the road or pavement you’ll catch yourself staring at the Mountains and at night will see one of the greatest sunsets ever.

Don’t forget to take a break! There’s loads of gas stations, restaurants and country clubs that you can enjoy while you’re visiting the city. Most importantly don’t forget to say hello to the community or yours truly.