A Short History of Skateboarding
Many people think skateboarding is a new sport, but it actually got its start nearly a century ago. In the early 1900s, children rode scooters made from an upright wooden crate with handles that was attached to a wooden plank on top of roller-skate wheels. Over the next few decades, changes were made to this crude design, the most important being improvements to the wheels. This change helped riders maneuver more easily. By the 1950s, the wooden crate and the handlebars had been abandoned and children simply rode on planks with wheels — the first true skateboards.
Skateboarding became very popular in the early 1960s. More than fifty million professionally made skateboards were sold from 1963 to 1965. Unfortunately, most of these skateboards featured cheap clay wheels that did not grip the pavement well. Riders often lost control of their boards, resulting in bad accidents. Reckless behavior also caused trouble. By late 1965, many cities had banned skateboarding, and the sport began to die out.
Then, in 1970, a surfer named Frank Nasworthy discovered that urethane wheels made for roller skates could also be used on skateboards. Urethane wheels worked much better than clay wheels, and when they replaced clay wheels in 1973, the sport of skateboarding took off once again.
Adventurous skateboarders took to riding in empty inground pools, leading to the birth of vert skating and the first skateparks. In 1978, when Alan Gelfand created the ollie — a simple move that popped the board into the air — streetstyle skating took on a whole new dimension. By the 1980s, both styles were hugely popular.
Skateboarding continues to grow and change. Professional skateboarders like the amazing Tony Hawk are constantly working out new tricks, developing new-and-improved boards and equipment, and promoting skateboarding safety. Through their dedication, they launch themselves — and their sport — to ever greater heights.
The Extreme Team
#1 ONE SMOOTH MOVE
#2 DAY OF THE DRAGON
#3 ROLLER HOCKEY RUMBLE
#4 ON THIN ICE
#5 ROCK ON
#6 INTO THE DANGER ZONE
#7 WILD RIDE
Into the Danger Zone Page 3
