 |
|
|
History of Skateboarding
Where did the skateboard come from? It was invented, of course. Well, in Bob Schmidt’s neighborhood, they took their sisters’ roller skates, attached them to a 2x4, and they were off. In the ‘50s, kids had fun trying to roll down hills on these contraptions which later became known as the phenomenon of skateboarding.
The history of skating went back before us eighth grade students were born. When our parents were still kids, they tried to keep themselves entertained by inventing new toys. Bob Schmidt of Orlando, Florida tells of his childhood experiences in an article he wrote for a fan web site. “Every one of us fell and broke at least 3 bones per year. After a while, you saw someone walking around with crutches and you knew he tried to skate down the hill.” he said. Bob and his friends messed with the rollerskates and wood trying to come up with a board you could stay on and go fast, but they did not have very good luck.
On the west coast, Californian surfers grew tired of bad weather conditions and small waves and decided to take matters into their own hands. They too came up with a variation of the skateboard. The activity became rather popular and they dubbed it “sidewalk surfing”. It took the toy manufacturers and bicycle companies years, but they finally came up with something that works.
New tricks and maneuvers were invented such as the manual (doing a “wheelie” for a short distance with the two front wheels in the air) and the ollie (invented by Alan “Ollie” Gelfand). Soon enough, everyone had skateboards and perfected their riding skills.
The skateboard had a history of successes and failures. It took a long time for the world to perfect the skateboard. Now, it is one of the most popular household object in society today.
Transworld Skateboarding Magazine
Element Skateboards
Zero Skateboards
Emerica Skate Shoes
Send E-Mail to: anti-theft@punkjunk.com
Copyright © 2001 Nick Ramos. All Rights Reserved