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Early Days
Kids in California began making skateboards out of wooden boxes in the 1940s and 1950s by attaching roller skate wheels to wooden planks. By today’s standards, these early skateboards are primitive, but they set the foundation for what we know as skateboards today.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, surfers wanted a way to surf on land when the waves were flat, so they invented the skateboard. These homemade skateboards were used on smooth, flat sidewalks and driveways. With the introduction of skateparks and professional competitions in the 1970s, skateboarding began to resemble the sport we know today.
Throughout the years, skateboarding has evolved, with new tricks and techniques being developed and new skateboard designs being introduced. Almost every country in the world enjoys skateboarding as a sport and recreational activity.
Legends
The modern skateboard was invented by a surfer named Larry Stevenson, one of the earliest and most famous skateboarders. “Makaha Skateboards” were a line of skateboards developed by Stevenson, a surfboard manufacturer and surf shop owner in the 1950s and 1960s. The plywood skateboards with clay wheels were among the first commercially available skateboards in the 1960s, and were popular among skateboarding enthusiasts.
Tony Alva, who helped popularize skateboarding in the 1970s, was another early and influential skateboarder. One of the first skateboarders to perform aerial tricks, Alva was known for his aggressive and acrobatic style. Additionally, he was a member of the Zephyr skateboarding team featured in “Dogtown and Z-Boys”
Competitions
In the 1970s, professional skateboarding competitions were held for the first time. Skateboarding’s early competitions were organized by skateboard manufacturers and local skateboarding organizations, and they helped establish skateboarding as a legitimate sport and laid the groundwork for professional skateboarding.
In 1975, Del Mar, California, hosted the Del Mar National Skateboarding Championship, one of the first major competitions for skateboarding. Tony Alva and Jay Adams competed in this competition organized by the International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC).
In 1976 and 1977, the Skateboard World Championships were held, as were the National Skateboard Championships in 1977 and 1978. As a result of these competitions, skateboarding became a recognized sport and grew rapidly.
Skateboarding in the 80’s
Skateboarding and the culture that surrounded it were popular in the 1980s, and the skateboarding community was diverse and vibrant. During the 1970s and 1980s, skateboarding had become more popular, and skateparks and competitions were becoming more common.
During the 1980s, skateboarders were known for their individualism and creativity, and they rebelled against mainstream culture by skateboarding. It was also common for skateboarders in the 1980s to wear baggy jeans, punk rock t-shirts, and other casual, streetwear-inspired clothing.
Skateboarding also flourished in the 1980s, with the first professional tour, the Gravity Games, taking place in 1984. In addition to establishing skateboarding as a legitimate sport, this tour also helped to mainstream the sport.
Skateboarding was a tight-knit community in the 1980s that was bonded by a common love of the sport and its culture.
Skateboarding in the 90’s
DIY ethos and a focus on creativity and individuality characterized skateboarding in the 1990s. In the 1980s, skateboarding became a mainstream activity, and in the 1990s, street skaters, vert skaters, and skate punks emerged as subcultures within the skateboarding community.
The grunge and punk rock movements also influenced skateboarding in the 1990s, and many skateboarders embraced these countercultural styles. There was a rebellious spirit among skateboarders in the 1990s, and they were not afraid to challenge authority and the status quo.
Despite the diversity of the skateboarding community in the 1990s, skateboarders were united by their love of skateboarding and its culture. All over the world, skateparks and skateboarding competitions were held during the 1990s, as skateboarding was a thriving and vibrant community.
Skateboarding in the 1990s was characterized by a diverse and dynamic group of people who pushed the limits of what was possible on a skateboard because of their passion for the sport.
The X Games
ESPN created the X Games, also known as the Extreme Games, in 1995. Skateboarding is one of the extreme sports featured at the X Games, which has helped establish skateboarding as a legitimate sport in the mainstream.
Since the inaugural X Games in 1995, skateboarding has been part of the event, and some of the world’s best skateboarders have competed. It has raised the profile of skateboarding as a sport and showcased the talent and athleticism of skateboarders.
Aside from hosting skateboarding competitions, the X Games have also played an important role in the evolution of skateboarding by encouraging the development of new tricks and techniques and by shaping skateboarding culture. There has been a significant impact on skateboarding and a wider audience for the sport as a result of the X Games.
The Legend of them All: Tony Hawk
Skateboarding was popularized by Tony Hawk in the late 1990s and early 2000s. As a skateboarder and a trickster, Hawk has helped to raise skateboarding’s profile.
It was Tony Hawk’s appearance in “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” skateboarding video games that contributed to the popularity of skateboarding. These games, which were released between the late 1990s and early 2000s, were widely popular and helped introduce skateboarding to a new generation that wasn’t familiar with it.
A variety of tricks and stunts could be performed as players skated through virtual skateparks and city streets in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games. Music from punk rock and hip hop was also featured in the games, helping to establish skateboarding as a countercultural activity.
A major impact of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video games has been to popularize and mainstream skateboarding.
