Recreational Activities

Skating as a subculture

Evolution of Skateboarding

1950s

1950s
No one really knows how the first skateboard came about.

Was made in California for surfers to skate while

the waves were flat.

Were made by attaching roller skate wheels

made of clay or metal to a plank of wood

(Rodriguez).

1960s: Sidewalk Surfing

During 1963 skateboarding was the most popular it has ever been in history. The first version of the skateboard was ordered in 1963 by a LA

California surf shop.

Jacks, Hobie and Makaha started holding skateboarding competitions in 1963.

The competitions were mostly downhill slalom or freestyle.

The style of skating was more like ballet or ice skating with a board.

1965
Popularity of skating dramatically dropped. Skateboard companies went bankrupt.

People who wanted to continue skating were forced to

make there own decks at home. It was difficult to find wheels because they didnt last long Clay wheels came about for this reason although they were very dangerous (From Skateboard and Longboard to Penny board)

Clay Wheels

 Frank Nasworthy invented the Polyurethane wheel in

1972. Created a rise in skaters and enabled them to come up

1972: Frank Nasworthy

with new tricks.

Forced skate companies to come up with better materials for skateboards such as fiberglass and

aluminum.
The decks were still made of maple plywood (From Skateboard to Longboard and Penny board).

Cadillac Wheels

Late 1970s
After Frank Nasworthy Skateboarding regained its

popularity.
In 1975 Skateboarding got yet another boost in Del Mar California at a skate competition held at Ocean Festival.

The Zephyr team showed the world a future in

skateboarding. Low and smooth riding. In 1978 Alan Gelfand invented the Ollie (Rodriguez). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCk0XHs_FIc

1976: Empty Pools

In 1976 California suffered severe drought
leaving backyard swimming pools empty.

This led to the vert trend in skateboarding.

The vert skating movement led to the closure of local skate parks because of insurance, liability and safety reasons (From Skateboard and Longboard to Penny board).

1980s
The 80s was a time of evolution for Skaters Skateboard companies were ran by Skaters and brought

new creative shapes and styles and mostly focused on Vert

ramp skateboarding. This led to an increase in street skating because many of the parks were closed and it was expensive to build your own ramps (From Skateboard and Longboard to Penny board).

Jim Thiebaud
Jim was an iconic street skater and was showcased in the skate movie SPEED FREAKS. Released in 1989.

1980s
Skaters of the 80s were anti-establishment especially because skate parks all around were shut down. They had to find a way to skate and saw the world as there skate park.

They also began to steal lumber from local construction companies to

build there own parks in backyards. The combination of Skaters owning Skate companies and the new street skate style brought about new board styles. The invention of VHS helped the sport gain popularity. The Bones brigade started filming skate videos that reached kids all over the world (From Skateboard and Longboard to Penny Board).

The Bones Brigade

L-R: Mike McGill, Steve Caballero, Lance Mountain and Tony Hawk 1986

The Bones Brigade

The Bones Brigade: An Autobiography came out in the beginning of the 1980s and was not yet big, nor was the idea of making money as a professional skateboarder. The Brigade was sponsored by Powell-Peralta skateboards and had dozens of members. Stacy Peralta, former pro skater cared for and nurtured the team while

George Powell was the business man behind it all.

The Bones Brigade was so influential on the Skate industry and culture. They are responsible for tricks from the Ollie to the McTwist forming the basis and fundamentals of skating today (Dougherty, Connor).

 In 1995 ESPN held the first ever X-games bringing skating and its popularity back into the public light

1995

inspiring young kids everywhere.

Kids are realizing that being a pro skateboarder can make you money, you dont have to be a doctor or lawyer. Skate brands becoming popular has also greatly

influenced the culture. Brands like Hurley, RVCA, and

Diamond Supply Co. have become very popular amongst the masses.

References
Dougherty, Connor. "The Kids Who Invented Big Air." The Daily Fix RSS. N.p., 01

Nov. 2012. Web. 01 Nov. 2013. <http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2012/11/01/

bones-brigade-tony-hawk-the-kids-who-invented-big-air/>.

Rodriguez, Stephen. "The Evolution Of Skateboarding A History Sidewalk Surfing To Superstardom." The Evolution Of Skateboarding. Skateboarding Magazine.com, Web. 04 Nov. 2013.

From

5th Mar. 2013.

N.d. Photograph. Radical Skate Kids. Web. 3 Nov. 2013. <http:// www.radicalskatekids.com/history.html>. "From Skateboard and Longboard to Penny Board (Fall 2102) Historpedia." From Skateboard and Longboard to Penny Board N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2013. <https:// (Fall 2102) - Historpedia.

sites.google.com/a/umn.edu/

historpedia/home/arts-new-ideas/

from-skateboard-and-longboard-to- penny-board-fall-2102>.