Running Head: CULTURAL AWARENESS: SKATEBOARDING

Cultural Awareness: Skateboarding in Ada County
In APA Style
Aaron Ortega
Boise State University

I have selected to write the essay on the ever-changing culture of skateboarding. I have chosen this culture because I have seen the way that skateboarding and skateboarders has been viewed and perceived by our society change time after time with the changing generations. I have not only witnessed it myself, but in both research of the past and present history of the sport and culture there has been a 180 degree spin on the way that the culture is viewed.
Skateboarding dates all the way back to the 1950’s. Its origin comes from Californian surfers that wanted to turn the streets into waves. The first boards were simply wooden boards with roller skate wheels mounted on the bottom of them. In 1963, there were some of the first competitions for skateboarding, hosted by some of the big name brands that are still around today, like Hobie. One of the most known stories of skateboarding will forever hold one of the most influential times of the whole realm of skateboarding, was the story of Dogtown and the Z Boys. (Cave, 2008) That is a very brief explanation of the origin of skateboarding, but back in those days it was an extremely rebellious sport for kids to be involved in. Skateboarders had the stereotype of being trouble makers and losers. It was a stereotype that evolved along with the sport because skateboarders changed their appearances just like the many fashion fads that came with the decades. Skateboarding had somewhat of a dress code that the “skaters” followed.
For a very long time, the negative stereotype that followed skateboarding was due to the fact of our human nature of not being able to accept something that we don’t understand (Worley, Worley and Soldner, 2008). Most people that perceived skateboarding as such a bad thing had never participated in it. They didn’t accept it as a legitimate sport because it wasn’t as traditional as say, basketball or baseball. Police would also often arrest skateboarder because they were skating in areas like business parking lots, schools, parks and any public place that was fitting to the sport.
Things have changed all over the board for the sport though. Now a day you can drive around anywhere here in the Ada County and you will pass several skate parks which are set up and paid for by the county and/or state. This is due to the fact that skateboarding itself has become accepted in our society. Skateboarders are making millions and millions of dollars competing in the sport alone. One of the biggest things that have changed the face of skateboarding is that fact that the rebels of the early days, whether they are well known or not known at all, have fought to make it an accepted sport and culture. Skateboarding is accepted in the household as well. When I was in high school and skating, the only people we ever saw out and about skating were our age or older. Now, you will see minivans dropping off middle school aged kids. The same scenario that dubbed the minivan driver’s of before as “soccer moms” because the minivans were always full of kids going to soccer practice.
What has changed so much is the fact that the parents and the decision makers, in one way or another have experienced skateboarding. That is the big difference from the 1950’s and of today. Back then, there it was all perceived in a negative manner because most people didn’t know or experience any different. Unfortunately, we as humans need positive feedback of some sort to accept things as positive on a personal level.

Cave, S. (2008). A Brief History of Skateboarding. Retrieved September 7, 2008, from http://skateboard.about.com/cs/boardscience/a/brief_history.htm
Worley, D., Worley, D., Soldner, L. (2008) Communication Counts: Getting It Right in College and Life. Boston, MA: A Pearson Education Company.