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Skateboarding: History And Culture

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Skateboarding History and Culture

Skateboarding is one of the newest sports and one of the only extreme sports. Skateboarding has had a short history but it’s been full of eventful moments. While most people think all skaters are alike, it’s quite the opposite, skaters have many different riding styles, ways to ride the board, and where they decide to ride at, all determine what kind of skater they are. Skateboards first appeared in 1958 when there were no surfable waves, so they (surfers) took to the sidewalks. Sidewalk surfing comes along in 1958 and in 1959 “Roller Derby” is the first to mass produce skateboards with metal wheels (Britannica School.) Though skateboarding is big business today, it started from simple means with a 2x4 …show more content…
Professional freestyle competitions often involved music and choreography and focused on fluidity and technical skill. The style changed significantly with the introduction of ollies and other tricks in the 1980s and the introduction of various obstacle elements. Vert skateboarding has its genesis in "pool riding" - the riding of skateboards in emptied backyard swimming pools - during the 1970s ("Scholastic News: Skateboarding.") It involves skateboard riders moving from the horizontal (on the ground) to the vertical (on a ramp or other incline) to perform tricks - thus "vert". It is also referred to as "transition skateboarding" or "tranny skating". Skateboarders usually set-up their boards with 55mm (or larger) wheels and wider decks for more stability. Street skateboarding involves the use of urban obstacles like stairs and their handrails, planter boxes, drainage ditches, park benches and other street furniture. Skaters perform tricks around, on, onto or over these obstacles. Skateboarders usually set-up their boards with 55mm (or smaller) wheels and narrower decks to make the board flip and spin faster and to make performing tricks easier. Park skateboarding encompasses a variety of sub-styles adopted by those who ride skateboards in purpose-built skateparks. Most skate parks combine halfpipes and quarter pipes with various other "vert" skateboarding features as well as "street" obstacles such as stairs and rails. The integration of these elements produces a different skating experience. Non-competition downhill skateboarding is one of the oldest styles of skateboarding and was popular in the early 1970s. Original longboards were described as being like snow skis (in terms of length). Modern riders often use longboards for races, but some use regular skateboards for non-competition downhill skateboarding. There are

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