Remembering Skateboards
Remembering skateboards and the kids that loved them
I can still see my son and his best friend as they rolled, jumped, popped and all that you can do on a skateboard every day after school and all weekend long. Their long hair (the style at the time) was blowing in the breeze as they went by. I know there are a lot of families who have witnessed the same thing many a day. They didn't have very fancy skateboards but they were treasures indeed.
As early as the 1930s, kids attached roller skates onto two-by-fours boards, but it wasn't until 1958 that the modern skateboard was developed.
We bet you didn't know that in the late '50s, the skateboard was originally created to practice surfing out of water. California surfers nailed roller skates to the front and back ends of wooden planks, then used them to "sidewalk surf" on the streets and hills. By the '70s some bicycle and toy companies were producing them which made them more stable and they became more of a piece of equipment. As the popularity spread so did the tricks done on the skateboards. Skateboarding was in and out of popularity in the 70s and 80s and currently has become the nation's sixth largest participant sport.
By 1963 skateboarding was really popular and companies like Jack's, Hobie and Makaha were hold competitions, mostly downhill slalom for what they termed "freestyle". Freestyle is nothing like skateboarding is today. In 1965 skateboarding faded and people had to go back to making their own boards. In 1972, Frank Nasworthy invented urethane wheels and this caused a resurgence of interest in skateboarding In 1975, in Del Mar, California, a slalom and freestyle contest was held at the Ocean Festival and on that day the Zephyr team showed off skateboarding like never before. Some of the more famous members were Tony Alva, Jay Adams and Stacy Peralta. In 1978, a skater named Alan Gelfand (nicknamed Ollie) invented a maneuver that jumped Skateboarding more into the public eye. His jump, by slamming his back foot down on the tail of the board and jump, popping himself into the air was termed the Ollie. More tricks followed and Gelfand was inducted into the skateboard hall of fame in 2002.
Skateboarding again dropped in popularity in the late 70s. Even tho skate parks had been built, the cost of insurance got out of control and most were forced to close. Skaters, however, kept skating. In the 80s they built their own ramps at home and then as they persisted, you saw skateboarders everywhere.
In 1984 Stacy Peralta and George Powell got together a team of talented skateboarders and called them the Bones Brigade. They filmed them and others and with the advent of the VCR, kids everywhere saw these films and skateboarding spread even more. Through the 90s skateboarding again had its ups and downs. In 1995 ESPN had what they called the Extreme Games, (X Games) and it brought Vert Skateboarding back into popularity. Since 2000, skateboarding has become accepted. The hard core skaters would rather it remain more underground since it is a very individual sport and don't want it to become mainstream. The future will only tell where the skaters will take it.
Something you might find interesting is this book about Skateboard Art by artist Sean Cliver:
Disposable - A History of Skateboard Art is 228 pages of full color, featuring over 1000 skateboard graphics from over the last 30 years. But the book is far more than a gallery of photos - longtime skateboard artist Sean Cliver gives his insights into the history of the art, and also into the evolution of the industry. Disposable, A History of Skateboard Art is packed with long quotes from pro skaters, and opens a window into more than just the art, but the heart and history of skateboarding.
