Skateboarding and the birth of the skateboard have been around since the 1920s: where it all began. Skateboarding was slow to get started; but when it did, it spread like wild flowers. Throughout the time span from 1920 to 2012, the skateboarding industry has made a comeback. Every time the industry returned, it became more extreme. Now is the time for the new generation to enter.
The first known skateboard was in the 1920s. Between the 1920s and 1930s, a three-wheeled metal device was created. In the 1940s, the first four-wheeled aluminum skateboards were made. In the 1950s, skateboarders would place the wheels and trucks on a wooden board: homemade. In the 1960s was the introduction of the first manufactured skateboard. the Southern California Surf Shop; Val Surf, began manufacturing their own complete skateboards – the first known retail store to sell skateboards. Children began to refer to skating as “sidewalk surfing.” Sidewalk surfing influenced everything from maneuvering and styling to fashion and attitude. The era really began. Skateboarding is going mainstream and becoming very popular – companies are struggling to keep up with the demand. Skate magazines appeared such as: Surf magazine and SKATEBOARDER magazine. During the 1960s, the first known organized contest sponsored by Makaha was held in Hermosa, California. The first professional skateboard model ever produced (Makaha) was the Fiberflex: the first laminate deck created for skateboarders. During this time, Anaheim, California, had the first skate shoe factory and the first known Skate Park. There was also a craze in Montreal, Quebec. Even though skateboarding was very popular everywhere, many people didn’t like it and were trying to ban it.
By the time the 1970s rolled around, skateboarding had exploded. The first urethane wheels were made exclusively for skateboarding: Cadillac Wheels, by Frank Nasworthy. Two years later, Road Rider Skateboard Wheels released their first skateboard wheels that used precision bearings; and that was the end of Cadillac wheels. The first skateboard trucks we made specifically for skateboarding: Bennett Trucks, by Ron Bennett. Many more skateboard accessories were created: Gull Wing Trucks, Stoker Trucks (for downhill skating), and Tunnel Products. The first safety equipment was designed, especially for skaters. A few skateboard companies also sprung up: Sims Skateboards and Dogtown Skates. Skate teams began to form: Zephyr Skateboard Team – Santa Monica, California, and associations associated with skateboarding also began to form: US Skateboard Association (USSA), and World Skateboard Association (WSA). Team building and associations came up with the idea of uniting skaters, and they hit the mark. During the 1980s, a few more skate magazines developed: Thrasher and Trans-World Skateboarding. The skater clothing industry had even sprung up: Vision Street Wear. Skateboarding tricks had become very technical and more difficult, making it difficult for beginners to do them.
In the early 1990s; The entire skateboard industry was deeply affected by a global recession. Skaters had rediscovered their roots in street skating, and companies began to reassess the industry. By the mid ’90s, skateboarding had made a comeback. This sport began to gain a lot of exposure in the “Extreme Games” and is now known as the X-Games. Old school skaters have re-emerged and skateboarding is still a street oriented style. 2000 had a lot of impact on media coverage. It has gone from an underground sport to a more mainstream spectator sport. By the year 2004, more than 2,000 skate parks have been built. 2010 had world speed records for downhill tackling recorded at speeds of nearly 81 mph compared to speeds of 6.6 mph in the 1920s. 2011 Southern California, where skateboarding was born, had banned downhill of boards because of this, jeopardized skateboarding in that area. This sport hasn’t made it to the Olympics yet, maybe it will in 2016.
The new generations of skaters are coming and times are changing. Skateboarding is still a very strong sport and it will continue to grow. History has shown the ups and downs. Every time he comes back he gets stronger. So let’s welcome the new generation to this amazing sport. Health!
