Skateboarding History

The history of skateboarding is an interesting topic to study because it is so much more than the simple study of the evolution of a sport. Skateboarding history is instead a study of a cultural movement. So many things about culture and society are tied into the history of skateboarding – things about music, fashion, youth culture, style, attitudes of culture, and so on and so on. Skateboarding has always had a reputation for being a little bit edgy and maybe a little bit dangerous, and so learning about the history of skateboarding is all about learning about the origins of culture movements and changing views of society – many cultural movements can be traced back to origins in skateboarding culture.

In addition to the cultural aspects of the history of skateboarding, which, believe it or not, is actually studied at the university level by sociologists and cultural geographers, there are of course people who write about the history of skateboarding strictly in terms of the sport itself. There have been many advances in the kinds of skateboards made, not to mention the kinds of ramps and the styles of skating over the years. Understanding skateboarding history is crucial to any skater who is really serious about their sport.

A Short History Of Skateboarding

Skateboarding made its first appearance in American culture in the 1950s. These first skateboards were rolling boards with a handle bar (think Marty McFly’s skateboard in Back to the Future). In the 1960s, the first skateboards without handle bars, similar to the skateboards we see today, hit the scene, and the sport, which started on the West Coast, grew in popularity and spread across the nation. The history of skateboarding in the 1970s is where things really get interesting. There were many advances in the kind of skateboards available, including advances to skateboard wheels and the first skateboard with a kick tail to flip up the board appeared. In the 1980s, the style of skateboarding is where many changes were made. Trick skating, tech skating and street skating became more popular, and skateboarding started generating stars and gaining new fans. The 1990s and 2000s have been all about gaining respect for skateboarding. Skateboarding is now being shown on sporting TV networks and skating stars are earning the respect of the public as “real” athletes dedicated to their sport.

Interested in learning more about skating history, like this history of skateboard shoes, like Vans, the internet is a great place to go. There are lots of resources online for skating enthusiasts to learn all about their sport.