Skateboarding |
 The Largest Surfing EncyclopediaA-Z: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Advertisement
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Initially known as sidewalk surfing, skateboarding came about soon after Gidget introduced surf culture to the masses in 1959. With roots in Southern California, where innocent surfers were suddenly thrust into the spotlight, skateboarding quickly became a national craze. At first, it was just something surfers did to keep the stoke alive on land. They affixed a straight piece of wood atop a disassembled roller skate and were off down the street. Relatively slow and rough going, the crude vehicles were difficult to navigate. But surfing was the trend, so the rest of the country followed. Whether or not these inlanders had ever seen an ocean, they thought they were surfing.
Subtle refinements during the early '60s yielded the "Makaha," a better representation of the appearance and the handling of a surfboard, spawning clubs and exhibitions nationwide. Headed by renowned surfer Dave Rochlen, Makaha riders soon organized competitions for their growing clan. The first National Skateboard Championships were held in 1963 in Los Angeles, California. Two schools of skateboarders emerged along similar delineations of surfing. Hotdoggers threw moves such as nose wheelies, handstands, coffins and 360s, while big wave-influenced hill riders found paradise in undulating cities such as San Francisco. By the end of the decade, surfing had been revolutionized by shortboards, opening a new world of maneuverability. Skateboard technology, however, remained relatively unsophisticated and unable to keep pace. The sport rebounded in the mid-'70s as metal wheels gave way to polyurethane in an advancement every bit as groundbreaking as surfboards evolving to fiberglass and foam. Lack of speed was no longer an issue. Maneuverability not only caught up to that of surfing, but with the flexibility of fiberglass decks, skateboarding set the new standard. Skateparks were constructed all over the country, and a fledgling professional pool-riding circuit found some success. Spearheaded by spontaneous rubbermen Larry Bertlemann and Buttons Kaluhiokalani, skate-influenced maneuvers from aerials to tailslides found their way into surfing repertoires. It made sense: master a move on solid ground and then take it to the water. Skateboarding found itself in another pinch early in the '80s when parks became liabilities and were shut down. Around this time, laws banning the sport popped up with increasing frequency. Two magazines produced explicitly for skaters: Thrasher (started in 1981) and Transworld Skateboarding (circa 1983). Each magazine kept the faithful informed and bypassed the disappearing park scenario by reintroducing street skating -- this time one-upping the sidewalks in favor of more radical curbs, steps and benches. No concrete outcropping went unridden, and the sport fell even further in terms of mainstream respect, thus the faithfuls' decree "Skateboarding is not a crime." On the other hand, the surf/skate synthesis was ever apparent with the extreme moves of aerialists Davey Smith, Martin Potter (whose brand of freesurfing inspired the likes of Christian Fletcher, Matt Archbold and the impending San Clemente mafia) and the rest. Furthermore, the age of video was upon us. When leading skate company Powell-Peralta released The Bones Brigade Video Show in 1983, the world was introduced to 16-year-old world champion flyboy Tony Hawk, and a mounting flood of subsequent releases followed. Michael J. Fox latched onto the back of a car for a ride in Back to the Future and sent the skateboard crisscrossing the globe. All was rosy until the bottom fell out of the economy during the early '90s. Skate companies folded by the dozens, and no one avoided the pinch. This time, the sport would return in a big way, no longer accused of keeping generations of surfers out of the water, but actually inspiring them in the water. The X Games thrust skateboarding, and especially Hawk, back into inland living rooms, causing a popularity explosion. Where hill riders had faded, thanks to ever-shrinking equipment, longboard skateboards became the rage for surfers intent on finding the feeling on land. With more people than ever riding skateboards and newer equipment designed to wear out in a hurry, the industry is thriving. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater video games are best-sellers, even among surfers, and a quick glance at any surf magazine since the late '80s proves that the aerial, and all its offshoots, are here to stay. In fact, today's sidewalk surfers are still waiting for surfing to catch up. -- Jason Borte, November 2000
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