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Katy Hutchison
Ms. Bennett
British Literature
9 September 2011
The History of Skateboarding
In the 1950s, California surfers wanted to take surfing to another level. Instead of surfing
in the ocean, they wanted to move it to the pavement. Skateboarding was born.
In the 1950s, the first skateboard was made. Although it is known that surfers made the
first skateboard, one specific person cannot be named in the creation of the board. Several
people have claimed to make the first skateboard but they can never be proved as the official
creator. The first skateboard was made out of a wooden box with roller skate wheels attached to
the bottom. Although this method of craftsmanship was not very affective, it made the sport
popular (Cave). Skateboarding was a semi-common thing in the late fifties and early sixties,
however, in the early 1961s, the sport hit a downward spiral. Skateboarding was a failure. Many
major skateboarding companies shut down. It was a fad that had died out. People that had
skated had to start making their boards from scratch (Cave).
In 1963, skateboarding was taking off. Its popularity began to climb again. Torger
Johnson, Woody Woodward, and Danny Berer were three of the first well-known skaters. They
skated a lot differently than what you think of when you see skateboarding today. They used a
technique called “freestyle”. It looked like ballet or ice skating almost. It was definitely
different than modern day skateboarding. In 1965, Vans shoe company was created in Anaheim,
California. These shoes became the most popular skating shoe (Skateboarding History
Timeline). In 1972, Frank Nasworthy invented urethane skateboard wheels, which are very

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similar to the wheels that are used today. Also, skateboarding has created many events that have
changes many people in America. The X Games is the biggest extreme sports competition
around. The best of the best are involved in this competition. The X Games first happened in
1993 and is still continued every year since then.
a.When you think of a skateboard, you traditionally think of the deck, trucks, and wheels.
This is the traditional skateboard. It is shaped kind of like a small surfboard, based off of
the original idea of skating. The average length of a skateboard deck is about thirty two
inches long. It is about eight inches wide and approximately one half of an inch thick.
The deck has a much defined front (nose) and end (tail). The board also caves in ever so
slightly to the center. The wheels are typically made of polyurethane, a polymer
composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbonate links (Petrusso). The trucks of
the board are metal hinges that hold the wheels to the board. Skateboards also have grip
tape. Grip tape helps the rider’s feet stay on the board. Regular skateboards are typically
used for more of trick skating. They are used when skating bowls, ramps, rails, and just
street riding. Skaters that do tricks and professional skaters use this type of board. Then
there are longboards. Longboards are much longer than a regular skateboard. They are
on average eighty four inches long and ten inches wide. Longboards are physically built
the same way as skateboards. However, they are used differently. While skateboards are
used for tricks, longboards are used for transportation and recreational riding. Since they
are much larger than a skateboard, they are much more difficult to do tricks on.
Longboards ride smoother than skateboards do. Also, when powering the board with
your legs, it takes less power to control a longboard than a skateboard. Longboarding is
also known as “sidewalk surfing”. Longboarding is also used when riding down very

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large hills. You gain speed a lot quicker and require me effort, unlike skateboarding. The
ride is much smoother and less risky (Longboarding). Boards have changed much over
time. At first, the skateboard was more like a scooter. The handle was removed and the
skateboard was created. The first skateboards were made out of a fruit box or a two-by-
four with roller skate wheels attached to the bottom (Fry). In the 1960s, the nose and tail
of the board was formed. The first manufactured boards were also created. A Southern
California surf shop made a deal with the Chicago Roller Skate Company to start making
boards of wood with pre-attached roller skate wheels and selling them to the public.
Larry Stevensen designed the first professional skateboard and created the Makaha brand.
He worked with his wife and legendary surfer, Mike Doyle. These boards were sold for
$10.95 with shipping already included. In 1964, the Hobie Super Surfer skateboard was
introduced. The board was much rounder than the original rectangular boards. Larry
Gordon and Floyd Smith created a new board manufacturing process that combines Bo-
Tuff (a fiberglass-reinforced epoxy) with a maple wood core to create the Fibreflex
skateboard. This was the first laminated skateboard. James O'Mahoney created the U.S
Skateboard Association in 1974. In 1978, the skateboard went from 8 inches in width the
about 10 inches in width. They found it harder to do trick on the wider set board. By this
time, skateboarding had evolved into the sport that we recognize today (Skateboarding
History Timeline).
b.Vertica ramps are one type of skateboarding ramp. They are also called vert ramps.
These ramps are typically found in skate parks. A vert ramp is similar to a half-pipe, but
the sides are built up so after the initial drop, there is an equal incline. It is most
commonly used for height tricks. Another type of ramp is called a bowl. It looks like an

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empty swimming pool and is initially used for speed and height tricks. A half pipe is
simply a drop. It is the ramp that is most commonly associated with skateboard ramps. It
is most commonly found at skate parks and is used to start a run through the park. Rails
are also very important in skateboarding. It is just a rail that skaters grind on. Grinding
is sliding the deck of the board along the rail, without using the wheels. There is also a
quarter pipe. It is simply half of a half pipe. It is used for the same thing as the half pipe
but is used with less experienced skaters (Patterson).
II.Professional skaters that have majorly influenced the sport
Skating has had many different professionals but there are a few that have really stood
out. A few of the people are Tony Hawk, Shaun White, Ryan Sheckler, and Rob Dyrdek.
These people have changed the sport as we know it. All of these men have made their
names a brand. Dyrdek owns half of the skate shoes brand DC. White has won
numerous skate compititions and gotten gold in the Olympics and also has his own brand
of clothing, shoes, and gum. He also has a video game. Hawk has his own clothing line,
won Olympic gold, and has his own video game. Sheckler also has his own video game,
clothing line, and shoe. These men have made the sport what it is today (Pro
Skateboarders Profiles and Bios).
All in all, skateboarding has majorly influenced the history of the United States. I grew in
popularity and crashed, and still managed to become the sport that it is today. Skateboarding is
very a very deep, emotional sport. The people that do it are very passionate about what they do.
It is that passion that has kept the sport going.

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Works Cited
Cave, Steve. "A Brief History of Skateboarding." Editorial. about.com. N.p.,
2011. Web. 1 Sept. 2011.
<http://skateboard.about.com/cs/boardscience/a/
brief_history.htm>. This website basically jsut tell me how
skateboarding was created. It tells me who invented the wheels that are
still used today. The author talks about the concept behind skateboarding.
This source will help me with my project.
Fry, Kathie. "Skateboarding History." Editorial. www.skatelog.com. N.p., n.d.
Web. 1 Sept. 2011. <http://www.skatelog.com/skateboarding/
skateboarding-history.htm>. This website shows me the history of
skating. It says pretty much the same thing as all the other websites. It
shows kind of a time line of the events of skateboarding. I can use this
source with my project.
"Longboarding." www.skateboard.about.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2011.
<http://skateboard.about.com/od/fringeboarding/ss/Longboarding101_2.h
tm>.
Patterson, James. "Types of Skateboarding Ramps." www.livestrong.com. N.p., n.d.

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Web. 19 Sept. 2011. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/
183774-types-of-skateboarding-ramps/>.
"Pro Skateboarders Profiles and Bios." www.skaeboarding.about.com. N.p., n.d.
Web. 19 Sept. 2011. <http://skateboard.about.com/od/proskaterbios/
Pro_Skateboarders_Profiles_Bios.htm>.