Skateboarding goes back a lot farther than people might think. The roots of the sport can be traced back to roughly some point in the late 1940′s to the early 1950′s. It started as a past time for surfers when there were no good waves to ride. The early boards were home made creations made from boards or parts of wooden crates with the wheels off of roller skated placed on the bottom. In the 1960′s a surf shop in Los Angeles, CA, created the first manufactured boards. Skateboarding enjoyed an early popularity from 1963 through 1965, but then died off around 1966. In part this was due to the unfortunate fact that at this time the available wheels to use were all made of clay which had the nasty tendency to stop very suddenly when they hit small rocks or other common minor obstacles found on roads and sidewalks.
However, in 1972 an invention was made that brought skateboarding back from the dead. The polyurethane wheel was developed by Frank Nasworthy who brought the Cadillac wheel to the market that year. Named Cadillac to express the vastly improved ride over the older clay wheels, the new wheels made such an improvement in traction and handling that it can be said that they might be the main reason skateboarding is still around to this day.
New materials weren’t just kept to the wheels though, the ’70′s also brought about a revolution in design for the decks too. Maple plywood was still the most common deck material, but aluminum and fiberglass entered the market too. Another design was the Banana Board, a board made of polypropylene with ribs on the bottom, this thin board was very flexible and came in a wide range of colors. Another innovation in board design was the creation of trucks (axles) designed specifically for skateboards.
With the new materials providing much more capable boards, much more elaborate tricks were developed by skateboarders. From the ’70′s, the Z-Boys are possibly the most famous skateboarders of the era. Sponsored by the Zephyr surf shop, which provided the Z in their name, they have had several documentaries and even a feature film created about them. They quite possibly are responsible for the trend of vert skateboarding when California was hit by a drought in 1976. Due to the regulations during that time, home owners were unable to fill or maintain the water level in their in ground swimming pools and many of them sat empty. The Z-Boys noticed this and realized that an empty swimming pool could provide them with a new way to ride. Hunting down empty pools with no one at home, or eventually partially empty ones that they could drain, they created a new style that gave them more speed, and more control, and a whole new world of tricks that could be performed. Skateboarding as we know it now had been born in this outlaw environment, and that’s all before the eighties started.
Photo Credits: empTV
Originally posted 2009-12-10 03:31:55. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Best Products for Wakeboarding Wakeboarding is a sport that can actually be thought of as a combination of a number of sports: surfing along with water skiing, with a bit of snow boarding thrown in. Wakeboarding is a sport that is performed on the water surface, specifically the wake that is behind a speed...... -
Surf Skate Wake Board - What's Your Passion? For many people, there is nothing that they find to be more exhilarating or exciting then boarding of all types. This can mean surfing, skate boarding, wake boarding and more. For many people it may e the danger that they feel or even the endorphins that they feel coursing through...... -
Gear Basics for Kitesurfing Kite surfing is a sport that has gained significantly in popularity over the past couple of years. This is very understandable, at least if you watch some of the champion Kite surfing events and see how much fun it looks. Kite surfing is also known as kite boarding or fly...... -
Choosing the Right Surfboard Surfing might be a challenge to learn, but choosing the right surfboard can feel overwhelming. Everyone seems to have a custom board these days. Even small kids on the beach have boards painted with sea life shapes. Teens have wildly colored boards, each appealing to their personalities, and adults will...... -
Top Alternative Skateboard Options Here are some of the top new and original alternative skateboards out there, most of which are so different in what they offer that they are only considered skateboards in name, rather than in form. Skateboarding has taken on many different forms through the year, as shown by these examples......
Related Websites -
Drywall Guide 101 Drywall is used as a modern building material that is available in large panels such as 4 feet by 8 feet. The standard drywall panel has a gypsum core which has been sandwiched between two faces of heavy paper. These heavy paper faces are commonly constructed from recycled paper products....... -
Snowboarding Tips Some people are who are introduced to the sport of snowboarding decide to buy their own snowboards while others receive a snowboard as a gift after waiting patiently. This is definitely a start, but now you are going to have to figure out the most difficult part: Learning how to...... - 2009 Snowboard Reviews The Burton Jussi Snowboard for 2009 The Burton Team Rider and pro snowboarder Jussi designed the 2009 Burton Jussi Snowboard. When Jussi was allowed to create a snowboard for Burton, he decided to create something that is exactly like what he enjoys riding. He is a rider that loves to......
-
Glossary: What is a Hybrid Car? As hybrid cars gain in popularity, many people find themselves asking "What is a hybrid car?" To answer this question, we are supplying a mini lexicon of hybrid car terms and hybrid car technology terms. Let this be a foundation that you can build upon as you learn more about...... -
Snowboarding Glossary Flute - A snow column that can be found on rocks and other terrain features as well as almost vertical slopes. Free riding - This is the term for casual snowboarding that is done on any terrain type. There are no gates, half pipes, rules, or contests. This is all......
- Pipe Fittings Plumbing Building Materials & Supplies Green Construction Store
- 2 Wheel Wheelbarrows, Carts & Wagons Garden Tools & Equipment Gardening & Plants Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living Nursery
- Design Pc Publications & Software Gardening & Plants Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living
- Hayward Power Flo Swimming Pool Filters Pool Parts & Maintenance Pools & Spas Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living
- Mystery Skateboards Skateboarding Skate Shop