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 Andy MacDonald stays at the forefront
of skateboarding's evolution |
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 Skaters like Danny Mayer keep skatings
roots alive no matter how big it becomes |
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 Skateboarding disciplines like Park
and Street have evolved with the sport |
Skateboarding: From a 2x4 to Today
From humble beginnings, to being one of the most popular sports in the world, skateboarding has had quite a ride.
by By Eric Kirkwood
Skateboarding has become a lifestyle recognized and enjoyed across the globe. From Beijing, China to Pretoria, South Africa, there are people gliding around town with hard rock Maple boards beneath their feet. The skateboard is used worldwide for enjoyment, exercise and transportation to school (it fits in a locker!). For the very best skaters it’s a dream job, making a living doing what they love and mystifying those who witness their amazing skills. Yes, in 2006, there is a good chance that you or the person next to you can answer the once obscure query “which skateboarder did the first nine hundred?” Skateboarding is definitely here . . . but where did it come from?
America’s transition from the straight-laced goodness of the 1950s to the need for growth and change of the 60s was in full swing at the time of skateboarding’s emergence. On the television screen, sitcom families evolved from the wholesome Cleavers of the popular Leave it to Beaver to the galaxy traveling Robinson’s (not to mention “Robot”) of the imaginative and forward thinking Lost in Space. Teens were also hungry for a more challenging summer activity than the standard Frisbee, Yo-Yo or Hula-Hoop. Although there is some question as to exactly where the first board hit the streets, its origins trace back to the surf scene. The initial prototype is consistently reported to have been a wood 2x4 with a metal roller-skate nailed to the bottom. This first version had one general direction- straight ahead, and two methods of stopping- jumping off or hitting a crack . . . Naturally, the latter was not recommended. For a generation of kids who preferred “Danger Will Robinson!” to “Golly gee Wally”, skateboarding was a fitting development.
By the 1970s, skateboarding had become fully established. The pioneers who were once satisfied with pushing barefoot down the street alongside their friends Schwinn Stingrays had now become skateboarding’s entrepreneurs. Early skaters such as Hobie Alter and Bruce Logan had been mass-producing skateboards for some time. There were fully manufactured boards of wood, plastic and even steel (a board appropriately named the “kamikaze”). Wheels evolved from steel to clay to rubber and finally polyurethane. Skateboarders started having contests with categories such as downhill, slalom and high jump.
In 1974, the Zephyr skate team was formed. The team included some of skateboarding’s first icons such as Tony Alva, Stacey Peralta, Jim Muir and Jay Adams. These hardcore Venice, California skaters introduced a new, more urban vibe to the historically suburban style. The Zephyr team was the first to discover and skate empty pools in the hills of Southern California. Skateboards grew from 6 inches to 9 inches, which aided in the pool skaters’ need for added stability and technical possibility. Pool skating gradually gave way to the skateboarding park. In 1976, the first outdoor skatepark was opened in Florida and was quickly followed by hundreds of parks across North America. Skateboarder Magazine (established in 1975) helped to capture this fast paced subcultures flavor and verve. Due to skateboarding’s overwhelming popularity during this period the top skateboarders enjoyed a plush, high profile lifestyle. However, by the tail end of the 70’s skateboarding’s popularity had waned which forced the closing of many of the skateparks and contributed to the next big shift in skateboarding.
The early 80s saw the creation of the backyard ramp. As a reaction to the lack of skateparks the diehard skaters who remained recreated the transitions of pools and parks from wood in their backyards. The structures resulting from these ambitious endeavors were the original vert ramps. This new era of backyard skating (with the help of video documentation) propelled skaters like the Bones Brigade team, Mark “Gator” Rogowski, Christian Hosoi, Neil Blender and Monty Nolder to the forefront of the sport. As a side effect of having skateboarding confined to the yard, videotaping the day’s feats (not to mention the day’s high jinks) became the norm. Powell Peralta Skateboards, owned by George Powell and Stacey Peralta was the most successful skate company of the era. This was due not only to an amazing team (Steve Caballero, Tony Hawk, Lance Mountain, Mike McGill and Rodney Mullen), but in large part to videos creatively designed to showcase the team. In 1984 The Bones Brigade Video Show was the first real look into the life of the Pro skateboarder, and aspiring skateboarders couldn’t get enough. Videos from Powell Peralta continued periodically and soon Santa Cruz, Vision, Alva and other skateboard companies were following suit. Vertical skating and a new street-style of skateboarding, which grew out of freestyle, were again on the ascent. Contests were back, thanks to the National Skateboarding Association (NSA) and companies were flourishing. Some of the top street skaters of the 80s included Natas Kaupas (known for his huge ollie ability), Mark “Gonz” Gonzales, Mike Vallely and Tommy Guerrero among others.
The 90s were the start of a hyper-acceleration in the technical aspects of skateboarding maneuvers. Skate companies such as H-Street, started by Swedish vert skater Tony Magnusson and later Plan B, the brainchild of Mike Ternasky released videos packed with tricks so technically oriented that the first reaction was to look for strings or signs of special effects.
Although skateboarding sank once again from the view of mainstream society early in the decade, quite a few diehard skaters stuck it out and soon skateboarding was on the rise strong as ever. In 1995, ESPN 2 aired the Extreme Games, which again brought skateboarding to the forefront for sports fans, consumers and manufacturers alike. Skateboarders such as Tony Hawk (first skateboarder to do the 900), Bob Burnquist and Danny Way capitalized on this new media power that has allowed them to help themselves and skateboarding to reach new heights of worldwide renown and appeal.In 2006, skateboarding is a source of passion and creativity for an ever-growing clan of daredevils and innovators throughout the world . . . and you can witness the best in the sport go head to head at the LG Action Sports World Championships in Dallas on October 27-29!
