For many people, skating is more than just a sport. For many, skating is a love and a fundamental part of many peoples lives.

However, skateboarding has a long 60-year history, from surfing to the start of skating competitions, all the way to the new skating fashion trend, we’ll be exploring skating and is complex origins and where it is now.

How did skateboarding begin?

Well, the origins of skateboarding can be linked all the way back to the 1950s. To many peoples surprise, surfboarders are tied to creating the skateboard. The idea was a land surfboard, and many people loved this idea. “Sidewalk surfing” was the first name that was given to skateboards.

Surfboarders used to cut down and shorter surfboards with wheels to create the first skateboards. Wooden boards with wheels were the first skateboards.

However, as time passed, skateboards would evolve. Some companies would see the innovation of easy transport and the potential of these boards, and quickly picked them up. Then in 1959 the first company to release an official skateboard was Roller Derby. This board came with the innovation of metal wheels, which changed up the game of skateboarding.

Then in the 1960’s other companies such as Makaha, Hobie, and Jacks would all enter the skating industry, each creating their version of the board. With technical innovations such as trucks and more, skating started to snowball in popularity. However, the thing that pushed the snowball that was skateboarding was the first skateboarding contest in Californa was held, which gave skateboarding a big boost in popularity.

At the 1960s ended, nothing new had come of skating, and it started to get plain for many. No innovations had come of skating, and the thing that turned many people away from skating at the time was how dangerous it was. Skating didn’t have much grip to concrete yet, and many of the safety gear we have today was as accessible. Skating was entering a crash, but not for long.

In 1973 something happened that would change skating forever occurred — the invention of Urethane wheels. You might think, that’s not that big of a deal, just some wheels, right? Well at first glance, it may not be a big deal, but this changes this course of history for skateboarding. New possibilities were created when urethane wheels emerged; a faster smoother ride was now available. A noisy, bumpy ride turned into a smooth and quiet ride. These wheels allow for immense grip to the concrete and the invention of these wheels was going to bring skateboarding back into the limelight.

Later in the 1970s innovations such as aluminum decks were invented. However, now mainstream media would start to cover skateboarding. A skate movie is released named Spinnin' Wheels and the “skateboarders magazine” would be published. The danger of skateboarding still tainted the sport, and many public skateparks were shut down due to high insurance rates. Many new tricks were perfected and invented on skateboards during the 1970s, which made many interested in improving them.

In 1981 one of the biggest skateboard companies ever was founded, Trasher Magazine which to this day remains as a huge skating powerhouse. Street skating also gained popularity in the ’80s, and this is where the use of handrails and ramps started to become the norm in the community. More and more skate companies were founded.

In 1995, the X-Games were held by ESPN, which is a huge landmark for the skating community. This frames skating as an adrenaline hunting sport and skyrockets the popularity of the sport.

The 2000s bring skateboarding as a type of transport. As more and more skateparks are created more and more people bring to pick up the hobby. Many skateboard fashion brands start to emerge as fashion/skateboarding brands. Brands such as Supreme, Palace, Trasher and Santa Cruz all create clothing lines.

Today skating is thriving, and the professional scene and casual scene are both on an up. We’ll have to see where skating heads next!

Where was skateboarding invented?

Well, the heart of skateboarding is in Californa, and this is where the origins of skateboarding can be linked to. Also, Hawaii had a significant impact on the earlier stages on skateboarding.

Who invented the first skateboard trick?

Rodney Mullen is known as the godfather of street skating, and for a good reason. Mullen is by far the best technical street skater to ever walk the earth.

Mullen first invented the Ollie, which is known as the first skateboard trick. However, that’s not all he’s done; he invented so many other tricks such as the Heelflip, the Kickflip, the 540-Shove it, the 360 Flip, Helipop Heelflips and the No Handed 50-50 Kickflip. He invented around 15 more tricks, and this is why he is known as the “Godfather of street skating.”

Why was skateboarding invented?

It is debatable why people skateboarding was invented, but the consensus is that skateboarding was first created because many surfboarders wanted to ride the waves on the street.

 They also may have wanted to do something when the waves were flat, and they weren’t able to surf, so skateboarding was invented. “Sidewalk surfing” then started to become popular, and that’s why the fantastic sport and lifestyle of skateboarding was designed, off someones need to ride surfboards on the street.

When was skateboarding invented?

To see when skateboarding was invented, we have to go back to the 1950s when surfboarders invented it. The first skateboard was just a wood plank and was invented 1950s, so this is when skateboarding started at its roots.