| Though skateboards were around in the early 50's | | | | In the 1990's the sport regained popularity and |
| and 60's and actually very widely used back then | | | | though it has had some fluctuations since it has |
| they weren't well made and so eventually died | | | | mainly grown and developed over the past few |
| out. The early ones were basically just milk crates | | | | decades. |
| with roller skate wheels and maybe a handle. More | | | | Over the years I've often heard it said that this |
| like a scooter. The wheels were the big problem, | | | | sport wouldn't last. It was just a fad. But it has |
| being mostly of clay, and resulted in lots of | | | | developed from an activity into a relevant sport |
| accidents from slipping or breaking and causing a | | | | and now is widely followed around the world. The |
| fall. Even with better boards the wheels still | | | | focus on tricks and jumps, great artwork on |
| created difficulty, and the sport pretty well died | | | | boards, clothing lines, shoes, and even music has |
| out in the mid-60's. | | | | enhanced the image. |
| It wasn't until the 1970's that Frank Nasworthy, a | | | | Throughout these years there have been |
| surfer, developed a wheel made from urethane | | | | increases in the quality of boards and wheels but |
| and then added precision bearings, and bolted | | | | mainly the concept didn't change much, until now. |
| them to a good quality board. The sport took off | | | | Coming up are some radical new designs. The |
| again. | | | | S-Board is a board that twists in the middle and |
| The first skateboard parks from that time were | | | | has only a single front and single rear wheel. The |
| mainly empty pools but lots of great moves and | | | | ride is apparently very much like snowboarding. |
| jumps were developed during that time, including | | | | And the ultimate so far? That has to be Danny |
| the famous "ollie", a no hands aerial. Accidents and | | | | Way and his jump over the Great Wall of China. I |
| then the ever increasing liability insurance killed the | | | | wonder if his jump could be seen from space? |
| sport a second time and by the 1980's most of | | | | hmmmm. |
| the parks had closed down. | | | | |