| No doubt if you have kids you might be a little | | | | home-made or rudimentary made skateboards |
| considered about them getting hurt and when | | | | were dangerous compared to today's surfboards. |
| they say that they want a skateboard, it might | | | | The rubbery-plastic urethane wheels did not |
| concern you. Perhaps you might like to know a bit | | | | become available until the early 70s and in the late |
| about the history of skateboarding. | | | | 70s skateboarders saw the first curved tails to |
| You see, there have been some reports that the | | | | help in pivoting tricks and maneuvers. The first |
| first skateboards were literally 2 X 4 Boards | | | | skateboard parks also came into existence and |
| strapped to wheels back during the turn of the | | | | gave the kids a place to practice and try-out new |
| century of the 1900s in the US. Roller Skates, | | | | tricks. |
| which are a much older concept were used for | | | | In the 80s skateboarders would use video |
| the wheels, which were removed and re-mounted | | | | cameras to record their trick maneuvers and |
| to the boards. | | | | many of the free-style moves got more |
| In the 50's there were actually people who put | | | | progressive and difficult. By the 90s it was totally |
| clay wheels on boards and attempted to ride | | | | out of control and extreme skateboarding helped |
| them in places like California. Street or Sidewalk | | | | increase the popularity. All of this fueled custom |
| Surfing it was called. Sometimes people would | | | | skateboard sales, shoe sales, sportswear and |
| take food crates and put wheels on them and go | | | | accessories. The industry was growing up and |
| for it down paved roads and hills. It is hard to | | | | getting serious. |
| figure out who is the first person to put wheels | | | | Today the modern skateboard is an engineering |
| on a straight board or plank. | | | | marvel with racing parts, exotic alloys, awesome |
| Who knows maybe Leonardo da Vinci invented | | | | graphics and specially designed components |
| such a thing and it just never made it into one of | | | | worthy of the latest fighter planes. Of course this |
| his sketch books which was actually salvaged? | | | | is still only the beginning, as now there are |
| By the early 1960s skateboarding was becoming | | | | high-tech skateboard video games and next |
| pretty popular and there were down hill racing | | | | comes Virtual Reality skateboarding simulators. |
| contests like down hill skiing. Kids would practice | | | | All these new technologies will add safety and fun |
| and look forward to these things. There were | | | | for kids and so you as a parent should support |
| free-style contests also and folks would do tricks | | | | your local skateboard park, the sport of |
| and there were judges like ice skating. Of course | | | | skateboarding and your kid's new favorite |
| their level of tricks were nothing compared to | | | | pastime. |
| what kids can do today. Some of these | | | | |