Skateboarding

Skateboarding: A Diverse Action Sport

Skateboarding stands as an action sport where individuals execute various tricks using a skateboard. While the sport heavily features different tricks, jumps, and grinds, it has also evolved into a favoured means of navigating through urban areas.

There are three key styles associated with skateboarding: park, vert, and street. Park skateboarding is mainly practised in skate parks equipped with specially designed obstacles. Vert skateboarding involves vertical manoeuvres on ramps or vert bowls and demands greater speed than other styles. Street skateboarding incorporates everyday urban obstacles, like rails and stairs, for executing tricks.

For more insights on the diverse styles of skateboarding, explore our guide Buying Skateboards for Intermediates.

The Benefits of Skateboarding

Riding a skateboard offers numerous advantages. It enhances your body coordination as you continuously adjust your body positions to land tricks precisely. Furthermore, it positively influences your balance and serves as a fun, full-body workout at its finest.

Skateboarding is also an excellent avenue to meet new individuals with similar interests. Skate parks offer a social environment where enthusiasts commonly engage in conversations about their preferred tricks and skateboard brands. The sport can also significantly boost your confidence, as there is a unique satisfaction in mastering a trick for the first time.

The Historical Journey of Skateboarding

Skateboarding, as we recognise it today, originated in the 1940s on the West Coast of the US. Surfers, during times when they couldn’t hit the waves, began fitting wheels onto plates, planks, and other potential decks. Initially, skateboarding was referred to as “sidewalk surfing” due to its significant surfing influence.

The sport evolved over the subsequent decades. By the 1960s, skateboards began appearing in shops, and during the 70s, ceramic and metal wheels were supplanted by polyurethane ones. The 1980s marked the golden era of skateboarding, witnessing the rise of numerous skateboard companies established by skateboarders. Several films based on skateboarding culture were launched during this time, with some attaining cult classic status.

Nowadays, skateboarding ranks among the world’s most popular action sports. It is perceived as a serious, competitive sport, especially following its debut at the Olympics during Tokyo 2020.