History

Skateboarding started in the 50's when California surfers attached roller-skates to 2x4's and discovered that surfing asphalt was an acceptable alternative to riding the waves. In the 70's urethane wheels made maneuvering easier. This allowed moves like the "ollie" which made jumps possible and led to a growing number of tricks.

The fad waned in the late 70's but with the development of flexible laminate decks, stronger, lighter trucks and even faster wheels the sport began a resurgence in the mid-80's. Giving new meaning to the words "higher, stronger, faster", skaters worldwide have spun the fad into a true sport that calls for creativity, athleticism and stamina.

Today, with lucrative professional tours and worldwide television coverage, skateboarding is the sixth largest participation sport in the US, practiced by over 9.3 million people of all ages.

A Short Skateboard Dictionary

Gear:

• Deck: The part of the skateboard you stand on.
• Nose: The front of it.
• Tail: You guessed it - the back of it.
• Trucks: Axles make the wheels go round.
• Wheels: Round things - You need four.

Moves:

• Ollie: Tap the tail, jump in the air.
• Kickflip: Ollie, spin the board, land (don't fall).
• Grind: Trucks meet railing. Slide.
• Nosegrind: Sliding on one truck. The front one.
• Shuvit: Ollie, end for end the board, and pray.
• Air: What you get when you're not attached to the ground anymore.
• Fakie: Rolling backwards - on purpose.
• Regular foot: Your best foot forward...usually the left.
• Goofyfoot: Not regular foot.

Miscellaneous:

• Face plant: Getting up close and personal with pavement.
• Swellbow: The result of falling on your elbow.
• Fat/Phat: - High/Far/Good
• Thrashed: - What your board gets when you use it a lot.
• Grommet/Grom: A young skateboarder
• Poser: A phony
• Gnarly/Sick: Amazing/Good/Bad
• Bust: To perform a move really well.
• Ripper: A great skater

Events/Media

Skateboarding has many annual events and tours both pro and amateur, and now boasts at least two televised sport shows. Here are just a few, with links to further information. You'll find many more listed at World Cup Skateboarding or Skateboarding.com

Invert 2000: A vertical sports carnival. This year's Invert was Nov 17-19 in Anaheim, CA

Beast of the East: Sponsored by the United Skateboard Association for its Member riders. This year's event was held Dec. 1-3 in Knoxville, TN

Slam City Jam: Vancouver, BC, Canada's annual skateboard extravaganza - The North American Skateboard Championships. Scheduled for May 4-6, 2001

X-Trials: The winners of this contest qualify for the X-Games. May 18-20, 2001 in Grand Prairie, TX.

Gravity Games: Televised by NBC. Held in Providence, RI on Sep. 1-9, 2001

Van's Triple Crown Finals: Sponsored by Van's shoes and World Cup Skateboarding, this event in Oceanside, CA hosts competitions for both Men and women in pro, street and vert.

X-Games: Televised by ESPN sports, usually in October of every year.