RP162 Skateboarding

RP162 Skateboarding

Sometime in the 1950s in California, surfers got bored. The water was flat and still. They wanted something to surf, so they decided to surf the streets! They took planks of wood, attached roller-skate wheels to them, and without knowing it, started a new trend. Skateboarding was born!

Of course, these surfers didn't know it yet. Skateboarding was still called "sidewalk surfing" and it was just something to do for fun when you couldn't surf. The boards were basic and not very safe. People got hurt, but people loved the new sport anyway. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, skateboarding grew. Skateboarding competitions were held and skate shops opened up. In 1972, proper skateboard wheels were developed and boards became safer and lighter.

In the 1950s and 1960s, skateboarding stuck close to the ground. However, in the 1970s, skaters began to use empty swimming pools to get faster and higher. The age of vertical skate tricks was born. Over time, skaters created tricks like the ollie (jumping in the air without using your hands), kickflips (flipping the board lengthwise while you are in the air), and slides or grinds (sliding down a rail on the board), among others.

These tricks make skateboarding athletic, exciting, and fun to watch, but they also make it dangerous. The most common skateboarding injuries are to the wrist, ankle, and face, but skateboarding can also cause serious head injuries. Nowadays, there are protective helmets and other gear to help prevent injuries. If you want to try this sport, which involves moving very quickly over hard surfaces, wearing something to protect your body is a good idea.