History Notes Special: Skate and Destroy

By the early 1950s, as you can guess, surfing can be traced as the source of skateboarding. Surfers had the idea to transfer the feeling of riding waves onto the streets. They used shorter surfboards and wheels made out of metal without some bearings. Early development was mainly in California, but also on the big Island in Hawaii.

In 1962, the “Val-Surf” surf shop in Hollywood sold the first self-produced complete skateboards using roller skate trucks. In the same year, Patterson Forbes built the first mass-produced complete boards with more developed trucks. In 1963, “Surf Guide Magazine” released the first advertisement for skateboards in its magazine, and in 1966 the skateboarding shoe brand Vans was established.

In 1964, Larry Stevenson invented the “kicktail“ board, opening up more possibilities for skaters.

1972 was a watershed moment. Frank Nasworthy invented urethane wheels (Cadillac Wheels). These wheels made it possible to ride smoother, and faster. This led to freestyle, downhill, and slalom riders. In 1976, the first artificially created skate park was inaugurated and new parks emerged with new elements such as vertical ramps and kickers.

The advanced tech and the number of new skaters allowed kids to develop their individual styles and create new tricks. The boards: shapes changed, boards became wider, got more concave and they featured nose and tail.

Then in 1978, Alan Gelfand invented a maneuver that changed skateboarding forever–the “Ollie”, which counts as the greatest trick ever invented and completely revolutionized skateboarding. This was the birth of street skateboarding.

In 1981, “Thrasher Magazine” was founded and since then, this magazine stands for street skateboarding, the core scene, punk rock, and the lifestyle “Skate And Destroy”. 

Worldwide events created superstar street skaters like Nyjah Huston, Eric Koston, Paul Rodriguez, Rob Dyrdek, and of course, Tony Hawk. Due to the cash prizes of $200,000 US Dollars or more for the winner and 10,000 visitors at the “Street League” events, skateboarding has become a professional sport.

The rest is still unwritten.