GETTA BOARD SKATEBOARDS: 2009

CONTESTS! WIN SKATEBOARDS & STUFF!!!

Contests!!! Win Skateboards & Other Cool Stuff!!!
You know you wanna win! Check out my list of contests below and enter away! You never know, today could be YOUR lucky day! Good luck!!! Check back often because as I find more contests, I'll add them to the list!

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CONTEST ALERT!
Element Search & Win Contest! Win FREE Element Gear Just For Searching The Net!

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CONTEST ALERT!
CCS.com is awarding 100's of prizes! A different prize and new winner every day! www.ccs.com

Today's prize is a pair of men's Nike SB Blazer hi-top shoes! ($89.99 retail).

http://dailysweeps.ccs.com/

Here is a list of the prizes they will be awarding thru October 6th:

10/6/2009 - Blind Reaper Camo Complete Board (retail $89.99)
10/7/2009 - A pair of Men's Nike SB Blazer (retail $79.99)
10/8/2009 - a pair of Men's Lakai Telford (retail $89.99)
10/9/2009 - a pair of Men's DC Ltd Edition Straight Jeans (retail $69.99
10/10/2009 - a Men's Fallen Cobra Fleece (retail $59.99)
10/11/2009 - a Blind Silver Reaper Complete Board (retail $59.99)
10/12/2009 - a pair of Men's Nike SB Blazer (retail $89.99)
10/13/2009 - a pair of Men's Lakai Telford (retail $69.99)
10/14/2009 - a Men's Fallen Cobra Fleece (retail $84.99)
10/15/2009 - a Blind Reaper Camo Complete Board (retail $74.99)
10/16/2009 - a pair of Men's DC Ltd Edition Straight Jeans (retail $89.99)
10/17/2009 - a pair of Men's Nike SB Blazer (retail $69.99)
10/18/2009 - a pair of Men's Lakai Telford (retail $59.99)
10/19/2009 - a Blind Silver Reaper Complete Board (retail $59.99)

PACSUN COUPON! 15% OFF ANY ONLINE OR IN-STORE PURCHASE!

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15% Off Any PacSun Purchase!

Subscribe to the PacSun email list and receive a coupon good for 15% off any purchase! Coupon can be used online or in store!

SECRETS OF SKATEBOARDING

Secrets of Skateboarding
“Underground Skater Reveals his Secrets to Learning Almost Every Single Skateboarding Trick- In 8 Weeks or Less.”

Now you can legally steal his undisclosed master guide and quickly unlock every single trick that once seemed difficult- even if you have never stepped on a skateboard before!

Secrets of Skateboarding is a step-by-step master guide that shows you how to master new tricks in the shortest amount of time. The information is laid out in a clear and detailed, step-by-step format to guarantee results in the quickest amount of time. Hard hitting, proven techniques to build your trick arsenal.

Click here or on the picture to the left for more information.

Here's just a tiny fraction of what you'll discover…

The real and only way to improve at skateboarding and how to stop doing what doesn’t work.
Clear, easy to understand and detailed instructions for every trick that includes…..

What you already should know before learning a new trick
Proper foot placement
The correct balance prior to executing the trick (this is crucial!)
Where and how hard to pop
Exactly how your feet should rotate/ flip the board
How to correctly land the trick
The best way to practice each trick (another important aspect to consider)

An essential starting manual for beginners
Detailed guides for quickly unlocking the Ollie, Kickflip, 180 Ollie, Heelflips, Pop Shove-it, Varial Flip, 360 Flip, Backside Flip, Hardflip, Frontside Heelflip, Backside Heelflip and Basic grinds…
The quickest way to learn the Ollie, the foundation of all skateboarding tricks
How to pop insanely high Ollies… learn to take Ollies to next level and land those huge stair sets and gaps
How to tackle the Killer Kickflip… most beginners get stuck on the Kickflip, but I will show you how to avoid the mistakes that almost everyone makes and the key to unlocking it quickly
A sure-fire and safe way to learn the Board Slide safetly
The most important step in landing Heelflips... this is something that 99% of beginners mess up
How to remain completely balanced during the nasty Nose Grind
The key to having Pop Shove-its stay under you and landing them with consistency
Exactly how and where your weight and balance should shift so you can pull off clean, soaring 180 Ollies
The secret to coordinating the spin and flip perfectly for the Varial Flip so it flips smoother and higher
How to give the “just right” amount of flick to land perfect Backside Flips
The quickest and easiest way to practice and learn the 50-50 Grind
The importance of foot positioning for the flawless Frontside Flip and how a simple adjustment can help you unlock them in a brief amount of time
The single most important key to landing clean 360 Flips… once you realize this and put it into practice, 360 Flips will be a piece of cake
A simple, yet extremely effective practice technique for “sticking” and balancing your Nose Grinds and Tail Slides
The secret to landing the king of all flatland tricks, the Hardflip… discover how to flip and spin your board smoothly and how to practice these safely
Where to keep your balance and how to avoid falling out of the rough Smith Grind
And much, much more…

This is just a taste of the juicy techniques you'll find in Secrets of Skateboarding. There's much more and the best thing about it is that it's laid out in a simple step-by-step guide that absolutely anyone can follow… even if you’ve never landed a single trick in your life!

Some of the Secrets You'll Uncover Include...

A breakthrough instructional system that’s clear to understand and guarantees results
Common problems and mistakes for almost every possible scenario and how to correct them
Uncovered… A simple and crazy effective technique that will allow you land a trick close to 100% of the time
Revealed…a couple of simple adjustments that you can make to get your tricks higher
The 5 most common mistakes that drastically hurt the learning process and how to absolutely make sure you avoid them
A simple trick learning progression to ensure you are learning as efficiently as possible
Revealed… An effective technique to improve at skateboarding without actually skating
Powerful goal setting techniques to get you to where you want as quick as possible
How to stay motivated and pumped up throughout the whole process so you stay focused and see results quickly
A little known technique to keep your mind constantly working on learning tricks while you do your daily activities
The power of visualization and how to use it to perfect your tricks
Exposed… What pre-practicing is and how it will allow you to get the most out of skate sessions
The reason everyone doesn’t learn tricks as fast as they could and how to overcome it
An explosive practice routine that guarantee results in the shortest amount of time
How to defeat frustration and remove the blocks that are preventing you from improving at the rate you should!
Plus much, much more!

Add up the time you’ve spent in the past on pointless trick tip videos and how to books. Now you have a genuine chance to follow a proven system that guarantees success.

Imagine what it’ll be like to catch tricks impossibly high, land flip and spin tricks with ease, and grind with confidence. Imagine beating everyone at s-k-a-t-e, landing that huge gap, or getting sponsored. Imagine being talked about at your school or skate park as the kid who is incredible mind blowing at skateboarding!

What's it worth to be able to do pretty much whatever you want on your skateboard? This program works...when you follow the step-by-step methods. I have given you the easy directions and show you the way - but only YOU can make it work for yourself.

Now, if you're getting excited about the idea of finally learning to skate, or greatly improving your skills, but are worried you won't be able to afford your own copy of The Secrets of Skateboarding let me put your mind at ease right now...

Here’s What You Get in Secrets of Skateboarding...

Part I: The Comprehensive Trick Guide - Part one contains the “meat” of the book- the actual trick tips. You will learn step-by-step, detailed instructions and tips for flatground tricks and grinds. Each trick tip clearly explains: proper foot placement, trick to know before trying, weight and balance, proper pop, proper flip and rotation, correct landing, and practicing techniques.

Part II: Skating to Success - The second part contains all my secrets methods and techniques that are outlined, step by step, to improve your skateboarding skills. It is filled with exercises and tips that will guarantee success in a short amount of time.

Legally Steal the Underground Skateboarding Master Guide For Just $27 bucks! This product comes with a 100% money back guarantee so there's nothing to lose!

If you thought all this was good, then check this out!! When you purchase "Skateboarding Secrets", you will also receive 3 FREE bonus items!

BONUS #1

Ultimate Skateboard Buying Guide ($29 Value)

Learn how to choose the right board that suits your style of skating. Read about all about the top skateboard products before buying them. Find out about the best (and worst) decks, trucks, wheels, grip tape, hardware, and other accessories. This guide will save you a ton of trouble, time and money!

BONUS #2

How to Shoot a Killer Skate Video ($19 Value)

Learning what it takes to produce a good skate video is important - especially if you're going for that sponsorship. However, even if you just want to make a video with your friends for fun, this guide will guide you through the process and help you shoot a killer skate video.

BONUS #3

Professional Ramp Plans ($39 Value)

When you start learning more and more tricks, you'll want to take them to the next level and start skating ramps and rails. This guide includes ramp building guidelines, hints, techniques as well as blueprints for ramps, rails, pyramids, grind rails and a half-pipe! You'll have everything you need to build your own skate park at home!

SKATEBOARD HOLIDAY!

Did you know that skateboarding has it's very own holiday?
"Go Skateboarding Day" was created in 2004 by a group of skateboarding companies to promote skateboarding and help make it more noticeable to the world. It is celebrated every year on June 21st.

SKATEBOARD HARDWARE

Skateboard Hardware
Mounting hardware is a set of eight 10-32 UNC bolts, usually an Allen or Phillips head, and matching nylon locknuts. They are used to attach the trucks to the board. Some have a different colored bolt to show which side is the nose of the skateboard.

Source: Wikipedia (with some editing by the owner of Getta Board blog)

SKATEBOARD BEARINGS

Skateboard Bearings
Each skateboard wheel is mounted on its axle via two bearings. With few exceptions, the bearings are the industrial standard "608" size, with a bore of 8 mm, an outer diameter of 22 mm, and a width of 7 mm. These are usually made of steel, though silicon nitride, a high-tech ceramic, is sometimes used. Many skateboard bearings are graded according to the ABEC scale. The scale starts with ABEC1 as the lowest, 3, 5, 7, 9.

It is a common misconception that higher numbers are better for skateboarding, as the ABEC rating only measures tolerances, which do not necessarily apply to skateboards. The ABEC rating does not determine how fast or how durable a bearing used for skateboarding will be. In particular, the ABEC rating says nothing about how well a bearing handles axial (side-to-side) loads, which are severe in most skateboard applications.

Many companies do not show the ABEC rating, such as Bones Bearings, which makes bearings specifically for skateboarding. These bearings are usually called Swiss or ceramic and are better for skating. Each bearing usually contains 7 steel or ceramic ball bearings. Some skateboard bearings do however contain 6 ball bearings.

Source: Wikipedia (with some editing by the owner of Getta Board blog)

SKATEBOARD WHEELS

Skateboard Wheels
The wheels of a skateboard, usually made of polyurethane, come in many different sizes and shapes to suit different types of skating. Larger sizes like 65–90 mm roll faster, and also move more easily over cracks in pavement. Smaller sizes like 48–54 mm keep the board closer to the ground, require less force to accelerate and produce a lower center of gravity, but also make for a slower top speed.

Wheels also are available in a variety of hardnesses usually measured on the Shore durometer "A" scale. Wheels range from the very soft (about Shore A 75) to the very hard (about Shore A 101). As the A scale stops at 100, any wheels labeled 101A or higher are harder, but do not use the appropriate durometer scale. Some wheel manufacturers now use the "B" or "D" scales, which have a larger and more accurate range of hardness.

Modern street skaters prefer smaller wheels (usually 45–55 mm), as small wheels with lighter trucks can make tricks like kickflips and other flip tricks easier by keeping the center of gravity of the skateboard closer to the deck, thus making the deck easier to spin.

Vertical ramp or "vert" skating requires larger wheels (usually 55–65 mm), as it involves higher speeds. Vert wheels are also usually very hard, which helps to maintain speed on ramps.

Slalom skating requires even larger wheels (60–75 mm) to sustain the highest speeds possible. They also need to be soft and have better grip to make the tight and frequent turns in slalom racing.

Longboarding and downhill skateboarding require even larger wheels. Sizes range from 65 mm to 100 mm. These extreme sizes of wheels almost always have cores of hard plastic that can be made thinner and lighter than a solid polyurethane wheel. They are often used by skateboard videographers as well, as the large soft wheels allow for smooth and easy movement over any terrain.

Source: Wikipedia (with some editing by the owner of Getta Board blog)

SKATEBOARD TRUCKS

Skateboard Trucks

Attached to the deck are two metal (usually aluminum alloy) trucks, which connect to the wheels and deck. The trucks are further composed of two parts. The top part of the truck is screwed to the deck and is called the baseplate, and beneath it is the hanger. The axle runs through the hanger.

Between the baseplate and the hanger are bushings, also rubbers or grommets, that provide the cushion mechanism for turning the skateboard. The bushings cushion the truck when it turns. The stiffer the bushings, the more resistant the skateboard is to turning. The softer the bushings, the easier it is to turn.

A bolt called a kingpin holds these parts together and fits inside the bushings. Thus by tightening or loosening the kingpin nut, the trucks can be adjusted loosely for better turning and tighter for more stability.

Longboard specific trucks are a more recent development. A longboard truck has the king pin laid at a more acute angle (usually between 38 and 50 degrees[6]) to the deck, this gives a lesser degree of turning for the same tilt of the deck. This allows riders to go much faster while still maintaining stability and control.

SKATEBOARD DECKS

Skateboard Decks

The underside of a skateboard is known as the deck. In the photo to the right, the deck, trucks and wheels can be seen. Most decks are constructed with a seven to nine-ply cross-laminated layup of Canadian maple wood. Other materials used in deck construction, fiberglass, bamboo, resin, Kevlar, carbon fiber, aluminum, and plastic, lighten the board or increase its strength or rigidity. Some decks made from maple ply are dyed to create various different coloured ply.

Modern decks vary in size, but most are 7 to 10.5 inches wide. Wider decks can be used for greater stability when transition or ramp skating. Skateboard decks are usually between 28 and 33 inches long. The underside of the deck can be printed with a design by the manufacturer, blank, or decorated by any other means.

The longboard, a common variant of the skateboard, has a longer deck. This is mostly ridden down hills or by the beach. This was created by two surfers; Ben Whatson and Jonny Drapper. One of the first deck companies was called "Drapped" taken from Jonny's second name.

"Old school" boards (those made in the 1970s–80s or modern boards that mimic their shape) are generally wider and often have only one kicktail. Variants of the 1970s often have little or no concavity, whereas 1980s models have deeper concavities and steeper kicktails.

Grip tape, when applied to the top surface of a skateboard, gives a skater's feet more grip on the deck. It is most often black but can come in a variety of colors including clear, allowing the top of the deck to be decorated. It has an adhesive back and a sandpaper like top.

Source: Wikipedia (with some editing by the owner of Getta Board blog)

SKATEBOARD COMPONENTS

Skateboard Components: Optional, But Nice To Have!
There are many optional components available for your skateboard. Some optional components -like grip tape- almost a necessity, while others are used for protecting the skateboard from damage (slip tape, nose guard). Some optional components help the skater to better perform tricks (rails/ribs) and some optional components (lights, spark plates) are used simply for visual-effect - they just look cool!

Two examples of skateboard add-ons that make a board look super cool are motion activated puck-lights that attach to the underside of the board and skateboard spark plates. Both of these items can be purchased inexpensively - usually for under $10.00 a piece.

Risers / Wedges
Risers increase the space between the truck and the deck. This allows the truck to turn further without causing wheel bite (when the wheel touches the deck and stops rotating). Wedges can be used to change the turning characteristics of a truck.

Rails / Ribs
Narrow strips of plastic or metal that are attached under the deck lengthwise along the edges. They are used for additional grip for grabs, and to enhance sliding while protecting the deck's graphics at the same time. Although rarely used anymore, they are useful.

Grip Tape
Grip tape is a sheet of tape like on the bottom but on the top is a super sand paper like substance that helps the skater stay on the board while doing tricks. Grip tape is usually black, however it is also available in clear and other colours.

Slip Tape
Slip tape is a clear piece of self adhesive plastic that sticks to the underside of a deck. It helps protect the board's graphics and allows the board to slide easier.

Lapper
A lapper is a plastic cover that is fastened to the rear truck and serves to protect the kingpin when grinding. It also prevents hang-ups by providing a smoother transition for the truck when it hits an obstacle or a metal pipe or bar used to grind.

Nose Guard
A plastic bumper used to protect the front of a skateboard. Used in old school boards.

Tail Guard
A tail guard is a plastic skid plate used to prevent wearing of the tail; they can also be used as a means to stop the board on old school boards.

Angled Risers
Angled riser, or a milk dud are risers that alter the turning geometry of the truck they are bolted to. A thin side out results in more turn per board lean, thick side out results in less.

Copers
Plastic half tubing that protected the axles of the trucks. In the 1980s, stolen shopping cart handles were cut by some to fit as a makeshift coper.

Source: Wikipedia (with some editing by the owner of Getta Board blog)

SKATEBOARD PARTS

Skateboard Parts
If you're new to skateboarding, you may want to familiarize yourself with the names and functions of the various parts of a skateboard.

The following skateboard part descriptions focus on the most commonly known parts used in popular, modern forms of skateboarding. Many niche disciplines exist with exotic or alternative constructions and designs that fall outside of much of the descriptions listed. The most common parts used to design a complete skateboard are the deck, trucks, wheels, bearings, and hardware.

Source: Wikipedia (with some editing done by the owner of Getta Board blog)

Tony Hawk: Ride with SkateBoard

Reserve Your Copy Of Tony Hawk: Ride
PRE-ORDER Tony Hawk: Ride by November 16th at 11am CST with overnight shipping and get guaranteed delivery on the street date of November 17th - from GameStop.com!

EXPERIENCE THE TRUE THRILL OF SKATEBOARDING Tony Hawk:

RIDE’s revolutionary motion sensing skateboard controller allows players to physically control the action by performing movements and gestures that directly translate into amazing tricks in the game. The game’s intuitive controls and multiple difficulty levels make it easy to pick up and play, making this an exciting party game for people of various ages and skill levels.

Click on the skateboard to watch a video of the game!

BONUS! Reserve Tony Hawk: Ride and receive a GameStop exclusive 80’s Quiksilver Level!

Level includes Vert Ramp challenge sandwiched between two 747’s on the runway of the Frankfurt Airport decked out in Quiksilver 80’s theme including Tony Hawk himself. Available for online and in-store customers, while supplies last.

SKATEBOARD FEATURES:
•MOTION SENSING TECHNOLOGY Rotate, tilt, and lift the board to pull off amazing tricks
•SMARTSENSORS Push for speed, pull off grabs, and set up for bigger tricks using the four smart motion sensors
•CONTOURED BASE Curved bottom for stability, a full range of motion and unparalleled control
•GRITTY SURFACE Similar to grip tape on a real skateboard
KEY FEATURES:

STEP ON THE BOARD AND RIDE
•No complicated button controls to master
•Drop into the action right away with the intuitive movement based control scheme

RIDE WITH AND AGAINST YOUR FRIENDS
•Eight player multiplayer and online play let you and your friends feel the thrill of skateboarding
•Multiple difficulty levels make the game a fun and challenging experience for people of all skill levels

SKATE HOW YOU WANT TO, WHERE YOU WANT TO
•Four different modes to RIDE – Challenge, Speed, Trick, and Free Skate – in epic locations across the globe
•Over 100 moves to master in both street and half-pipe environments.

History of Skateboarding: The 1990s to the Present
The current generation of skateboards is dominated by street skateboarding.

Most boards are about 7¼ to 8 inches wide and 30 to 32 inches long. The wheels are made of an extremely hard polyurethane, with hardness(durometer) approximately 99a. The wheel sizes are relatively small so that the boards are lighter, and the wheel's inertia is overcome quicker, thus making tricks more manageable.

Board styles have changed dramatically since the 1970s but have remained mostly alike since the mid 1990s. The contemporary shape of the skateboard is derived from the freestyle boards of the 1980s with a largely symmetrical shape and relatively narrow width. This form had become standard by the mid '90s.

History of Skateboarding: The 1980s

History of Skateboarding: The 1990s to the Present
A skateboarder "Ollies" over a rubbish bin. This period was fuelled by skateboard companies that were run by skateboarders. The focus was initially on vert ramp skateboarding. The invention of the no-hands aerial (later known as the ollie) by Alan Gelfand in Florida in 1976[6] and the almost parallel development of the grabbed aerial by George Orton and Tony Alva in California made it possible for skaters to perform airs on vertical ramps.

While this wave of skateboarding was sparked by commercialized vert ramp skating, a majority of people who skateboarded during this period never rode vert ramps. Because most people couldn't afford to build vert ramps or did not have access to nearby ramps, street skating gained popularity.

Freestyle skating remained healthy throughout this period with pioneers such as Rodney Mullen inventing many of the basic tricks of modern street skating such as the Impossible and the kickflip. The influence freestyle had on street skating became apparent during the mid-eighties, but street skating was still performed on wide vert boards with short noses, slide rails, and large soft wheels.

Skateboarding, however, evolved quickly in the late 1980s to accommodate the street skater. Since few skateparks were available to skaters at this time, street skating pushed skaters to seek out shopping centres and public and private property as their "spot" to skate. Public opposition, and the threat of lawsuits, forced businesses and property owners to ban skateboarding on their property.

By 1992, only a small fraction of skateboarders remained as a highly technical version of street skating, combined with the decline of vert skating, produced a sport that lacked the mainstream appeal to attract new skaters.

Source: Wikipedia

History of Skateboarding: The 1970s

History of Skateboarding: The 1970's
In the early 1970s, Frank Nasworthy started to develop a skateboard wheel made of polyurethane, calling it the 'Cadillac', as he hoped this would convey the fat ride it afforded the rider.[4] The improvement in traction and performance was so immense that from the wheel's release in 1972 the popularity of skateboarding started to rise rapidly again, causing companies to invest more in product development.

Many companies started to manufacture trucks (axles) especially designed for skateboarding, reached in 1976 by Tracker Trucks. As the equipment became more maneuverable, the decks started to get wider, reaching widths of 10 inches (250 mm) and over, thus giving the skateboarder even more control. Banana board is a term used to describe skateboards made of polypropylene that were skinny, flexible, with ribs on the underside for structural support and very popular during the mid-1970s. They were available in myriad colors, bright yellow probably being the most memorable, hence the name.

Manufacturers started to experiment with more exotic composites and metals, like fiberglass and aluminium, but the common skateboards were made of maple plywood. The skateboarders took advantage of the improved handling of their skateboards and started inventing new tricks. Skateboarders, most notably Ty Page, Bruce Logan, Bobby Piercy, Kevin Reed, and the Z-Boys (so-called because of their local Zephyr surf shop) started to skate the vertical walls of swimming pools that were left empty in the 1976 California drought. This started the vert trend in skateboarding.

With increased control, vert skaters could skate faster and perform more dangerous tricks, such as slash grinds and frontside/backside airs. This caused liability concerns and increased insurance costs to skatepark owners, and the development (first by Norcon,then more successfully by Rector) of improved knee pads that had a hard sliding cap and strong strapping proved to be too-little-too-late. During this era, the "freestyle" movement in skateboarding began to splinter off and develop into a much more specialized discipline, characterized by the development of a wide assortment of flat-ground tricks.

As a result of the "vert" skating movement, skate parks had to contend with high-liability costs that led to many park closures. In response, vert skaters started making their own ramps, while freestyle skaters continued to evolve their flatland style. Thus by the beginning of the 1980s, skateboarding had once again declined in popularity. [5]

Source: Wikipedia

Trick Skating

Trick Skating
See Skateboarding trick for detailed descriptions of maneuvers.

A skater performs a switch kickflip off a stairset.With the evolution of skateparks and ramp skating, the skateboard began to change. Early skate tricks had consisted mainly of two-dimensional manoeuvres like riding on only two wheels ("wheelie" or "manual"), spinning only on the back wheels (a "pivot"), high jumping over a bar and landing on the board again, also known as a "hippie jump", long jumping from one board to another (often over small barrels or fearless teenagers) or slalom.

In 1976, skateboarding was transformed by the invention of the ollie by Alan "Ollie" Gelfand. It remained largely a unique Florida trick until the summer of 1978, when Gelfand made his first visit to California. Gelfand and his revolutionary manoeuvre caught the attention of the West Coast skaters and the media where it began to spread worldwide. The ollie was adapted to flat ground by Rodney Mullen in 1982. Mullen also invented the "Magic Flip", which was later renamed the Kickflip, as well many other tricks including, the 360 Kickflip, which is a 360 pop shove it and a kickflip in the same motion. The flat ground ollie allowed skateboarders to perform tricks in mid-air without any more equipment than the skateboard itself, it has formed the basis of many street skating tricks.

Source: Wikipedia

History of Skateboarding: The 1940s-1960s

History of Skateboarding: The 1940s-1960s
Skateboarding was probably born sometime in the late 1940s or early 1950s when surfers in California wanted something to surf when the waves were flat. No one knows who made the first board, rather, it seems that several people came up with similar ideas at around the same time. These first skateboarders started with wooden boxes or boards with roller skate wheels attached to the bottom. The boxes turned into planks, and eventually companies were producing decks of pressed layers of wood -- similar to the skateboard decks of today. During this time, skateboarding was seen as something to do for fun besides surfing, and was therefore often referred to as "Sidewalk Surfing".

A skateboarder in Nice, France.The first manufactured skateboards were ordered by a Los Angeles, California surf shop, meant to be used by surfers in their downtime. The shop owner, Bill Richard, made a deal with the Chicago Roller Skate Company to produce sets of skate wheels, which they attached to square wooden boards. Accordingly, skateboarding was originally denoted "sidewalk surfing" and early skaters emulated surfing style and maneuvers. Crate scooters preceded skateboards, and were borne of a similar concept, with the exception of having a wooden crate attached to the nose (front of the board), which formed rudimentary handlebars.[4]

A number of surfing manufacturers such as Makaha started building skateboards that resembled small surfboards, and assembling teams to promote their products. The popularity of skateboarding at this time spawned a national magazine, Skateboarder Magazine, and the 1965 international championships were broadcast on national television. The growth of the sport during this period can also be seen in sales figures for Makaha, which quoted $10 million worth of board sales between 1963 and 1965 (Weyland, 2002:28). Yet by 1966 the sales had dropped significantly (ibid) and Skateboarder Magazine had stopped publication. The popularity of skateboarding dropped and remained low until the early 1970s. [4][5]

Source: Wikipedia

Skateboarding - Definition and A Few Facts

Skateboarding - Definition and A Few Facts
Skateboarding is the act of riding and performing tricks using a skateboard. A person who skateboards is most often referred to as a skateboarder, or just skater.

Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an artform, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report by American Sports Data found that there were 18.5 million skateboarders in the world. 85 percent of skateboarders polled who had used a board in the last year were under the age of 18, and 74 percent were male.

Skateboarding is relatively modern. A key skateboarding maneuver, the ollie, was developed in the late 1970s by Alan "Ollie" Gelfand as a half-pipe maneuver. Freestyle skateboarder Rodney Mullen was the first to take it to flat ground and later invented the kickflip and its variations.

Source: Wikipedia

Pro Skateboarder's Package! Click the pic for details....