What is a Skateboard

Skateboard Complete

A skateboard is a four wheeled board made from plastic or wooden with rollers at the bottom. Skateboards are ridden by youngsters to enjoy various skateboarding tricks and stunts. During 1970s, the materials like fiberglass, bamboo, resin, Kevlar, carbon fiber, aluminum, plastic, etc. were also incorporated into the material of skateboards to make them more durable and flexible.

Parts of Skateboards

Deck, trucks, wheels and bearings are the main parts of a skateboard. Skateboards come in various shapes, sizes, and appearance. The size and shape of the skateboard decks vary according to the type of skating preferred. A skateboard can be long or short. A concave shaped skateboard is for expert skateboarding tricks. Some of the main skateboarding tricks are ollie, kickflips, nollie, etc.

Skateboard trucks are also available in various colors. The hardness of the skateboard wheels also vary according to the type of skating preferred. The bearings are used to mount the wheels on the axle (part of skateboard truck).

Ways to minimize risks associated with skateboarding

Skateboarding is a sport which requires lot of body protection. Children should avoid skating on streets and performing the tricks as seen in the skateboarding videos.

History of Skateboarding

Have you ever wondered how skateboarding came to be a sport? While it has had peaks and valleys since its introduction, skateboarding has proven it is much more than just a passing fad.

These very first skateboards were quite different from what we know today. This handle bar is what allowed these early skateboards to be maneuvered and controlled. However, it didn’t take long for the idea to remove the handle bar to come along. Many believe this early idea was the result of the popularity of surf boarding at the time.

By the 1960’s there were quite a few models of skateboards to select from. The most popular one was the Roller Derby Skateboard. It is estimated that between 1960 and 1963 more than 50 million skateboards were sold. When the skateboarding official contests were started by manufacturers in 1963 it only further fueled the frenzy to have one. So what happened that slowed down the craze for skateboards? I couple of things occurred that affected the sales of them. Second, many so called experts out there were talking about how unsafe skateboards were.

However, by the early 1970’s there were plenty of people that were taking a new interest in skateboards. In 1974 a huge change too place regarding the size of the skateboards. Up to this point the standard was either 6 or 7 inches in width. The availability of ramps and other materials that skaters could use at home in the 1980’s kept the trend of skateboarding going strong. Now people didn’t have to rely upon just skate parks for them to enjoy. Many of them prohibited the use of skateboards on public sidewalks and streets.