Skateboarding is an action sport that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.
Skateboarding was probably born sometime in the late 1940s, or early 1950s when surfers in California wanted something to do when the waves were flat. This was called “sidewalk surfing”. Early skate tricks consisted mainly of two-dimensional freestyle 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, or slalom. Another popular trick was the Bertlemann slide, named after Larry Bertelemann’s surfing manoeuvres.
Skateboarding was transformed by the invention of the ollie by Alan “Ollie” Gelfand. Initially, it remained largely a unique Florida trick but later the ollie was adapted to flat ground by Rodney Mullen. Mullen also invented the “Magic Flip,” which was later renamed the kickflip, as well as many other tricks including, the 360 Kickflip, which is a 360 pop shove-it and a kickflip in the same motion. A recent development in the world of trick skating is the 1080, which was first ever landed by Tom Schaar in 2012.
Park skateboarders compete on a course that resembles a variety of connected deep concrete bowls with curved walls. Skaters launch themselves off the sides of the walls in 45-second runs and perform tricks that are judged by a panel of five judges. Skaters get three 45-second runs per round, and the judges grade them on a 0-100 point scale. A skater’s best score of three is the qualifying score.
Five significant steps in the history of Skateboarding
1973: The first Skateboarding competition takes place in Hermosa Beach, California (USA).
1995: Skateboarding appears at the X Games for the first time in Rhode Island (USA).
2016: Park Skateboarding appears at the World Skateboarding Championship for the first time in Malmö (SWE), while Street Skateboarding is part of the program since 2010.
2021: Skateboarding appears at the Olympic Games for the first time in Tokyo (JPN).
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