Skateboards at a glance
It is unknown what triggered the invention of skateboards, or when. Did these boards on wheels derive from the old “gravity powered racers” where old soap boxes were attached to wooden planks on roller skate wheels, and eventually the box itself disappeared, or are they adaptations of a single old-style roller skate taken apart and nailed to a piece of wood? A third theory points at surfers, who were trying to develop a device that could recreate the same wave-riding sensation they knew, but this time on land.
It really does not matter how it started, what is important is the fact that skateboarding is real, fascinating, and brings oodles of dare-devilling fun to people all over the world. The skateboard has evolved immensely since the first mass production models from the 1960s. The old surfboard-style, without concavity and made of solid wood, plastic, or even metal has long retired to museums. Today’s 'double-action' performances skateboards have decks made from several layers of materials, or are engineered from un-laminated fiberglass composite. These boards are guaranteed to never delam, break or die and claim to transmit more energy to their wheels, than that of a wood skateboard deck.
Skateboarding is one of the biggest crazes to ever hit children and teenagers. A whole science has been built around this sport, trying to improve materials, techniques and speed. As popularity rises a new lifestyle emerges. Boarding fans have their own protective skate gear, specialty clothing, accessories and many heroes, ready to break the next record. Skateboards can be bought in a solid colour, an array of shades, or any design imaginable. They can be purchased totally assembled or as a kit and have their own set of maintenance tools.
Whoever enjoys carving the streets and experiencing the adrenaline rush of free riding and trick skating has to be familiar with a lot of terminology that can baffle and confuse a non-skater. If you intend to start this hobby or are going to buy a board or components of such for yourself or as a gift, you may want to familiarize yourself with terms like kick, tail, grip tape, slam, sack, acid drop, or an ollie impossible – unachievable or extreme difficult trick. ‘Eating shit’ means falling off a board and please, try to avoid calling someone a ‘fruit booter’, as it is a derogatory name for rollerblader.
The more technology is advancing, the more skateboard engineers are trying to implement these evolutions in the next generation of skateboards. Will the decks be so thin and light they will be able to fly and hover, or will the board come with a Stability Control System? I guess, only the future will tell.
|
