History:
Antecedents
- Surfing (brief history)
Origin of Sidewalk Surfing
- 50’s and 60’s origins of skateboards
- Early designs and where it was marketed
Mainstream Punks
- The first modern skateboard
- Wheel innovation
- Skateboarding in marketing and the culture created (Vans)
The Rise of Skateparks and Radical Rebels
- The peak of the skatepark movement
- Media Controversy involving the skateboard community
Skating as a Sport (X-Games)
- The birth of skateboarding as a sport
- The globalization of skateboard companies
- The birth of a new profession
- Skateboarding and the X-Games (1995)
Design:
Anatomy of a Skateboard
- Trucks (Independent Truck Company)
- Decks (Enjoi)
- Wheels (Bones)
- Bearings (Spitfire)
- Grip Tape
Board Body Types
- Freestyle
- Downhill
- Vert
- Etc.
Innovations (Penny Board/ Electric Skateboard)
- Penny board
- Ripstik
- Longboard
- Electronic Skateboards
Impact:
Culture
- The communities that were created because of skating
- The creation of skateparks to combat vandalism
- The popularization of various music types, clothing, etc. (Heavy Metal, Canvas Shoes)
- The creation of a profession as a skateboarder (Tony Hawk)
Economics
- Tactics in marketing used to target teens (90s)
- The creation of companies that cater to the skateboarding crowd (Vans)
- The globalization of skate companies and factories for board making (Baker or DGK)
- Sponsorships that are directly correlated with extreme sports (Monster)
- Branching of products influenced by skateboarding (Tech Decks)
Social
- The association of gender with skateboarding
- The persecution of skateboarders in the media
- The concern over injuries linked to skateboarding
- The effects that the skateboarding culture had on their communities
- The motivation of adolescents to skateboard
Iconic Image:
