History Of Skatboarding Essay, Research Paper

Doszens of new manufacturers sprung up and skateboarding entered its third wave of popularity. Numerous vertical champions eemerged including Tony Hawk, Christian Hosoi, Lance Mountain and Neil Blender. In the street, Mark Gonzales, Natas Kaupas and Tommy Guerrero took the ollie to new heights. Freestyle skateboarding was also a part of the scene and Rodney Mullen dominated all competition.

In the mid to late 1980’s three main manufacturers handled most of the skate market-Powell Peralta, Vision/Sims and Santa Cruz. Board royalites and contest winnings escalated and some pro skaters pulled down earnings of ten thousand dollars per month. The National Skateboard Asssociation, headed up by Frank Hawk, held numerous contests across North America and eventually throughout the world. Skateboard shoes from Airwalk, Vans and Vision became popular along with skate clothes.

Towards the end of the decade skateboarding shifted focus to street skating and vert riding became less popular. A number of pro skaters decided to leave the larger manufacturers and start their own skate companies. One of the first skaters to do this was Steve Rocco who started up World Industries. Over time, the personality of skateboard world changed and new school skateboarding was born. Its focus was on ollies and technical tricks and it took on a whole other attitude.

By 1991 a world wide recession hit the world and the skate industry was deeply affected. As in the past, a number of manufacturers were faced with large economic losses. The industry turned extremely negative and began the process of reinventing itself. Big Brother began publication in 1992. As in the past a hardcore contingent remained with the sport, but this time, the attrition was not as great as it was in the past. By the mid 1990’s, skateboarding once again reemerged and the fourth wave started. In 1995, skateboarding gained a great deal of exposure at the ESPN 2 Extreme Games. Skateboard shoe manufacturers like Etnies and Vans began selling huge quantities of product and were joined by other soft good manufacturers eager once again to cash in on skateboarding’s popularity.

Towards the end of the 1990’s, skateboarding’s focus remains streetstyle and the industry is filled with numerous manufacturers and marketers. In many cases, pro skaters develop their own product and manage their own companies. Longboarding, a once forgotten art (featuring large boards), began to make a comeback and downhill skateboarding enters a whole new dimension thanks to street luge. In California, skateboard parks have started to be built once again thanks to a change in legislation. The hard work of Jim Fitzpatrick and the International Association of Skateboard Companies has ensured that other states follow California and more parks are scheduled for construction over the next few years.

Over the past 40 years, skateboarding has had its peaks and valleys of popularity. Poor product, safety concerns, insurance issues and recessions have all contributed to the valleys. However, skateboarding technologiy has vasttly improved since clay wheels. In terms of injuriys, the sport remains much safer than football, rollerblading or hockey (when you look at percentage of participants injured).