Skateboarding, Then and Now

Skateboarding is one of the most unique, enjoyable, and physically demanding sports in the world. Like baseball, basketball and football, skateboarding has endured many changes and fluctuations in popularity, and has emerged as one of the most entertaining and satisfying activities enjoyed by both today’s youth and adults. The goal of this paper is to inform about the history, evolution and present state of skateboarding.

The concept of skateboarding was invented in the 1950s when surfers from California wanted to try their surfing techniques on land. All over California, surfers and teenagers began constructing their own “land surfboards” by attaching roller skate wheels to wooden crates. The surfers would then ride down steep hills while in the crates, performing surfing moves as they went down. This idea, however, was a painful one. Wooden crates did not provide the necessary range of motion to equate to surfing and, consequently, many surfers were injured while experimenting with their new invention. As a result, wooden surfboard-shaped boards were constructed. A pair of roller skate wheels were attached eight inches inward to either end of the board to add stability while riding. One day, a young man named Alan Gelfand revolutionized skateboarding. While riding, he pushed downward with his back foot, causing the front of the board to rise. He then jumped with the board. This caused the board, and Alan, to lift off into the air about five inches off the ground. This technique became known as the “ollie”, after Alan “Ollie” Gelfand. This was a momentous occasion in the history of skateboarding.

Before Alan’s discovery, skateboarding was nothing more than land surfing. The ability to ollie marked the transition between land surfing and skateboarding. Now that people could leave the ground with their board, a brand-new sport was born, and skateboarding became a sport of it’s own. Now that skateboarders could jump into the air, a whole new world was opened to them. All across America kids were constructing their own boards. Skateboarding became a discovery sport. Everyone was discovering new ways to spin and flip their board and land back on it. Skateboarders were jumping down stairs, over gaps and onto handrails. Skateboarding was flourishing.

The explosion of skateboarding was noticed not only by kids, but by enterprising entrepreneurs. Pioneering businessmen saw a potential market in skateboarding, and acted on it. Skateboards became mass-produced, allowing kids to buy a board, rather than build one. The market boomed, and skateboarding became an industry. The skateboard itself has undergone an evolution of it’s own. Skateboard decks were originally just pieces of wood. Slowly, the decks took on a rectangular shape, with the two smaller sides rounded off. A “nose” and “tail”, curvatures on the ends of the board, were made to help a skateboarder ollie. Griptape, a corse sandpaper-like tape, was added to the top of the board to help skateboarders stay on their boards. Skateboard decks are now made by compressing multiple layers of wood together to make the board stronger. The skateboard wheel has also undergone a transformation. Skateboard wheels were originally just metal roller skate wheels. Rubber wheels were made to make riding on the skateboard smoother. Finally, urethane skateboard wheels were invented to make the wheels smoother, lighter, and cheaper to produce. Skateboarding is now one of the fastest-growing sports markets in the United States and Europe. Every year there are more than 350 million dollars is spent on skateboarding-related products. Everything from skateboard wheels and skateboarding kneepads, to shoes and clothing items are produced and purchased. Skateboard parks are opening up all across the country.

Skateboarding is currently at the height of its popularity. Skateboarding as a sport in the 90s has taken on an identity of it’s own. Skateboarders see the sport as the perfect activity. Skateboarding has no bias. It accepts anyone, regardless of race, gender, age, or creed. The unofficial skateboarding motto is ‘If you carry a board, you are my friend’. One advantage to skateboarding is that skateboarders can do it anywhere: skate parks, garages, streets, parks, basketball courts, parking lots or back alleys. Skateboarders don't need a field to play in. They just need their skateboards.

Skateboarding teaches determination. It teaches you how to set goals, and what it takes to achieve them. Skateboarding teaches you persistence. No matter how hard you fall, no matter how many bruises you get or bones you break, you always hop back up and try the same trick again. No other sport offers you that. Skateboarding has undergone many changes, but its unique willingness to accept anyone to try it will keep it popular for years to come, and the love of the sport will keep it alive forever.

Yes that's right we recycle.

If something is worth using once, it worth using again. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.. Enough said.

If skateboarding were easy.. everyone whould be doing it.

Origninal Source: Antigravitypress.com

Adrenaline Junkies and the Skateboarding Appeal

The popularity of skateboarding has soared and plummeted since the sport's inception more than a half century ago, much like skateboarders themselves. But now it is more popular than ever.

Skateboarding originated with California surfers in the 1950s who were trying to surf on land. Today, this relatively low-tech sport has become a subculture in almost every American city and town. But it has always been more of a pastime for the fearless young, as skaters, like Anthony Manning, Marissa O'Guinn and Sean Gates, experience the highs and lows of defying gravity.

"It makes me feel good like when I land a cool trick that I've been practicing for a while. When I go down something and do a trick, and it look cool. It's really exciting," says skateboarder Anthony Manning.

Marissa O'guinn, also a skateboarder, adds, "It's really exhilarating, skateboarding. I think that's what attracts most people to it. I guess just knowing there's a possible risk within it, it's just what makes it exciting."

"It's just a really, really cool feeling because, I mean, you are just flying through the air, and you are just all weightless and stuff. Also, in the pool they have tiles so when you hit them they have a certain sound. And, it's just a really, really cool, " says Sean Gates, a fellow skateboarder.

Boogie is a 59-year-old skateboarder

But skateboarding is not just for the young. Some skaters hang on to this adrenaline-fueled hobby into middle age. As a skateboard veteran, Boogie enjoys the excitement of a good ride without taking safety lightly. "Now, I want you to know that wrist guards cure insecurity because they protect you falling forward. They protect your hands, and then you wear this [helmet] to protect your head from falling backwards. That, and a pad right here, along with the pads here. And this is the only reason that you get to skate when you are 59 years old."

With advances in technology, today's skateboards are lighter and faster than boards from the past. This means that skaters can now do some wild tricks - things that the first skateboarders never dreamed of.

Skateboarding involves speed, balance and coordination, and can sometimes result in serious injuries. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 26,000 people need hospital emergency room treatment each year in the U.S. for injuries related to skateboarding.

Manning says, "I broke my finger. I cracked my ribs." O’Guinns recalls, "I fell and rolled down a street."

The skateboarding technique of holding on the edge

The sense of danger has a lot to do with the popularity of skateboarding. For others, skateboarding means freedom and self-expression. For Anthony, it is a chance to develop a unique, personal style. "It's really like no pain, no game. If you can't take the pain, then you might as well not skateboard." Once thought to be another passing fad, skateboarding is an extreme sport that appears to be here to stay.

Original Source: VOA.com, By Sarah Zaman

Skater Punks, an essay by Kathy Fish

Skater Punks You know exactly what I am talking about. We have all seen them: the thrashed skate boards with nightmarish graphics, the bizarre array of boxers peeking out of the ridiculously baggy pants, jewelry protruding from places previously only inhabited by the stray hair trying to avoid being plucked, that's right, the skater punks. They aren't just boys or men; girls who played dress up and Barbie have thrown off the perception of pale pink and purple and are clad in black, brown, army green or any drab variation of the ominous colors Generation X has chosen for their coat of arms. Young men and women dress the same, walk the same, skate the same and sport the same flippantly arrogant attitude. What on earth would possess the youth of our nation to dress, behave and mutilate themselves in such a manner? Have you ever seen an X-Games skate board competition? These people are amazing. Why would you waste that athleticism and agility on a sport that has nothing to offer but a bad reputation, injury and trouble with the law?

"Mom, I'm home! Guess where Grandma took me to today. We found a skateboard at a garage sale and we bought it for $2.00 and we went to the skate park. It is so cool. I met some new friends and they showed me some tricks. Grandma is going to take me back next week," Conner, my then six year old, excitedly gushed as he walked through the front door.

Fear and anger seized me. I didn't know who to yell at first. Conner, seeing the fierce look in my eyes, yelled, "Grandma made me do it!" In her quest to become "cool," grandma had been turned to the "dark side." In Benedict Arnold style, facing battle and guaranteed desecration of her sainthood, she caved, switched allegiances, and sold me out for the price of a smile. I couldn't trust her, or the vipers she was now "hangin" with. Disbelief engulfed me like a dark, damp heavy cloud. My ally was gone, deserted; I stood alone to bear accusations like "you don't understand," "my friends who have cool parents get to skate," "you're closed minded and prejudiced," "just because you're old doesn't mean you know everything." The verbal battle was in full array and the arrows were hitting their target.

I pause from the narration at this time to relate an observation that has come as a morbid dose of reality for me. You will all have the following experience, at one time or another, it is unavoidable. You will supply grandchildren for your parents who have shamelessly begged, bribed, pleaded and blackmailed you to procreate. By giving in to their pleas you will have equipped them with the opportunity to earn their sainthood. Then, watching you stagger from a near fatal battle wound, they will step forward, take the sword from your child's hand and drive the final blow straight through your heart. With this one act they will forever endear themselves to your offspring and irrevocably reveal their true alliances— with them, against you.

'You know honey, you really should come check out the skate park before you make your final decision," a woman I did not know, who bore a striking resemblance to my mother, cooed logically. I spun around, a cornered, wild animal sensing the battle to ensue. "How dare you...We have talked endlessly about the problems with the youth of today, not the least of which is the 'skater-tude'... I entrusted my child to you and this is where you take him?...I don't care if he asked you to, be the adult,...show some back bone. You never had a problem saying the word 'no' when I was his age." My emotional diatribe was unashamedly being ignored. The traitor smiled, winked at Conner and said over her shoulder as she turned to leave: "Conner and I would be happy to let you tag along next time." I was speechless.

Defeated, weary from the staunch defense of ideals and perceptions my faculties began to call an all out retreat. "What could it hurt to go?...are you really afraid of some skater punks?...ratify your assumptions...prove your perceptions...isn't Conner worth your time...are you seriously going to let a 70-year-old grandma be more open-minded than you?" Finally with a sigh of surrender, "I'll go."

As I walked up the dirt trail to the "bowls" I tried to not look as scared as I felt. At first glance all I could see was concrete. There are two large "bowls" that are side by side and have a small lip that connects them. The "track" is the ring around the outer edge of the cement that incorporates two large ramps for building speed for jumps. In the middle there is a crisscross design with stairs and rails for "grinding." The design was ingenious, not much space but lots of options.

Conner threw his board down, put on his helmet, and off he rolled; around the track, up and down the ramps over and over, his smile spreading wider and wider across his innocent face. "Hi Conner," called a tall stereotypical skater. I bristled, started to step forward and the icy stiletto fingers from my childhood grabbed my arm. Without a word my mom rescued Conner from certain social death. "Hi Grandma, who's your friend?" the skater called out. Introductions were made and the grip on my perceptions began to erode.

Then my fears were realized, Conner took a nasty spill trying to grind. His board was too "sticky" to slide on the metal rail and he landed on his elbow and hip. To my surprise the skater punk got there before Conner's over protective mom. He gently picked him up, asked if he was okay, looked to make sure there was no blood, and walked him over to sit down.

"Next time borrow some of my wax to rub on the rail so it slides," came the helpful suggestion from the "punk." I was dumbfounded. Where were the "flippantly arrogant attitudes," disrespectful indifference, and the scorching defiant eyes? "He'll be okay, don't worry," the punk said reassuringly. "Thanks" I mumbled. "Mom, you said you rode a skateboard when you were young, try mine, its fun." "You rode a board? How cool, hop on and see if you remember how to roll" the skater kid smiled. "I wish my parents did something cool like that, then maybe they would understand. You are lucky Conner."

I didn't know whether to be embarrassed or proud. My tattle-tale conscience reminded me of those ten minutes earlier I was reciting the evils of skateboarding to myself. I cautiously placed Conner's board down and assumed the stance. The wheels rolled slowly at first, then faster and my confidence began to build. The adrenaline rush was instant. The faster I went the more intoxicated I felt. What a rush. I could do this all day.

"Mom, could I have my board now?""One more time around," I pleaded as I rolled quickly by."Come on mom, it's my board." I slowed down and jumped off. Conner took off and yelled "Hey mom, watch this."

Teachers come in all shapes, sizes and wear all kinds of different clothes. From eight to eighteen to seventy there are many different people from diverse walks of life that can show us things about who we are, who we think we are and most importantly who we want to become. I didn't change my choice of clothes, music or friends, but my custom board and pierced belly button have raised some eyebrows and given me the opportunity to do a little teaching of my own.

Original Source: realskate.com

Joe's Skate park, Placerville California

This public skatepark facility is all concrete with combination bowls at either end. One side is 7 ft. deep and the other is about 3ft deep. They also have a lot of rail sections with an anti washboard section, mini pool. It's a big area to work and if you loose your board while skating you’re going to get a good workout chasing after it. It’s located in Placerville Ca., at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds right behind Raley’s Supermarket on Placerville Drive, take Forni Road exit off Hwy 50. What makes this park so special is that the community saw a need for such a skate park and built it. They didn’t cut corners and they did it right. “If you build it they will come”. Placerville Rotary Club spearheaded the project, with the city and local buisness donations providing funds.

Admission Free ($2.00 fee is being discussed)
Helmets and Pads Required
Hours Not Listed (For more information please contact Recreation and Parks at (530) 642-5232)

Skateboard Decks - How to choose

If you want to skateboard you need one, but the question is, which one is the right for you? Well the good news is that you have many options. Size should definitely be taken into consideration when making your selection.

Before you make your decision, determine what type of riding you do, or plan on doing. This is very important. If you skate streets or do more technical tricks, you're going to want to look for a board in the size range of a 7.5" to 7.87". If you mostly skate pools and parks with heavy transitions, then you may want to consider looking for a board in the size range of 7.87" to 8.25". You also have to take into consideration you own size. If you are 5 feet tall, and weigh 80 pounds, you are not going to want an 8" deck. The deck will be hard to do flip tricks on. This scenario can also be reversed. Don't purchase something too small for you.

Many manufactures have a specific concave for their deck shapes. Concave is basically the mold or the press that shapes skateboard decks. Predetermined steeepness on the nose and tail, along with the body of the deck can be deep, mellow or anywhere in between. This again reflects personal preference and experience.

The graphic also may be an influence in your deck decision. Be sure not to base it all on the art because you may become frustrated or have a hard time skating if you get a board that is not sized right for you.

Improving Your Style - Now, about that outfit…

Patriotic Duty - Sweet Land of Liberty

Retired - What would it take?

Disposable: A History of Skateboard Art

For many skateboard artists the pavement is their only audience. In 2004 renowned skater Sean Cliver attempted to change this with the launch of his book Disposable: The History of Skateboard Art, a 228-page full color text showcasing 1000 of the best skateboard artworks from the last three decades. While local skate stores picked up the text, Cliver found his message wasn't really getting out to the public. This year (thanks largely to a new distributor deal with Ginkgo Press) Cliver has re-launched the book in hopes of granting this art medium exposure.

Do you believe skateboard decoration is a true art form? What's that age old question, is it art? Yeah, sure. Why not?

"There's a lot of other stuff whipped out through the decades and centuries that is equally debatable, but has still wound up in collections, galleries, and museums throughout the world. The only downside is it'll probably all get lumped into the pop-culture waste paper basket, or worse that whole urban guerrilla thing. To tell you the truth, though, I could care less about trying to justify it as an art form. That whole art philosophy thing is for the birds. In fact that is one of the main reasons I did this book: I wanted to portray the art and history as it was and is, not as some random outsider went and theorized."

This is skate rock - The Faction

In the early '80s, skateboarders' reputations as artistic misfits and misunderstood troublemakers were growing. So was another cultural phenomenon: punk rock. The new sound meshed perfectly with the attitude of skateboarding. To both, the rules were simple: "There are no rules."

The faster and louder you skated or played, the better. It was a match made not in heaven but in the places where suburban kids who sucked at football and baseball congregated. You didn't just skate; you didn't just listen to punk. Skating and punk became your outlook. Your opinion. Your big middle finger to the status quo. It was your life.

The connection between punk rock and skateboarding is undeniable--a symbiotic relationship. You really can't have one without the other. Maybe it's the omnipresent boom box blaring from the deck of the half-pipe during the backyard ramp jam. Or over the PA at the skatepark. Or from the car stereo while a curb session is in full grind.

San Jose has a long and rich skateboard history, churning out some of the world's best pros. Steve Caballero was one of the top pros who put the city on the map in the early '80s, and he still rips today. Jeff Kendall, Mike Prosenko, John Fabriquer, Corey O'Brien (who started the San Jose-based Sonic Skateboards with brother Gavin) and countless other old-schoolers made the city proud with their talent on a skateboard.

And from that pool of artistic aggression surfaced the band that best represents the punk-skateboarding connection known as skate rock: the Faction. They were skateboarders, and they made music for skateboarding.

Though the lyrics of only two songs in their entire discography dealt explicitly with skating, the Faction was still the pioneering force in this punk rock offshoot. After all, they composed the quintessential skate-rock song, "Skate and Destroy."

The band was literally thrown together during breaks at the daily ramp jams in Caballero's San Jose backyard in 1982, and no one had a clue how far the Faction was going to go--or that two decades later, how skateboarding and punk rock would leap from subculture to pop culture.

In their brief existence, from 1982 to 1985, Caballero (bass, then later guitar), Gavin O'Brien (vocals), Ray Stevens (bass), Russ Wright (guitar) and Keith Rendon (drums)--along with former members Adam "Bomb" Segal (guitar) and Craig Bosch (drums)--toured the United States twice, recorded five records and played shows with fellow skate-rock legends JFA, Fear, Los Olvidados and Drunk Injuns (Stevens also played bass for the latter two).

After just three years, personalities began clashing over songwriting, and the fun was gone. So the Faction just broke up. "The band had run its course with Adam 'Bomb' Segal on guitar, and the direction he was trying to lead the band," Stevens says.

"We were all good friends," O'Brien adds, "but it wasn't fun anymore. It was no different from being at the end of a relationship that had run out of passion and understanding." In 1989, the band reunited for two sold-out shows at the Cactus Club (with local pro skater Jeff Kendall filling Segal's vacancy).

But a full-fledged reunion was still far off. O'Brien's life was too hectic, and he couldn't devote the time. For the next 10 years, Caballero and Stevens badgered O'Brien to get the group back together. When fellow San Jose punkers Los Olvidados reunited at the Rockin' Rob Dapello tribute show in March 2001, Los O's guitarist, Mike Fox, laid down the gauntlet to O'Brien, challenging him to get the Faction back together. Fox had done it; now it was O'Brien's turn. And he finally caved in.

"[Fox] ground me down for three days until I called Stevie and Ray," O'Brien recalls. "I told them I'd be willing to do it as long as there were no metal riffs in the band."

The band members were surprised to find themselves playing music together again. But the prophetic message on the back of the Epitaph (IM Records) album--the Faction's last release--read, "We'll be back." And indeed they are.

On July 14, 2001, the quintet stepped onto the stage together for the first time in 12 years. It was a sold-out reunion show at the Usual that looked like a who's who of San Jose skateboard and punk-rock lineage. The band killed it. That show was supposed to be just that--one show--but the Faction was having too much fun playing together again.

As a testament to its rekindled musical fire, the band is recording a new set of songs, just finishing the first session with longtime friend Randy Burk at his Stout Studios in Oakland. So far, the Faction has completed three new songs and one cover. And the guys couldn't be more stoked. While the old songs were strong, production quality (for virtually every early-'80s punk band) left a lot to be desired, the new tunes are full-on wall-of-guitar punk rock.

O'Brien says "Cut It Out" is about "waking up out of your reality distortion field and accepting life for what it is." "The Whistler" is inspired by an old joke his friends use to do on the phone. "Who the Hell Do You Think You Are?" is a cover song from the mockumentary Hardcore Logo, "probably the best rock & roll movie of all time," in O'Brien's opinion. The fourth song is as yet untitled.

In mid-August, the Faction traveled to Seattle to play the Hey Punk! Festival at the Experience Music Project Museum and, more importantly, celebrate their inclusion in the EMP's permanent section centered on something the Faction helped create: skate rock. Along with pictures and fliers, there's a video loop on a hanging television showing the Faction playing at CBGB's in New York on its 1985 U.S. tour.

"It really put things into perspective for me," O'Brien says. "Because I never felt the Faction was anything special. But the EMP thing was a sign of respect and recognition of our contribution to the scene."

This is an era of one-off reunion tours where homage is being paid not to the music but to the dollar. The Warped Tour ranks high in the top-grossing tours of the year along with Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys. "Heaven Is a Halfpipe" can be heard on mainstream radio (OPM had to pay Consolidated Skateboards' Alan Petersen to do all the skateboarding in their video. Read: not skate rock).

What is so refreshing and significant about the Faction's music? It is timeless. "Skate Harassment," "Tongue Like a Battering Ram," "AUK" and the rest of the Faction library could have been written last week. This is not some nostalgic throwback to the '80s, since the music and the lyrics are just as relevant today. Whether they're intending to or not, they're here to set the record straight. This is skate rock, and the Faction does it better than the rest. And they should. They invented it.

Original Source: Metro Active, By Paul Wotel

Longboarding, transportation trend among adults

"Hey, Dad, can I borrow your skateboard tonight?"

If that's a sentence you have never heard, you probably haven't heard of longboard skateboards. Longboards are the hottest thing in skateboarding for adults. At the basic level, longboards are exactly that: longer skateboards, from 42 to even 80 inches in length, compared with regular boards that are 30 to 38 inches. The biggest difference is these sidewalk surfboards are designed for comfortable riding, not X Games-type tricks on the halfpipe or at the skate park.

"A general rule of thumb is 'the longer the board, the older the rider,' " says Ken Perkins of Arbor Snowboards and Skateboards, whose Hawaii-influenced designs are among the most popular sold.

"It's not unusual to see 40-year-olds commuting on them. During the recent New York transit strike, I saw some Wall Street types riding their boards to work."

Longboards are more stable and smoother riding because the board is more flexible and the wheels are made of softer plastic, allowing them to roll over pebbles and rough concrete that could cause a trick boarder to crash.

"About 85% of skateboarders leave the sport by the time they reach 18," says Michael Brooke, publisher and editor of Concrete Wave, a magazine dedicated to longboarding. "The high attrition rate is due to the true difficulty of doing the tricks. They're very technical and sometimes dangerous."

In 1998, a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission study said 80% of the then-11.4 million U.S. skateboarders were under 18. Seven years later, a report by Transworld Skateboarding magazine said skaters 6 to 17 represented only half the nation's 16.4 million skateboarders. Hence the trend toward longboarding. It has become the No. 2-ranked skateboard activity in North America, according to a study by Label Networks, a Venice Beach, Calif., company that tracks youth culture trends. Street-style trick skating is first, and vert-park skating (half-pipe style tricks) is third.

"It is more utilitarian," Kathleen Gasperini, senior vice president of Label Networks, says of longboarding. "You can use it as transportation or have your dog pull you around the neighborhood.

"Girls (whose participation levels in longboarding are 2% higher than boys) love it because it is easier than dropping into a vert ramp and a lot more fun."

Transforming trends

As with regular skateboards, longboards have their gnarly roots in surfing. In the early 1600s, Hawaiian surfriders used 18- to 25-foot mahogany and balsa boards. The modern 8- to 12-foot surfboard emerged in the 1930s. Today's highly maneuverable plastic-foam boards are as small as 6 feet in length. Skateboarding went through a similar but more accelerated metamorphosis. Skateboarding was created in the late 1950s by bored surfers looking for something to do until wave conditions improved. They bolted skate wheels to planks and cruised beach roads and sidewalks, sometimes setting up slalom courses in parking lots. In the 1960s, however, Tony Alva and his merry band of Dogtown surfer-skaters developed a skateboarding style that mimicked the swooping cutback moves of real surfing. Boards got smaller to accommodate their use in empty swimming pools. This evolved into halfpipe ramps and street-skate parks that emphasized riding on rails and ledges.

"That's when they threw the baby out with the bathwater," Brooke says.

Long days journey

Today's longboards are a return to those early days of road riding and slalom racing. Some longboarders are even going to extremes, in a laid-back, longboard sort of way. Adam Colton and two of his friends rode their longboards nearly 3,000 miles from Newport, Ore., to his home in Springfield, Va., last year. They skated more than 50 miles a day and had to tape their sneakers with thick layers of duct tape to keep them from disintegrating.

"The key to the whole trip was switching legs to push off, otherwise I would have had one huge leg," Colton says.

Colton, 22, and associate Adam Stokowski, 21, also from Springfield, are taking longboards in a completely new direction by choreographing dance steps to be performed on them. They are also taping promotional videos for a line of longboards.

"I hurt my leg doing tricks," the lanky Stokowski says. "My parents are really happy that I'm able to make a living with longboards."

Parents aren't a visible component of trick skating, but Gasperini says longboards are giving the sport a cross-generational boost. "In longboarding, you now have parents who used to do vert riding skating with their young kids," she says. "This is the first time that has happened."

Original Source: USAToday

Jason Adams back on Black Label

As you may already know already, Black Label Skateboards had welcomed Jason Adams back to their team several weeks ago. As a tribute to his skateboarding efforts over the past years, they have assembled a “feel good” greatest hits piece over at their Peepshow. Have a look and you will see that without a doubt, the ender is one of our all time favorite stunts from “The Kid”.

Jacksonville FL youth shreds!

Jacksnnville, FL – When Patterson Mohrman walks to the top of the 8-foot ramp at the skateboard park near Atlantic beach, everyone pays attention.That's because the four-year-old boy, who stands less than a foot taller than his skateboard, is the youngest in the crowd. "He saw a video and he wanted to skateboard," his mom, Colleen Mohrman told First Coast News. "We thought it was a little dangerous, but apparently he's got a little knack for it." Patterson has only been skateboarding since April, but already, he can drop 8-foot ramps and is working his way toward the 11-foot ramp. His talent doesn't go unnoticed at Skatelab, a private skateboarding park on Mayport Road. Patterson spends between six to eight hours a day there, everyday. "He's one of the youngest kids out here and he just skates his heart out and tries so hard and gets it done," said skateboarder Cory Newton. Skateboarding can be a dangerous sport, but Patterson's parents make sure he wears a helmet and all his protective pads. Patterson will compete in his first competition next Saturday at Skatelab. It's the DC Shoes Back-To-School-Jam competition. He will competing in the 10 years and under division. His dad, Brett Mohrman, says it's not about winning. "It's more about having fun than competition."

Original Source: Ashley Coleman - First Coast News

Skateboard Parks

In suburban areas and inner cities alike, all across the country, a large number of young athletes find themselves with no place to play. When they skate in public areas, wherever they can find the space, they often end up facing fines, possible arrest, confiscation of their boards or worse. Yet when these young people ask their local governments for skateparks where they can skate safely and legally, they are often dismissed without consideration and told they will never get their skatepark.

But, as many towns and cities are finding out, a skate park's value lies not only in the athletic opportunities it provides, but also in the community it creates. In Lynnwood, a tough neighborhood of Los Angeles, the recent construction of a skate park has allowed young people, who might otherwise be fighting with each other on the streets, to come together to enjoy a common interest. Kids are crossing neighborhood boundaries to find refuge in the park, which has yet to experience the violence seen outside its gates.

Local governments are reluctant to build parks for a variety of reasons: the feeling that skateboarding is not a legitimate sport; uneasiness over creating a place for young people to gather; fear of lawsuits and liability issues; and, in many cases, because of pressure on local governments not to build parks from special interests.

According to Heidi Lemmon, a mother of a skateboarder and a skatepark activist, anyone trying to get a park built in their town should plan to face these and other obstacles. Her organization, Skatepark Association of The United States of America, has revolutionized the process of getting skate parks built by teaching skaters and their supporters how to effectively work within the system and fight for skateparks in their communities.

For a long time, the very nature of skateboarding as individualistic and anti-establishment meant there was little organization within the sport. The introduction of leadership from skate park advocates like Heidi Lemmon has unified skaters around the country and given them focus. Her organization offers information and advice on how to deal with your local city council, how to qualify for a participating insurance plan for your park, the costs involved and how to raise that money, safety issues, where to find the best park designers and builders, and most importantly, how not to take "no" for an answer.

Skateboarding has been around for over 50 years. For much of that time it was an "underground" sport, forbidden in many places. Despite a resurgence of popularity in the 1980's and an estimated 9.5 million skateboarders in the United States today, skateboarding, up to now, has never been able to kick its outlaw image. Skateboarders continually suffer from that prejudice and as a result have a difficult time being taken seriously.

That may be changing as the number of skateboarders continues to increase. According to Jim Fitzpatrick of the International Association of Skateboard Companies, the results of the latest recreation and parks survey show that skateparks are the number one recreation request across the nation. It is not only skateboarders who benefit from the parks. In-line skaters and BMX freestyle riders also need a place where they can legally ride and practice their tricks. Skateparks are now finding ways to accommodate these athletes as well.

Of the approximately 400 parks in the country, over 300 have been built in the last year, most with guidance from SPAUSA, and all with a lot of persistence on the part of these young athletes and their parents. Not only has their hard work paid off in the form of a place to skate, they have learned valuable lessons about how their government works, the good and the bad. These kids have achieved their goal and learned that they can make things happen in their lives and in their communities.

Original Source: Paige Stoyer / momsteam.com

RAMP Skateboard Shop

Skateboard trucks, so many to choose from

Looking for skateboard trucks can be difficult, there are so many brands and lines to compare before you decide on a pair. Skateboarding trucks come in various shapes, sizes, colors and styles, so picking the right skateboard trucks for you can be difficult. Here is a basic comparison of the brands available today.

Independent Trucks "Indies"

Independent has been making skateboarding trucks for over 25 years. Independent's Stage 9 truck series are quality made, lightweight and durable. They also feature "Fast Action Independent Geometry" which means they are designed to react more quickly to your motions than other trucks. Independent trucks are usually on the wider side, but many sizes are available. Independent trucks are also guaranteed for life against manufacturer defects.

Grindking Trucks

Grind King skateboard trucks are the best trucks available for grinding. The truck hangar is made from aluminum; this makes it softer and better for grinding. Unfortunately this also means they will be a little weaker and wear quicker. This means you will have to replace them more often if you grind; however, your grinds will be smoother and better than ever. Grind King trucks do use special hex-head kingpins, so you will need a special tool to adjust them.

Tensor Trucks

Tensor trucks are the most highly engineered skateboard trucks on the market. Tensor trucks are like the Cadillac of trucks, and have the skateboarding legend and engineer Rodney Mullen as their driving force. Tensor trucks come in both standard and low designs, and should be excellent in most skateboarding situations. Great all around and well built skateboarding truck.

Krux Trucks

Krux make some great trucks. Krux makes "downlows" trucks, which have a lower hanger and kingpin than even Grind King. However, just like GK you will need a hex tool to adjust them. The Krux IIIs with Topless System are even lighter, with special bushings that feel broken in from the start, but they also provide a faster snap back into position. Krux trucks are light and low.

Fury Trucks

Fury skateboarding trucks are heavier and stronger than most. Most skateboarders try to shave off as much weight as possible. However, Fury has some other special features to offset that. Fury trucks are wider than most, come with a mini riser, and special Fury bushings. And best of all, Fury trucks have a unique ballpoint turning design where the hangar has a ball joint sitting in a socket in the base plate.

Destructo Trucks

Destructo has some of the fanciest skateboarding trucks around. The Destructo raw series skate trucks come in low, medium and high designs and look oddly skinny. The Limited and Pro series trucks just look awesome, with simple pro signatures on the front and great colors and designs. That's not to mention Destructo's "Rail Killer" series, these light trucks have extended base plates to reduce wheel bite, and come in some incredible colors and styles.

Navigator Trucks

Navigator is a newer truck company, and may be difficult to find. What makes then worth mentioning here is that they have some very unique features on their trucks. I was very impressed that they have a special addition beneath the base plate that holds the kingpin in place. This allows the bushings to be replaced without taking the entire truck off of the skateboard. Now that is sweet!

Please keep in mind that this is not a comprehensive of all of the skateboarding truck companies. Instead this is a selection of trucks that we believe stand out in the crowd. As you can see there are many great trucks available for your selection.

Clean those skateboard bearings!

You should clean your skateboard bearings if your bearings have slowed down, seem mucky, or if they make a gravely, scraping sound when you spin your wheels. To avoid getting to this point, you should clean your bearings fairly often, even when they are just a little dirty, or just haven't been cleaned in a long time. Cleaning your skateboard bearings like this from time to time will increase your bearing's lifespan, and improve your skateboarding experience.

First, you'll want to remove your skateboard bearings. You can clean your bearings without removing them, but you won't get them very clean that way. To clean your skateboard bearings well they will need to be removed from your skateboard wheels. If you are not sure how to do that, it’s quick and easy to figure out. But just check out our other post for info on how to remove bearings.

Next you will also need some rags, towels or paper towels. This will get messy, so if you are going to clean your bearings in the living room of your house, make sure you put down a lot of towels. And, you might not want to wear your favorite white shirt or other important clothes.

Get yourself some lubricant made for ball bearings; DO NOT use WD-40, or any other lubricant like it! WD-40 and other cheaper lubricants leave behind a film that actually collects dirt and dust. When I was young and impetuous I used WD-40 on my very first set of skateboard bearings, and they were garbage in a month. The key here is to clean your bearings with a lubricant made for it, you want the bearings lubed up, but you don't want any sticky film or residue left behind.

Hold the bearing, and using your can of lube, blast them thoroughly. Aim around the edges of the bearing, try to blast into every edge and opening you can find; also be sure to flip the bearings over and clean the other side. You should notice allot of dark and blackish, dirt coming out of the bearing. This means that they were really dirty and needed to be cleaned. So don't spare the lube and just keep blasting away at them. This is why you really want a lot of rags, towels, or news papers, under your work area.

Once the lube starts to look clear of the dirt you've cleaned the bearing enough, pat them with a towel or rag to get the excess lubricant off, and set them aside. They will tend to leak fluid for a bit so you'll want to set them on some more rags or towels. Be sure to get all 8 sets of bearings (two for each wheel).

Once you are done, you can let the bearings bleed and dry out a little if you would like. However, this isn't required! Next pop these fresh and clean bearings right back into your wheels, or into a new set of skateboard wheels, and go skate!

How to remove skateboard bearings

There are several reasons to remove your skateboard bearings; for cleaning or to replace them with some fresh new skateboard bearings. If your bearings don't spin quite as easily as they used to, or if they feel gritty, it might be time to perform some regular skateboard maintenance. Removing your skateboard bearings is fairly easy; however, there are a couple of tricks you should know.

Before beginning read through these instructions and be careful while taking the bearings out, it's easy to accidentally damage your wheels if you aren't careful. The only tools that you'll need are for the removal of your skateboard wheels, any skate tool or set of screw drivers and wrenches will do.

Begin by removing your skateboard's wheels. The easiest way to do this is with a handy skate tool, or a 1/2 inch socket wrench. If your skateboard had some kind of special bearing shields, you will need to remove these too.

Next, place the wheel slightly back on the skateboard trucks axle, just barely. You want to hook the tip of the axle inside the bearings, be sure that you are only letting it touch the bearing and not the wheel.

Now, slowly and gently, pry the wheel at a downward angle. The bearing should pop out of the wheel, but it might not want to right away. So be careful, and take it slow. If you pry on them too hard, you might just damage your bearing. However, if you are planning on replacing your bearings with brand new skateboard bearings, then give it all you got! Generally I recommend being gentle and taking your time, everything should be fine!

Once the bearing pops out, you are done! Repeat with all 8 bearings on your skateboard.