Skateboard decks, Wheels, and Trucks
Compared to other sports, skateboarding is relatively new. In the late 50’s, a California surf shop developed early models so surfers could ride on the street when the ocean was flat. The popularity of these grew so quickly that a company called Makaha started to produce them exclusively. Throughout the 60’s, skateboarding became a national phenomenon–giving rise to Skateboarder Magazine and international competitions.
The sport saw a decline in the late 60’s/early 70’s and people began to write the sport off as a fad, until Frank Nosworthy came and innovated it in 1974. By creating a wheel of polyurethane, skateboards became responsive and smooth–two qualities that helped put the sport back in the spotlight (prior wheels were just made from discarded roller skate wheels). Banana boards–small boards made of plastic–also became very popular in this era.
During the California drought of 1976, skaters used dry pools to invent a new form of the sport: vert riding. Riders would drop in the empty pools and perform tricks like slash grinds at dangerous speeds. Movies like Dogtown and Z Boys and Lords of Dogtown document the rise of the skaters that made this style famous and, in turn, became celebrities.
The third wave of popularity came about when skate-superstar Rodney Mullen invented the kick flip. Before Mullen, it was unheard of to perform a no-hands aerial, but he advanced the trick further by spinning it in mid-air (back then, it was called the “magic flip” instead of the kick flip). Also, vert-riding was only popular for people with access to empty pools but not much else, so it was liberating for skaters to be able to perform tricks which didn’t require expensive ramps. To his credit, Mullen invented over 30 tricks and set the groundwork for modern street skating.
Despite some variation, a skateboard consists of a deck, trucks, wheels and hardware. Modern decks have both their ends–nose and tail–raised so skaters can perform ollies and kick flips (the raised tail was invented by skater Larry Stevenson). An ollie is the most basic jumping trick that a rider must learn before moving on to more technical feats; skateboard decks with at least one raised-end are required to perform an ollie. To perform the trick, riders must balance their weight over the middle of the deck and place one foot on the kicktail. While popping the kicktail down, the rider simultaneously slides their other foot up the deck while jumping forward. If done correctly, the skateboard will leave the ground.
Longboard decks are different from regular boards because they are used primarily for transportation and speed. These are bent depending on the style of riding. For example, bent-up shaped boards (when looked at from the side) have “camber” while bent-down decks have “rocker”. Riders who prefer camber like their boards bouncier and responsive, but racers generally like boards with rocker because they feel cradled while maneuvering through turns at high speeds.
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