From kids attaching wooden planks to skate wheels as early as the 1900s; to the multi-million dollar industry that it is today, skateboarding has proven its longevity. One needn’t look far to see just how much skateboarding has infected mainstream culture. Just turn on your TV sets, folks. Or open any magazine. Fashion, music, art and design: you name it. You probably own a couple of items in your house that is an off-shoot, or if not directly, at the very least references the skateboarding culture. How has something so simple and uncomplicated as attaching a board to a couple of wheels become so…omnipotent?

Back in the early days, kids would hammer skate wheels onto wooden planks to alleviate boredom. It seemed (still is!) like a really cool idea to be able to skate while sitting down. Often the wood had a milk crate nailed to it and had handles sticking out for control. This is the birth of your average scooter. The next five decades saw more daring kids getting rid of the crate and riding on two by fours with steel wheels. The following is a list of dates, events, and people that helped shape skateboarding. Alternately, if you dislike the culture, the following list would be helpful in pinpointing all the culprits responsible for turning a fairly innocent and harmless way for kids to spend their free time into becoming the terrible, wallet-busting, anti-social, monster that it is today. Enjoy!

1900s- Bored kids start attaching wooden planks to skate wheels in their backyards. Mothers everywhere are delighted as this gets the little brats off their backs. Elder siblings (who own the skates) are not amused.

1950-58- Modifications to the device that hold the wheels (that’s trucks to you, mister) makes maneuvering easier.

1959- First Roller Derby Skateboard for sale. Adios noisy and clunky steel wheels. Hello clay
ones.

1960- Larry Stevenson, publisher of Surf Guide promotes skateboarding. Surfers begin to ride the streets during down time at the beach

1963- Stevenson’s company, Makaha, designs first professional skateboard. Forms a team to promote product. First skateboarding contest at Pier Avenue Junior School in Hermosa, California

1964- Hobie Skateboards debuts. Skaters start skating empty pools to mimic wave riding. Angry pool owners. A giant leap forward.

1965- 50 million boards sold. International contests, team cross-country demos, and a magazine (Quarterly Skateboarder) sky-rockets skateboarding’s popularity. A skateboarding movie (Skater-Dater) debuts

Fall, 1965-72- first of many crashes of skateboarding. Inferior product and a public upset by reckless riding ensure temporary demise. Skateboards banned in cities. Fatal accidents. Becomes underground with a dwindling, but hardcore following. A slump in sales despite the introduction of urethane wheels and kick-tail boards. Hordes of concerned and not-so-concerned parents (and elder siblings) rejoice!

1973- Second boom. More research results in better products, now specifically designed for skateboarding. Introduction of skate trucks. Board manufacturers triple overnight.

1975- Precision wheel bearings ends decades of loose ball bearings. Skaters now number by the millions. New magazines. Stacy Peralta, Tony Alva, Jay Adams, Russ Howell and Tom Sims become household names. Almost.

1976- First skate park. First graphics on boards.

1978- Alan Gelfand invents the “ollie” an aerial maneuver that revolutionizes skating. Bruises and broken bones become part of the lifestyle. Aggressive music that comes with skating worries parents everywhere.

1980- Skate park insurance becomes unrealistic and close one by one. BMX becomes the new fad but a hardcore contingent stays. Backyard ramps and half pipes as there are fewer parks.

1984- Vertical riding took off. First skateboarding video. New pros in the game earning up to ten thousand a month. Again, skateboarding experiences a renaissance.

Late 80s- Shift to street skating. Skaters put up their own companies.

1991- Worldwide recession and skateboarding frozen in a cryonic state.

1994- Fourth wave. Resurgence.

1995- X-games. Skaters argue whether this is good or bad. Parents accompany their kids to watch and support their skateboarding kids. Older siblings STILL not amused.