It was during this period of skateboards that vert skating was invented. Throw in the invention of trucks, bearings, and the kicktail, and allofasudden, skateboards had power the likes of which nobody had ever seen.
The wheels could stick to all kinds of surfaces, not just flat concrete, and this unlocked an entire world of skating possibilities. Suddenly, riding on a skateboard wasn’t rough-it was smooth as glass. That’s exactly what urethane wheels were for skateboards. Imagine trying for years to text someone on a fax machine, and then, suddenly, someone hands you a cell phone. Unfortunately, this whole “do more stuff” thing meant that the boards got more dangerous before they got safer. In the early ‘70s, clay wheels came out, which were better than steel wheels-the ambitious sidewalk surfer could maneuver a little bit more, and go a little bit faster. Well-founded parental worries over broken bones drove mainstream skateboard sales into the ground. The thing was, this makeshift skateboard couldn’t turn. Surfers, some of the original skaters, hopped on the sport, particularly because it was something to do when the waves were bogus, turning early skateboarders into “sidewalk surfers.” Skateboards suddenly took off in the ‘60’s, selling like hot cakes. In the 40’s, bored teens the world over started to figure out that steel roller skate wheels on the bottom of a peach crate made a pretty decent rolling board. But really, there was no one origin spot.
Some say the skateboard originated in California-some point to France.
From peach crates to urethane wheels, it’s been quite a ride. This no holds barred enthusiasm for life (and skating) is supremely evident in the history and evolution of the board itself. It’s a fact skaters know and anti skaters willfully ignore: skateboarding has always, always been a culture of no rules, problem solving, creative inventors.