Ollie

History of Skateboards

By doverisstudent

  • The first known skateboard type

    The first known skateboard type
    Stamped metal device with pedal-car like wheels, and an adjustable heel cup and toe clip. Usually sold in pairs with a set of poles, it is apparently designed to mimic cross-country skiing. It has a 3" by 10" riding surface, and no steering mechanism

  • Another three-wheeled device, the "Scooter Skate"

    Another three-wheeled device, the "Scooter Skate"
    Is a skateboard/scooter hybrid; it can be ridden with its included handle or without. The bulbous rocket-ship style metal deck has a riding surface of 6 1/2" by 13", with steel roller-skate style wheels. There is no turning or steering mechanism.

  • A four-wheeled device made from aluminum,

    A four-wheeled device made from aluminum,
    The "Skeeter Skate" is created around 1945. With a 4 3/8" by 15 3/4" riding surface, this scooter comes with a removable handle and pedal-car style wheels. This device introduces a unique innovation, the first steering axles, or "trucks," which allow riders to turn for the first time.

  • A crude form of skateboarding as we know it today begins to develop.

    A crude form of skateboarding as we know it today begins to develop.
    Kids create their own home-made boards by nailing roller-skate assemblies to the bottom of a wooden plank. Often the plank has a milk crate nailed to it with handles attached for control. Late in the 1950s, surfers discover skateboarding and embrace the feeling of wave riding on flatland.

  • The early 1960s bring the introduction of the first manufactured skateboards.

    The early 1960s bring the introduction of the first manufactured skateboards.
    The following are some of the popular mainstream skateboard designs from the 1960s: Scooter Skate (three-wheeler), Roller Derby, Skee Skate, Sokol SurfSkate, Nash Sidewalk Surfer, Sincor, and Super Surfer. Gren Tec, Hang Ten, and California Free Former join the mass-production skateboard market in the 1970s.