Skateboarding has a rich history filled with fascinating stories, people, and innovations that have shaped the sport into what it is today. For instance, the iconic trick, the ollie, is named after its creator, Alan “Ollie” Gelfand, who first performed it hands-free in 1978, revolutionizing both vert and street skating. Another legendary move, the kick-flip, originally had a more mystical name—the “magic flip”—coined by Rodney Mullen in the 1980s, as others couldn’t figure out his technique.
Skateboards have come a long way from their humble beginnings when riders used wooden crates with roller skate wheels glued to the bottom. Even the wheels were once made of clay, a far cry from the durable polyurethane wheels we use today. Surprisingly, skateboarding isn’t just an American sport—it’s the sixth most popular sport globally, boasting over 85 million skaters worldwide.
Before commercial grip tape, skaters improvised by creating their own to help maintain balance, especially when riding barefoot, as early skateboarding borrowed techniques from surfing. The sport’s roots in surf culture also led to the creation of skateparks, with the first one opening in Tucson, Arizona, in 1965, inspired by surfers riding in emptied pools.
source: https://www.skaterhaters.com/7-fun-facts-about-skateboarding-you-probably-never-knew/
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