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The first known skateboard type product is a three-wheeled usually sold in pairs with a set of poles. Probably designed to mimic cross-country skiing! So not really designed to be ridden like what would become skateboard but probably could be used as it.
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Another three-wheeled device, the "Scooter Skate" is a skateboard/scooter hybrid; it can be ridden with a handle or without.
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Introduction of the first manufactured skateboards. Some became popular mainstream like the "Roller Derby"
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The musical group Jan and Dean appear on Dick Clark's American Bandstand and sing "Sidewalk Surfing." Dean performs a few tricks and rides a board across the stage.
Production of fiberglass-reinforced epoxy with a maple wood core by Fibreflex (by founders of Gordon & Smiths Surfboards) -
While most skaters take to the streets or sidewalks, some skaters begin to explore skating in backyard swimming pools.
Surfer Publications publishes The Quarterly SKATEBOARDER magazine
The first skateboard organization, the National Skateboard Championships Association (NSCA) is formed in Anaheim.
San Diego skater, Patti McGee is featured on the cover of Life magazine.
The first skateboard movie, Skater Dater is released, and later wins an Academy Award for Best Movie Short. -
Frank Nasworthy creates a urethane skateboard wheel design after seeing the material being used on rollerskates by the Roller Sports Company. He begins producing the first urethane wheels made exclusively for skateboarding. He promotes these new Cadillac wheels heavily at surf and skate shops, but meets with a great deal of resistance because of the much higher cost over clay wheels. After Nasworthy sells Cadillac to Bahne, urethane wheels finally become a hit around 1973-74.
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Alan Gelfand is credited with inventing the "ollie pop," which is the first known no-hands air on vertical.
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In France, Thierry Dupin record the song written for him by Patrick Topaloff "Les rois du skate-board"
http://www.bide-et-musique.com/song/9490.html -
March 11, 12 – The Hester-ISA Skateboard Pro Bowl Series #1 is held at Skateboard Heaven skatepark in Spring Valley, California. It is the first organized professional skateboard contest series, and the first held in a vertical pool.
Henry Hester is responsible for putting the series together.
Results: 1- Steve Alba, 2- Mike Weed, 3- Steve Olson, 4- Scott Dunlap, 5- Gregg Ayres, 6- Doug Saladino, 7- Doug Marker, 8- Steve Cathey, 9- Harvey Hawks, 10- Dennis Martinez. -
Seen as a dangerous sport, insurance rates increased and skatepark attendance declined and forced all but a few skateparks out of business. The punk movement infiltrated the skate scene and alienated many skaters and commercial sponsors. Throughout 1979 skateboarding interest declined, and was all but commercially dead by the end of the year. The majority of skaters moved on to other things.
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Skating goes mostly underground. Street skating, and kids building their own wooden ramps, keep skating going at the core level. The large skateboard companies suffer huge losses.
It's the same in France. The most famous skateboarders who could earn their living from that for a few years have now to find something else or eventually leave to go abroad. -
January - Fausto Vitello creates the skater-only magazine, Thrasher, with Kevin Thatcher as the editor
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Vertical riding (ramps) takes off, followed closely by streetstyle skating.
Launch ramps become popular. Powell-Peralta creates the first Bones Brigade skate video thanks to the creative talents of C.R. Stecyk and Stacy Peralta. The “Bones Brigade Video Show” features a great team of skaters and helps to propel skateboarding to new levels of popularity. -
The National Skateboard Association, headed up by Frank Hawk (Tony's father), holds numerous contests across North America and eventually throughout the world.
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Thrashin', also known as Skate Gang, is a 1986 American skater drama film directed by David Winters.
The film features appearances from many famous skaters such as Tony Alva, Tony Hawk, Christian Hosoi, Steve Caballero and Steve Olson.
The film also stars Sherilyn Fenn, who was cast by the director, together with her boyfriend at the time Johnny Depp, who was later rejected by the producer.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers also make an appearance in the film as well. -
The current cycle of skateboarding is fueled by many items, including new companies, more varied and difficult terrain, a new, more hard-core attitude. Skateboard tricks become very technical and more difficult. A number of top skaters and former pros leave their sponsors and start their own skateboard companies. One example is Steve Rocco of World Industries. The new skater-owned companies increase competition and shake up the established industry.
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The skate industry is deeply affected by a world-wide recession. Skaters rediscover their roots in street skating, and the skate companies begin re-evaluating themselves.
As in the past, a hardcore group remains with the sport, but this time the attrition is not as great as it was in the past. -
The X Games is an annual extreme sports event hosted, produced, and broadcast by ESPN.
The inaugural X Games were held during the summer of 1995 in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island. Participants compete to win bronze, silver, and gold medals, as well as prize money. -
Tony Hawk invents and executes the 900 to a stunned crowd at the X-Games.
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"Tony Hawk's Skateboarding" game is publshed, the first of a long serie of games "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater"
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Interest in old-school products and skaters begins. Many old school skaters re-surface again after years away from the limelight. Thanks to eBay, collectors can now easily find, sell and buy old skateboards and other skate-related memorabilia.
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The documentary film “Dogtown and Z-Boys” is released and is realy well received. Directed by Stacy Peralta (an original Z-Boy) and written by Peralta and Craig Stecyk, this story of Dogtown's history launches a new interest in Dogtown and skateboarding's history.
