Skateboarding for Fun and Fitness

In case you didn’t notice, skateboarding is on the fast track to becoming one of the words hottest sports. Not only is skateboarding lots of fun, it’s a great way to stay fit without having to endure boring gym workouts. Propelling your weight on a skateboard will help enhance aerobic endurance. Add hills, and you’ll be working even harder.  If you decide to learn some skateboarding tricks, you’ll be reaping the benefits of plyometric exercise, as well as getting a great leg and core workout. As if that was not enough, skateboarding improves your balance, coordination and agility, especially if you practice performing tricks.

A Brief History of Skateboarding

When you think about it, it seems quite logical that skateboarding began in California. When the waves were flat, California surfers needed an alternate hobby to feed the habit. The first skateboards displayed the utmost creativity. Roller skate wheels were attached to wooden boxes or boards. Then, in the 1960s, an LA surf shop owner arranged a deal with the Chicago Roller Skate Company. They would supply the wheels, and the surf store would attach them to wooden boards. Thus, the first commercial skateboard was born. It wasn’t long before surfboard manufacturers caught on to this trend. Makaha was the first surfboard company to create a skateboard. By 1965, the sport had its own championships, as well as a Skateboarder magazine, which was a publication that was dedicated to the sport.

Reinventing the Skateboard Wheel

In the 1970s, a man by the name of Frank Nasworthy invented a polyurethane skateboard wheel.  The fatter and softer wheels provided better traction and a smoother ride, which made the sport more beginner-friendly. Skateboarding experienced a surge in popularity. As skateboarders across the country experimented in empty swimming pools, tricks such as the kicktail, the invert and the ollie were developed.

Skateboarding Comes to ESPN

In 1995, skateboarding gained a new form of respect when it was featured on ESPN’s Extreme Games, which took place in Rhode Island. In 1997, it was included as a Cross- Over event in the Winter X Games. It’s interesting to know that the gradual respect for the sport seemed to develop within the same timeline as snowboarding, which was also regarded as a “rebel” sport.  However, as the “older generation” comes to realize that outdoor activity is the perfect antidote to drug use, they are finally respecting these activities as legitimate sports.

Skateboarding Tricks

Today, skateboarding is a popular social activity amongst teenagers and young adults. In some cases, it’s also a form of friendly competition. The ability to perform skateboard tricks is a great way for teenagers to earn bragging rights amongst their peers. That said, it goes beyond bragging rights. The enhanced balance and coordination that comes from performing skateboard tricks can enhance self-confidence and self esteem. Feeling confident is great for the ego. Go for it!