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The ollie is one of the most basic and revered tricks in the history of skateboarding invented by Alan “Ollie” Gelfand back in 1977. Back then, some tricks are named after the skateboarders who invented it, thus becoming a household name for skateboarders all over. There may be other names for skateboarding tricks during that time, but it may have been lost, or just hidden in other derivatives.

When it comes down to it, why even bother naming a newly invented trick? This is a more psychological aspect to get a name known all over the skating world, believing that would make him or her famous one day. If that were the case, Tony Hawk’s 900 would just have to be renamed “The Hawk”. For some skateboarders they would call it, and other pseudonyms that follow.

The base and advanced tricks used by many commentators and skaters themselves would determine the willing factor when it comes to competitions as they aim to win. Backside, McTwist, Caballerial, these are a few names that were invented over a decade ago, and none of them have garnered enough hot wind of an ego to make them falter. These skateboarders have gone through the basics, whether they know the names or not. The fact is they can perform those tricks, which for some would be considered as a weak spot or their strength.

There has been a lot of heated debate when it comes to names, and simply for a fact about who owns the trick in the first place. Just about any skateboarder could do a 720 on a half pipe, and it can be renamed as a double helix, or dual twister, it doesn’t matter. Sometimes it takes to try out a trick first before they rename it. There are no double standards when it comes to names since it’s just a trick to begin with.

The skateboarding world is ever changing, with new tricks to be discovered as of yet, while some have been renamed because it’s deemed “corny” in a way. There is no rule, unwritten or otherwise, when it comes to the origin of naming tricks, or is there an omnipotent deity that would declare a name and can’t change it anymore.

As long as the wheels of a skateboard continues to spin on the axles and the stunts performed, there is no way a name-calling for trick would ruin the spirit that is of a skateboard.

There have been a few stories where an adult pushing 40 skateboards with his kids, thus promoting a sense of parental bonding between parent and child, and probably perform a few tricks of his own. Of course it doesn’t mean he’d go professional, otherwise Tony Hawk would still be competing.

There are a lot of things to know about when anyone wants to skateboard for fun or health reasons. Considering the fun factor involved, it takes a great deal of determination and a few scratches and bumps along the way.

The basic gear needed when it comes to skateboarding are a few things, mainly the skateboard itself, whether bought or borrowed, and some protective gear such as helmets and pads. It wouldn’t help a person’s self-esteem to see a couple of teenagers without such protection, but nowadays, skateboard parks require that every skater must have a helmet and protection. A good pair of shoes would be good, but better if skate shoes are purchased since it offers more grip on the skateboard.

The basics when using a skateboard for the first time is getting to know the skateboard. The best place to practice is where there’s minimal risk to injury, such as on a carpet or lawn. Standing on the skateboard and getting the feel of it, and try a few maneuvers like jumping on it. This sort of preparation is vital to know about the skateboard being used.

There are only a few people that can be ambidextrous, but knowing which foot goes on the board and the other for kicking would be vital. One way of knowing is to imagine kicking a ball and see which foot goes. It’s like finding the dominant foot to begin with. There are two types of stances when it comes to skateboarding, which are regular, where the left foot is used, and goofy, which is the right foot. Knowing where the dominant foot is would help with some of the skateboarding basics.

Once the basics have been mastered, it wouldn’t be embarrassing to fall off the skateboard a few times, so much like falling off a bike or getting a fresh scratch from a car. When it comes to that and want to stop, there are a few ways to do it, and the usual ones for beginners is to jump off while in motion if a collision is imminent. Turning requires the use of toeside or heelside, to move the weight of the body as they want to turn to a different direction.

Practice makes perfect.

Back then, Chuck Taylor sneakers were the only thing that would be light and durable enough to handle the rigorous abuse skateboarding could offer, as it involved grinding, padding or just pushing the board along the way for an easy cruise. Of course, since the return of skateboarding popularity, there are dozens of small and large companies that offer different styles and durability when it comes to skateboarding shoes.

It wouldn’t be unusual for anyone to wear just about any shoe, be it for hiking, basketball, or cross training, but the one thing that skateboarders would want is the lightness needed for better control of the skateboard as they perform tricks with ease. Style factor is also a plus, but that would come to a close second as spectators would rather see the performance of their favorite skater rather than what shoe they wear.

Converse’s Chuck Taylor needs no introduction, as it’s been around for nearly a century, which have an on and off popularity during the 70s onward. Design-wise and durability, as well as the advent of low, mid and high cuts, Chucks have been a favored shoe regardless of the times.

Nike also places an eye over the skateboarding trend, setting up their own line of shoes (since they already own Converse), as they have their own lineup of lightweight shoes with a more simplified design yet offer better traction and grip, best suited for verts and street skating. Made with the same technology for their Cross-trainers, their new line of skateboarding shoes would make the sport even more enjoyable.

Adidas would never be left out of the drink with their own line of skateboarding shoes, as theirs offer a more diverse line of designs with different materials to suit ever skateboarder’s taste. Well known for their durability, skateboarders would be satisfied with Adidas in terms of pricing. OIF course in not on the board, it can also be used as everyday wear for casual days outside.

These may be a few example with some of the biggest shoe companies in the market, as they are opening the potential of skateboarding as something to look forward to. Though it would be a long while before skateboarding could be considered as an Olympic event, at least on everyday roads, skateboarding is a competitive sport that requires protection and better handling with these shoes on the market today.

In a way, it’s like a nerd’s version of a good time or probably a wet dream of sorts, but envisioning women pro skateboarders and how they can be within the league of a male-dominated sport can be alluring. In a way, most men would rather think of woemn surfboarders, but skateboarders?

Of course there’s nothing bad about it, and in a sense it’s definitely a breath of fresh air to find more and more women skateboarders on skateparks or just cruising along on the streets rather than the local shopping mall. Yet since the mid 90s, it seems there is a slight increase of women skateboarders, which there are only a handful of pro woemn skateboarders out there, and not much exposure to begin with.

If they were to conduct a poll, there’s a possible 3 million skateboarders who would skate at least twice a week. Only about 10 more or less percent of them are women. Still, three hundred thousand is still a sizeable number, the question is where are they?

Looking into the history of professional skateboarding, the X-Games have been fair with both genders, organizing events that is applicable for both men and women such as free climbing and aggressive in-line skating. There are a few events for women when it comes to skateboarding, and that’s just it. One event that seem to remedy the near extinction of woemn skateboarders is thanks to the All Girl Skate Jam, which unites both amateur and professional female skateboarders from across the US in order to compete in this women-only competition.

Despite of the best efforts, it seems that companies would rather just want men to do most of the dirty and dangerous work. It does sound prejudiced, but with one female pro skateboarder, she explained that she wears pretty much what the guys would wear, perform the same tricks, listen to the same music and maybe some who are actually smaller than her. Physical size and attributes aside, most companies wouldn’t think of the need to have women, nor even sponsor them due to the lack of support from the made pro skateboarding side of things.

When most male skateboarders would compete against rivals and their sponsors, most women could only get as much as they can when it comes to getting sponsorship. The sad reality here is there isn’t much to expect, as most of them would still remain stuck in competing in local vents or to be a sideliner in one of the major ones.

 There are three ways to enjoy skateboarding, and the most common way for most skaters are either street skateboarding, verts and the skatepark. Considering the differences between the three, the skatepark is perhaps the most advanced.

Skateparks have a varying degree when it comes to slopes, terrain, and overall construction that would set it apart with the rest of the world. Like waves in suspended animation, it takes a great deal of time and energy to be able to maneuver their way that can last for hours. More so when there are more skateboarders around so traffic can get a bit tricky.

The similarities between vertical skateboarding and skateparks lead to one thing, the dropping in. This is by far an advance skill that would require a lot of confidence to go with it since the drop consists of setting up position on the edge of the park, called the coping, and from there, the skater needs to stomp hard enough to have the front wheels to hit the ramp. There is no turning back once dropping in, and there are other things to consider once the skater has gotten the feel of the overall terrain. One rule that is mandatory on any skatepark is to wear a helmet and pads.

Like plotting for the next destination, skateparks have different slopes, humps and even hills that would determine the longevity of the ride. First thing to consider when going to the skateboard park for the first time is to have a feel of the layout and plotting the destination. It would be hard to go through things at random, resulting to some shock treatment that any first time skater wouldn’t want to experience.

There is a different feel when skateboarding on different materials such as asphalt, concrete, steel and the like, and sometimes the skateboard’s wheels may not be appropriate for it. Keep in mind that skateboarding has its own criteria, and it can’t always be where it shouldn’t.

Vert skateboarding is uniform without any obstructions whatsoever as it’s meant for speed and height while skateparks can be a challenge like going through a different golf club all over. Making sure to plot the destination before dropping in, it would lessen the chance of having to force the skateboarder to go to a ramp or hill that they are not prepared to go or worse collide with another skater.

It takes practice and confidence that should be bigger than their own.

Nowadays, skateboarding has been more than just a past time for most Americans, though not replacing baseball entirely, skateboarding is almost an expression in itself as teens and young adults would glide their way to feed their need to get aggressive. Of course it’s the same way when it comes to video games.

Some of the earliest known video games that include skateboarding would be California Games for the Nintendo Entertainment System, where it features all sorts of events, including half-pipe skateboarding. Then comes the 90s and today.

One of the most prolific skateboarding games since started with Tony Hawk Pro Skater for the PlayStation One, which offers a more simplified control system that still offers some decent 3D graphics. About 4 sequels have been made until other versions have appeared. Tony Hawk Underground removes itself from its predecessor and into a more realistic setting where players start off as amateur skateboarders and earn their way up with bigger funds and sponsors as they grind their way to success.

It features a much larger (in PS1 standards) world that would allow exploration of the virtual city the playable character is living in. It spawned 2 sequels.

The current games from Tony Hawk are still uncontested, especially his American Wasteland series and the upcoming Proving Grounds, where players make their way with a whole new role-playing scenario, better graphics and controls that challenges players to actually control how the skateboarder should go.

While some of the contenders for virtual skateboarding are still in the market (or sold on eBay), there have been a few notables to go for. One such Example is EA Skate, from Electronic Arts. Meant for the next generation consoles, reviews for EA Skate have been positive by far, yet some would complain for its very difficult control system that would often let the character stumble and fall more often than needed.

But considering the graphics that delivers with the new game, this may be the only shoe-in to dominate the skateboarding video game that has been left unchallenged since Tony Hawk.

There are other skateboarding games to mention, but most would be from obscure games, and some meant for kids (like a few Disney games). But if any person who wish to aspire becoming a skateboarder without having to go outside, the Tony Hawk series would be the best way to skate freestyle, without insult nor injury.

It probably took the rest of the world some 20 or so years to embrace the concept of skateboarding. Of course, there might be a few here and there, and mainly as an after-school activity. But there has been a lot of excitement, especially during big competitions in Asia alone and have been producing some of the best talents when it comes to vert and street skateboarding categories.

Thailand has been a home for the Asian X-Games, where a gathering of some of the best action players in different categories that also include vert and street skateboarding. Looking into the trend, some of the top contenders are mainly China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Australia.

China, especially in major cities like in Shanghai, are no strangers when it comes to skateboarding. Some of the best Asian skateboarders have been competing in the Asian X-Games as well as the World Skateboard Cup usually held in Europe. Annual events have been set up on Shanghai, inviting both local and foreign skateboarders to compete for the cash prize that may reach up to $5,000.

In Japan, there are a few skateboarders, yet sometimes it tends to be outlawed, especially in crowded cities such as Tokyo. Although there is no such ban for skateboarding, there have been a few designated skateparks within and at the outskirts of the city itself. These skateparks were once used mostly by in-line skaters, once a rage in the country and would often compete in the X-Games in the US.

Although the fad has yet to die down, a good number of skateboarders can be found almost all over the place, as long as no local authorities are around to stop them.

Skateboarders in the Philippines are usually in small numbers, yet small competitions, usually held within communities, have encouraged a lot of these skateboarders to win the crowd with their tricks and street performances. Often as a past time, they never seem to take it too seriously and often popular with family members as well for those who want to spend a bit of quality time with their children.

Australia happens to be a big fan of skateboarding, followed by other action sports that they often hold skateboarding tournaments no more than ten times in a year. Usually held in major cities, and with the follow-up to qualify for the Asian X-Games in Thailand, it’s often a very competitive sport for the Land Down Under.

One may wonder how skateboarding events can be organized without much difficulty, which like any election also involves donations and fundraising and the like.

There are several organizations that reaches out and handles the concerns and needs for skateboarders to know where to  compete, as well as for fans to know where they can see them in action. There is a list of some of the best and dedicated organizations for skateboarding.

The IASC (International Association of Skateboard Companies) has been a collaboration of many of the world’s skateboard companies that would help in organizing and fundraising to create awareness of skateboarding as a means of fulfillment and recreation. Their members not only consist of such companies, but as well as other organizations and scholarships in order to seek out some of the best skateboarders during competitions.

With a portfolio of over hundreds of small and large skateboard companies, they have managed to support and advertise most of the competitions in the US, Europe and Asia.

The Tony Hawk Foundation is also another organization that helps low-income communities to have their own skateparks. Not in the sense of grandeur, but every grant requested would determine the overall population of skateboarders, as well as the need for one. Since skateboarding is dangerous, the foundation would provide the necessary funding for a good-sized skatepark for children and teens to go all out when it comes to skateboarding.

Action Sports Alliance is among one of the few and the proud, allowing female skateboarders to be known and recognized by a male-dominated sport of skateboarding that provides amateur and/or professional events across the country. Calling out to existing competitions in terms of prizes, events, as well as searching for sponsorship for women skateboarders, the ASA have been a boon to many women considered as the unsung heroes, brave enough to ride the vertical half pipe along with the guys.

These are some of the best organizations when it comes to delivering the best out of any skateboarder in the world. There are other organizers, mostly in their local State, but these three have been around when it comes to major competitions such as the X-Games, World Cup Skateboarding and the like to help promote and for other companies to be aware when it comes to searching for fresh talent.

Nowadays, skateboarding is considered as a competitive sport that is almost akin to surfing, where concrete waves are ridden with the courage and tenacity of these men and women. And It’s all in the name of good fun.

 It’s the latest rage, or so says one brand of skateboarding shoes that invented human skateboarding. What are the requirements? It’s basically finding a big enough human being, preferably male, and can support at least the skateboarder’s weight. Skill not required. The human skateboard may or may not be impervious to injury.

It sounds like a gimmick for a lot of people, but in its own way it’s been a rage that garnered a couple of good laughs as well as copycats with their own videos. The process of capturing the video with tricks and stunts that human skateboarders can’t do in real life is called stop-motion video. This filming technique has been around for decades, if some would remember Gumby or A Nightmare before Christmas, to cite a few.

The idea was based on an advertising campaign by one company that specializes in skateboard shoes last year, which just about every skateboarder on the planet have voted it as the advertisement of the year in popular voting.

Ever since that commercial, there have been some similar imitations, usually from popular media content websites from amateurs who happened to be skateboarders themselves. The company who created the commercial never seem to have any qualms, in fact they dedicated a website for those who want to have a few laughs with their human skateboarding tricks. Rule and guidelines are followed, and of course some safety precautions that in order to protect the human skateboard itself… or himself.

Some of the best footages from human skateboarders have been shelling out different scenarios and the like. One such example on funny moments is when the human skateboarder ‘crashes by accident’, which the human skateboard was flipped over its back, causing the skateboarder to wipeout.

It’s hard to find a lot of marketing gimmicks and strategies when it concerns skateboarding, as most of these companies would fight tooth and nail just to earn the favor of the consumer. Considering the facts, it would appear that skateboarding may only be meant for the professionals only. But what are professionals skateboarders made of?

It’s refreshing to see a company that seems to know and understand what a skateboarder really is. Deep down, they want to have fun, to the extent that they make fun of the only sport they do for a living.

Ideas such as the human skateboard have garnered the respect from both professionals and amateur skateboarders alike, realizing that skateboarding is supposed to be fun, not product placements only.

Considering the popularity of skateboarding in California, as well as the controversy involved, there are over 2000 registered skateparks available throughout some of the major cities and towns across the country.

One of the most interesting debates when it comes to skateparks and just the common streets anywhere is usually the space involved. Though skateparks may come in various sizes, there has been some speculation even with skateboarders themselves on the construction and design. Even the residential homeowners would often felt that skateparks are a big waste of money and park space at first. Ever since the advancement when it comes to techniques and tricks, it seemed necessary for most communities and cities to have a skatepark or two in the area.

One of the best so far is the Vans Skatepark located at Orange, California. This park has just about everything that is considered as a skateboarder’s paradise, with the right combination on both indoor, outdoor as well as a beginner’s area for those who want to try out skateparks and vert skateboarding. And as an added bonus, the skatepark also features a fully stocked arcade area with the latest games available.

Another place to hang out is the 28th And B Skatepark in Sacramento California, where the structure resembles a large warehouse. Resident pro skater Matt Rodriguez is also there to teach the basics of skateboarding for minors.

Mission Valley Ymca Krause Family Skatepark is also a perfect place for skateboarders when it comes to the ease and size of the outdoor park. Complete with both concrete as well as vert skateboarding, there would be enough space to explore the area as well as a street areas and beginner’s areas and costs about $10 for a 3 hour session.

Even Florida has its fair share of skateparks that have attracted quite a following, considering that skateboarding was also big in Florida even back in the 70s. Among such parks is the Kona Skatepark in Jacksonville, Florida, where a mix of both street area, verts as well as the concrete park itself. Rates and fees are reasonable enough, while members pay a dollar on Sundays.

These are among the few skateparks located in both ends of the country. There are many more to go, depending on the State as well as the city. Though a few low-income neighborhoods may have a skatepark thanks to Tony Hawk’s foundation, it seems that skateparks have become a necessary thing in American life and skateboarders all around.