-
Use Cases
-
Resources
-
Pricing
History of Skateboarding Timeline
(1950s - Present)Skateboarding began in the late 1940s and early 1950s when California surfers sought a way to 'surf the sidewalk' on flat days. Over the decades it evolved from a simple toy into a global subculture and professional sport, driven by innovations like polyurethane wheels, the ollie, and vert ramps. Today, skateboarding is a multibillion-dollar industry and an Olympic discipline, celebrated for its creativity, rebellion, and community. More Less
Early Era
First Makaha skateboard exhibition in Hermosa Beach
1963
One of the earliest skateboard exhibitions was sponsored by Makaha's founder, Larry Stevenson, in 1963. It was held at the Pier Avenue Junior High School in Hermosa Beach, California, helping introduce skateboarding to a wider audience.
Makaha sells $4 million worth of boards
1963 - 1965
The growth of the sport during this period can be seen in sales figures for Makaha, which quoted $4 million worth of board sales between 1963 and 1965, reflecting skateboarding's rapid early commercial success.
National Skateboarding Championships broadcast on ABC
1965
The first broadcast of an actual skateboarding competition was the 1965 National Skateboarding Championships, held in Anaheim, California, and aired on ABC's Wide World of Sports.
Skateboarding's popularity declines amid safety concerns
1966
By 1966 a variety of sources began to claim that skateboarding was dangerous, resulting in shops being reluctant to sell them and parents being reluctant to buy them. Sales dropped significantly and Skateboarder Magazine stopped publication.
Del Mar National Championships draw up to 500 competitors
1975
In 1975, skateboarding had risen back in popularity enough to have one of the largest skateboarding competitions since the 1960s, the Del Mar National Championships, which is said to have had up to 500 competitors.
Some 200 skateparks built through 1982
1976 - 1982
Following the opening of the first large US skateparks, they were the first of some 200 skateparks that would be built through 1982, marking a boom era for dedicated skating facilities.
Image source: Skatepark
First large US skateparks open in Florida and California
Mar 1976
In March 1976, Skateboard City skatepark in Port Orange, Florida, and Carlsbad Skatepark in San Diego County, California, became the first two large size US skateparks opened to the public, just a week apart.
Image source: Skatepark
Street skating declines; mainstream appeal wanes
1992
By 1992, only a small fraction of skateboarders continued to take part in a highly technical version of street skating, combined with the decline of vert skating, producing a sport that lacked mainstream appeal to attract new skaters. Public opposition banning skateboarding also progressively intensified over the following decades.
Image source: Skateboarding
Culture and Media
Surf's Up television show promotes skateboarding
1964
Some of the same teams of skateboarders featured at exhibitions appeared on a television show called Surf's Up in 1964, hosted by Stan Richards, which helped promote skateboarding as something new and fun to do.
First skateboarding magazine, The Quarterly Skateboarder, published
1964
As the popularity of skateboarding began expanding, the first skateboarding magazine, The Quarterly Skateboarder, was published in 1964, giving the growing community its first dedicated publication.
Key Facts
- Skateboarding originated in California in the late 1940s/early 1950s when surfers attached roller skate wheels to wooden boards to practice surfing on land.
- In 1972, Frank Nasworthy's introduction of polyurethane (Cadillac) wheels revolutionized skateboarding by providing better grip and smoother rides compared to clay wheels.
- Alan Gelfand invented the ollie in 1978, a trick that became the foundation of modern street skateboarding.
- The first X Games in 1995 brought skateboarding into mainstream media and helped launch careers of stars like Tony Hawk, who landed the first documented 900 in 1999.
- Skateboarding made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games (held in 2021), marking its official recognition as a global competitive sport.
Source
This History of Skateboarding timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.
Want a timeline like this one?
Generate yours with AI or build it from scratch, for free.