Skate Board – A Hobby Turn Serious
Alan Ross
Skateboard shed its transport equipment image of the late 40s
and 50s to become what it is today, the recreational tool. The
early skateboard championships were ‘soap box derbies’ held in
cities during that era of crude skateboards, which sometimes
used to double up as surf boards too.
Skateboards as Sports Gear
With mass production becoming a reality in the 1960s
skateboards underwent a lot of transformation for better; from
solid wood or metals to plywood for decks, flat no shape to
concavity, clay composite steel wheels to polyurethane made
ones and finally single action trucks (axles) to aluminum
constructed two part trucks. There is so much more in the
safety, comfort and durability departments that you need to
look into when buying skateboards.
Well, how do these things help? At first, the question may
strike an irrelevant chord, but not so when you see the
difference. Just taste this for samples: Without that
innovative concavity would it have been possible for those
champion skateboarders to takeoff from flat ground? Forget that
for a minute, speeding along the streets wouldn’t have been a
reality but for the grip tapes now you find on the decks, which
prevent you from slipping even as you takeoff.
Did you know, what helped easy turning at such high speeds? Of
course you do your skillful ‘foot work’ but the rubber cushion
in between the two part truck flexes when you turn by front
foot while pressing by the back foot. It is this flexibility
that gives you additional turn which was harder in older
skateboards.
Skateboard Ramps
If you are not on the streets you are skateboarding on the
ramps. Ramps are carpentry constructions made in plywood. As
you are aware, there are just as many ramp plans as you like
and the simplest one is the obvious bank plan (flat plan), half
pipe, quarter pipe, pyramid plans etc, all of which are named
after their shapes.
Then you have the ‘launcher’ ramp for the lion hearted guys and
girls. Skateboarding over this launches you into the skies
vertically. If you don’t want to fly, you still have an option
that interests you. You can ride the walls with two identical
ramps placed at a distance apart.
Skateboarding Championships
Championships have encouraged many aspirants to take-up the
sport and excel there. Television coverage has catapulted
skateboarding to top youth sport. The most famous competition
are them all is the annual X-Game Skateboard Championships.
Skateboarders from all around the world take part this is event
to gain recognition and fame, not to mention lucrative
sponsorships and turn this one time hobby to a serious career
path.
About The Author: Alan Ross is a regular article contributor on
many topics. Be sure to visit his other websites
http://www.skateboard-foryou.info
,
http://www.online-games-foryou.info and
http://www.researcher-hub.info
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