A skateboard has a deck, wheels and trucks.
The skateboarder stands on the deck.
The wheels move the skateboard.
The trucks help the skateboarder move the wheels and steer the skateboard.
Skateboarders should wear protective clothing.
Can you can see the deck, the wheels and the trucks that hold the wheels and are bolted to the deck?©iStock
Skateboarders ride on a skateboard to perform a series of tricks including jumps, slides, flips and mid-air spins. Skateboarding made it as an Olympic sport for the first time at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
About a skateboard.
The deck that the skateboarder stands on is concave or dish-like, with the nose, also called the front kick, and the tail, also called the back kick, curved upwards. The front kick and the back kick help skateboarders do their tricks. When a skateboarder pushes down on the back kick, the front of the board raised slightly off the ground and makes it easier to steer and manoeuvre (say man-oo-ver).
The top surface of the deck is covered with grip tape. Grip tape allows the rider’s feet to grip the surface of the deck.
The wheels are made of a tough springy plastic called urethane. There are bearings inside the wheels to keep the wheels turning properly.
The trucks which are made of cast aluminium or titanium, support the wheels. The wheels are bolted onto the trucks and the trucks are attached to the bottom of the deck by a baseplate.
Protective clothing
Young skateboarder wears protective clothing at her skatepark ©iStock
A skateboarder needs protection for the head, knees, elbows, wrists and hands. Slip resistant sneakers, a padded helmet made of light plastic, gloves and wrist guards, and plastic caps on the knees and elbows will help prevent injuries.
Street skateboarding
Tricks are performed on streets and roads, in car parks and wherever the surface is flat and safe. Street skateboarders use ramps, stairs, and curbs. Skate parks often include street type features so that skateboarders can jump, flip and grind over all kinds of surfaces and objects.
Park Skateboarding
Skateboarding parks are look like hollowed-out dishes and dome shaped bowls. The bottom of the dish is flat and curved surfaces rise steeply from it. The upper part of the curve is either vertical or almost vertical. Skateboarders can skate at speed up the curves and rise high into the air to perform amazing mid-air tricks.
Vert Skateboarding
Vert (short for vertical) skateboarding is done in a huge U-shaped ramp, known as the halfpipe. Vert skateboarders jump, flip and grind on the ramp.
Skateboarder at the top of the halfpipe at a skatepark. Where’s his helmet? ©iStock
The beginning of skateboarding
Skateboarding began in the late 1940s. Scooters were popular then but expensive. Some kids decided to take the wheels off their roller skates and attach them to a narrow piece of wood. At first they nailed a handle to this new vehicle, but later decided to remove the handle and ride on the wooden platform. Soon after, some surfers began to ride on them as ‘roller surfboards’. The first true skateboards, with clay wheels were made and sold in the 1950s.
Skateboarding is now a popular sport in countries throughout the world. Skateboarding competitions for men, women and children are held everywhere. Huge crowds go to watch.
Skate parks have been built in cities everywhere where skateboarding has become popular. There are indoor and outdoor skate parks.
Skater jumping at the halfpipe in an outdoor skate park on a sunny day ©iStock