Skateboarding Culture Article #1...

Went for an apres-work week skate at the Ocean Terminal skatepark. The skater in the background here is a boy called J.J. He asked me if I could teach him how to do a Maddonna (My interpretatation of the trick is a one-footed nose grab which lands on the tail as it goes back into the ramp. His interpretation was a one footed nose grab which in this case, he was trying out of a ramp onto the deck. His interpretation is a fair bit easier.) so I spent a wee 15 minutes trying to explain that and then going through as many other air grabs we could manage.

He did this photo for me and I furnished him with a BlipCard so he'll hopefully get to see the full size picture. Thanks J.J.


I've been mulling over writing an article on skateboarding possibly for SkateboardScotland, possibly just for the hell of it. Thought I might start in wee snippets and see how I get on. Blip seems as good a place as any to record them and thought I'd start with the skateboard itself.



Skateboarding Culture Article #1
I've been skating for about 17 years which is around half the time I've been on this planet. The length of time I've been doing this is accentuated when I meet kids such as J.J. here who weren't even born before I started skating.

The skateboard itself hasn't changed all that much since it's conception in the 1940s or 50s. There have been many derivatives from wings to hinged snake boards but none of these have been able to become popular enough to be included in skateboarding. A skateboard is and has been for the last 60ish years, 1 board, 2 pivoting axels and 4 wheels. It has gone through some evolutionary change over the years which has settled down in the last 10 years or so to a pretty standard shape and materials.

I was trying to think of comparisons in other sports/activities. I'm pretty sure there are many but golf immediately springs to mind in that it has changed very little in it's existence being just a game about hitting balls into holes using sticks. The technology has improved over the years but the basic game and rules are the same. The biggest change is environment. Skateboarding terrain has improved and varied over the years.