Iconic ‘80s time-travelling caper Back to the Future throws up countless classic scenes. Among the most memorable is when Michael J Fox’s character Marty McFly ‘invents’ the skateboard by breaking off the upright section of an awe-struck youngster’s wood box scooter – which is, in fact, pretty much how skateboards came to be in the real world, too.
Wood box scooters looked a lot like the modern-day scooter but with far more bulk and far less efficiency. Around since the late 19th century, they comprised upended box crates nailed to a horizontal plank of wood, with four metal wheels fixed to the corners of the base and handlebars bolted to the top of the crate for balance. From this, the skateboard evolved, first appearing in California in the late 1950s and popularised by the surfing community (the activity soon became known as “sidewalk surfing”); but there is some debate over who came up with the idea first.
Going Public
The introduction of clay wheels made skateboards more comfortable to ride and easier to manoeuvre, over a greater variety of surfaces, further boosting their appeal. By the early 1960s, companies such as Hobie and Makaha, founded by the pioneering Larry Stevenson, were leading the charge in producing commercial boards for the public. Stevenson established the world’s first skateboarding competitions and came up with the kicktail design which significantly increased riders’ capability to perform tricks – the most famous being the ‘ollie’, a jump which forms the basis of many other moves, invented by Alan Gelfand in the late 1970s.
“When I was a kid, it was rare to see skateparks or other kids who were good at skateboarding, the scene was very small,” pro skater and founder of Young Guns Skate School, Simon Thorp, tells Verve. “I used to play around with my old fishtail skateboard, but it wasn’t until I saw someone do an ollie on a double-kicked skateboard – curved at both ends –that I really wanted to do it. I ended up spending two weeks trying to learn ollies on a friend’s skateboard, and when I landed one, it was the most incredible feeling. That feeling is why I think people skateboard.”
During the 1980s, skateboarding developed an antisocial reputation but, in the ‘90s, once more found mainstream success thanks to the likes of ESPN’s extreme sports event, X Games; the re-emergence of punk and hip hop; and the popularity of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater console game for the Sony PlayStation (Hawk is arguably skateboarding’s first – and greatest – superstar). In 2020, the sport was added to the Olympic roster.
“Skateboarding used to trend in waves, but now there is a solid flow of kids getting into it,” says Simon. “I think the exposure of skateboarding in general is a big cause for this. Not only are there more skateparks and skate schools, but it’s more often used in advertising and media. Kids see it on billboards and TV advertisements and a lot of brands are trying to associate with skateboarding. Now skateboarding is in the Olympics it’s even more exposed to kids as a sport. These days, we run classes at schools during school time. That never would have happened when I was a kid!”
Another positive development is its ever-growing popularity among the girls.
“There have always been girls skateboarding, but now there are more girls skateboarding than ever. The skateboarding community has always been inclusive of all types of people and that is one of the great things about it, but these days more companies are promoting female skateboarders, and top skateboard magazines now regularly feature female skaters on the cover, with an even amount of female skate content in magazines and videos too. At Skate School we often have classes that have an even number of boys and girls in them, sometimes more girls, and it’s rad to see businesses like Girls Skate NZ out there promoting girls skateboarding as well.”
Skateboard to Wellbeing
Funded by what was then the Tony Hawk Foundation (now, The Skatepark Project), in 2020, the University of Southern California conducted a first-of-its-kind study of skateboarding subculture and discovered benefits to mental health, fostering community, breaking down race and gender barriers, and developing resilience.
“Over time, skateboarding has certainly helped me when times are tough,” recalls Simon. “It’s an outlet and a freedom that enables you to take your mind off any stresses in life. I’ve met a lot of different types of people through skateboarding over the years and all the experiences you share together are generally very positive.”
The benefits to his students are clear.
“At our Young Guns Skate School classes, we often see the kids turn up for the first time, hiding behind their mum or dad, not saying a word and being very nervous. Ten classes later and they are the loudest kid in the class. It’s a really rewarding thing to see as a skateboarding instructor. Kids also learn how to persevere, which is very beneficial to most other aspects in life. We have seen kids’ behaviour improve in and out of the classroom, as reported by both parents and teachers too. More obviously, kids benefit from gaining balance and coordination, and are off the screens!”
A frequent concern is that skateboarding will inevitably lead to broken bones or worse, with the UK’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents once warning that the sport could see the hospitalisation of thousands of British children, even though another report had found beds to cause far more injuries to kids. But the misconceptions continue. So how does Simon go about allaying those fears?
Firstly, he says that it’s essential that equipment be bought from specialist skate shops like Cheapskates, Boardertown, Trainers, or Backdoor, rather than general purpose superstores. Secondly, relax.
“Make sure the young ones wear a helmet when learning to skate, that’s the main thing. Skateboarding is so much safer than people think. Sure, there are a few spills, but kids also learn how to fall safely and properly over time. Young Guns Skate School has run over 4,000 classes with over 70,000 children since 2010. In that time, we’ve had only five broken bones and two of those were from kids playing in the playground before the class started! I think that’s a pretty good record compared to the average rugby season.”
