Skate Simple

The Future of Skateboarding

Where have we been, where we are now and where skateboarding is going?

The Beginning

If we are to try to figure out the future is probably a good idea to head back and see how it started.

It all started in the fifties, when California surfers began setting Roller Skate wheels to planks of wood and riding on local streets. Skateboard manufacturers began to appear in the early sixties and a new lifestyle was born.

Urethane skateboard wheels were invented in 1972 and still used today. Mid of the 70s saw the skate parks they first begin to appear that, naturally, led to new styles of riding, new tips and tricks new skaters were vertical. Also in the mid-70s, a new competitive scenario began when a slalom and freestyle contest was held at the Festival de Mar in Del Mar, California. The Zephyr team made famous in the skateboarding world in the head with his new aggressive approach to the free skating. In 1978, the most famous skate trick of all, the "Ollie" was invented by Alan Gelfand (the 70s were a great decade for skating).

The 80s were a decade but relatively slow to skate there was a momentum that comes with the popularity of the recorder when they were introduced skate videos first. The Bones Brigade Video Show was very popular and made Steve Caballero, Tony Hawk, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain, Rodney Mullen, Stacy Peralta, Kevin Staab and among the names of the fraternity house skating.

The first Extreme Games were held in Rhode Island in 1995 and skateboarding competition received much attention leading to increased interest in the sport and raised its profile in the community. Skateboarding was also part of the first Winter X Games 97 skateboarding competitive and truly had become commonplace.

The biggest thing to hit skate in the decade 2000 is the popular video game console. Skateboarding games lend themselves well to the format and has been very successful video games each year in the decade 2000. A new generation of skaters was born as children changed their console controllers of the real thing.

The Future of Skateboarding

Skateboarding competition was established as a legitimate mainstream sport in the same way as surfing and surf culture. Only a few decades ago, surfers reprobate was seen as untrustworthy. These days parents do not think twice before wandering into the surf shops that exist in every mall and load up the clothes with the labels of navigation of its children, who do not even know what that looks like a beach. Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning, Rip Curl, Quiksilver and Billabong are all brands overall confidence now. Like it or not, look for skating to follow suit. Let's see mindblowing tricks using the energy and athleticism that today seem unimaginable. Heroes Skate will go mainstream and expect to see a much more advanced global competitive scene. Again, it is instructive to look at the navigation path. The scene surf competition failed for decades before I act together in the late 80s, when the bold step was taken to give maximum control of sport a single governing body. A new man on man format was introduced and competitions were taken to the best waves in the best time of year. The general good of this sport finally beat parochialism and commercial interests and the poor, have been ruled out competitive contests. Now, surfing has hit the big time - was sophisticated, scene of several levels of competition with the massive coverage of the media. You can skate follow suit? Yes, if you allow yourself.

When it comes to local ramps and skate parks, they expect big walls, bigger bowls and more of them. As the current generation of skaters grows and gets its turn, have a voice on Council spending and infrastructure, Well, this is good news for skaters who like parks and ramps.

The technology impact skateboards in the same way that is hitting many other products. Stronger, lighter materials appear and the rapid distribution of information means that the Board design and the truck move even faster. The impact of the Internet is a challenge and an opportunity for local skate shop. The growth rates of trade addresses are huge and more people are willing to buy Inline Skates. The web allows a distribution model that the consumer actually gets closer the scooter store. If you want to the old days of wooden plank of the 70, you can not do much for you, but if you are a boy with a limited budget, everything is good news. Expect better, more technically advanced products at lower prices.

If skateboarding is still the same line as in other markets, then we could see further consolidation among the big brands, like Billabong acquisition of Sector 9. Other large players in the market for skate today are brands like Birdhouse, Girl, Zero, Plan B, of elements and Blind. There is a fair chance to do a great company to buy a stable of big brands to get the skate price advantage that comes with the volume, which obviously can assist with product prices, but not always translate into the original product design and creativity (when was the last time Ford or GM came out with a fresh product?). In any market, if the big are getting bigger, then opportunities arise for small businesses to carve their own niche for local markets and buyers who are less aware of the brand.

Maple is still the raw building material roofs, but surely the day is approaching the maple be replaced, at least for some styles of the board. New styles of boards will continue to emerge - the skateboard lowly in the early days and has become longboards, cruisers, retro tables, pool tables, old school and mountain boards. , As well as lighter, stronger and the wheels of the trucks better, will form a new plan to cover and original artwork.

So there you have it, a quick look back and a look into the future - and the future looks good!

About the Author

Brad Jakes is a traveler, writer, skater, raconteur and test pilot for Skateboard Express Australia

http://www.skateboardexpress.com.au

http://skateboardexpress.com.au/skateboards%20the%20boardroom.html

http://skateboardexpress.com.au/skateboards%20about%20us.html

Skate 'Street Style Tricks' trailer HD

This entry was posted on Friday, May 22nd, 2009 at 3:57 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.