Monday, September 22, 2008

The Skateboarding Basics

By Ben Sheffer


The very first skateboards were invented in the late 1940s. Back then many kids ran around on scooters, but these were expensive and although popular not all kids could afford them. Some of those kids who could not afford scooters simply destroyed their rollerskates and nailed the wheels onto pieces of wood. They also nailed a piece of wood to the front of this which was used as a handle. I guess most of these kids were not excellent carpenters and these handles probably fell off pretty quickly, thus many kids end up riding around on just the wood and wheels.

Soon after, some surfers began to ride on skateboards. The first true skateboards, with clay wheels, were commercially made and sold in the 1950s.

Now skateboarding is one of the most popular sports among teenagers in the world. There are competitions held in almost every country that attracts hundreds of both professional and amateur skaters. You can find skate parks in almost every major city and town. With the rise in professional skaters skateboard design is also improving. As a result of this special shoes and clothing have been designed, and there are even extreme sports shows that include skateboarders, attracting huge crowds.

There are basically two different types of skating, street skating and ramp skating. Street skating, obviously is carried out on the streets, but can also be carried out pretty much anywhere where the surface is flat and smooth, such as car parks and schools.

Skate parks are custom-built for all the different types of skating. The services are all smoothed, generally made from concrete or wood. They are filled with various types of obstacles that the skaters can use tricks, grinds, and flips.

An extreme form of street skating is called skateboard racing. This involves riders racing each other down winding and often extremely steep roads. This can be extremely dangerous at speeds of over 65 km an hour have been reached.

There are two types of skateboard ramps, vert ramps and mini ramps. Vert (short for vertical) skateboarding ramps are huge U-shaped structures between 3.5 and 4.5 m high. At the top of each transition is a short piece of vertical ramp which gives it its name. Mini ramps are much smaller and generally do not have any vertical transition. They are easier to learn new tricks on and are generally better for beginners.

Skateboarding like any sport can be dangerous at times. To reduce the amount of risk skaters should follow these simple rules at all times: 1) when learning the basics stick to flat a safe ground 2) make sure you are in control of your board at all times 3) always wear protective gear, such as helmets, and knee and elbow pads 4) always stay with friends in case somebody has an accident 5) keep your board and gear maintained

About the Author:

Add to: File Insurance Business article Teen Photo Images

Loading related posts...
Travel and Travel Packages Articles Mobile 
Reviews

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Mobile Reviews Updates

Copyright © 2007 - 2008 Hitvahot.Com.All Rights Reserved.
Template by - Daya Earth Blogger Template | Powered by Blogger.Com | Resources | Privacy Policy | Contact | RSS by Feedburner | Top
Hitvahot.com Article - Business article directory featuring loans,loans, debt, business, insurance, bad credit loans, cash advance, mortgages, payday loans, personal loans, christian dating, online degrees, bankruptcy, credit cards, credit repair, debt consolidations, debt relief, refinancing, business opportunity, distance learning, lead generation, cheap auto insurance, health insurance, life insurance, anorexia, directory.