Skateboarding.

Skateboarding. I INTRODUCTION Skateboarding, activity that involves riding on a specially designed four-wheeled wooden board. People ride skateboards on pavement or any other surface that gives a relatively smooth ride. Skateboarding first emerged in the 1950s as an offshoot of the sport of surfing. It was originally known as sidewalk surfing but soon established its own identity. II EQUIPMENT A skateboard consists of four wheels attached to two axles called trucks, which are mounted to the bottom of a wooden board called a deck. Most decks are about 79 cm (31 in) long and 20 cm (8 in) wide and are made of seven layers of Canadian maple veneer that have been pressed and glued together. To prevent the deck from splitting along the natural grain lines of the wood, skateboard manufacturers alternate the direction of the wood grain of each layer. Decks made of metal or composite materials are less common. Longer skateboards (longboards) are primarily used for downhill riding and street riding, while shorter skateboards are better for doing tricks and maneuvers. Decks typically feature a rise at both ends. The one in the front is called the nose, and the one in the back is called the tail. Skateboarders use the leverage from the kicked ends to perform tricks and stunts. To help prevent the rider from slipping off, the deck has abrasive grip tape on top that provides traction. The trucks are most commonly mounted 33 to 38 cm (13 to 15 in) apart. They consist of a base plate that attaches to the deck with screws and a hanger that houses the axle. The wheels attach to each end of the axle. Most trucks are made of lightweight aluminum and allow a slight movement between the base plate and hanger. This flexibility allows riders to turn the skateboard by shifting their weight. Skateboard wheels are made of a durable material called urethane. Each wheel houses two sealed or shielded precision bearings. All wheels have the same size center core to fit standardized bearings. The entire wheel ranges from 50 to 65 mm (1.9 to 2.5 in) in diameter. Protective equipment worn by skateboarders should include kneepads, elbow pads, wrist guards, gloves, and a helmet. Wearing protective equipment to prevent injury is extremely important, especially for beginning riders. III RIDING A SKATEBOARD To ride a skateboard, enthusiasts place both feet on the board about shoulder's width apart, so that one foot is in front of the other and the rider is standing sideways. For the best control, the toes should not hang off the side, although the heels can. A rider can choose which foot to place in front. To start moving, or to increase speed when the skateboard is already moving, most riders keep the front foot on the board for control, then use the back foot to push off on the ground. A rider turns the skateboard by shifting body weight from toe to heel. The more weight and pressure the rider places on one side, the sharper the board will turn in that direction. If the rider places weight on the tail, the front wheels lift off the ground, resulting in a manual. Placing weight on the nose produces a similar effect, sometimes called a nose manual. Turning during a manual produces a kick turn. This turn can be short and quick or it can be extended into a full rotation, which is called a 360 spin because the rider rotates a full 360°. Experienced skateboarders can attempt advanced maneuvers. The most popular of these are aerials. Normal aerials are performed by launching off a ramp or other object while hand-grabbing the rail, or side of the skateboard during flight. A more advanced type of aerial (and possibly the most popular trick in the sport) is the ollie. An ollie is any variation of an aerial wherein the skater catches air without hand-grabbing the board. When a rider performs an ollie, the rider and board first become airborne by a quick push down on the skateboard's tail. While airborne, the rider's feet and the board remain in close proximity without the use of the rider's hands. The rider's front foot then guides the board as it lands back on the ground. Another popular category of maneuver is the board flip. A successful board flip is one wherein the skater completes a landing back onto the deck of the skateboard after the board turns one or more time under the rider's feet while both are airborne. There are many variations of this maneuver. A common trick called a grind is also popular. A rider performs a grind by directing one and sometimes both trucks onto an object that has a distinct edge, such as a curb, railing, or pipe. The rider and skateboard move while the metal hanger scrapes along the edge. A rider ends the grind by popping the trucks off the surface and re-engaging the wheels. Many people enjoy skateboarding because they can constantly invent new tricks, often by combining two or more existing maneuvers or by using structural objects such as rails and walls in new ways. Skate parks, which prohibit cars, bikes, and other traffic, provide a safe area for skateboarders to experiment. Skate parks generally have ramps and half pipes, which are U-shaped structures that appear much like a trough. Many skate parks also house fun boxes, which are obstacles that include ramps, stairs, and rails specially made for skateboarding tricks. A half pipe is one of the most difficult places to skateboard. While inside a half pipe, riders propel themselves up and down the curves of the trough. Some half pipes have near or true vertical walls where riders can perform more difficult maneuvers, collectively called vert skating, short for vertical skating. To ride vert, skaters propel their boards to the top of either wall, perpendicular to the ground. Skaters perform tricks on each side while riding back and forth. Experienced riders attempt to remain on the vertical portion of the wall for as long as possible before their momentum shifts and gravity pulls them back into the half pipe curve. Half pipe maneuvers include aerials in which skaters rise beyond the top edge of the half pipe and remain airborne for a second or two. Riders also perform a variety of tricks such as hand plants, foot plants, inverts, and flips. The most radical vert maneuver is considered to be the McTwist. IV COMPETITION Skateboard competition is divided into several categories, including freestyle, street, and vert events. In these competitions, judges rate skaters' routines, awarding points for tricks based upon difficulty, variety, continuity, speed, control, and style. Freestyle contests take place on flat surfaces, usually without obstacles; the skater performs stunts and tricks using only the skateboard. Street competitions involve maneuvers performed on curbs, benches, stairs, handrails, boxes, and ramps. These contests combine jumps, landings, and creative use of the objects. Vert competitions are held in empty swimming pools or on large half pipes. Vert skating is generally regarded as the most radical form of competitive riding in terms of risk. It also has the most spectator appeal. Another category of competition is slalom racing. Skaters race against the clock through a course set by cones with round bases. Riders must successfully negotiate the path as quickly as possible without falling or knocking down cones. Deviating from the course or missing a turn results in disqualification. V HISTORY The earliest skateboards first appeared in the 1940s and 1950s. Many of the early boards were toy scooters whose handlebars had been removed. Other homemade skateboards were steel-wheeled roller skates nailed onto a piece of wood. The first commercially produced skateboards appeared in the early 1960s, when Makaha Skateboards established a successful business. The Makaha company later developed the tail. By the 1970s, skateboard design had advanced, and the models produced were much safer than those of earlier years. This was because companies were making wheels, trucks, and other parts specially designed for skateboards. For many years skateboard construction varied among manufacturers, as plastic, fiberglass, metal, and wood were tested as deck materials, but by the late 1970s wood had won out as the optimum material. Decks constructed of seven-ply laminated wood tended to be lighter and stronger than those made of other materials. Curved plywood ramps designed for skateboarding were first used in 1975 in Melbourne Beach, Florida. Florida was the site of several other firsts in the sport, including the first skateboard park: Skatboard City in Port Orange, Florida, which opened in 1976. (The spelling of the word "Skatboard" was an intentional act by the park's builders.) Skateboarding remained popular in the 1980s and early 1990s, and the mid-1990s saw a fresh appreciation for the activity, especially as a competitive sport. A solid international competition circuit developed, leading to television broadcasts and a strong international market for the skateboard industry. The attention given to skateboarding in extreme sports competitions, such as the X Games, has also brought new fans to the sport. Learning the basics of skateboarding is easy for most people, and the increased media exposure has encouraged more people to try the activity. They joined the millions of people worldwide who already engage in skateboarding either competitively or for recreation. Contributed By: Bruce Walker Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.