GETTING STARTED Most people don’t try to jump over the Great Wall of China on a skateboard Instead they enjoy skateboarding in other places They use public skateparks city streets empty swimming pools and a variety of ramps Every place has a different kind of challenge That is the way skateboarders like it because they each have their own style Skateboarding began in Southern California more than 50 years ago Surfing was a popular sport there but sometimes the waves in the water were too small to surf The surfers found a way around that problem They used skateboards to go The skills used in surfing easily translate to skateboarding 6
sidewalk surfing instead Skills such as balancing and turning are similar in both sports Skateboarding was a good way to practice surfing 7 Skateboarding in Heaven A lot of people in California have pools but Bucky Lasek’s does not have any water in it Bucky a professional skateboarder built his pool just for skateboarding It has a curved bottom and steep sides as deep as 14 feet 4 3 meters Bucky named it Heaven
George Buster Wilson grew up in San Diego California in the 1920s He made his own skate scooters by placing wooden fruit crates on top of thin roller skate wheels When he grew up Buster taught his sons how to make their own skateboard scooters This time he said Skip the crates Just balance A little creativity was needed to turn milk crates into scooters on the boards and see where you can go Buster’s creations became the first skateboards The first skateboard sold in a store was produced in the 1950s The Roller Derby No 10 Skateboard was very small and had steel wheels Steel wheels for roller skates were made to use inside on the wooden 8
