02:19
Faizan
Surfers and snowboarders often weave their way around town on a longboard to cross-train for their sport. Longboards are longer and wider than conventional skateboards, giving the rider greater stability. They date back to the 1950s, when they were little more than wooden planks attached to a set of wheels.
Sidewalk Surfin' USA
When waves weren't suitable for surfing, Oahu surfers came up with idea of cross-training with a homemade board fitted with skateboarding wheels. The rustic longboards let the surfers imitate movements made on the waves such as carving, climbing inclines and footwork. The sport found favor with mainland surfers and, by the early 1960s, surfboard companies held competitions for freestyle and downhill slalom.
Longboards Go Mainstream
The initial popularity of sidewalk surfing had nearly died out by the time Louis D. Bostick filed his 1965 patent for a board with an adjustable wheel base. Bostick's board was a first step in the divergence between longboards and skateboards. The adjustable wheel base let the rider position the wheels with no tools needed. Moving the wheels closer together enabled to make tight maneuvers, and widening them provided greater stability.
Wheeling Through Time
Metal rollerskate wheels used on early homemade models provided little traction, often skidding out from under a rider during a maneuver. Bostick's 1965 board improved stability somewhat with broad, clay wheels. However, clay wheels didn't provide enough traction to make the sport significantly safer and it dwindled in popularity due to numerous injuries associated with the sport. Frank Nasworthy invented urethane wheels in 1972, providing a great amount of traction that enabled riders to make tight turns and do tricks.
The Upper Deck
With increased popularity, board designs began to diverge. Skateboards used shorter wheelbases and shorter decks with curved ends. Longboards remained long and wide, allowing riders more stability in a street setting. Skate parks opened around the country. The sport has died and revived several times. In the late 1970s, high insurance premiums inspired most of the country's skate parks to close. Better safety equipment and well-known athletes, such as Tony Hawk, revived the sport in the early 90's, making it the sport we know today.
Sidewalk Surfin' USA
When waves weren't suitable for surfing, Oahu surfers came up with idea of cross-training with a homemade board fitted with skateboarding wheels. The rustic longboards let the surfers imitate movements made on the waves such as carving, climbing inclines and footwork. The sport found favor with mainland surfers and, by the early 1960s, surfboard companies held competitions for freestyle and downhill slalom.
Longboards Go Mainstream
The initial popularity of sidewalk surfing had nearly died out by the time Louis D. Bostick filed his 1965 patent for a board with an adjustable wheel base. Bostick's board was a first step in the divergence between longboards and skateboards. The adjustable wheel base let the rider position the wheels with no tools needed. Moving the wheels closer together enabled to make tight maneuvers, and widening them provided greater stability.
Wheeling Through Time
Metal rollerskate wheels used on early homemade models provided little traction, often skidding out from under a rider during a maneuver. Bostick's 1965 board improved stability somewhat with broad, clay wheels. However, clay wheels didn't provide enough traction to make the sport significantly safer and it dwindled in popularity due to numerous injuries associated with the sport. Frank Nasworthy invented urethane wheels in 1972, providing a great amount of traction that enabled riders to make tight turns and do tricks.
The Upper Deck
With increased popularity, board designs began to diverge. Skateboards used shorter wheelbases and shorter decks with curved ends. Longboards remained long and wide, allowing riders more stability in a street setting. Skate parks opened around the country. The sport has died and revived several times. In the late 1970s, high insurance premiums inspired most of the country's skate parks to close. Better safety equipment and well-known athletes, such as Tony Hawk, revived the sport in the early 90's, making it the sport we know today.
Posted in: skateboarding
