Quick History

Skateboarding definitely has its roots in surfing. Surfers wanted to see if they could do on land what they did in the water "surf on land". Skaters would simply stick a piece of board on wheels and start practising. In the 60's, the sport became popular when companies started making and selling skateboards - now everyone could try, not just the surfers who created their own skateboards. The "fad" of skateboarding wore off, but interest renewed once new tricks were created.

Fast forward to today and this is a serious sport. Tournaments and competitions pay out huge prize money; big name sponsors stuff pro skater's pockets with cash for wearing/promoting their products. Movies, video games and clothing have been created around the popular pastime. Skateboarding is more than a sport; it's a way of life, a true culture.

Movies

Hundreds of movies and documentaries have been made about skateboarding. The most well known is probably Dogtown and Z-Boys. If you want to really immerse yourself in skateboard culture, we recommend that you add these movies to your Netflix queue - or do it the "old way" and go down to your local video store: Lords of Dogtown, Grind, Stoked, Tony Hawk's Trick Tip Series (for learning), The End, and for a few laughs: Jackass The Movie (Bam Margera), MVP 2 (Most Vertical Primate), and CKY2K.

If you don't feel like renting a movie, look no further than the internet for videos and clips of sk8 tricks, web documentaries, competition coverage and more.

Video Games

Video and computer games are very popular. People who have never been on a skateboard in their life enjoy playing skateboarding games. The most popular game is the Tony Hawk series. To date, there are over ten games that bear the Tony Hawk name. Nearly every modern gaming system: Nintendo DS, Sony PSP, Sony PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PC, Mac, Cell Phones - Tony is everywhere.

Tony isn't the only game in town though. Other video games like Skate, Backyard Skateboarding, Simpson's Skateboarding, Skatepark Tycoon, and ESPN X Games Skateboarding are popular too.

An emerging trend is online games; most are free to play. Favorites are GMax, Downhill Jam by Etnies, Street Sesh (also by Etnies), and Skateboard Jam from Miniclip.

Clothing

You don't have to be a skateboarder to look like one. Popular clothing styles for skateboarders are hoodies, thick shoes, tight or baggy jeans, hats or "beanies", chain wallets and t shirts. You'll likely find stores in the mall that sell these types of clothes, but if you want to shop online, seek out these brands for the most popular selections: Vans, Etnies, Airwalks, Element, Zoo York, DC Shoes, Bilabong, Volcom.

Sometimes, paging through one of the many magazines can inspire your skater fashion. Checkout mags like Thrasher, Skateboarding Magazine, Transworld, and Skateboarder Magazine.

You don't have to be a professional skateboarder to appreciate the culture. You don't even have to be a skater at all! As long as you love the sport, you're a part of the culture.