Skateboarding Culture
Quick Skateboarding 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 skateboarding. In the 60’s, skateboarding became popular when companies started making and selling skateboards – now everyone could tryout skateboarding, 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 skateboarding 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 skateboarding. Skateboarding is more than a sport; it's a way of life, a true culture.
Movies About Skateboarding Culture
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 que - 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 skateboarding tricks, web documentaries, competition coverage and more.
Video Games About Skateboarding Culture
Video and computer games about skateboarding 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 skateboarding video games like Skate, Backyard Skateboarding, Simpson’s Skateboarding, Skatepark Tycoon, and ESPN X Games Skateboarding are popular too.
An emerging trend is online skateboarding games; most are free to play. Favorites are GMax, Downhill Jam by Etnies, Street Sesh (also by Etnies), and Skateboard Jam from Miniclip.
Clothing Influenced by Skateboarding Culture
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 tshirts. 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 skateboarding 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 skateboarding culture. You don’t even have to be a skater at all! As long as you love the sport, you’re a part of skateboarding culture.