Editing Skateboarding (section)

==History==
===1940s–1960s===
The first skateboards started with wooden boxes, or boards, with [[Roller skates|roller skate]] wheels attached to the bottom. Crate [[Kick scooter|scooter]]s preceded skateboards, having a wooden crate attached to the nose (front of the board), which formed rudimentary handlebars.<ref name="Gnarly"/><ref name="SBH">{{cite web|url=http://skateboard.about.com/cs/boardscience/a/brief_history.htm|title=Skateboarding: A Brief History (page 1)|access-date=September 1, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301070703/http://skateboard.about.com/cs/boardscience/a/brief_history.htm|archive-date=March 1, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Wave">{{cite book| last = Brooke| first = Michael| title = The Concrete Wave: The History of Skateboarding| publisher = Warwick Publishing Inc| year = 1999| isbn = 1894020545}}</ref> The boxes turned into planks, similar to the skateboard decks of today.<ref name="Architecture"/>

Skateboarding, as it exists today, was probably born sometime in the late 1940s, or early 1950s,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-02-11 |title=THE PREHISTORIC SKATEBOARD? |url=https://www.jenkemmag.com/home/2015/02/11/the-prehistoric-skateboard/ |access-date=2022-10-10 |website=Jenkem Magazine |language=en}}</ref> when [[surfers]] in [[California]] wanted something to do when the waves were flat. This was called "sidewalk surfing" – a new wave of surfing on the sidewalk as the sport of surfing became highly popular. No one knows who made the first board; it seems that several people came up with similar ideas at around the same time. The first manufactured skateboards were ordered by a [[Los Angeles]], California surf shop, meant to be used by surfers in their downtime. The shop owner, Bill Richard, made a deal with the Chicago Roller Skate Company<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clayman |first=Andrew |title=Chicago Roller Skate Co., est. 1905 |date=November 28, 2021 |url=https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/chicago-roller-skate-co/ }}</ref> to produce sets of skate wheels, which they attached to square wooden boards. Accordingly, skateboarding was originally denoted "sidewalk surfing" and early skaters emulated [[surfing]] style and maneuvers, and performed barefoot.<ref name="Gnarly">{{cite book |last1=Marcus |first1=Ben |last2=Grggi |first2=Lucia |title=The Skateboard: The Good, the Rad, and the Gnarly: An Illustrated History |publisher=MVP Book |year=2011 |isbn=9780760338056 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NxembYuScL8C |access-date=October 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320011028/http://books.google.com/books?id=NxembYuScL8C |archive-date=March 20, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Architecture"/>{{sfn|Weyland|2002|p=21}}

By the 1960s a small number of surfing manufacturers in [[Southern California]] such as Jack's, Kips', [[Hobart Alter|Hobie]], Bing's and Makaha started building skateboards that resembled small surfboards, and assembled teams to promote their products. One of the earliest Skateboard exhibitions was sponsored by Makaha's founder, [[Larry Stevenson]], in 1963 and it was held at the Pier Avenue Junior High School in [[Hermosa Beach]], California.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rompella |first=Natalie |title=Famous Firsts: The Trendsetters, Groundbreakers & Risk-Takers Who Got America Moving! |publisher=Lobster Press |year=2007 |isbn=9781897073551 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bc-_uWnoZWwC&pg=PA30 |access-date=November 14, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617083449/https://books.google.com/books?id=bc-_uWnoZWwC&pg=PA30 |archive-date=June 17, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.thanemagazine.com/2012/08/brian-logan-interview/ |title = Brian Logan Interview |author = gbemi |work = Thane Magazine |date = August 29, 2012 |access-date = October 27, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120901100145/http://www.thanemagazine.com/2012/08/brian-logan-interview/ |archive-date = September 1, 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="History">{{cite web | last = Cave | first = Steve | title = A Brief History of Skateboarding | work = [[About.com]] | url = http://skateboard.about.com/cs/boardscience/a/brief_history.htm | access-date = November 10, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120301070703/http://skateboard.about.com/cs/boardscience/a/brief_history.htm | archive-date = March 1, 2012 | url-status = live }}</ref> Some of these same teams of skateboarders were also featured on a television show called ''Surf's Up'' in 1964, hosted by Stan Richards, that helped promote skateboarding as something new and fun to do.<ref>{{cite book|title= The Skateboarder's Journal – Lives on Board|first= Jack|last= Smith|publisher= The Morro Skateboard Group|year= 2009|isbn= 9780557100859|access-date= October 26, 2012|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=s3IROVSEMZ4C&q=Surf%27s+Up+with+Stan+Richards&pg=PA290|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140708213430/http://books.google.com/books?id=s3IROVSEMZ4C&pg=PA290&lpg=PA290&dq=Surf%27s+Up+with+Stan+Richards#v=onepage&q=Surf%27s%20Up%20with%20Stan%20Richards&f=false|archive-date= July 8, 2014|url-status= live}}</ref>

As the popularity of skateboarding began expanding, the first skateboarding magazine, ''[[The Quarterly Skateboarder]]'' was published in 1964.<ref name="Architecture"/> [[John Severson]], who published the magazine, wrote in his first editorial:

{{Blockquote|Today's skateboarders are founders in this sport—they're pioneers—they are the first. There is no history in Skateboarding—its being made now—by you. The sport is being molded and we believe that doing the right thing now will lead to a bright future for the sport. Already, there are storm clouds on the horizon with opponents of the sport talking about ban and restriction.<ref name="writers">{{cite web | last = Lannes | first = Xavier | title = Five writers that changed the way we read skateboarding magazines | year = 2011 | url = http://blog.istia.tv/2011/12/five-writers-that-changed-way-we-read.html | access-date = November 12, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120625231555/http://blog.istia.tv/2011/12/five-writers-that-changed-way-we-read.html | archive-date = June 25, 2012 | url-status = live }}</ref>}}

The magazine only lasted four issues, but resumed publication as ''[[Skateboarder (magazine)|Skateboarder]]'' in 1975.<ref name="writers"/><ref>{{cite web |url = http://vintageskateboardmagazines.com/Skateboarder1965.html |title = The Quarterly Skateboarder (USA) |work = Vintage Skateboard Magazine |publisher = Jospehdreams |year = 2007 |access-date = October 27, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121117234551/http://vintageskateboardmagazines.com/Skateboarder1965.html |archive-date = November 17, 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = http://vintageskateboardmagazines.com/Skateboarder.html|title = Skateboarder (USA)|work = Vintage Skateboard Magazine|publisher = Jospehdreams|year = 2007|access-date = October 27, 2012|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121115093708/http://vintageskateboardmagazines.com/Skateboarder.html|archive-date = November 15, 2012|url-status = live}}</ref> The first broadcast of an actual skateboarding competition was the 1965 National Skateboarding Championships, which were held in [[Anaheim]], California and aired on ABC's ''[[Wide World of Sports (American TV program)|Wide World of Sports]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOwYrTMYTgs&feature=relmfu |title = GIRLS Skateboarding 1965 Skateboard Championships |author = Surfstyley4 |publisher = [[YouTube]] |date = April 7, 2010 |work = Starrfilms |access-date = October 27, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150606052536/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOwYrTMYTgs&feature=relmfu |archive-date = June 6, 2015 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADtgbABmG18 |title = 1965 American Skateboard Slalom Championships – Anaheim, California |author = slalomvideos |publisher = [[YouTube]] |date = June 17, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190817081732/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADtgbABmG18&gl=US&hl=en&has_verified=1&bpctr=9999999999 |archive-date = August 17, 2019 |url-status = live }}</ref> Because skateboarding was a new sport during this time, there were only two original disciplines during competitions: flatland [[Freestyle skateboarding|freestyle]] and [[Slalom skateboarding|slalom]] downhill racing.<ref name="Gnarly"/>

Animated cartoons of the time occasionally featured skateboard gags. Two [[Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner|Road Runner]] cartoons made in 1965, ''[[Shot and Bothered]]'' and ''[[Out and Out Rout]]'', feature Wile E. Coyote riding a skateboard.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060971/reference/ | title=Shot and Bothered (1966) - IMDb | website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060806/reference/ | title=Out and Out Rout (1966) - IMDb | website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref>

One of the earliest sponsored skateboarders, [[Patti McGee]], was paid by Hobie and Vita Pak to travel around the country to do skateboarding exhibitions and to demonstrate skateboarding safety tips. McGee made the cover of ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' magazine<ref name="Architecture"/><ref>{{cite magazine |url = http://life.time.com/culture/skateboards-and-skateboarding-photos-1965/#1 |title = LIFE Goes Skateboarding, 1965 |author = Bill Eppridge |magazine = [[Time (magazine)|Time magazine]] |access-date = December 12, 2012 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130112081721/http://life.time.com/culture/skateboards-and-skateboarding-photos-1965/#1 |archive-date = January 12, 2013 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> in 1965 and was featured on several popular television programs—''[[The Mike Douglas Show]]'', ''[[What's My Line?]]'' and ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]''—which helped make skateboarding even more popular at the time.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqrD0Vl5Vo4 |title = Patti McGee Skateboard Champion Tv 1965 |author = Surfstyley |publisher = [[YouTube]] |date = January 25, 2011 |work = Starrfilms |access-date = October 27, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140601055331/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqrD0Vl5Vo4 |archive-date = June 1, 2014 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg644sM5tSA&feature=relmfu |title = Patti McGee 1965 Skateboard Champion on What's My Line |author = Surfstyley |publisher = [[YouTube]] |date = October 31, 2010 |work = Starrfilms |access-date = October 27, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151212055608/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg644sM5tSA&feature=relmfu |archive-date = December 12, 2015 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://blog.istia.tv/2011/10/patti-mcgee-interview-with-istia.html |title = Patti McGee interview with isTia |publisher = I Skate Therefore I Am |date = October 17, 2011 |access-date = October 27, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120730091834/http://blog.istia.tv/2011/10/patti-mcgee-interview-with-istia.html |archive-date = July 30, 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref> Some other well known surfer-style skateboarders of the time were Danny Bearer, Torger Johnson, Bruce Logan, Bill and Mark Richards, Woody Woodward, and Jim Fitzpatrick.

The growth of the sport during this period can also be seen in sales figures for Makaha, which quoted $4 million worth of board sales between 1963 and 1965.{{sfn|Weyland|2002|p=28}} By 1966 a variety of sources began to claim that skateboarding was dangerous, resulting in shops being reluctant to sell them, and parents being reluctant to buy them. In 1966 sales had dropped significantly{{sfn|Weyland|2002|p=28}} and ''[[Skateboarder (magazine)|Skateboarder Magazine]]'' had stopped publication. The popularity of skateboarding dropped and remained low until the early 1970s.<ref name="SBH"/><ref name="SBH2">{{cite web|url= http://www.skatelog.com/skateboarding/skateboarding-history.htm|title= Skateboarding History|access-date= September 2, 2007|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120219132259/http://www.skatelog.com/skateboarding/skateboarding-history.htm|archive-date= February 19, 2012|url-status= dead}}</ref><ref name="Fitzpatrick">{{cite web | title = Jim Fitzpatrick Interview | publisher = I Skate Therefore I Am | date = January 6, 2011 | url = http://blog.istia.tv/2011/01/jim-fitzpatrick-interview-part-ii-1957.html | access-date = November 10, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121116232821/http://blog.istia.tv/2011/01/jim-fitzpatrick-interview-part-ii-1957.html | archive-date = November 16, 2012 | url-status = live }}</ref>

===1970s===
In the early 1970s, [[Frank Nasworthy]] started to develop a skateboard wheel made of [[polyurethane]], calling his company Cadillac Wheels.<ref name="SBH"/> Prior to this new material, skateboards wheels were metal or "clay" wheels.<ref name="Architecture"/> The improvement in traction and performance was so immense that from the wheel's release in 1972 the popularity of skateboarding started to rise rapidly again, causing companies to invest more in product development. Nasworthy commissioned artist [[Jim Evans (artist)|Jim Evans]] to do a series of paintings promoting Cadillac Wheels, they were featured as ads and posters in the resurrected ''Skateboarder Magazine'', and proved immensely popular in promoting the new style of skateboarding.

In the early 1970s, the precursors to the modern skateparks for skateboarding would be the repurposing of urban hydro and storm water infrastructure such as the [[Escondido, California|Escondido]] reservoir in [[San Diego]], California.<ref name="Architecture"/> ''Skateboarding'' magazine would publish the location and skateboarders made up nicknames for each location such as the Tea Bowl, the Fruit Bowl, Bellagio, the Rabbit Hole, Bird Bath, the Egg Bowl, Upland Pool and the Sewer Slide. Some of the development concepts in the terrain of skateparks were actually taken from the Escondido reservoir.<ref name="Stalefish">{{cite book|title= Stalefish: Skateboard Culture from the Rejects Who Made It|first= Sean|last= Mortimer|publisher= Chronicle Books|year= 2008|isbn= 9780811860420|access-date= November 3, 2012|url= https://archive.org/details/stalefishskatebo0000mort|url-access= registration}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.angelfire.com/ca3/peralta/iv.html |title = Stacy Peralta 1st Skateboarder Magazine Interview |publisher = Skateboarder Magazine |date = October 1976 |work = Z-Boys.com |access-date = November 3, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141213112922/http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/peralta/iv.html |archive-date = December 13, 2014 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://calstreets.com/gxp-retro-skaters/skateboard-history-vintage/2012-06-12-05-45-04/sims-corporation-2 |title = Sims Contributions and Importance to Skateboarding |author = Ben Marcus |publisher = Calstreets |date = May 24, 2012 |access-date = November 5, 2012 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130617041510/http://calstreets.com/gxp-retro-skaters/skateboard-history-vintage/2012-06-12-05-45-04/sims-corporation-2 |archive-date = June 17, 2013 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> Many companies started to manufacture trucks (axles) specially designed for skateboarding, reached in 1976 by Tracker Trucks. As the equipment became more maneuverable, the decks started to get wider, reaching widths of {{convert|10|in|mm}} and over, thus giving the skateboarder even more control.<ref name="Architecture"/> A banana board is a skinny, flexible skateboard made of [[polypropylene]] with ribs on the underside for structural support. These were very popular during the mid-1970s and were available in a myriad of colors, bright yellow probably being the most memorable, hence the name.

In 1975, skateboarding had risen back in popularity enough to have one of the largest skateboarding competitions since the 1960s, the Del Mar National Championships, which is said to have had up to 500 competitors. The competition lasted two days and was sponsored by Bahne Skateboards and Cadillac Wheels. While the main event was won by freestyle spinning skate legend [[Russ Howell]],<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.skatelegends.com/russ_howell.htm |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20011224210956/http://www.skatelegends.com/russ_howell.htm |url-status = dead |archive-date = December 24, 2001 |title = Russ Howell Interview |author = Dan Gesmer |work = Skate Legends.com |access-date = November 3, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://skateboard.about.com/od/boardscience/a/DogtownHistory_3.htm |title = The True Story of Dogtown and the Zephyr Team |author1 = Steve Cave |publisher = [[About.com]] |access-date = November 3, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130206185951/http://skateboard.about.com/od/boardscience/a/DogtownHistory_3.htm |archive-date = February 6, 2013 |url-status = live }}</ref> a local skate team from [[Santa Monica]], California, the Zephyr team, ushered in a new era of surfer style skateboarding during the competition that would have a lasting impact on skateboarding's history. With a team of 12, including skating legends such as [[Jay Adams]], [[Tony Alva]], [[Peggy Oki]] and [[Stacy Peralta]], they brought a new progressive style of skateboarding to the event, based on the style of Hawaiian surfers [[Bertlemann slide|Larry Bertlemann]], [[Buttons Kaluhiokalani]] and Mark Liddell.<ref>{{cite web|url =http://www.dogtownskateboards.com/about/history.html|title =Our only Crime is Being Original|author =Dogtown Skateboards|access-date =November 24, 2012|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20121226053345/http://www.dogtownskateboards.com/about/history.html|archive-date =December 26, 2012|url-status =dead|df =mdy-all}}</ref> [[Craig Stecyk]], a photo journalist for ''Skateboarder Magazine'', wrote about and photographed the team, along with [[Glen E. Friedman]], and shortly afterwards ran a series on the team called the Dogtown articles, which eventually immortalized the Zephyr skateboard team. The team became known as the [[Z-Boys]] and would go on to become one of the most influential teams in skateboarding's history.<ref name="Stalefish"/><ref name="Legend">{{cite book |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=2i55HQAACAAJ |title = Dogtown: The Legend Of The Z-Boys |author1 = Craig Stecyk |author2 = Glen E. Friedman |author3 = C. R. Stecyk |publisher = Burning Flags Press |year = 2002 |access-date = November 3, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150320012851/http://books.google.com/books/about/Dogtown.html?id=2i55HQAACAAJ |archive-date = March 20, 2015 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title= Have Board, Will Travel: The Definitive History of Surf, Skate, and Snow|first= Jamie|last= Brisick|year= 2004|publisher= Harper Collins|isbn= 0060563591|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=gNv-ge5rOOUC&q=Jay+Adams+is+said+to+have+changed+skateboarding+at+del+mar&pg=PA45|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160429190622/https://books.google.com/books?id=gNv-ge5rOOUC&pg=PA45&lpg=PA45&dq=Jay+Adams+is+said+to+have+changed+skateboarding+at+del+mar#v=onepage&q=Jay%20Adams%20is%20said%20to%20have%20changed%20skateboarding%20at%20del%20mar&f=false|archive-date= April 29, 2016|url-status= live}}</ref>

Soon, skateboarding contests for cash and prizes, using a professional tier system, began to be held throughout California, such as the [[California Free Former]] World Professional Skateboard Championships, which featured freestyle and slalom competitions.<ref name="Birthday">{{cite web | last = Lannes | first = Xavier | title = Happy Birthday Ellen Oneal | publisher = istia | url = http://blog.istia.tv/2011/05/happy-birthday-ellen-oneal.html | access-date = November 17, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121024053810/http://blog.istia.tv/2011/05/happy-birthday-ellen-oneal.html | archive-date = October 24, 2012 | url-status = live }}</ref>

A precursor to the extreme sport of [[street luge]], that was sanctioned by the United States Skateboarding Association (USSA), also took place during the 1970s in [[Signal Hill, California|Signal Hill]], California. The competition was called "The Signal Hill Skateboarding Speed Run", with several competitors earning entries into the ''[[Guinness Book of World Records]]'', at the time clocking speeds of over {{convert|50|mph|kph|abbr=on}} on a skateboard. Due to technology and safety concerns at the time, when many competitors crashed during their runs, the sport did not gain popularity or support during this time.<ref>{{cite web|url =  https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-nov-18-sp-signalhill18-story.html|title =  Board out of their minds|author =  Mike Horelick|date =  November 18, 2007|work =  [[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date =  November 17, 2012|archive-url =  https://web.archive.org/web/20120622195909/http://articles.latimes.com/2007/nov/18/sports/sp-signalhill18|archive-date =  June 22, 2012|url-status =  live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ycn-8612409 |title = vHistory of skateboard competitions 1960s to 1980s: A brief overview |author1 = Killeen Gonzalez |date = June 9, 2011 |work = [[Yahoo]] |access-date = November 17, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140113025406/http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ycn-8612409 |archive-date = January 13, 2014 |url-status = live }}</ref>

In March 1976, Skateboard City skatepark in [[Port Orange]], Florida and Carlsbad Skatepark in [[San Diego County]], California would be the first two large size US skateparks to be opened to the public, just a week apart.<ref name="Architecture"/> They were the first of some 200 skateparks that would be built through 1982. This was due in part to articles that were running in the investment journals at the time, stating that skateparks were a good investment.<ref name="Gnarly"/><ref name="Stalefish"/><ref>{{cite book|title= Skateparks: Grab Your Skateboard|first= Matt|last= Doeden|publisher= Capstone Press|year= 2002|isbn= 0-7368-1072-2|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=XU5F2ngzU58C&q=Skateboard+City+skatepark+opens+in+Port+Orange,+Florida&pg=PT7|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160427154102/https://books.google.com/books?id=XU5F2ngzU58C&pg=PT7&dq=Skateboard+City+skatepark+opens+in+Port+Orange,+Florida&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3RyYUKqgL8X1iQLRmoEg&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAQ|archive-date= April 27, 2016|url-status= live}}</ref> Notable skateboarders from the 1970s also include [[Ty Page]], Tom Inouye, Laura Thornhill, Ellen O'Neal, Kim Cespedes, Bob Biniak, Jana Payne, Waldo Autry, Robin Logan, Bobby Piercy, Russ Howell, Ellen Berryman, [[Shogo Kubo]], Desiree Von Essen, Henry Hester, Robin Alaway, Paul Hackett, Michelle Matta, Bruce Logan, Steve Cathey, Edie Robertson, Mike Weed, David Hackett, Gregg Ayres, Darren Ho, and [[Tom Sims]]{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}.

Manufacturers started to experiment with more exotic composites and metals, like [[fiberglass]] and [[aluminum]], but the common skateboards were made of maple plywood.<ref name="Architecture"/> The skateboarders took advantage of the improved handling of their skateboards and started inventing new tricks. Skateboarders, most notably Ty Page, Bruce Logan, Bobby Piercy, Kevin Reed, and the Z-Boys started to skate the vertical walls of swimming pools that were left empty in the [[Drought in the United States#Localized United States droughts|1976 California drought]]. This started the "[[Vert (sport)|vert]]" trend in skateboarding. With increased control, vert skaters could skate faster and perform more dangerous tricks, such as slash grinds and frontside/backside airs. This caused liability concerns and increased insurance costs to skatepark owners, and the development (first by [[Norcon]], then more successfully by Rector) of improved knee pads that had a hard sliding cap and strong strapping proved to be too-little-too-late. During this era, the "freestyle" movement in skateboarding began to splinter off and develop into a much more specialized discipline, characterized by the development of a wide assortment of flat-ground tricks.

As a result of the "vert" skating movement, skate parks had to contend with high liability costs that led to many park closures. In response, vert skaters started making their own ramps, while freestyle skaters continued to evolve their flatland style. Thus, by the beginning of the 1980s, skateboarding had once again declined in popularity.<ref name="SBH2"/>

===1980s===
[[File:Judi Oyama Rich Oyama Capitola White Shirt.png|thumb|[[Judi Oyama]] in 1980]]
This period was fueled by skateboard companies that were run by skateboarders. The focus was initially on [[vert ramp]] skateboarding. The invention of the no-hands aerial (later known as the [[Ollie (skateboarding)|ollie]]) by [[Alan Gelfand]] in Florida in 1976,<ref name="sm">{{cite news|title=GASBAG|url=http://skateboarding.transworld.net/1000009436/features/gasbag/|work=Transworld Skateboarding|publisher=Bonnier Corporation|access-date=August 17, 2012|author=Transworld|date=October 11, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120134852/http://skateboarding.transworld.net/1000009436/features/gasbag/|archive-date=January 20, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> and the almost parallel development of the grabbed aerial by George Orton and [[Tony Alva]] in California, made it possible for skaters to perform airs on vertical ramps. While this wave of skateboarding was sparked by commercialized vert ramp skating, a majority of people who skateboarded during this period did not ride vert ramps. As most people could not afford to build vert ramps, or did not have access to nearby ramps, [[Street skateboarding|street skating]] increased in popularity.

Freestyle skating remained healthy throughout this period, with pioneers such as [[Rodney Mullen]] inventing many of the basic tricks that would become the foundation of modern street skating, such as the "Impossible" and the "[[kickflip]]".<ref name="Architecture"/> The influence that freestyle exerted upon street skating became apparent during the mid-1980s; however, street skating was still performed on wide vert boards with short noses, slide rails, and large soft wheels. In response to the tensions created by this confluence of skateboarding "genres", a rapid evolution occurred in the late 1980s to accommodate the street skater. Since few skateparks were available to skaters at this time, street skating pushed skaters to seek out shopping centers and public and private property as their "spot" to skate. (Public opposition, in which businesses, governments, and property owners have banned skateboarding on properties under their jurisdiction or ownership, would progressively intensify over the following decades.) <ref name="Architecture"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Skate For Life: An Analysis of the Skateboarding Subculture|url=http://honors.usf.edu/documents/Thesis/U69703351.pdf|work=Skate For Life: An Analysis of the Skateboarding Subculture (Honors Thesis)|publisher=USF University of South Florida|access-date=August 17, 2012|author=Thomas Slee|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120134855/http://honors.usf.edu/documents/Thesis/U69703351.pdf|archive-date=January 20, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Poetics of Security: Skateboarding, Urban Design, and the New Public Space{{!}}1|url=http://bss.sfsu.edu/urbanaction/ua2001/ps2.html|work=Urban Action 2001|publisher=San Francisco State University|access-date=August 17, 2012|author=Ocean Howell|year=2001|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120724004733/http://bss.sfsu.edu/urbanaction/ua2001/ps2.html|archive-date=July 24, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref> By 1992, only a small fraction of skateboarders continuing to take part in a highly technical version of street skating, combined with the decline of vert skating, produced a sport that lacked the mainstream appeal to attract new skaters.

During this period, numerous skateboarders—as well as companies in the industry—paid tribute to the scenes of [[Marty McFly]] skateboarding in the film ''[[Back to the Future]]'' for its influence in this regard. Examples can be seen in promotional material, in interviews in which professional skateboarders cite the film as an initiation into the action sport, and in the public's recognition of the film's influence.<ref>{{cite web|title=Welcome Back to the Future Of Radical |url=http://www.rogerskateboards.com/welcome-back-to-the-future-of-radical/ |publisher=Roger Skateboards|access-date=August 24, 2012 |author=Michael Sieben |author2=Stacey Lowery |date=June 23, 2012 |url-status= usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511170150/http://www.rogerskateboards.com/welcome-back-to-the-future-of-radical/ |archive-date=May 11, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Going 'Back to the Future,' 25 years later|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/10/20/bttf.anniversary.go/index.html|work=CNN Cable News Network|publisher=Turner Broadcasting System, Inc|access-date=August 24, 2012|author=Henry Hanks|date=October 26, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222230003/http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/10/20/bttf.anniversary.go/index.html|archive-date=February 22, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Tony Hawk has stated that “there are plenty of legendary pros that I know of that started skating because they saw that [film].” <ref>{{Cite web|title=At Tokyo Olympics, a debt to 'Back to the Future' and 'E.T.'|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2021/07/23/at-tokyo-olympics-a-debt-to-back-to-the-future-and-et/117657620/|access-date=2021-08-01|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US}}</ref>

===1990s===
Skateboarding during the 1990s became dominated by [[street skateboarding]].<ref name="Architecture"/> Most boards are about {{convert|7+1/4|to|8|in|mm}} wide and {{convert|30|to|32|in|mm}} long. The wheels are made of an extremely hard [[polyurethane]], with hardness ([[durometer]]) approximately 99A. The wheel sizes are relatively small so that the boards are lighter, and the wheels' inertia is overcome quicker, thus making tricks more manageable. Board styles have changed dramatically since the 1970s but have remained mostly alike since the mid-1990s. The contemporary shape of the skateboard is derived from the [[Freestyle skateboarding|freestyle]] boards of the 1980s with a largely symmetrical shape and relatively narrow width. This form had become standard by the mid-1990s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.skateboardexpress.com.au/freestyle/|title=HOME FREESTYLE Freestyle|publisher=Skateboard Express|access-date=March 20, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606054411/http://www.skateboardexpress.com.au/freestyle/|archive-date=June 6, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===2000s===
[[File:Bad-mama-jamas 0049.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|Skateboarder in [[Manhattan|Manhattan, New York]] (2008)]]
By 2001, skateboarding had gained so much popularity that more American people under the age of 18 rode skateboards (10.6 million) than played baseball (8.2 million), although traditional organized team sports still dominated youth programs overall.<ref name="jump">{{cite web |url = http://www.ocfamily.com/t-coverstory_action_sports0203.aspx |title = Why kids climb higher and jump farther – on their own terms |author = John Weyler |publisher = OC Metro |date = February 2003 |access-date = December 2, 2012 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121102090542/http://ocfamily.com/t-CoverStory_Action_Sports0203.aspx |archive-date = November 2, 2012 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> Skateboarding and skateparks began to be viewed and used in a variety of new ways to complement academic lessons in schools, including new non-traditional physical education skateboarding programs, like Skatepass<ref name="Architecture"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Skateboards coming to a gym class near you |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/12708014  |date=May 9, 2006  |work=[[NBC News]] |access-date= December 12, 2012}}{{dead link|date=August 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> and [[Skateistan]],<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.news.com.au/world/female-afghan-skateboarder-pulls-off-fearless-big-air-at-bamiyan-buddha-site/story-fndir2ev-1226456483883 |title = Female skateboarder pulls off fearless big air at Bamiyan Buddha site |author = Simon Crerar |publisher = News Limited Network |date = August 23, 2012 |access-date = December 12, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140227010444/http://www.news.com.au/world/female-afghan-skateboarder-pulls-off-fearless-big-air-at-bamiyan-buddha-site/story-fndir2ev-1226456483883 |archive-date = February 27, 2014 |url-status = live }}</ref> to encourage youth to have better attendance, self-discipline and confidence.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.webmd.com/parenting/raising-fit-kids/move/parents-pe-questions |title = What Do You Know About PE for Kids? |author = Ellen Greenlaw |website = WebMD |year = 2012 |access-date = December 1, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121122060606/http://www.webmd.com/parenting/raising-fit-kids/move/parents-pe-questions |archive-date = November 22, 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://nmai.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/item/399/ |title = Ramp it Up: Skateboard Culture in Native America |publisher = Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian |year = 2009 |access-date = December 1, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140112232412/http://nmai.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/item/399/ |archive-date = January 12, 2014 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.hepg.org/hel/article/143|title = Getting a Jump on Good Health|author = Sara-Ellen Amster|publisher = Harvard University|date = December 2000|work = Volume 16, Number 6|access-date = December 1, 2012|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120922034854/http://hepg.org/hel/article/143|archive-date = September 22, 2012|url-status = live}}</ref> This was also based on the healthy physical opportunities skateboarding was understood to bring participants for muscle & bone strengthening and balance, as well as the positive impacts it can have on youth in teaching them mutual respect, social networking, artistic expression and an appreciation of the environment.<ref name="Architecture"/><ref>{{cite web |url = http://business.transworld.net/98778/news/just-one-board-skateboard-recycling-program/ |title = 'Just one Board' Skateboard Recycling Program |author = Kelli Hargrove |publisher = Transworld Business |date = May 24, 2012 |access-date = December 1, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120823125742/http://business.transworld.net/98778/news/just-one-board-skateboard-recycling-program/ |archive-date = August 23, 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.ocmetro.com/t-Just-One-Board-International-Association-of-Skateboarding-Companies-donations-6-20-12.aspx |title = 'Just One Board' offers skateboarders a chance to give back to their community |author = Jacy Danque |publisher = OC Metro |date = June 20, 2012 |access-date = December 1, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150322134458/http://www.ocmetro.com/t-Just-One-Board-International-Association-of-Skateboarding-Companies-donations-6-20-12.aspx |archive-date = March 22, 2015 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.wheelscape.co.uk/why-skateparks.php |title = Why a Skatepark is a Good Idea |publisher = Wheelscape |access-date = December 1, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121124073937/http://www.wheelscape.co.uk/why-skateparks.php |archive-date = November 24, 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.cdc.gov/search.do?queryText=skateboarding&action=search |title = 2008 Physical Activity Guidelins for Americans  |publisher = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |year = 2008 |access-date= December 1, 2012 }}</ref>

In 2003, [[Go Skateboarding Day]] was founded in southern California by the [[International Association of Skateboard Companies]] (IASC)<ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.oregonlive.com/wilsonville/index.ssf/2011/06/celebrate_international_go_ska.html|title = Celebrate International Go Skateboarding Day Tuesday in Wilsonville|author = Vickie Kavanagh|newspaper = The Oregonian|date = June 15, 2011|access-date = December 16, 2012|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120115160735/http://www.oregonlive.com/wilsonville/index.ssf/2011/06/celebrate_international_go_ska.html|archive-date = January 15, 2012|url-status = live}}</ref> to promote skateboarding throughout the world. It is celebrated annually on June 21 "to define skateboarding as the rebellious, creative celebration of independence it continues to be."<ref>{{cite web|title=GO SKATEBOARDING DAY 2012 PICS|url=http://www.theadrenalist.com/sports/go-skateboarding-day-2012-pics/|work=The Adrenalist|publisher=Unilever|access-date=May 25, 2013|date=June 22, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531123439/http://www.theadrenalist.com/sports/go-skateboarding-day-2012-pics/|archive-date=May 31, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2011-jun-22-la-me-0622-skateboarders-20110622-story.html |title = Hundreds in L.A. celebrate Go Skateboarding Day |author1 = Ricardo Lopez |author2 = Andrew Blankstein |date = June 22, 2011 |work = [[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date = November 18, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150611002516/http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/22/local/la-me-0622-skateboarders-20110622 |archive-date = June 11, 2015 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://skateboard.about.com/od/events/a/GoSkateDay.htm |title = Go Skateboarding Day |author = Steve Cave |publisher = About.com |access-date = November 18, 2012 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130116231026/http://skateboard.about.com/od/events/a/GoSkateDay.htm |archive-date = January 16, 2013 |df = mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url = http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2007/06/11/361140/121178/en/United-States-Government-Goes-Skateboarding.html |title = United States Government Goes Skateboarding |publisher = International Association of Skateboard Companies |via = GlobeNewswire, Inc. |date = June 11, 2007 |access-date = December 8, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150610220152/http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2007/06/11/361140/121178/en/United-States-Government-Goes-Skateboarding.html |archive-date = June 10, 2015 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://business.transworld.net/100295/news/just-one-board-makes-its-mark-on-go-skateboarding-day/ |title = Just One Board Makes Its Mark On Go Skateboarding Day |author = Kelli Hargrove |publisher = Transworld Business |date = June 13, 2012 |access-date = December 12, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120627045436/http://business.transworld.net/100295/news/just-one-board-makes-its-mark-on-go-skateboarding-day/ |archive-date = June 27, 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref>
According to market research firm American Sports Data the number of skateboarders worldwide increased by more than 60 percent between 1999 and 2002—from 7.8 million to 12.5 million.<ref>{{cite web|title=Globe International Headquarters|url=http://www.australiandesignreview.com/interiors/2183-globe-international-headquarters|work=Australian Design Review|publisher=Niche Media|access-date=May 25, 2013|author=Domingo Antonio Robledo|date=June 8, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130911040010/http://www.australiandesignreview.com/interiors/2183-globe-international-headquarters|archive-date=September 11, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

Many cities also began implementing recreation plans and statutes during this time period, as part of their vision for local parks and communities to make public lands more available, in particular, for skateboarding, inviting skateboarders to come in off of the city streets and into organized skateboarding activity areas.<ref name="Architecture"/> By 2006, there were over 2,400 skateparks worldwide and the design of skateparks themselves had made a transition, as skaters turned designers.<ref name="jump"/><ref>{{cite magazine |url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1220532-1,00.html |title = It's All in the Swoop |author = Richard Lacayo |magazine = Time Magazine |date = July 30, 2006 |access-date = December 3, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121106002431/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1220532-1,00.html |archive-date = November 6, 2012 |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="C4WDefault-5726471">{{cite web |url=http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?mode=View%20Statutes&SubMenu=1&App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=316.0085&URL=CH0316/SEC0085.HTM |title=The 1999 Florida Statutes 316.0085 Skateboarding; inline skating; freestyle bicycling; definitions; liability. |work=leg.state.fl.us |date=c. 1999 |access-date=December 1, 2012 |author=The Florida Legislature (1999) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406003947/http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?mode=View%20Statutes&SubMenu=1&App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=316.0085&URL=CH0316%2FSEC0085.HTM |archive-date=April 6, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cprs.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=261&catid=82&Itemid=56&phpMyAdmin=58b368d4cb5b69c1b7d216ab094e3960 |title=Issues Facing California's Skate Parks |last1=Childs |first1=Marti |last2=March |first2=Jeff |publisher=California Park & Recreation Society |date=Spring 2002 |volume=58 |issue=2 |page=32 |access-date=December 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407073207/http://www.cprs.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=261&catid=82&Itemid=56&phpMyAdmin=58b368d4cb5b69c1b7d216ab094e3960 |archive-date=April 7, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url = https://archive.org/details/skateboardingins0000wixo |url-access = registration |page = [https://archive.org/details/skateboardingins0000wixo/page/9 9] |quote = skateboarding curriculum. |title = Skateboarding Instruction, Programming and Park Design |author = Ben Wixon |publisher = Human Kinetics |year = 2009 |isbn = 9780736074261 |access-date = December 2, 2012 }}</ref> Many new places to skateboard designed specifically for street skaters, such as [[the Buszy]] in [[Milton Keynes]], UK, and the Safe Spot Skate Spot program, first initiated by professional skateboarder [[Rob Dyrdek]] throughout many cities, allowed for the creation of smaller alternative safe skate plazas to be built at a lower cost.<ref name="Architecture"/><ref>{{cite magazine |url = http://skateboarding.transworld.net/1000157925/news/kansas-citys-first-safe-spot-skate-spot/ |title = Kansas City's First Safe Spot Skate Spot |author = Blair Alley |magazine = Transworld Skateboarding |date= May 15, 2012 |access-date = December 3, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130529130146/http://skateboarding.transworld.net/1000157925/news/kansas-citys-first-safe-spot-skate-spot/ |archive-date = May 29, 2013 |url-status = live }}</ref> One of the largest locations ever built to skateboard in the world, [[Skateboarding in China|SMP Skatepark]] in China, at 12,000 square meters in size, was built complete with a 5,000-seat stadium.<ref name="Architecture"/><ref>{{cite web |url = http://uschina.usc.edu/article@usct?skateboarding_with_chinese_characteristics_12079.aspx |title = Skateboarding with Chinese Characteristics |author = Jonathan Chow |date = June 20, 2008 |work = University of Southern California |access-date = November 2, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140407084431/http://uschina.usc.edu/article@usct?skateboarding_with_chinese_characteristics_12079.aspx |archive-date = April 7, 2014 |url-status = live }}</ref>

In 2009, [[Skatelab]] opened the Skateboarding Hall of Fame & Skateboard Museum. Nominees are chosen by the IASC.<ref name="Six">{{cite web|title=Six added to Skateboarding Hall of Fame|work=ESPN Action|date =November 2, 2010|url=https://www.espn.com/action/skateboarding/news/story?id=5749227|access-date=October 27, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101102222614/http://sports.espn.go.com/action/skateboarding/news/story?id=5749227|archive-date=November 2, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web  |url =http://www.simivalleyacorn.com/news/2008-05-30/sports/039.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919002415/http://www.simivalleyacorn.com/news/2008-05-30/sports/039.html|url-status=dead|archive-date =September 19, 2015|title =Hawk, other skateboarding legends slated to attend book signing at Skatelab|first=Thomas|last=Gase|publisher =Simi Valley Acorn  |date =May 5, 2008|access-date =December 22, 2012}}</ref>

===2010s{{ndash}}present===
[[File:Freeride Skateboarding & Downhill Slides.webm|thumb|right|upright=1.0|Downhill skateboarding (video) (2012)]]
Efforts have been taken to improve recognition of the cultural heritage as well as the positive effects of encouraging skateboarding within designated spaces. In 2015, the [[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], hosted an event at which skateboarders accompanied by music did tricks on a ramp constructed for a festival of [[Culture of the United States|American culture]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Finding a Line: Skateboarding, Music, and Media with Jason Moran and The Bandwagon|url=http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/event/XPAEJ|location=Washington, D.C.|publisher=[[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts]]|date=September 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926111844/http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/event/XPAEJ|archive-date=September 26, 2015|access-date=October 15, 2018}}</ref> The event was the climax of a ten-day project that transformed a federal institution formerly off-limits to the skateboarding community into a platform for that community to show its relevance through shared cultural action in a cultural common space.

By raising £790,000, the [[Long Live Southbank]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.llsb.com|title=Long Live Southbank|website=www.llsb.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726165207/http://www.llsb.com/|archive-date=July 26, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> initiative managed in 2017 to curb the destruction of a forty year old spot in London, the [[Southbank Centre|Southbank Undercroft]], a popular skate park, due to urban planning, a salvaging operation whose effect extends beyond skateboarding.<ref name="Architecture"/> The presence of a designated skating area within this public space keeps the space under nearly constant watch and drives [[Homelessness in England|homeless people]] away, increasing the feeling of safety in and near the space.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/aug/07/skaters-make-cities-safer-fight-save-southbank-centre-skatepark|title=How skaters make cities safer – and the fight to save the Southbank skate spot|last=Rinvolucri|first=Bruno|date=2017-08-07|work=The Guardian|access-date=2018-01-14|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180115001521/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/aug/07/skaters-make-cities-safer-fight-save-southbank-centre-skatepark|archive-date=January 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The activity attracts artists such as photographers and film makers, as well as a significant number of tourists, which in turn drives economic activity in the neighborhood.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRO1vhjx_uY|title=How Skaters Make Cities Safer|website=YouTube|date=January 2, 2018 |access-date=2018-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190817111044/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRO1vhjx_uY&gl=US&hl=en&has_verified=1&bpctr=9999999999|archive-date=August 17, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

Recently, [[barefoot]] skating has been experiencing a revival. Many skaters ride barefoot, particularly in summer and in warmer countries, such as [[South Africa]], [[Australia]], [[Spain]] and [[South America]]. The plastic [[penny board]] is intended to be ridden barefoot, as is the surfboard-inspired [[hamboard]].

[[Electric skateboard]]s became popular during the 2010s, as did [[self-balancing unicycle]]s in a board format. The sport of skateboarding made its [[Olympic Games|Olympics]] debut at the [[2020 Summer Olympics]] in [[Tokyo]], with both men's and women's events. Competitions took place during July and August 2021 in two disciplines: street and park (see [[Skateboarding at the 2020 Summer Olympics]]).<ref>{{cite web|title=Skateboarding |url=https://tokyo2020.org/en/games/sport/olympic/skateboarding/ |website=Tokyo 2020|access-date=21 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820112434/https://tokyo2020.org/en/games/sport/olympic/skateboarding/ |archive-date=20 August 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<gallery mode="height=&quot;120px&quot;">
File:Merza.jpg|Skateboarder at [[Skateistan]] in [[Kabul]], [[Afghanistan]] (2011)
File:1 bowl skate boarding.JPG|A skateboarder in mid flight performing a trick in Australia (2012)
File:Iso-Vilunen Skatepark (20767168976).jpg|The Iso-Vilunen Skatepark in [[Kaukajärvi (district)|Kaukajärvi]], [[Tampere]], [[Finland]] (2015)
File:Nicholas Deconie frontside five-0 at Millennium Skate Park, Owl's Head Park.jpg|Nicholas Deconie frontside five-0 at [[Millennium Skate Park]] in [[Brooklyn|Brooklyn, New York]] (2019)
File:Skaters await their turn during the best trick contest.jpg|Skaters await their turn during the best trick contest at the [[Coleman Playground|Coleman Playground Skatepark]] in [[Manhattan|Manhattan, New York]] (2019).
File:Luiz Francisco em Tóquio 2021.jpg|Brazil's [[Luiz Francisco]] competing in the [[2020 Summer Olympics]] final at the [[Ariake Urban Sports Park]] in [[Tokyo]] on August 5, 2021
File:Venice_Beach_Skateboarding.jpg|A skateboarder at [[Venice, Los Angeles|Venice Beach]] (2022)
</gallery>