The first outdoor skatepark was built for skateboarders in Florida in 1976. It was soon followed by hundreds of other parks all over North America. Skateboarding moved from horizontal to vertical and slalom and freestyle skateboarding became less popular. The look of skateboards also changed from being six to seven inches in width to over nine inches. This increase in size ensured better stability on vertical surfaces. Top riders included Tony Alva, Jay Adams and Tom "Wally" Inoyoue. Wes Humpston and Jim Muir marketed the first successful line of boards with graphics under the Dogtown label. Soon after, almost all board manufacturers put graphics under their boards.
In 1978, Alan Gelfand invented the "ollie" or no hand's aerial and moved skateboarding to the next level. The roots of streetstyle developed when skaters started to take vertical moves to flatland. Skateboard culture began to mesh with punk and new wave music. Images of skulls appeared on skateboards thanks to the creative genius of Vernon Courtland Johnson at Powell Corporation.
Pool skating was hugely popular and as a result of the better technology, skaters were able to perform aerials and go far beyond the coping. Skatepark insurance became an issue due to the problem of liabilities. In fact, skatepark insurance was so expensive for most owners that they closed their doors and the bulldozers were brought in. By the end of 1980, skateboarding died another death and once again, many manufacturers were faced with tremendous losses. As BMX became popular and SkateBoarder Magazine turned into Action Now, most skaters deserted the sport. Skateboarding moved undergound once more. A hardcore contigent stayed with skateboarding and built backyard half pipes and ramps as more skateparks closed.
In 1981, Thrasher Magazine began publication in an effort to provide hardcore skaters with information on the skateboard scene. Although skate contests were held, the turnout was small and the prize money wass even smaller. In 1982, Tony Hawk won his first contest at the Del Mar Skate Ranch. By 1983, skate manufacturers like Santa CrVert ramp skatinguz, Powell Peralta and Tracker begin to see the sport on the upswing. In that same year, Transworld Skateboarding entered the skate scene.
By 1984, vert riding took off, followed closely by streetstyle skating. Launch ramps became popular. Powell Peralta created the first "Bones Brigade" skate video thanks to the highly creative talents of CR Stecyk and Stacy Peralta. The video featured all the team skaters and helped to propel skateboarding to new levels of popularity. Dozens of new manufacturers sprung up and skateboarding entered its third wave of popularity. Numerous vertical champions emerged including Tony Hawk, Christian Hosoi, Lance Mountain and Neil Blender. In the street, Mark Gonzales, Natas Kaupas and Tommy Guerrero took the ollie to new heights. Freestyle skateboarding was also a part of the scene and Rodney Mullen dominated all competition.
In the mid to late 1980′s three main manufacturers handled most of the skate market-Powell Peralta, Vision/Sims and Santa Cruz. Board royalites and contest winnings escalated and some pro skaters pulled down earnings of ten thousand dollars per month. The National Skateboard Association, headed up by Frank Hawk, held numerous contests across North America and eventually throughout the world. Skateboard shoes from Airwalk, Vans and Vision became enormously popular along with skate clothes.
Towards the end of the decade, skateboarding shifted focus to street skating and vert riding became less popular. A number of pro skaters decided to leave the larger manufacturers and start their own skate companies. One of the first skaters to do this was Steve Rocco who started up World Industries. Over time, the personality of skateboard world changed and new school skateboarding was born. Its focus was on ollies and technical tricks and it took on a whole other attitude.
By 1991, a world wide recession hit the world and the skate industry was deeply affected. As in the past, a number of manufacturers were faced with large economic losses. The industry turned extremely negative and began the process of reinventing itself. Big Brother began publication in 1992. As in the past, a hardcore contingent remained with the sport, but this time, the attrition was not as great as it was in the past. By the mid 1990′s, skateboarding once again reemerged and the fourth wave started. In 1995, skateboarding gained a great deal of exposure at the ESPN 2 Extreme Games. Skateboard shoe manufacturers like Etnies and Vans began selling huge quantities of product and were joined by other soft good manufacturers eager once again to cash in on skateboarding's popularity.
Towards the end of the 1990′s, skateboarding's focus remains streetstyle and the industry is filled with numerous manufacturers and marketers. In many cases, pro skaters develop their own product and manage their own companies. Longboarding, a once forgotten art (featuring large boards), began to make a comeback and downhill skateboarding enters a whole new dimension thanks to street luge. In California, skateboard parks have started to be built once again thanks to a change in legislation. The hard work of Jim Fitzpatrick and the International Association of Skateboard Companies has ensured that other states follow California and more parks are scheduled for construction over the next few years.
Over the past 40 years, skateboarding has had its peaks and lows of popularity. Poor product, safety concerns, insurance issues and recessions have all contributed to the lows. However, skateboarding technology has vastly improved since clay wheels. In terms of injuries, the sport remains much safer than football, rollerblading or hockey (when you look at percentage of participants injured). Despite safety concerns or economic recessions, the sport endures simply because it is so much fun to do."
