It probably took the rest of the world some 20 or so years to embrace the concept of skateboarding. Of course, there might be a few here and there, and mainly as an after-school activity. But there has been a lot of excitement, especially during big competitions in Asia alone and have been producing some of the best talents when it comes to vert and street skateboarding categories.

Thailand has been a home for the Asian X-Games, where a gathering of some of the best action players in different categories that also include vert and street skateboarding. Looking into the trend, some of the top contenders are mainly China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Australia.

China, especially in major cities like in Shanghai, are no strangers when it comes to skateboarding. Some of the best Asian skateboarders have been competing in the Asian X-Games as well as the World Skateboard Cup usually held in Europe. Annual events have been set up on Shanghai, inviting both local and foreign skateboarders to compete for the cash prize that may reach up to $5,000.

In Japan, there are a few skateboarders, yet sometimes it tends to be outlawed, especially in crowded cities such as Tokyo. Although there is no such ban for skateboarding, there have been a few designated skateparks within and at the outskirts of the city itself. These skateparks were once used mostly by in-line skaters, once a rage in the country and would often compete in the X-Games in the US.

Although the fad has yet to die down, a good number of skateboarders can be found almost all over the place, as long as no local authorities are around to stop them.

Skateboarders in the Philippines are usually in small numbers, yet small competitions, usually held within communities, have encouraged a lot of these skateboarders to win the crowd with their tricks and street performances. Often as a past time, they never seem to take it too seriously and often popular with family members as well for those who want to spend a bit of quality time with their children.

Australia happens to be a big fan of skateboarding, followed by other action sports that they often hold skateboarding tournaments no more than ten times in a year. Usually held in major cities, and with the follow-up to qualify for the Asian X-Games in Thailand, it’s often a very competitive sport for the Land Down Under.

Whether you’re passionate about skateboarding, or your friend is interested in learning
skateboarding, you can be assured of one thing, it’s definitely worth every minute and pain to pick up this cool sport. Or if you’re a parent who is looking for a hobby for your child to pass time, you may
want to consider skateboarding before others. Although being new to
skateboarding can be tough, it can also be very rewarding and enjoyable. If
that is not enough, here is a list of why you should learn skateboarding
today:

1. It’s new and challenging!
If you the sort of person always constantly looking for something new and
interesting to try out, then skateboarding is just what you have been looking
for. Over the recent years, this unique sport has gained mass popularity with
many sponsored competition, street courses, and kick-butt indoor skate parks
for you to display your skill. Not only does it offer a new experience every
time you try a different ramp, trick, or skill, you can also ensure your brain
will stays active and mentally challenged to your limits. (unlike surfing,
which you can only surf on ocean waves).

2. It helps you in staying fit!
Yes, believe it. Skateboarding is a form of exercise! It is not hard to break a
sweat during skateboarding as it is a very aerobic‘exercise’. The most important thing about skateboarding is maintaining that perfect
balance at all times and by doing so, your core will gain strength and an
excellent workout for your legs. Hence, that is why most hardcore skateboarders
are lean and tough.

3. It can build your character!
Trying to learn a new skill or trick is no easy feat, let alone creating a
totally new move, but for skateboarders who are passionate about it, every
scrap from the falls and tumbles will be worth it once they have mastered it.
Not only does it give you the bragging rights to at your friends (although it
is a big plus in itself!), it also instils confidence and strength in yourself
and proud of your unique ability that not every other person can simply
achieved. Through continuous hard work, time and patience, it sends out a
powerful message to all skateboarders that‘Nothing is impossible when you set your heart to do it!’

4. It’s a great way to make new buddies!
There is definitely no denying that skateboarding open up the door to a whole
new circle of friends. Whenever you pick up a hobby such as skateboarding, you
will very likely meet other interesting people who share similar interest with
you regardless of age. Opportunities will be abundant for you to talk to these
new people whether you are looking for skateboarding gear in a store, joining a
local competition or just skateboarding in your skating park. After all, who
wouldn’t be impressed by a few cool skateboarding tricks?

5. It is just simply fun!
After listing down all the above advantages of skateboarding, it still boils
down to the fun factor in the end. And honestly, skateboarding is a whole new
level of fun to have, which unlike the fun of reading a book or watching a new
TV series, skateboarding is an adrenaline pumping activity straight down to
your toes sort of fun. Every time you learn a new trick, or nail that ramp the
way you imagined it, every corner and every leap will absolutely make your
heart pounding with excitement! To simply put it– Skateboarding rocks!

Crailtap’s Shit Pro Skaters Say Featuring: Chris Roberts Written by: Alex Olson Ben Colen Sam Smyth Rick Howard Aaron Meza Chris Roberts Filmed & edited by: Aaron Meza Guest appearances: Rick McCrank Daniel Castillo Sebo Walker Lil’ Schmatty Zak Allegri Joey Brezenski Alex Olson

The sight of skateboarders on the streets or in parks is not an uncommon one
these days. Even if it still is where you live, nobody is spared by the
greatness of skateboarding as its popularity shows in the media like
television. Originating in the 1950s as a result of some surfers’wish to surf on the streets, skateboarding is now a popular recreational
activity and when it is brought to a higher level, it can make you money. Even
celebrities are being carved out of skateboarding which has evolved into more
of a serious sport than a simple hobby.

Many perceive skateboarding as a pointless activity due to its small population
of embracers as well as the many danger threats it poses. They stereotype
skateboarders as people who are putting their time to waste and are being
unproductive in life. However, true lovers of this activity have every reason
to pursue what they are doing.

Skateboarding isn’t an expensive activity to get involved in. The basic need of course is just a
skateboard but many may require protective gear for their liking. Either way,
it will provide skateboarders an immeasurable amount of fun and thrills as it
just allows skateboarders to do what they love to do and let their real self
shine.

Sports play a big role in social lives and it is safe to say that all sporting
events are a time to make friends. The same goes with skateboarding but in this
area it is not as simple as starting out a conversation and moving on from
there. It is all about getting into the crowd and basically skate. This way,
the simple act of skateboarding is your medium of communication and with this,
seasoned skateboarders can train the new ones while the new ones get better as
they get along with the rest of the gang all in the name of having fun out of
skateboarding.

Skateboarding is not just about doing what can be done on a skateboard. It is
doing what you think can be done. It is with a mindset like this that which
allows professionals to create their own tricks as well as signature skills.
Therefore, skateboarding is also about creating and pushing yourself into
finding the original skateboarder in you. There is of course, the inevitability
to get injured along the way but if you succeed at the end of the day, it will
be a price worth paying. After all, getting up every time you fall will only
earn you more respect than not wanting to give it a go at all.

Of all the fun and thrill providers of this era, skateboarding certainly beats
video games in terms of how the fun and thrill is actually obtained. It gets
the blood pumping and provides adrenalin-boosting rushes of fun. There are the
risks but as long as you do not try it out for yourself, even a simple push of
the board to get you moving a few feet, you will never know.

Skateboards may come in one design structure only, but there have been other variations that made skateboarding something a bit ordinary, yet the results are still the same. Remembering the TV shopping ad called the Snakeboard, which is a skateboard with pivoting joints that allow the rider to freely go in motion as if slithering to move forward.

This is one of the inventions that have captured the spark of other companies when it comes to designing other ways to make a skateboard, and sometimes when the design is meant to do more than one thing only.

Longboards have been around even before the skateboard that is known today. Heavier and longer, these skateboards are meant for long cruising, where its larger size and wheels makes for a more stable ride than ordinary skateboards. It would be hard to perform tricks on a longboard, but it’s the next best thing to emulate riding the waves of the ocean.

Mountain Boards (known as dirtboards for others) is another unusual invention meant for downhill shredding. As if trying to emulate the feel of downhill mountain biking, mountain boards are designed that way with much larger, threaded wheels and foot straps. Of course it would be dangerous to actually skateboard down a very steep hill, but more like getting the feel of surfing the hills in a more rugged terrain.

Freebord (spelled that way) is another skateboard alternative that has the same designs of a snowboard, only with wider trucks and wheels. It’s designed to give the rider a more controlled carving (or shredding) sensation as the wider trucks and an extra wheel on each that makes it possible. Perfect for those who wants to get the feel of snowboarding, if one hates being cold even for a short time. Performing tricks would be impossible given to the weight, but just enough to shred asphalt or pavement. Snowdecks have a similar feature, only this time it emphasizes in actually sliding on roads, and it can be a bit difficult.

One other skateboard, if they could call it as that, just emulates the feel of skateboarding without the deck itself. It’s mainly just a pair of wheels that can be attached under the shoes like a pair of inline skates, but the effects are not the same without a counterbalance.

Unusual designs, shapes, even some with dual purposes. Manufactures would go through certain leaps and bounds to give skateboarding a much different feel than the one that skateboarders are used to.

Skateboarding has always suffered from the generally bad image the public gives
them. Many people categorise skateboarders in the same breath as illegal
graffiti artists, vandals and mainly juvenile crowds with nothing to make out
of their life.

Well, maybe not all are that bad these days but people still view skateboarding
that way. This is probably due to the fact that it gained popularity during the
same era punk music kicked off and considering much of the public was not that
fond of that genre those days, it is no surprise that this is causing people to
wrongly assume skateboarders as a negative part of the society. This is a huge
misconception towards skateboarders and the truth is, skateboarding is only
bad, just like any other activity can turn dark, if it is let to develop itself
into a form of bad influence.

As a matter of fact, the society of skateboarding has produced a number of
individuals who deserve a whole lot of admiration and respect for their social
position and contributions to the society. The world’s greatest skateboarder and only one known to pull the 900 is an excellent
family man who contributes much of his money to charity. Kickflip inventor
Rodney Mullen has a Masters degree and is known to be an exceptionally friendly
and humble person. Bob Burnquist uses his celebrity status to promote
environmental-friendliness and inspires people with his life story about the
time he overcame asthma to skateboard. Jereme Rogers, being the heavily
tattooed man he is may be the type of individual people think of when
negatively perceiving skateboarders but a closer look at his tattoos shows you
an image full of devotion to love and religion as he is outspoken for the fact
that he believes that God is the reason behind his capabilities on a skateboard
and the success he has achieved from his talent.

These people are actual role models not only to children, but people on the
streets looking to make something out of their lives. Parents who look into
skateboarding in a negative manner should pay closer attention to the existence
of these people and their influences in the skateboarding society. When they
do, I doubt anyone would still go against it full heartedly.

Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that there are bad influences from more
negative characters in skateboarding but don’t all sports and games have their same share of this group of people? Athletes
are known to take drugs and sports officials do get involved in bribery; that
is to name a few. The only reason why the society is tougher is simply because
of how they look and how their attitude is generally known to be really rough

There should not be any concerns of kids getting interested in skateboarding
but if any issue still bugs you, licensed skateboarding clubs and organisations
exist. There are even churches which accommodate and approve youngsters’need for skateboarding these days. Parents should just take it purely as an
essence of growing up; having fun. Doubts and worries only introduce more
trouble and who knows, mothers and fathers could be seen giving their shot at
skateparks if they stopped worrying so much about their child’s desire to skateboard. After all, it isn’t really bad.

Maybe you’re a skateboarder who thinks your friend should learn to skateboard, maybe you’re a parent who wants to encourage your child to try out a sport and
skateboarding is one option, or maybe you’re just trying to convince yourself that skateboarding would be worth your
time. Well, whatever the case is–here are a list of reasons listing out why skateboarding is worth a shot but
also worth the pain and time invested.

1. Its something new to try
This may seem too simple a reason but a lot of times people want to try
something new and interesting. They want to find something that can challenge
their ability or skills. If that describes you or anybody you can think of,
then skateboarding is the perfect choice. It is a unique sport (And no, surfing
doesn’t cont because you can only surf on ocean waves.) that many people have yet to
try though it has gained plenty of popularity in recent years. Not only will it
provide you with a challenge to learn something new, it will ensure your brain
stays active (as anything new will). Plus, when it comes to skateboarding– there is always something new to try, be it a different ramp, trick or skill.

2. Helps you stay fit
Yes, it seems contrary when you think of all the ways a person can get hurt
when learning to skateboard or trying to do a trick when they are more
advanced. But despite the scraps you will probably get from falls and tumbles,
skateboarding does provide a person a unique way to becoming more fit. First of
all, the main part of skateboarding is achieving balance at all times so your
core will gain strength. It is also an excellent workout for your legs. Also,
it is not hard to work up a sweat when skateboarding as it is a very aerobic‘exercise’. In most cases, if a person is a constant and avid skateboarder they will be
very tough and lean.

3. It teaches perseverance and inspires confidence
You may think “Your joking!” but it really isn’t a joke. Trying to learn new skills and tricks, or even creatingnew tricks, for skateboarders takes a lot of time and patience. Some days, a
skateboarder can do a trick with ease yet the next day they just can’t land it. It takes perseverance and patience to see it through until they have
truly mastered it. Yet, once they have mastered it, it isn’t just a matter of achieving bragging rights at to their friends (although that
is a big plus too!), it inspires confidence in their abilities and strength to
achieve something not every other person is able to by just continuously
working at it. It teaches a powerful lesson to people which is‘If you believe in yourself and work at it, you can achieve anything you set out
to do’.

4. It’s a great way to make new buddies
This is really a no brainer. When you set out to learn something new,
especially skateboarding, you will very likely meet a number of new individuals
who share your interest. Regardless of your age, once you learn to skateboard
you will likely meet other people when you are out at the store buying new
parts or at the skatepark where you skateboard. Not to mention, you’ll probably seem more interesting to people who might not skateboard! Talk
about opening doors, huh?

5. It is just good old fashion fun!
While all the above reasons are plenty for any person to go out and learn to
skateboard, all it comes down to in the end is that skateboarding is downright
fun! It isn’t fun like reading a book or watching a new TV series, but an adrenaline
pumping straight down to your toes sort of fun. This applies each time you
learn a new trick, every time you try to nail that ramp the way you imagined,
every time you turn the corner. To sum it all up– Skateboarding rocks!

thps2 soundtrack. *I don’t own anything. All rights reserved to these songs and game. No copyright infringement intended.*

In a society where skateboarding is unheard of, whenever the word skateboarding
is mentioned, most people will right away have an image of teenage juvenile
delinquents illegally breaking the law or spray-painting the walls with
graffiti while the rest of them pulling skateboarding tricks in a dark alley
with deafening music rocking through the entire neighbourhood.

Okay, I admit that was over exaggerating a little but for those who are
convinced about skateboarding is equivalent to bad influences, the picture I
painted isn’t too far off from what they think. This is very much because of the fact that
skateboarding gained its popularity just the way punk music did and has always
captivated the heart of those hardcore, aggressive, slick and cool
anti-individuals.

But on the contrary, skateboarding is only as bad influence as you allow it to
be. The conception about skateboarding is a bad influence turning innocent
children into drug abusers or lawbreakers is completely untrue and unfounded.

In reality, this unique sport encompasses many admirable professional
skateboarders who are excellent role models for many people around the world
regardless of age to look up to. A fine example is Tony Hawk, who has invented
many aerial skateboard tricks, is a dedicated family man and has contributed
plenty of money to charity. In his autobiography, he described his life was
changed through skateboarding from a frustrated, unfocused and rage prone kid
to now as a household name. Another person is Rodney Mullen who is not just
friendly and humble but also a holder of a Masters Degree. Using his position,
Bob Burnquist has also helped the environment and inspired many people
worldwide when he overcame his asthma to skateboard. Even figure like Jereme
Rogers who fits the image of skateboarder gone astray with his shaved head,
tattoos and language is a man of religion who always speaks of his belief in
God granted him of his talent and skill.

With such honourable individuals as leading example, how could parents object
to their children learning skateboarding?

Yes, it’s true there are many other skaters out there whom are not good influence, but
let us not judge an entire orchard just because of a few rotten apples. To be
fair, even athletes, geeks, cheerleaders, conservative‘nice’little kids or even church-going individuals could very well led people gone
astray and down the wrong path. The major cause why skaters get a bad rap,
particularly those who hold strongly to the punk culture style, is because of
their appearance and their tough-as-nail character that lean toward
anti-establishment.

If you still worry about your children mixing with the wrong crowd, then there
are other alternative places that provide a secure and safe environment for
them to pick up skateboarding with comfort of mind. Many churches, associations
and organizations have their own skateboarding clubs as well as events for
skateboarders to partake in. Whatever the case maybe, always stick with people
you’re familiar with and avoid those who are known to less law-abiding individuals.

With a little rationale, a lot of untoward incidence can be prevented
altogether. After all, skateboarding is all about having fun, and not
law-breaking. As parents, you should give your children a little break, and
believe in them that they know what’s best and what’s not. Seeing them happily enjoying skateboarding is a wonderful experience and
who knows, you might even be tempted to try skateboarding yourself!

The concept of the skateboard was simply an idea popping out of the heads of
surfers who wished to ply their trade on the streets. Happening around the
1950s, it is the brief history of how the skateboard came to be as information
as to exactly who and when this sport was pioneered remain uncertain.

As the first of everything are always down to the bare basics, skateboards were
simply wooden boxes fitted with the wheels of roller skates at the bottom
during its first few years. As many braved this creation, many got hurt as well
which slowly lead to the boxes being replaced by planks. These planks have
evolved into decks comprising of wood pressed layer after layer. This is what
the modern skateboard is made of.

It was not until the 60s when skateboards started gaining popularity but this
soon showed signs of fading as soon as 5 years later. Being labelled as simply
a fad and a highly dangerous hobby, many companies which made skateboards
closed down as not many were into it any more.

As this happened, loyal enthusiasts of skateboarding went on building boards by
their selves and continued to embrace the thrill of riding it. It only took one
of these skaters, Frank Nasworthy, to get the skateboarding world started
again. This happened in 1972 when he introduced the use of wheels made from
urethane which allowed for greater skateboard control hence lessening danger
worries.

The later 70s was when skateboarding really started to woo the crowd as events
such as the California Ocean Festival in 1975 let the public see first hand how
astounding the wonders of skateboarding can be. Skateboarding was immediately
promoted from hobby to an entertaining yet serious activity.

As more and more people got into skateboarding, more and more stunts and tricks
were created. Many of which are done with the board airborne and are of course
based on Alan Gelfland’s ollie which was created in 1978 as it is the ollie which gets the board
popping into air.

Sadly though, skateboarding suffered another drop in popularity as the 70s era
came to an end. Fortunately, it did not take too long as there were still
skaters as alive as ever including the Bones Brigade which successfully
transformed skateboarding into a culture in American lifestyle.

There was one last dip for skateboarding after that but it made a better
comeback than it ever before in the 1990s. This coincided with the rise of punk
music but more importantly, skateboarding became a legacy as it became an
integral part of the first X-Games in 1995, an event held in Rhode Island by
ESPN. Although many enthusiasts were adamant about keeping skateboarding to the
streets, ESPN’s success in bringing back skateboarding on verts lead to the creation of a new
sport.

Given the rollercoaster ride the world of skateboarding has gone through, no
one can effectively predict what lies ahead for this sport. However, with its
popularity seemingly increasing constantly in events like the X-Games, it’s hard to see this sport falling out of favour again. Then again, it will
always be up to the skateboarders to keep this legacy running as always and
there is no reason at all for them to fail.