Dear STW…Skateboarding wasn’t invented in the 80s

In fact in much the same way that Mark was a first generation skateboarder back in the early 80’s, Singletrack got on the Podcast bandwagon way back in the early days of the ‘noughtes’ when they first became a thing.

True dat. I was skating in ’77 and I don’t think we were first generation then!

Think it was the early 70s in the UK?

True but iirc there was a new style came into the 80’s there was another surge, every cool kid asked for a skateboard for Xmas in the mid 80’s.

Even in the ‘early 80’s’ Mark and his friends had a healthy interest in the right gear..

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Awesome pics ^^ 🙂

LOL.

Skateboarding was obviously invented back in good ol’ 1955…

I’ve now found said article yeah I’m not sure they’re being serious.

I’m not sure they’re being serious.

Ya think? 😁

I remember turning a pair of my mates rollerskates (the kind you strapped over your shoes) into skateboards..we basically cut each footplate in half and screwed them onto vaguely shaped planks….we didn’t die. Must have been early 70s I guess

yeah i know, skateboard for Christmas 1977 for me

March 14th 1966

I’d have broken my wrist if I’d tried that. Ahem.

I remember turning a pair of my mates rollerskates (the kind you strapped over your shoes) into skateboards..we basically cut each footplate in half and screwed them onto vaguely shaped planks….we didn’t die. Must have been early 70s I guess

Yeah, but did you race each other down some gravel roads?

My first board was a twin flip poly board that I got in ’79. It was used heavily through the rest of that year and well into the early 80’s. The plastic deck phase fizzled out (thankfully) through the 80’s until boarding came back into fashion with the return of proper wooden decks.

I didn’t say skateboarding was ‘invented’ in the early 80’s. That’s when I was at my skating peak – Jeez

🙂

Ooooh! You’ve just reminded me I was given a poly board in the late 70s that my eldest brother and I played on. Then it the early 80s we found a metal one at the tip, had that for a couple of years. Then around 86 I got a wooden on for Xmas that had a lot of use. Mainly we used it with our huge Labrador, he’d pull it us along on it going flat out.  Was great fun until my brother came off and took all the skin off around his elbows and lower arms.

The plastic deck phase fizzled out (thankfully) through the 80’s

Hmm, now you’re making stuff up – we had maple decks in the 70s. Me and my ol’ man used to make them for my mates as well. I have photos 😀

Hmm, now you’re making stuff up – we had maple decks in the 70s. Me and my ol’ man used to make them for my mates as well. I have photos

They’re was also plastic ones I had one but they phased out. 🤷🏻‍♂️

skateboard for Christmas 1977 for me

I’d have had my first around this time or a little bit earlier – 1975 I think ;o)

I didn’t say skateboarding was ‘invented’ in the early 80’s. That’s when I was at my skating peak – Jeez

Yeah I know..it was the “first generation” bit that me laugh….flipping youngsters! 😁

Yep, ’77 here also. Malvern Winter Gardens grounds, beautiful smooth pink asphalt at the time, great to skate on.

Think it became a different beast in the 80’s thanks to Rodney Mullen inventing all the tricks.

When we were at Skewjack Surf Village at Sennen in 1971 we all had a go on some long skateboards to get us used to the feeling of carving (and staying upright).

76 Horrible wooden deck with rubber wheels (a ‘flyer’ I think)
77 poly board from Woolworths
78 second hand G&S fibreflex with Trackers and Red Kryps (I still have this)
81 something big by Santa Cruz with indie trucks and Rat Bones wheels

81 onwards – many decks and many, many broken bones. I wanted to be a cross between Caballero, Gonz, and Mullen … my ambition was bigger than my talent.

At least modern “toy” boards bear a resemblance to the real thing, remember the 18mm ply and nylon monstrosities of the late 80s to early 90s? Probably only useful for moving fridges.

I had a caliente 500 in the late 70s , its worth about a tenner now

Used to go to the skate park in Newquay in late 70s on my Krypts.

First shop bought board was 1973ish by 1978 I had a G&S fibreflex team rider. Fantastic board, a mint one came up on ebay. I bid on it for a while but in the end it went for over £400 !! A bit to much for a bit of nostalgia, for me anyway 😁