The first skateboard was quite different from today’s skateboard. They offered a handle bar on them, just like many types of scooters that we see on the market today. This handle bar is what allowed these early skateboards to be maneuvered and controlled. However, it didn’t take long for the idea to remove the handle bar to come along. Many believe this early idea was the result of the popularity of surf boarding at the time.

By the 1960’s, the most popular one was the Roller Derby Skateboard. It was actually introduced in 1959 just ahead of the competitors. However, it took many of these companies to keep up with the demand for them. It is estimated that between 1960 and 1963 more than 50 million skateboards were sold. Keep in mind that we didn’t have the technology that we have today in order to mass produce such items in large buildings.

When the skateboarding official contests were started by manufacturers in 1963 it only further fueled the frenzy to have one. So what happened that slowed down the craze for skateboards? There are two main reasons that cause the sales down. First, the economic status of the United States began to slow down so people weren’t able to buy as many extras as before. Second, many so called experts out there were talking about how unsafe skateboards were.

However, there were plenty of people that were taking a new interest in skateboards by the early 1970’s. This was due to the introduction of a variety of great moves and tricks. This added a new dimension to skateboarding that hadn’t been there in the past. Now there was much more involved with it all than just simply riding a skateboard. Many of the top competitors out there took things to the extremes and continued to push the limits.

In 1974 a huge change too place regarding the size of the skateboards. Up to this point the standard was either 6 or 7 inches in width. It now became 9 inches which consumers were very pleased with. These additional few inches offered riders more stability and that meant it was easier for them to control regardless of what they liked to do on their skateboard.

The availability of ramps and other materials that skaters could use at home in the 1980’s kept the trend of skateboarding going strong. Now people didn’t have to rely upon just skate parks for them to enjoy. However, you also had an abundance of city ordinances around this same time. Many of them prohibited the use of skateboards on public sidewalks and streets.

As a result, the sales did dip into the 1990’s. Yet once again the idea of skateboarding was thriving. Many believe it had to do with the availability of the internet. People could view plenty of skateboarding action online. At the same time the sporting channel ESPN took on this sport as well.

One thing is for sure, skateboarding has enough of a following that it is here to stay. It is fun to look back at where it has been though over the years. What is also exciting is to speculate about what the future holds for the sport of skateboarding. With the worldwide presence it has, there is always plenty going on concerning it.

It requires special skills and courage to take up snowboarding. The rider has to wear protective cloth to ensure protection against the ice cold weather. If you choose the location right, snowboarding is not a risky sport. It is an adventure sport, but not riskier than similar forms of sport, which have ocean waves and solid ground as surface. The technique has to be right, so is the selection of snowboards.

Snowboarding has been served by quite a few companies that designed strong, reliable snowboards, which guarantee better stability and pace for snowboarding. The main equipment is the snowboard, which is attached to the boots. The early history of snowboarding goes back to 1965, when Sherman Poppen designed Snurfer, which was essentially a skateboard without wheels. Then in the 1970s and 80s, much innovation was brought into the designing of snowboards. Slowly, ski resorts became open to the idea of opening their space for snowboarders and there began the history of snowboarding.

Free ride, freestyle and free carve are the main styles of snowboarding. They all are adopted at varying pace by snowboarding enthusiasts. In freestyle, you can find manmade obstacles placed in the path and the snowboarders manoeuvring over the obstacles with much agility and flexibility. Seeing the action is quite an interesting thing, with the riders going past at a good speed and performing gravity defying stunts.

Snowboarding enthusiasts also should observe the safety precautions to be safe. Protective gear are designed in good numbers. Goggles are a must to ensure protection to eyes and to prevent temporary blindness from happening, especially in a bright day. Essential protection needs to be given to the wrists, knees, head, shoulders, etc. The key thing is to be able to identify the origin of an avalanche. Also be alert enough not to trigger an avalanche. Emergency response at time of an avalanche about to happen is also a key skill required by snowboarders.

Snowboarding as an adventure sport has got the attention of several publications and now there are several magazine available out there, solely for the purpose of telling you about snowboards, safety gear and snowboarding holidays.

Nobody knows why snowboarding was invented so late. It doesn’t matter, once people get used to snowboarding, it is one smooth ride. All the beholders enjoy a snowboarding competition event, where the riders pace down the terrains, go up in the air and perform various tricks, while ensuring a safe, comfortable landing.

Skydiving is a well loved sport, especially for the extreme goers out there. However, it may seem that skydiving is something new as a sport, but in reality, it has a very rich and colourful history that can be very interesting to know, whether you are a fan of the sport or simply curious about it.

Milestones And More

Although most of skydiving milestones happened during the 20th century, its history actually goes back further more. Originally, parachuting started around  the 1100s in China, which is about a thousand years ago. Although there were no airplanes during that time, people would find natural formations in which they can leap off and float safely towards the ground below. Additionally, Da Vinci actually made a design that shows a wooden frame parachute that has a pyramid shape. This is just one of the proofs that parachuting is actually way older than most people think.

Skydiving Sport History

If you’ll be talking about the sport of skydiving, this matter would have a much recent history in the making. The very first person who did this daring act was Jacques Garnerin. He didn’t jump from an airplane though. What he did was jump off from balloons, around late 18th century. He also performed fanciful displays when he did so. After he executed his jumps, he would then make use of a parachute to have a safe landing.

When Women Came In

Women had a part in skydiving history too. However, it was not until the 19th century that they started having participation in the sport. One of the most famous women in skydiving history is Kathe Paulus. She parachuted in Germany during the end of the 19th century and became very well known for this skill of hers.

Airplane Generation

Ever since the airplane was invented, the skydiving history became even more colourful than ever. Indeed, it took a great leap of faith, literally and metaphorically! With the evolution of the airplane, the more did skydiving evolved and became even more daring. Now, daredevils had the opportunity to parachute from a fast-moving mechanical device, which caused even more spectacular and breathtaking skydiving routines.

The first woman to ever jump off from an airplane is Tiny Broadwick. She did this daring stunt back in 1913. Additionally, she is also the first woman to do a free fall jump from an airplane, which she did in 1914.

Skydiving: It’s Official!

One interesting fact about skydiving is that it wasn’t called skydiving before. The term skydiving was only coined in the mid-1950’s and used for Raymond Young. This was the first time when it was actually declared as skydiving. Before it was termed as such, “skydiving” was simply called as “parachuting” by many.

From Novelty To Sport

Before, skydiving was considered to be more of a novelty act than a sport. It was only during the period after World War II that this art became an actual sport that a lot of people could engage in, just like basketball. This transition was due to the fact that skydiving and parachuting was commonly done as a tactical move by many countries throughout the war.

In fact, pilots during World War I were even told to crash their planes into enemy territory rather than bailing out and were just given parachutes for survival. Ever since the 1st successful bailout in 1922 of an airplane, parachuting became a popular method of bailing out for pilots.

After the Second World War, it became a mainstream hobby for many. This is because the soldiers who came back enjoyed this activity and even have the courage to do a freefall. They held some competitions which then became a popular sport for civilians too. It was in 1957 that the first skydiving schools appeared and up until now, more people are having the courage to face this extreme sport.

Skateboarding has been a popular sport for the past three decades, and still remains to be quite modern. In fact, skateboarding has been around since 1980, which happens to be the year in which the first modern skateboard was made. Since then, both young and the not so young enjoy carving the streets and experiencing the adrenaline rush of free riding, trick skating, and the like. Skateboarding has become not just a recreational sport of hobby, but has been developed into a competitive individual and team sport.

Skateboarding is deeply influenced by, and derivative of, the art and sport of surfing. Surfing, which was developed and rooted in Hawaii, is the act of riding ocean waves with a surfboard. Similar to surfing, skateboarding entails riding a skateboard on land, and more specifically, paved or concrete surfaces. Skateboards are made in different styles and made with different skating methods in mind.

Longboard Skateboards

Some skateboards are styled and fashioned after longboard surfboards. While these skateboards are not intended for extensive tricks, longboard skateboards are great for bombing hills and carving up the concrete while you cruise the streets.

Traditional Shortboard Skateboards

There are also skateboards that are intended for trick skating. These skateboards are shorter boards which allow the skater to manipulate movement more quickly and effectively, therefore being better equipped to perform stunts and trick such ollies, Casper flips, nosegrinds, and back stabs.

Training and Special Made Skateboards

When surfers and snowboarders are on dry land, they often train for their sport. There are skateboards that are specially made to allow the user to mimic movements made in surfing and snowboarding in order to train and help increase agility, balance, and other physical abilities while these ones are out of their natural sporting element.

The Skate Punk Culture

Skateboarding has been popular since the 1980′s, as was mentioned in the early part of this article, and has then spawned its own culture. The skateboard culture is also known as punk or skate punk culture. Skate punk culture, like many different cultures, has a fashion and language of its own.

The Skateboard Empire and Competitions

There are many brands and companies of manufacturers of skateboards and skateboard-related items. With the popularization of skateboarding and the image that it entails, also came the monetization and financial aspect of this sport.

There are numerous skating contest events, skateboarding magazines, and skateboard fashion and clothing companies. Some of these companies include Element skateboards, Sector 9 skateboards, Birdhouse skateboards, Baker skateboards, the classic Powell skateboards, and many more. Usually, each skateboard brand has a team of sponsored professional skateboarders that represent them at skateboarding events.