Skateboarding is a popular form of recreation in which an individual rides a small, narrow board mounted on four wheels called a skateboard. The skateboarder balances on the top of the board, called the deck, and rides to his or her side, much like riding a snowboard or a surfboard . Skateboarding is most popular among boys and young men, but females and older individuals also enjoy riding.
A typical modern skateboard consists of six or seven layers of hard maple plywood pressed into an inwardly curved and elongated oval shape. The wheels are made of strong plastic called urethane. The wheels and precision bearings permit smooth rides and gentle turns. For safety, skateboarders wear protective helmets, and sometimes kneepads, elbow pads, and wrist pads or gloves.
Skateboarding traces its origins back to scooters made of wooden crates in the 1920’s. Skateboarding first gained popularity in the late 1950’s in southern California. As the sport of surfing grew more popular, surfers looked for new ways to practice their skills. At that time, skateboards were little more than boards with roller skate wheels nailed to the bottom. As skateboarding grew in popularity, these surfers developed creative ways to make better wheels and better boards.
By the 1960’s, high-performance, clay-wheel skateboards had appeared. Even better wheels made of urethane were developed in 1973. Around this time, surfers began to skateboard in empty swimming pools . They developed a style that was low to the ground, often using their hands to pivot or turn. In the 1980’s, skateboarding exploded into mainstream popularity as skateboarding videos began to show skaters the variety of moves that were possible on a skateboard. During this time, skateboarding shifted from low-to-the-ground moves in swimming pools to complicated technical tricks performed in the air.
By the early 2000’s, skateboarding consisted of three main types: street, vert, and longboarding. Street skateboarding includes riding on streets, sidewalks, and plazas, and off stairs or handrails. Such rides usually involve many quick technical tricks with short pops (jumps) into the air. Vert is short for vertical, referring to the vertical sides and slopes of large curving ramps on which skateboarders perform. Vert skateboarding emphasizes speed and doing large spectacular tricks when flying in the air off the end of a ramp.
Longboarding involves larger skateboards. It is mostly used as a mode of transportation, though some longboarders enjoy riding down hills at high speeds. Because of its popularity and the increased quality of skateboarding equipment, the sport has grown into a massive industry. Skateboarding manufacturers sponsor professional skateboarders who perform in street and vert competitions throughout the world. Such competitions usually involve a variety of ramps and obstacles. The best pro skaters, such as Tony Hawk , Rodney Mullen, Shaun White , and Rob Dyrdek have become rich and famous, motivating many young skaters to try to get sponsors. Skateboarding was first included as an Olympic sport at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games . The 2020 Summer Olympics were held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
