Tuesday 27 March, 2012
Top 5 Design Innovations in Skateboarding History
Over the years, the evolution of the… Read More
Over the years, the evolution of the skateboard design has had many turning points. Today we discuss some of the top changes that have been made to skateboards throughout it’s history.
1. Wheels: Metal > Clay > Polyurethane
Did you know skateboard wheels used to be made out of metal? Imagine trying to catch air with those clunkers holding you down or how much you could tear up some floors.
The next innovation was later on in the 60′s when manufacturers started producing boards with clay wheels. I would imagine a hard landing could almost shatter these antiques.
Then came the newest in the evolution of wheels; polymers. Polyurethane wheels of these days are much more tough and resilient, with good traction and better shock absorption than the older metal or ceramic wheels. What will they roll out with next?
2. Design: Flat > Kicktail > Double Kicktail
Larry Stevenson made the first innovation to skateboard design when he invented the kicktail on a skateboard deck. Basically an upturned back end that provided a higher level of control over the board itself which allows for a wide range of tricks and a way to “brake”. In 1969 Stevenson patented the double kicktail which modern skateboards are designed after. Unfortunately, Stevenson just died March 25 2012 at age 81. Who will take his dreams to the next level?
3. Thrust: Loose Ball Bearings > Precision Bearings
In 1975 Road Rider wheels are created. They are the first skateboard wheel to use precision bearings as opposed to loose ball bearings. Road Riders succeeded in bringing an end to Cadillac’s wheels which still used loose-ball bearings. Precision bearings mean cleaner, smoother, durable, less deformed bearings.
4. Footwear: Normal shoes > Protective Gripping Shoes
In the 1970s Vans, waffle-cup, diamond shoe pattern puts an edge on skateboarding shoes by providing superior gripping and foot protection technology with their signature rubber. Since then, Skate shoe companies have enhanced their shoes with a number of new features. These innovations have a number of functions preventing bruises, increasing flexibility, and enhancing grip. In a new recent development Vans is taking it even further.
5. Trucks: Rollerskate trucks > Skate Trucks
In the 1950s and 1960s skateboard trucks were actually part of roller skates that people just mode-podged together. Unfortunately, the roller skate trucks did not give skateboarders any turning radius, stability, control or speed. You could pretty much just roll.
It wasn’t until 1973 that a skateboard truck was invented. Ronald Bennett of Bennett Trucks, known for its signature red bushings, was the first person to invent it. The Bennett Truck gave skateboarders the ability to turn and have better control on their skateboards. Skateboarders could adjust the tension on the bushings by tightening or loosening the king pin. The lower the tension, the easier the skateboard turns. There was also Tracker and Stroker trucks that made small innovations.
But it wasn’t until 1978, in response to the skateboarders’ demands, that Fausto Vitello, Jay Shuirman, Kevin Thatcher and Rick Blackhart got together and formed Independent Trucks. The Independent Truck Company then set to work manufacturing a durable truck that had a quicker turning radius as well as combining all the best features of it’s predecessors. The result was the Stage 1 skateboard truck that quickly surged in popularity. What will they come up with next?
That first one looks a LOT like street skate wheels, we used to have metal skakes that attached to shoes for outdoor use.
I great stuff to see who was the first person to make a board
#5-Trucks
Your picture is exactly what our first skateboards used. Clamped to shoes you could get a 3 ft radius turn, but the longer wheelbase on a skateboard usually meant a 6 ft radius. Good enough for a lot of control and fun. Otherwise they never would have become popular. And they gave the daring, foot numbing speed on downhill slaloms.
#1-Wheels
The ‘clay’ wheels we used not ceramic like some dishes or vases. They were natural rubber with embedded clay particles for increased durability, like auto tires have carbon particles for the same reason. They were a big improvement over steel wheels. They were designed for the smooth concrete of skating rinks, but when used on rough streets and sidewalks they wore down to the hub in a couple years. Skateboards with rubber wheels were called Cadillacs because they ‘rode so smooth’.
#1-Wheels
Long-lasting polyurethane wheels, which are similar to what most skaters use today, were invented in 1972 by a surfer by the name of Frank Nasworthy. His San Diego company was called Cadillac Wheels. These wheels caused a resurence in skateboard popularity by providing durability with comfort.
Great article, but I would like to add a few other changes.
Nails to bolts to precession hardware, wood cut out to resin molds to wood press molds with silk screen graphics, and no grip to grip tape to graphic grip tape. I would also accredit some of our advancements to the many diverse styles and options of tools, made specifically for Skateboarding.
Pic#1
I built a dozen of these back in 1965 and sold them for $4 apiece. We road them down suicide hill(100 yrds of sheer terror). You either jumped off, fell off or crashed on the gravel road below. Everyone was permanently marked with scars.
I only did it once — elbows,knees and shoulder. I was one of the first sidewalk surfers in Topeka, KS.
rex
In the late 70′s I had a pair of solid one piece polymer trucks that I ordered from a skate magazine.
I liked them because they flowed into turns and got stiffer feeling the harder you pushed them.
They didn’t sell very well and disappeared.
Does anybody remember them?
What was their name?
Robb, Jacksonville, Fl. (Skated these at NAS Whiting Field in the concrete drainage ditches in the 70′s when I was a sailor.)
i think tracker trucks may take issue with the last paragraph
Nice list! #4 is questionable though in my opinion. Sounds more like advertising for Vans slipped in there. haha I don’t think shoes were that big of an innovation. Folks skating vert/street in the later 80′s and early 90′s were killing it and invented some of the hardest tricks yet….all while skating in “regular” shoes….basketball shoes…old Chuck Taylors…early skate shoes (Vision, Airwalk, etc). To this day, many of those tricks still are not done by today’s rippers…even with their “innovative” shoes. haha
Why’d you have to use a purple indy truck for the picture?!
I would leave out the shoes. There has been lots of decent shoes for skateboarding and basketball etc.
I produce a skate camp and why can’t we loosen trucks for small kids that don’t weigh much.
We do stuff like take the top washer off etc.