SKATEBOARDING

form of recreation popular among youths, in which a person rides standing balanced on a small board mounted on wheels. Most skateboards are about 2 feet 8 inches (0.81 m) long and 9 inches (23 cm) wide. Originally, they were made of wood, but later they were also made of aluminum, fibreglass, and plastic. The wheels are made of tough polyurethane plastic. There are two kinds of skateboards: stiff and flexible. The skateboard first appeared in the early 1960s on paved areas along California beaches as a makeshift diversion for surfboard aficionados when the ocean was flat. Roller-skate wheels were simply affixed to miniature surfboards. Skateboards were revived in the mid-1970s after the development of the faster and more maneuverable polyurethane wheel. The craze became worldwide, and skateboard parks were built, providing a variety of slopes and banked surfaces for sudden turns and stunts. Portable ramps were also built to provide a course similar to that for slalom skiing. Accidents to skateboarders led to the creation of special skateboard helmets, knee and elbow pads, and goggles. Such variations as a 9 foot 11 inch skatecar, with the driver prone (which reached a speed of nearly 60 miles per hour [96 km per hour]), the use of sails with wheel-mounted boards, and an ice-skate version appeared later.