These very first skateboards were quite different from what we know today. They offered a handle bar on them, just like many types of scooters that we see on the market today. And the skateboard deck is also different from today. Many believe this early idea was the result of the popularity of surf boarding at the time.

By the 1960’s there were quite a few models of skateboards to select from. 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

When the skateboarding official contests were started by manufacturers in 1963 it only further fuelled the frenzy to have one. A couple of things occurred that affected the sales of them. 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, by the early 1970’s there were plenty of people that were taking a new interest in skateboards. 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.

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.

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.