Brief history Of Skateboarding: Part 2

Then, in 1978, a skater named Alan "Ollie" Gelfand invented a maneuver that gave skateboarding another revolutionary jump. He would slam his back foot down on the tail of his board and jump, thereby popping himself and the board into the air. The ollie was born, a trick that completely revolutionized skateboarding -- most tricks today are based in performing an ollie. The trick still bears his name, and Alan Gelfand was inducted into the skateboard hall of fame in 2002.
By far the most well known name in Skateboarding, Tony Hawk is responsible for a great deal of how skateboarding looks today. By age fourteen, Tony Hawk became a pro skateboarder, and by sixteen Tony Hawk had become the worlds best skateboarder. Hawk has entered about 103 pro contests -- he won 73, and placed second in 19.

This is skateboardings best record by far. Tony Hawk rode through the early rise in skating popularity, through its decline in the early 1990s, and now back to the top to become the most successful skateboarder in history.
Skateboards themselves have also had an interesting evolution -- the boards went from first being wooden boxes or planks to mass produced decks, with shaped edges and a large tail. Boards have evolved since to not having such a clear nose and tail, so that skaters can ride switch (backwards) more easily. Wheels went from metal roller skate wheels, to rubber, to now being made of urethane, so they`re cheaper and lighter.
Skateboarding still hasn`t stopped evolving, and skaters are
coming up with new tricks all the time. Boards are also continuing to evolve, as companies try to make them lighter and stronger, or try to improve on their performance. Skateboarding has always been about personal discovery and pushing oneself to the limit. So, where will skateboarding go from here? Wherever skaters continue to take it.