Skate Culture.
Cameron Brown | Caitlin Watson | Julian Belfils
Abandoned rose factory
An impromtu urban skate park created out of concrete and used here by Calum Barrack and Haydn Morgan.
1950s creation of the Skateboard as a game for children.
1960s The skateboard is used by the surfers of California
1963
First competition in California
1970s Frank Nasworthy started to develop a
skateboard wheel made of polyurethane. The skate is now easier to use.
1975
Skaters use california’s empty swimming pools as first “skate park”. Skate is getting known and more technical.
1990s Skate is less popular (too expensive, too
dangerous). Underground. Apparition of the street.
What’s the Story?
1990s Link with the street culture, skate is getting popular again. New clothes, new type of dance, music... 1995
X Games
2020
Skate in the Olympics Game in Tokyo
Slalom Slalom is about moving quickly between studs. The boards are usually short and narrow (Penny type), with very flexible trucks, to facilitate nervous and fast turns. Although the discipline was relatively popular in the early days of skateboarding, slalom practice is not widespread today.
Freestyle Freestyle consists of making figures on an open and flat pitch (flat). Inspired by the acrobatic figures of surfing and gymnastics and the performances of athletics, it is one of the oldest skateboarding practice. Example of figure: Hippie Jump, Hand Stand, manual, grab... are part of the “Tricks”
Genre selection.
Ramp and bowl The ramp, the bowl, the half-pipe (or sometimes the «green’ or the «curve») consists in making movements and figures on skatepark modules made up of more or less high and vertical curved slopes. This spectacular discipline originated from skateboarding in the 1970s in empty California pools.
Longboard dancing Longboarding Longboard dancing consists of performing acrobatic figures on a very long board (longboard), typically on flat ground and at low speed. The dancing is characterized by fluid and artistic tricks and movements (dance), complex foot movements on the board (boardwalking) inspired by surfing.
Street Street practice consists mainly of making movements and tricks on urban furniture and elements (stair, ramp, curb,). Exemple of figure: ollie
Downhill and freeride The downhill consists in descending long mountain roads as quickly as possible with longboard boards. Discipline finds renewed interest since the 1990s
cruising and Long-distance pushing The cruising refers to the use of skateboarding for trips. Equipped with large soft wheels, to facilitate speed and rolling on irregular floors, the boards can be very small (miniboard like a Penny board) or relatively long (socalled ÂŤclassicÂť longboard). Long-distance pushing is a discipline consisting of long-distance skateboarding, for travel or sporting performance. The endurance boards are typically very low, to facilitate the thrust of the pied40.
The Official Events.
SLS is an international competitive series in professional skateboarding. The league features 25 professional street skateboarders competing for the largest monetary prize in the history of skateboarding, and was founded by professional skateboarder and entrepreneur Rob Dyrdek in 2010. The Street League Foundation was created to increase skateboarding practice around the world. It helps municipalities and not-for-profit organizations design, develop and build adaptive skateparks. The foundation also supports the creation of communities to promote skateboarding.
X Games are extreme sports competitions. They made it possible to revive skateboarding, however by strengthening its aspect of risk sports. the worldwide media coverage of the X Games creates a new public interest in skateboarding. The former rebel and underground skateboard makes way for a great show of sporting performances, followed by millions of people. At the same time, professional skaters become marketing ambassadors for major brands (clothing, shoes) targeting young
The skateboard disciplines chosen are the street and the park terrain (bowl), in partnership with the World Skate federation and the professional circuit SLS. With skateboarding in this worldwile known competition, fans hope to achieve a higher profile and see their sport evolve around the world.
Hollywood.
Thrashin’/ Skate Gang, David Winters,
1986.
The Skateboard Kid, Larry Swerdlove, 1993. Rouli-roulant, Claude Jutra, 1966. Dogtown and Z-Boys, documentary of Stacy Peralta, 2001. Les Seigneurs de Dogtown, Catherine Hardwicke,
2005.
À l’ouest de Pluton, Myriam Verreault and Henry Bernadet, 2009. Wassup Rockers, Larry Clark, 2006. Paranoid Park, Gus Van Sant, 2007. Skate or Die, Miguel Courtois, 2008. Grind, Casey La Scala, 2003. Kids, Larry Clark, 1995. Danger Dave, Philippe Petit, 2014. Street Dreams,
Chris Zamoscianykb,
Mid90’s,
Jonah Hill,
2009 2018.
Dogtown and Z-Boys
Rouli-roulant
Mid 90s
The Art Scene.
Mark Gonzales (aka ‘The Gonz’) Known as one of the most influential skateboarders of all time, he is equal parts famous as a prolific artist. His avant-garde and expressionist filled boards are highly sought after items of art, with the likes of Calvin Klien, Sean Combs and even Donald Trump eager to collect them.
‘Art was something I could do anywhere in the world along with my skateboarding’ Gonzales in an interview with Forbes
Also other new type of sport can be link with the street like the Parkour. Parkour is an acrobatic sport that consists in overcoming urban or natural obstacles, by fast and agile movements. It was invented in France in 1990.
Aberdeen
Skateboard is becoming at that time more accessible for anyone and lot of the art and street culture is link to it.
Miami
In the 90’s skate getting popular in the underground culture. It’s link with a new clothes, new music style and new danses.
The big Movers and Shakers.
Rob Dyrd ek (created the SLS)
Tony Hawk
Danny Way
Rodney Mullen (invented kickflip)
Cliff Coleman (Popular downhill skidding)
Natas Kaupas (invented the Wall Ride)
Calum Ballock
‘The best skateborders seem to be mad of flawed in some way’ - Sam Beckett
What’s everyone else doing?
Haderslev, Denmark
Oslo, Norway
Copenhagen, Denmark
Viborg, Denmark
A Brutal relationship. The undercroft of the Southbank Centre, following its ÂŁ.1.37 million crowdfunded renovation, which allowed for the protection and expansion of the space for the skating community
The skatepark known as BAYSIXTY6 resides underneath the expansive space created by the London Westway
The scultural and highly durable nature of brutalist architecture, lends itself well as a platform to empower the communty that surrounds skateboarding. Specific features such as sharply angled slopes, curved walls and the intermingling of eclectic surfaces and geometries are natural places to casually practice tried and tested tricks, and discover new ones, without the financial burden of looking for a private training ground - such as transition extreme.
Iain Borden A professor of architectural history and urbanism, Iain Borden is a key commentator on urban skating culture.
Space Left Over After Planning
Aberdeen Skateparks.
< Transition Extreme
< Bridge of Don Skatepark
< Westburn Skatepark
< East Tullos Skatepark
< Kincorth Skatepark
< Cults Skatepark