Since its invention in 1950’s California, skateboarding has been subject to varying public opinion. Started as a way for surfers to catch waves when there was no swell, it quickly evolved into its own unique phenomenon. Empty outdoor swimming pools across America’s west coast were taken over and used by skaters in the genesis of a new sport and culture. However, the late 70s and early 80s saw a lot of change. Skateboarding expanded worldwide and street skating emerged, where skaters used street furniture and public space to perform their tricks. The slightly felonious nature of this evolution was met with scorn from the public.
However, skateboarding saw relative popularity after that, being a consistent motif in popular culture (in films such as Back to the Future (1985) and video games like ‘Tony Hawk Pro Skater’ and the ‘Skate’ franchise). Purpose built skateparks were being constructed across the world to keep skaters from destroying public spaces, and to accommodate its popularity. Despite this, skateboarding remained a relatively underground sport, revered by rebellious teenagers, and looked down upon by the older generations.
Nonetheless, as those who grew up skateboarding in its hay-day are entering their middle ages, the court of public opinion rules increasingly in favour of the sport. This can especially be seen by the announcement in 2016 that both the bowl (reminiscent of the old swimming pool days) and street varieties would be added to the Olympics. This rise into the mainstream is not entirely popular among the skateboarding community.
There are pros and cons to the entry of skateboarding into the mainstream marked by its Olympic debut. There are many who appreciate the greater popularity and exposure of the sport. It would mean more investment and better skating facilities. It would also mean less of a stigma around skateboarding, further increasing popularity. Another significant benefit of the exposure the Olympics provides is better gender equality as from its conception skateboarding has been very male dominated. There are many reasons for this, including extreme sports historically being marketed more towards boys. That aside, this is a self-perpetuating culture, as young girls wouldn’t see people like them skateboarding, so wouldn’t get into it themselves. However, the Olympics changed this, as female skateboarders were given the significant attention they deserve, which has promoted girls to go out and skate.
However, a lot of skaters see the popularity of skateboarding as a death of the sport. Skateboarding has always been a mainly fringe movement, so an influx of new people and a new scene has taken away the charm for some. People don’t like seeing the culture they grew up with change so drastically. In many ways this change is positive, as the previous conservative approach to skate culture has scared a lot of people away from the sport. Many new skaters can be labelled as “posers” for simply holding their board the wrong way or wearing a helmet. This negative culture is now almost non-existent in the modern skate scene, but this means that the skateboarding which people used to know, and want to hold on to, is slipping away as the new generation of skateboarders are reinventing the sport. This is especially true with the rise of social media creating new ways for skaters to express themselves, learn, and enjoy skateboarding.
It’s a dilemma for the traditional skate scene. They want their sport to be destigmatised, and for more people to enjoy what they love so much. However, his has inevitably brought an evolution to skateboarding culture due to the greater inclusivity in recent years and remove what attracted young people to skating all those years ago. Whether skateboarding should be mainstream is not something anyone can control, so only time will tell if skate culture continues to evolve into a mainstream sport or return to its underground roots.
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