Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Modern Skateboarding

Skateboarding has been a popular sport for the past 3 decades, and is quite modern. In fact, skateboarding has been around since 1980, which happens to be the year in which the first modern skateboard was made. Since then, both young and the not so young enjoy carving the streets and experiencing the adrenaline rush of free riding, trick skating, and the like.

Skateboarding is deeply influenced by and derivative of the art and sport of surfing. Surfing, which was developed and rooted in Hawaii, is the act of riding waves with a surfboard. Similar to surfing, skateboarding entails riding a skateboard on land, and more specifically, paved or concrete surfaces. Skateboards are made in different styles and made with different skating methods in mind.

Some skateboards are styled and fashioned after longboard surfboards. While these skateboards are not intended for extensive tricks, longboard skateboards are great for bombing hills and carving while you cruise the streets.

There are also skateboards that are intended for trick skating. These skateboards are shorter boards which allow the skater to manipulate movement more quickly and effectively to perform stunts and tricks such ollies, casper flips, nosegrinds, and back stabs.

Skateboarding has been popular since the 1980's, as was mentioned in the early part of this article, and has then spawned its own culture. The skateboard culture is also known as punk or skate punk culture. Skate punk culture, like many different cultures, has a fashion and language of its own.

There are many brands and companies of manufacturers of skateboards and skateboard-related items. With the popularization of skateboarding and the image that it entails, also came the monetization and financial aspect of this sport. There are numerous skating contest events, skateboarding magazines, and skateboard fashion and clothing companies. Some of these companies include Element skateboards, Sector 9 skateboards, Birdhouse skateboards, Baker skateboards, the classic Powell skateboards, and many more. Usually, each skateboard brand has a team of sponsored professional skateboarders that represent them at skateboarding events.

If you're looking for a sick skateboard or skateboarding gear, check out Skateboard Trends for Element skateboards, Baker skateboards, Birdhouse Skateboards, and more great skateboarding equipment and accessories. Skateboard Trends provides great listings for hot deals on skateboards and the related at greatly discounted prices. You will not be disappointed at the selection of skateboards, parts such as wheels and trunks, and great skate fashion wear and gear that they have.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_Blu

Monday, March 16, 2009

Five Different Skateboard Companies

There are many different skateboard manufacturers out there on the market today, and each one creates high-quality, well-crafted skateboard decks that exceed the expectations of both novice riders and of skateboarding professionals. This article is going to introduce you to some of the more popular and well-known skateboard makers who are in business today.

PLAN B SKATEBOARDS

Located in Vista, California, Plan B Skateboards started out in the early 1990's as a professional skateboarding team, which quickly grew into one of the world's leading skateboarding companies. As a team, they were considered groundbreaking, as they developed new techniques for actual skateboarding and for the way they filmed skateboarding videos. Today, they still remain one of the more legendary teams in the skateboarding community, and they are now also developing and retailing high-end skateboard decks which are also extremely affordable - thus allowing just about anyone the opportunity to take up skateboarding for themselves.

BAKER SKATEBOARDS

Andrew Reynolds is one of the world's leading skateboarders, and in 2000, he founded Baker Skateboards. Much like other skateboarding companies, Baker Skateboards also feature a team of professional and world-class skateboarders. In addition to manufacturing skateboard decks, Baker Skateboards also produce skateboard wheels as well. When it comes to design, Baker Skateboard decks stand out from the competition, as their deck designs are bright, bold and big. Simply put, when you're riding on a Baker Skateboard, everyone will instantly know about it when they first see you roll up on the scene.

ALMOST SKATEBOARDS

Launched in 2003 out of El Segundo in California, Almost Skateboards (which is one of the cooler skateboarding names) is known for their innovation when it comes to deck development, creation and manufacturing. While traditional skateboard decks are made from wood, Almost Skateboards uses an interesting resin epoxy when building their boards. Because of this unique approach, Almost Skateboard decks are ultra-light, thus allowing for the possibility of greater speeds when in motion and of higher elevation when performing tricks. And, like pretty much other skateboarding companies, Almost Skateboards also feature a professional team.

BLIND SKATEBOARDS

Founded way back in 1989 by Mark Gonzales, Blind Skateboards is still going strong and still providing top-end skateboard decks. Recently, Blind Skateboards have also branched out into wheel development, accessories and even clothing featuring Blind Skateboards' logo, the Grim Reaper. And while Blind Skateboards does feature a professional riding team, they are somewhat unique in that they also sponsor an amateur team featuring young up and coming skateboarders. When it comes to the actual design of their decks, Blind Skateboard decks are usually quite elaborate and detailed in the artwork featured on their skateboards.

BIRDHOUSE SKATEBOARDS

Tony Hawk is considered to be the Godfather of skateboarding, and his company, Birdhouse Skateboards, aims to carry on the legacy that he built for himself as a rider. Formed in 1992, Birdhouse Skateboards, in addition to making decks, also manufactures wheels, clothing, apparel, accessories and skating videos as well. What gives Birdhouse Skateboards a competitive advantage is its high visibility in the super-popular line of Tony Hawk Pro Skater video games. Birdhouse Skateboards also feature two separate skateboarding teams, both professional and amateur.

Duke McCallister has one philosophy when it comes to Birdhouse Skateboards: and that's to go skate or go home! A skateboarding fan, Duke wants to share his experiences and passion for skateboards with expert boarders and those new to skateboarding. In addition to writing about skateboards, he also visits GoSkateorGoHome.com for all his boarding needs.

Whether talking about skateboard decks, trucks, Almost Skateboards, grip tape or anything else about skateboarding, Duke is more than happy to talk about it, write about it and share stories about it!

And remember, if you want to check out a fantastic online destination for all your skateboarding needs, just roll on over to one of Duke's favorite sites at GoSkateorGoHome.com!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Duke_McCallister