How Scooters and Skateboards Have Become Very Popular Leisure Products

Human beings have always been very creative – especially when it comes to transportation – and various contraptions with wheels sprung up over the years. Skateboards first emerged in the late 1940s, primarily as something for the Californian surfers to do when there were no waves; the first boards were crude, with wheels from roller skates and a timber deck that was fashioned out of an old plank of wood.  When the waves were flat, the surfers turned to ‘sidewalk surfing’ and within a short time, surfing shops began to take orders for skateboards.

Of course, man’s ingenuity never stops and pretty soon the skateboards in California became sleek, with more suitable wheels, and the surfers became quite proficient riding these tiny boards, even incorporating a few tricks. It was in the early 1960s when a few California surf shops hit upon the idea of replicating their popular boards in skateboard form, primarily as a way to promote their products, yet true to form, they weren’t happy with simply replicating the shape of the surfboard, rather they wanted to perfect this street replica so people could enjoy the ride more.

The Glorious Seventies

This was the golden decade for skateboarding, which saw the arrival of polyurethane wheels – far more durable than what they had been using – and this saw a tremendous leap in board design, with wide wheels that had far more traction, grip and the bearings were greatly improved. The 70s was really the time when skateboards as we know them today took shape, and, of course, with better boards came more accomplished riding and soon, special skateboarding parks were created.

Scooters

Similar to skateboards, scooters have a small, narrow deck to stand on and are kick propelled, yet with a set of handlebars, staying on the board was a lot easier, as this took the balance out of the activity. This was a factor that resulted in a divergence, with the skateboard and the scooter both developing in their own ways, and despite several attempts, they never managed to come together in any form of competition.

Kick Scooters

At present, kick scooting is a very popular sport and pastime; the riders have developed amazing tricks, and like most sports, a small, elite group of pro riders emerged and serious competition began. Fast forward to today and you have state-of-the-art Envy Prodigy S8 scooters that can be purchased from the specialist online scooter supplies company. Buying online saves you around 20%, as you are not paying for a plush retail outlet in the nice part of town, plus they have the very best scooters and a whole host of cool add-ons and accessories.

Teenagers and young adults around the world love nothing more than spending a few hours on their boards and scooters, and with an established pro sector, the sport seems to be on its way up. If you would like jump in at entry level, Google and you’ll find yourself in the online skateboard and scooter store and you can get started with a basic model, and don’t forget the protective equipment.