A wallride or wall ride is a maneuver in

skateboarding Skateboarding is an extreme sport, action sport originating in the United States that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry Profession, job, and a ...

in which a rider positions their skateboard parallel to a wall, putting the wheels on the side of the wall as they ride along it. The trick is noted for its particular grace.

History

1970s (early innovators)

The exact originator of the wallride is unknown but it's believed to have been invented in the mid-1970s. The invention of the backside wallride is credited to

Rodney Mullen John Rodney Mullen (born August 17, 1966) is an American professional skateboarder who practices freestyle skateboarding and street skateboarding. He is considered one of the most influential skaters in the history of the sport, being credited fo ...

in 1979.

Tom "Wally" Inouye

Tom Inouye, best known for his signature moves, "wall rides" and "backside airs," started IPS (Inouye's Pool Service) back in the '70s, and was one of the first pool skaters. "In 1976 we were riding empty pools," said Inouye. "No one knew what all there was to do, so we were having a good time and seeing how far we could push it." "We were all trying to go up onto the wall. I guess I was the only one who did it," Inouye said. "It became a trick called a 'wall ride' and the name 'Wally' has stuck with me ever since."

1980s (popularization)

By the mid-80s, skaters such as Natas Kaupas and the Gonz exposed the rest of the skate community to wallrides. Kaupas had learned to ride walls where he would throw his skateboard up against a wall and ride off it. He then perfected this trick by riding up the side of walls without using his hands. In 1984 ''

Thrasher Magazine ''Thrasher'' is a skateboarding magazine founded in January 1981 by Eric Swenson and Fausto Vitello. The publication consists primarily of skateboard- and music-related articles, photography, interviews and skatepark reviews. The magazine also ...

'' photographer and skating commentator Craig Stecyk took a photo of Kaupas riding off a wall which featured on the cover of ''Thrasher Magazine's'' September 1984 issue. In the 1989 Santa Cruz ''Streets on Fire'' video, Natas Kaupas lands a frontside wallride at the beginning of his part.

1990s (second wave)

In the 1990 Speed Wheels video, ''"Risk it!"'', Tim Jackson skates Venice beach with unique wallride manoeuvres. After a lull in popularity, Rick Howard revived the wallride in 1993 at the end of his part in the Girl/

Chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civ ...

''Goldfish'' video. The popularity of wallrides grew in the mid-to-late 90s, with a group of Philadelphia-based skaters bringing the trick to the unique architecture of their city. From Rick Oyola, to Matt Reason, to Serge Trudnowski, to Fred Gall, this group of skaters influenced Donny Barley who was in turn influencing Jamie Thomas. The popularity of wallrides died down again in the late 90s.

2000s-2010s

On August 25, 2004, Brad Edwards and Aaron Murray set the

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

for highest wallride on a skateboard. Skating at the

Juice Magazine ''Juice'' is a German online hip hop magazine and the biggest of its kind in Europe. It was a print publication between 1997 and November 2019. Then it began to be an online magazine. In every issue, readers find interviews with rappers and reco ...

- USSA WSA - The Board Gallery - Hollywood Skate Jam taking place in

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

, Edwards and Murray both reached a height of 7 feet 6inches on the wall. Starting in the mid 00s through today, wallrides and wallies have experienced a renaissance. Notable wallrides from 2000s-2010s:

Beyond skateboarding

The term wallride is now used in situations beyond skateboarding, coming to mean the act of traveling across any vertical surface. Wallrides exist in mountain biking, BMXing, Skiing, rollerblading, stock car racing; as well as in video games.

References

External links

Ryan Reyes - How To's Day: The Wallride
{{Skateboarding Skateboarding tricks