A skateboard style refers to the way a

skateboarder Skateboarding is an 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 job, and a method of transportation. S ...

prefers to ride a

skateboard A skateboard is a type of sports equipment used for skateboarding. They are usually made of a specially designed 7-8 ply maple plywood deck and polyurethane wheels attached to the underside by a pair of skateboarding trucks. The skateboarder ...

. Skateboard styles can be broadly divided into two different categories: skateboarding to perform tricks and skateboarding as a means of transportation. Styles of skateboarding have evolved over time and are influenced by a number of factors including

sociocultural evolution Sociocultural evolution, sociocultural evolutionism or social evolution are theories of sociobiology and cultural evolution that describe how societies and culture change over time. Whereas sociocultural development traces processes that tend t ...

mass media Mass media refers to a diverse array of media technologies that reach a large audience via mass communication. The technologies through which this communication takes place include a variety of outlets. Broadcast media transmit informati ...

, music, technology, corporate influence and individual skill level. The styles used by different skateboarders when riding skateboards should not be confused with skater style, the manner in which skateboarders

dress A dress (also known as a frock or a gown) is a garment traditionally worn by women or girls consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice (or a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment). It consists of a top piece that co ...

or act in relation to skateboarding culture.

Styles

Freestyle

Probably the oldest style of skateboarding, freestyle skateboarding developed from the use of skateboards as a mode of transport in the 1960s. Professional freestyle competitions often involved

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

and choreography and focused on fluidity and technical skill. The style changed significantly with the introduction of ollies and other tricks in the 1980s and the introduction of various obstacle elements.''The Science and Art of Skateboard Design: How Boards Have Changed Over Time''
( Exploratorium) 1handstand.jpg, Freestyle skateboarding

Vert

Vert skateboarding has its genesis in ''"pool riding"'' - the riding of skateboards in emptied backyard swimming pools - during the 1970s.''Loveletters To Skateboarding: Style''
by Blair Alley. Posted in

Transworld Skateboarding ''Transworld Skateboarding'' (''TWS'') was an international magazine on skateboarding that was based in Carlsbad, California, United States. The publication also ran an accompanying website and video production company. In February 2019, the pub ...

on 31 August 2012 (video) It involves skateboard riders moving from the horizontal (on the ground) to the vertical (on a ramp or other incline) to perform tricks - thus ''"vert"''. It is also referred to as ''"transition skateboarding"'' or ''"tranny skating"''. Skateboarders usually set-up their boards with 55mm (or larger)

wheels A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axle bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction with axles, allow heavy objects to b ...

and wider decks for more stability.''Skateboard Guide and Skate Size Chart''
(Evo.com) File:Joey E'ale pool skating @ 3am-in -"V-Land"----Las Vegas ---- 1993-94--- 2014-05-25 08-42.jpg, Vert skateboarding

Street

Street skateboarding involves the use of urban obstacles like stairs and their handrails, planter boxes,

drainage Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of a surface's water and sub-surface water from an area with excess of water. The internal drainage of most agricultural soils is good enough to prevent severe waterlogging (anaerobic condition ...

ditches, park benches and other

street furniture Street furniture is a collective term for objects and pieces of equipment installed along streets and roads for various purposes. It includes benches, traffic barriers, bollards, post boxes, phone boxes, streetlamps, traffic lights, traf ...

. Skaters perform tricks around, on, onto or over these obstacles.''Different Kinds of Skateboarding''
by Philip Foster (

Livestrong Foundation The Livestrong Foundation is a United States nonprofit organization that provides support for people affected by cancer. The foundation, based in Austin, Texas, was established in 1997 by cancer survivor and former professional road racing cycl ...

, 29 April 2012) Skateboarders usually set-up their boards with 55mm (or smaller)

and narrower decks to make the board flip and spin faster and to make performing tricks easier. Nose grind skateboarding.jpg, A skateboarder making use of

Park

Park skateboarding encompasses a variety of sub-styles adopted by those who ride skateboards in purpose-built skate parks. Most skate parks combine

halfpipe A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, Inline skating, skating, and scooter riding. Overview The structure resembles a cross-section of a swimming pool, essentially t ...

s and

quarterpipe A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, skating, and scooter riding. Overview The structure resembles a cross-section of a swimming pool, essentially two concave ra ...

s with various other "vert" skateboarding features as well as "street" obstacles such as stairs, ledges, and rails. The integration of these elements produces a different skating experience. File:Girl riding at skatepark.jpg, Skatepark with one

riding Woman attempting a ramp on skateboard.jpg, Indoor skatepark with one

riding a ramp

Cruising

Cruising can be achieved with any type of skateboard through general

urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities ...

s without tricks. Skateboarders in this category often use "cruisers" which are generally wider and have rubbery wheels. Cruising, similarly to Downhill Skateboarding, is often used for transportation.

Downhill

Non-competition downhill skateboarding is one of the oldest styles of skateboarding and was popular in the early 1970s. Original longboards were described as being like snow skis (in terms of length). Modern riders often use longboards for races, but some use regular skateboards for non-competition downhill skateboarding.

Other styles

*'' Big Air Skateboarding'' was invented when

Danny Way Danny Way (born April 15, 1974) is an American professional skateboarder, company owner and rallycross driver who has been awarded ''Thrasher'' magazine's "Skater of the Year" award twice. He is known for extreme stunts, such as jumping into a ...

and

DC Shoes DC Shoes is an American company that specializes in footwear for action sports, including skateboarding and snowboarding. The company also manufactures apparel, bags, accessories, hats, tshirts, and posters. History The company was founded in ...

created the "Mega Ramp", with a giant "roll in" for speed followed by a large launch ramp, a (approximately) 50 foot gap and (approximately) 25 foot

. It has recently become popular enough to be an event in the X-games, and they are now adding other obstacles such as rails in the gap. *'' Grass surfing''

References

{{Skateboarding