4-H 365.00 General OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION PROJECT IDEA STARTER Skateboarding by Angela and Christopher Yake, Clark County 4-H Volunteers; Patty House, Ohio State University Extension 4-H Youth Development Educator, Clark County; and Jonathan Spar, Skateboarder Consultant Ever wonder where skateboarding See “4-H Skateboarding Permission, Disclosure got its start? Do you consider and Release of Claims” Form on page 6. skateboarding a sport or a hobby? Have you been skateboarding for years, or is this your first time jumping on the board? Regardless of your skateboarding experience, safety is essential in preventing injuries and advancing your skill. What Is a Skateboard? The movie “Back to the Future” featured Michael J. When you look at a skateboard, what does it remind Fox taking a fruit crate scooter on wheels and kicking you of? Maybe a surfboard with four wheels. While the crate off to skateboard down the streets. This waves help guide a surfboard, the rider’s feet apparatus is commonly accepted as the predecessor help propel the skateboard. You can travel short to the skateboard and was created in the 1930s. distances on them, but most skateboards are used to Early skateboards were made with scraps of wood. perform stunts. Four metal wheels were taken from a scooter or Let’s take a closer look at the skateboard. Every rollerskate and attached to the bottom. Recognizable skateboard consists of three parts: the deck, the truck skateboards were first manufactured in the late 1950s. and the wheels. The deck is the actual board you California surfers were the first to pick up ride on. It is about 32 inches long, 8 inches wide and skateboarding. They could practice on skateboards less than one-half inch thick. The deck has a defined when the ocean waves were too rough and soon nose and tail with a concave middle. The metal truck were called “sidewalk surfers.” The first wave of holds the deck to the wheels. Skateboard wheels skateboard popularity ended in 1967 mainly because are about 1⅓ to 1½ inches in diameter and made riders were not respected. Many cities began to of polyurethane. ban skateboarding. Skateboarding popularity re-emerged in 1973. The So, What Is Skateboarding? introduction of polyurethane wheels made boards Do you think skateboarding is a sport, a hobby, a job, easier to control and more stunts possible. Skate an art form or a mode of transportation? It can be all parks, which provide places to practice and perform, of these! Many skateboarders have helped shape and were first built about this time. influence skateboarding. PLAN YOUR PROJECT Use this idea starter AND publication 4-H 365 Self-Determined Project Guide as the starting place for your 4-H self-determined project. TheSelf-Determined Project Guide is available from your county OSU Extension office or on the Web atohio4h.org/selfdetermined . You may choose to do a little or a lot depending on your level of interest. Be sure to register your project with your county OSU Extension office. – 2 – Helmet Planning to Skate as Part of Your 4-H Skateboarding Self-Determined Project? ALWAYS wear a properly fitting helmet to protect your head from Contact your local OSU Extension 4-H Youth Development injury! It doesn’t matter what age Extension Professional to discuss the following: you are, how much experience • Liability issues—ask about “Informed Consent and Permission to you have or where you are Participate” forms. skateboarding: Use a high-quality • Insurance—the American Income Life Policy is available for 4-H bicycle or multi-sport helmet. Make clubs and events. sure the helmet you use meets or • Competitions or educational programs. exceeds safety standards of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety • Project requirements. Commission (CPSC). You may Contact your local Parks and Recreation District or YMCA to: need to try on several sizes and • Inquire about skate parks or areas where you are permitted to models to find a helmet that fits safely ride a skateboard. your head correctly and securely. • Ask about professional/amateur skateboarders, potential Your helmet should: instructors or related classes. • Be worn flat on your head with the bottom edge parallel to the ground. Skate parks provided obstacle skateboarding gain popularity courses, pools and pipes to again. Televised “extreme sports” • Sit low on your forehead. challenge skateboard riders. showed the best of skateboarding, • Have side straps that form a Soon competitions, recognition regarded as the first extreme sport. “V” shape around each ear. and rider sponsorships followed. • Have a buckle that fastens Types of Skateboarding Skateboarders began decorating tightly (there should be room to the bottoms of their boards with Street: skateboard rider put only two fingers between logos of their sponsors. overcomes obstacles on paved the strap and your chin). surfaces such as streets During the late 1970s, • Have pads inside that you skateboarding again was viewed Ramp: skateboarding that install or remove so the helmet as controversial and antisocial. incorporates ramps such as fits snugly. Due to the number and severity half-pipes or mini-ramps that are • Not move in any direction when of skateboarder injuries, owners typically less than 6 feet high you shake your head. feared lawsuits, and closed Vert: skateboarder rides on a • Not interfere with your their skate parks. The art of vertical ramp — typically 10 feet in movement, vision or hearing. skateboarding once again faded. height — that is a larger version of Skateboarding popularity surfaced a half-pipe • Be replaced when it is again in the mid-1980s due to damaged or outgrown. skateboarding videos featuring Riding Styles Wrist Guards and Knee and extremely difficult and dangerous Regular: skateboarder stands Elbow Pads stunts using ramps, stairs and with the left foot in front while handrails. Skateboard art emerged skateboarding • Wrist guards support the wrist and reduce the chances of at the same time. Decks were now Goofy: skateboarder stands breaking a bone if you fall. elaborately decorated with logos with the right foot in front while and other designs. The negative skateboarding • Knee and elbow pads reduce perceptions of skateboarders the severity of cuts and Mongo: skateboarder uses front continued, and popularity waned scrapes, and prevent gravel foot for pushing in the late 1980s. burns. In the mid-1990s, ESPN and MTV’s X-Games competitions helped – 3 – Shoes ☐ Identify and list various street, Skating • Wear closed-toe, slip-resistant ramp and vert tricks. ☐ Complete skate activities as shoes. identified by your advisor. Safety • Never wear flipflops or sandals. If working with a group, ☐ Find and use a helmet that fits your group should identify properly. progress levels. If working A 2002 report by American ☐ Compare elbow and knee pads independently, identify the Sports Data found that for fit and comfort. skate tricks you want to there were 12.5 million ☐ Give a talk or a safety tip at a accomplish and list them as skateboarders in the world. club meeting. your project activities. Eighty-five percent of ☐ Make a list of safe places to ☐ Basic activities: falling, coming skateboarders polled were skate and share it with your to complete stop, pushing under the age of 18, and skateboarding friends. a straight line, turning and 74 percent were male. showing awareness of other ☐ Look up statistics for national skaters injuries for skaters. What is the most common injury? ☐ Beginner street: ollie on level ground, ride off a launch ramp, AREAS OF INTEREST AND ☐ Investigate how clothing affects kick turn, ride backwards, THINGS TO DO skating. Should you wear jeans, manual (wheelies) Every self-determined 4-H project shorts, jogging pants? What can be broken down into areas length should your bottoms be? ☐ Intermediate street: rail slide, of interest. These are the specific What are appropriate tops and 180° ollie, ollie off launch ramp, things members want to address jackets? kick flip/heel flip on level during their project adventures. ground, 50/50 grind on box Using 4-H 365 Self-Determined Equipment and Clothing ☐ Advanced street: ollie over Project Guide, identify at least ☐ Explain what grip tape is used obstacles, double kick flip, 180° three areas of interest with at for. off of and grab off-launch ramp, least three activities per area to ☐ Compare shoe soles to find nose slide, etc. explore. Take your ideas from the proper footwear. ☐ Beginner ramp: kick turn at list below or make up your own. ☐ Design matching T-shirts for coping height, drop in, pump/ the group. maintain coping height, Getting Started: What Type of backside 50/50 stall, rock-a- ☐ Explain why certain boards cost Skater Are You? fakie more than others. ☐ Find and read a reference book ☐ Intermediate ramp: backside ☐ List appropriate skate attire. or watch a video on skating. 50/50 grind, rock and roll, nose ☐ Practice loosening and ☐ Attend a clinic or skate stall, frontside grind 360°, blunt, tightening trucks. Compare competition. etc. mobility. What gives more ☐ Advanced ramp: tail grind, blunt ☐ Work with a more advanced control? skater to gain additional skill. tricks, get “air,” inverts, switch ☐ Take the wheels off your board tricks, smith grind, switch ☐ Play a skate video game; and put them back on using a from various ramps, lazer flip, compare the combos to real skate tool. McTwist, choreographing a life. ☐ Experiment with different sizes street-ramp routine ☐ Visit a skate park and identify and hardness of wheels. Which the types of skating and skate is better for street versus vert? Deck Art and Board Design tricks being performed. ☐ Compare popular skate attire; ☐ Customize your board with art, ☐ Identify the different types and chart the comparison of paint, stickers and markers. ways to skate.