Skateboarding is a sport like no other. Skateboard Culture has influenced fashion, music and even the way we talk.

 Since the first skateboard made there are no teams and no rules. When someone skates well, we all win! You can do it almost anywhere. Most do it in the streets but if you are lucky you have a skatepark to go to.

 There wasn’t much to go around when I started skateboarding in the early nineties. There were no skateparks, few places to buy skateboards. It was banned in a lot of public and private spaces. Most people thought of skaters as criminals just out to cause problems. This core group of skaters didn’t have much but they were innovators. The tricks became very complex and technical. The equipment got simpler and higher quality.

 The innovations that were made in the 90’s brought skateboarding back slowly. It was accessible easy and super cool. It grew steadily into the millennium. Even catching the interest of the Olympic Games.

 That is very different to what is happening today. 

 Skateboarding has gone mainstream; from Disney movies, video games and million dollar skateparks. Tony Hawk is a household name. 

Skateboarding has made such an impact of the mainstream it has spawn some copies. The culture copy cats like rollerbladers, scooter kids and to a lesser extent BMX.

 Skater’s these days can get equipment everywhere. The junk you can buy at the local Wal-Mart, to shops in malls and of course the local core skateshops. Did I mention all the skateparks! 

Skaters are free to skate how they want and do the tricks they want. There are no other players to influence what you do. This independent, no rules, free thinking mentality attracts creative people to skateboarding. The kind of people who like to do their own thing. 

The most famous cities in the world for skateboarding are Los Angeles, San Fransisco, Vancouver and Barcelona. They all have some claim to their reputation. Even if they aren't all as good to skate as Barcelona.