Complete Skateboards, Decks, and Parts
Welcome to MannaSkateboards.com. Our mission is to provide the best information available on the wonderful sport of skateboarding. This sport has provided countless hours of delight for people of all ages when it debuted in the middle half of the last century. This site is purely informational and we hope only to shed more light on this wonderful pastime. We espouse no particular product or belief and strive instead to cover all topics equally and fairly. If you feel that we have missed something or have any questions or comments we encourage that you let us know. We want this site to be the very best and we’ll happily accept any advice you may have to help us succeed. Thanks for stopping by.
The true origins of skateboarding are shrouded in mystery. It is well known that they existed in the 1950’s or perhaps earlier. Some theories suggest that they were first fashioned from broken roller-skates or soapboxes. Regardless of their origin, complete skateboards were born which consisted of skakeboard decks (decks were typically made of plywood,) trucks, and various other skateboard parts. We may never know the true origin of such boards but we do know that by the early 1960’s skateboard competitions took place which were very different from our modern events.
The very first skateboard competitions were acrobatic events that focused on the skateboard remaining firmly on the ground. The rider was expected to do stunts like handstands and other such maneuvers but there were no jumping tricks. Sometimes also called ‘sidewalk surfing,’ skateboarding was about to be redefined by bored surfers when there were no waves.
In the early 1970’s, skateboarding would be completely overhauled as a new breed of young surfers known as the Z-boys would reinvent the sport. The term Z-boys came from the Zephyr Surf Shop which all the young members frequented. In addition to this new cadre of riders, skateboarding also resulted in a technological boom when Frank Nasworthy developed the first polyurethane wheels which were much more maneuverable. These new wheels allowed for wider decks, better trucks, and other skateboard parts which would help get the skateboard off the ground.
The Z-Boys also received inspiration from an unlikely source, California’s drought. The drought caused many people to drain their pools providing the precursor to half-pipes and other ramps. All of these advances served to get the skateboard off the ground both figuratively and literally. Tricks like the Kick-Flip and the Ollie got the board off the ground and would lead to more daring aerial stunts and board-slides. By the 1980’s skateboarding was cast in a somewhat negative light as it was so closely associated with the punk movement. The 1990’s slowly saw skateboarding return to a more socially acceptable pastime, also new technological innovations further refined complete skateboards. By the turn of the millennium skateboarding had truly become an officially recognized sport in the X-Games and had secured a mainstream status in society.
We hope you have enjoyed this brief introduction to the skateboard. Please visit the rest of this site for more information on complete skateboards, decks, and other skateboard parts. The rest of this site will also explore more details of skateboarding history and culture. Thank you once more for visiting this page and please don’t hesitate to send us any questions, comments, or suggestions.