Skateboarding: The Ultimate Guide (Greenwood Guides to Extreme Sports)

From skateboardings distant origins in the 1940s to the heyday of the Z-Boys to Tony Hawks lifelong and lucrative career as a professional skateboarding icon this book showcases what skateboarding was in the past and what its now evolved into.In the last half century skateboarding has evolved from a simple idyllic childs pastime that originated in southern California to becoming a worldwide youth culture phenomenon. This now-mainstream action sport has spawned a multi-billion-dollar commercial market for skateboarding equipment skateboard-related media and entertainment as well as skate-inspired softgoods like clothing shoes and accessories; and it is likely to soon become an Olympic sport.Skateboarding: The Ultimate Guide is brimming with fascinating history and engaging stories from skateboardings 60-odd year existence and evolution. Covering the action sports origins myriad breakthrough developments pioneering heroes both street style and vert or ramp skating unique popular culture and likely future this book will delight anyone with an interest in this individualistic and compelling athletic pursuit.Bibliography includes primary and secondary sources and current websites Glossary provides a comprehensive list of skating lingoIndex contains a comprehensive listing of names companies places and terms