Skateboarding - the VERY early days.
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Having seen so many cool skate park creations here created with SU – I thought I would do a bit of retro modelling.
Whilst in year 9 at school 1977 my tech drawing teacher seeing some promise organised with the principal that I do 2 semesters of tech drawing rather than switch as required to metal work or woodwork. He then allowed me to undertake my own projects or help others in the class understand drawing principles. So one of these projects I set myself was to design a half pipe. Then a few mates and I set around to build what at that stage may have been one of the first skate ramps. To say it was a failure by today’s standards is an understatement. 12' diameter, 6' high and 4' wide surface.
Being on the other side of the world to what was emerging in the sport in the US we weren't privy to any news and set about it rather naively.
Before this we used the arches of the bridge just down the road – losing your board was a bugger though!We built the ramp from generally stolen timbers (yep bad boys, not really - we tried to spread sources) the main timbers were the big asset - cross bars from electrical poles, the brace / curve supports formwork edging. The ramp then lined with hardwood fence palings and silly me 3 ply 8'x4' sheets which quickly needed a second and third surfacing.
The lack of a transition in the bottom meant one had to skate like a jack rabbit and you would run out of breath real quick! Using the ramp meant starting fakey, meaning you just rolled back and forth (before turning) building height with each! Dropping in from the top generally just meant face planting with the opposite side (just too tight).
Coming off was the worst fear. It generally meant sliding down the edge of the rough sawn fence palings - and most likely on your shin, thigh or face!! In the end the fun didn't last long before we decided on splitting it and taking to a mates place with a long drive way so we could use it as a quarter pipe - with a shiny new surface of marine ply - it finally got some proper use!
Anyway it was nice to be there developing in the very early days of what is now a huge sport!
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We are very close to the same age. I was doing the same thing in those years, just not on a bridge! I still have my "Fiberflex" skateboard from those days. In fact, I just got back into skating a little with my 12 year old daughter. I can still ride without breaking my neck.
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@unknownuser said:
We are very close to the same age.
I'm not sure I'd own up to that mate!
@unknownuser said:
I still have my "Fiberflex" skateboard from those days.
I remember them - way way to flexible from memory!
Funny just a little after this time our local council announced the building of a skate park. Excitement grew on what it would be. Turn out a complete disappointment as just a larger near flat area with "nothing", just a slightly graded bitumen surface.
As it was smack bang in the middle of the area serviced by several schools it turned into a war zone where skates would crew into gangs and ride around flicking their boards at the opposition! Biggest problem then was a fully cast aluminium deck / trucks that would grid off to a sharp shin cutting weapon, these were later banned for obvious reason. The facility fell out of use within the month.
It would then be a few years before the first commercial park opened in Sydney. Though in the interim we found a smaooth natural rock platform in the national park that offered some good skating. Then just a few years later when this became popular that skating was banned there. Funny to then see a sign in a national park "Skateboarding Prohibited" - very weird signage where it was not expected.
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That will interest Jeff !
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