Skateboarding
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Skateboarding is an extreme sport that involves riding and more often than not performing stunts on a skateboard. It is treated variously as a recreational activity, an art form, a form of entertainment and more simply a method of transportation. Though prior examples such as crate scooters have existed since the early 20th century (which was cheekily demonstrated in Back to the Future where Marty McFly turns one such scooter in to a makeshift skateboard), skateboarding as we know it was believed to be invented by bored California surfers looking for a recreational activity when the waves were flat.
It being a subculture adjacent to the wider punk scene, the sport has naturally attracted all sorts of people from the more progressive types who view skateboarding as a pathway to free expression regardless of race, creed or gender, to those who claim to live by the credos yet are actually bootlickers for authority figures they supposedly resent.
Of relevance to us[edit]
"Support your local skate shop!"[edit]
Much of skateboarding's anti-establishment roots still remain in underground communities which encourage supporting local skate shops and organize grassroots events,[1][2] though the sport is also criticised for 'selling out' as it is with punk. Prominent figures like Tony Hawk have been criticised for commodifying the sport into a money-making machine while losing its character.[3] The Dead Kennedys song "Police Truck" was notably used in the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
,[4] which led to some controversy with long time fans of the band accusing them of selling out to corporate interests, contrary to hardcore punk ethos of anti-corporatism; their record label, Alternative Tentacles, gave their consent for the song's use in the game, as the letter claims that even Biafra himself gave his consent.[5]
Others such as Steve Caballero, Lance Mountain
and Christian Hosoi
have needlessly brought their Christian faith to the fray and attracted controversy for posting social media tributes to demagogue figures like the slain far-right activist Charlie Kirk, sparking debate in skating circles on whether aligning with contentious figures alienated those who uphold to skating's punk-adjacent ethos.[6][7][8]
This tension between authenticity and posturing has been discussed repeatedly, like in the 2020 video game documentary Pretending I'm A Superman, produced by former Tony Hawk's Pro Skater producer Ralph D'Amato, where pro skaters Jamie Thomas and Bob Burnquist reflected on the issues of mainstream attention. On one hand events such as the X Games and more recently the Olympic Games gave skaters a platform to promote their sport in front of a live audience, but on the other it risked devaluing the sport as little more than a circus attraction for corporations to exploit and milk dry.[9] The Tony Hawk's series itself is emblematic of the tension, as Activision's eventual milking of the video game franchise resulted in mixed reviews and broken messaging relative to the themes it explores, e.g. rebellion and grassroots skating in American Wasteland sitting side by side with corporate sponsorships strewn throughout.
"Punk means thinking for yourself!"[edit]
Another form of tension among skaters is with those who openly profess their religious beliefs. While being punk does not necessarily call for outright atheism — after all, Jesus himself could be seen as "punk" for turning tables and calling out authority figures — problems arise if these beliefs become glaring contradictions. On one hand, you celebrate freedom of expression and non-conformity, but on the other you end up bowing to the very same authority figures and thus undermine the values skating represents.
As mentioned above, Caballero, Mountain and Hosoi are some examples of hubris devouring themselves: professing humility on the half pipe yet treating their lords and masters — right-wing grifters — as if they are incorruptible saints. Cab and Mountain openly eulogised Kirk[10] and cried afoul of perceived attacks on free speech when critics either mock Kirk's death or even offered good-faith, inoffensive criticism. Yet in doing so, they curtail dissent themselves — a flagrant betrayal of skateboarding's principles as an inclusive space for everyone.[11] Caballero's affiliations also become more ironic considering how he previously crossdressed as a caricature of a young woman in the video Future Primitive for the Bones Brigade skate team he was in back in the 1980s (and continues to be in to this day),[12] as well as his continued participation in the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater franchise whose lineup of skaters recently includes those from gender-diverse and ethnically-diverse communities, something whose Cab's recently deceased Great Poobah was clearly very much against.[13]
Shock therapy[edit]
That being said, the use of offensive symbolism in skate and surf culture has been in vogue for decades, albeit tied to shock value more than sincere affiliation with abhorrent ideologies: the skateboard parts manufacturer Independent Truck Company was initially famous for its Iron Cross logo though in 2022 they distanced themselves from it due to backlash from those who perceive it as a Nazi symbol;[14] interestingly and bizarrely enough, the cross patee in Pope John Paul II's regalia as seen in a 1978 Time Magazine issue was cited as an inspiration: "Well, if the Pope has it, it must be okay!".[15] The 1987 Powell-Peralta
skate video The Search for Animal Chin
has the titular character played by a white actor (Craig R. Stecyk III
) and utilised the usual mystical East Asian stereotypes. Despite this (as well as the fact that they used faux-Asian fonts on the opening titles and cover art), the Animal Chin mythos did not attract much in the way of controversy – the Animal Chin shirt can be seen in works as recent as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4.
Skating also attracts controversy for its perceived association with petty crime and dangerous behaviour.[16] Despite advice from even prominent pros to wear safety gear, it isn't uncommon for most skaters to just waive those minor inconveniences and risk maiming themselves on the pavement or plywood when they bail.[17] In a morbidly ironic incident, Strawberry Shortcake voice actor James Street was fatally injured in a skating accident when he rode without a helmet near his home;[18] his character, Huckleberry Pie, is portrayed as a young skater. This stigmatization led to the skater culture slogan "Skateboarding is not a crime,
" which is an effort to allay concerns about marauding behavior and petty vandalism by those in the scene, culminating in the sport's inclusion in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
References[edit]
- ↑ "Be The Scene: Organizing and Hosting Grassroots Skate Events by Bud Stratford". Everything Skateboarding. January 30, 2018. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
- ↑ "Skateboarding Inclusivity Cooperative". SKATE LIKE A GIRL. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
- ↑ Senrud, Christian (May 22, 2017). ""SELLING OUT" WITH TONY HAWK, JEFF GROSSO & ED TEMPLETON". Jenkem Magazine. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
- ↑ Reilly, Luke (2020-09-24). "The Making of the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Soundtrack". IGN. Archived from the original on 2025-09-25. Retrieved 2025-06-19.
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timestamp mismatch; 2020-09-25 suggested (help) - ↑ Letter from Alternative Tentacles
- ↑ lame instagram posts by pros
- ↑ "Skate Legend Steve Caballero Speaks Out on the Sad State of Free Speech Following Charlie Kirk's Passing". ShreddER. September 11, 2025. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
- ↑ "Remember, these are the skateboarders we used to idolise". Imgur. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
- ↑ D'Amato, R. (Director). (2020). Pretending I'm a Superman [Documentary]. Wood Entertainment; D'Amato Productions.
- ↑ Steve Caballero on Instagram (Archive)
- ↑ "Even my man Lance Mountain... :(". Reddit. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
- ↑ Peralta, Stacy (May 22, 2019). POWELL PERALTA PRESENTS: FUTURE PRIMITIVE (video). Retrieved 2025-09-19 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "Every Skater in THP3 and 4 - Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 Guide". IGN. July 7, 2025. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
- ↑ "Independent Trucks Logo Change". Shredz Shop. September 29, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
- ↑ O'Conner 2019, p. 108.
- ↑ (1) Abbate, Vince (June 28, 2007). "The trucks stop here". Chico News & Review. Chici Community publishing, INC. Archived from the original on December 17, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2013..
(2) Heywood, Will (2011). "Navigating the New Fortress" (PDF). Urban Action. Department of Urban Studies and Planning at San Francisco State University: 19–33. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 27, 2014.
(3) Rosenberger, Robert (June 19, 2014). "How Cities Use Design to Drive Homeless People Away: Saying "you're not welcome here"—with spikes". The Atlantic. The Atlantic Monthly Group. Archived from the original on July 1, 2014. Retrieved April 23, 2017.An example of an everyday technology that's used to forbid certain activities is "skateboard deterrents," that is, those little studs added to handrails and ledges. These devices, sometimes also called "skatestoppers" or "pig ears," prevent skateboarders from performing sliding—or "grinding"—tricks across horizontal edges. A small skateboard deterrence industry has developed, with vendors with names like "stopagrind.com" and "grindtoahault.com."
(4) Kelly, John (May 23, 2020). "It's a grind: The birth of those metal ledge guards designed to deter skateboarders". Local. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 24, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2020.. - ↑ Fountain, JL.; Meyers, MC. (Dec 1996). "Skateboarding injuries". Sports Med. 22 (6): 360–6. doi:10.2165/00007256-199622060-00004. PMID 8969014. S2CID 43292625.
- ↑ 13-Year-Old VO Actor Dies in Skateboarding Accident
Sources[edit]
- O'Conner, Paul (2019). Skateboarding and Religion. Springer International Publishing. ISBN 9783030248574.