Great Vintage Photographs From the Early Days of the Skateboard

LIFE Magazine featured the new activity of skateboarding back in 1965, photographed by Bill Eppridge. It showcased the joy and novelty of skating down the sidewalk on a piece of wood.

You can see the enthusiasm and satisfaction of the riders, riding on the simplistic yet effective boards. Harkening back to a simpler time, the series gives us a glimpse of a culture that is popular still to this day.

 

“the most exhilarating and dangerous joyriding device this side of the hot rod. A two-foot piece of wood or plastic mounted on wheels, it yields to the skillful user the excitements of skiing or surfing. To the unskilled it gives the effect of having stepped on a banana peel while dashing down the back stairs. It is also a menace to limb and even to life.” 

-LIFE Magazine