Thanks to EatLiver for the picture.

First of all one has to make sure that he is well trained as to how to position his feet onto the skateboard. The positioning is important, as well as the way the body’s weight is appropriated onto the small surface area of the skateboard. Inevitably a lot of training and practice will help one to attain this knowledge. However it is also important that if one is still a beginner, he has someone who is experienced in this sport to help him out at first. Dangerous moves should be left for later on.

It is crucial to use a proper skateboard. There are various types available on the market. Although some may placed more importance on the aesthetic features of the skateboard it is far more important to focus on its quality. Beginners should always choose skateboards with a shorter deck for better manageability.

Also, check out the weight that it can support. It is also imperative to make sure that the skateboard is in proper working order. Check it regularly, ideally each and every time before you ride it, so as to inspect it for any cracks, broken or jagged parts. The wheels, especially, should always be in good condition.

Head injuries are one of the main types of injuries which are caused in skateboarding accidents. They are also the most serious types. This highlights the need to wear protective equipment. There are several skateboarding helmets available on the market.

However it is important to make sure that you choose the right fit as otherwise the effectiveness of the protection will be limited. The helmet should be properly positioned on your head, and have straps and buckles adjusted accordingly. The inside layer should be covered with padding. It is also crucial that the helmet does not slide when you move and that it does not impair your vision.

Apart from head injuries unfortunately skateboarding may also cause foot injuries. As a result it is important to wear protective gear such as knee pads and suitable shoes. Knee pads will cover your knees and provide a cushioning which will dampen the negative effect resulting from any direct falls or hits. There are also suitable shoes which are adequate for skateboarding which will improve your grip and increase a more sure footing.

Wrist guards and elbow pads should also be worn. Cuts and scrapes will be lessened, and other possible injuries will also be reduced thanks to their padding. Apart from making sure to wear all the above mentioned protective equipment, it is also important to make sure to skateboard in a controlled environment. Never do tricks and jumps that you are not skilled at, and ideally always have someone with you so that you will be helped in case of accidents or emergencies.

Although skating is a relatively new activity, it has spawned many iconic and legendary individuals who have served the sport in a wide variety of ways. Some helped to bring the sport into the mainstream, while others either created or popularized many elite tricks that novice skaters aspire to master. Ultimately, there are many classic and fast rising stars worthy of recognition.

Tony Hawk

Tony Hawk is probably the best known legend of the sport. Even those who are not die hard fans of this sport have heard of him at some point. He has many significant accomplishments on his resume, which include being the first individual to land a trick known as the “900.” He is also widely known for the extremely successful video game franchise that bears his name.

Rodney Mullen is another name in the minds of most fans, and many are still quick to cite Mullen as the most influential skater of all time. He is known to have created many of the most significant tricks in the sport’s history. Some include the kickflip, the flatground ollie, and the heelflip.

Bob Burnquist is another very popular skater among fans. He is also credited with landing some of the most difficult tricks in the business, including the “mega fakie to fakie 900″. He specializes in switch stance skating and has been responsible for the creation of many innovative vert tricks. He is widely known for his come from behind win in the 2001 X-Games.

Geoff Rowley

Geoff Rowley is another fan-favorite who has inspired many young skaters to explore this fast-growing activity. He appears alongside Tony Hawk in many of Tony Hawk skateboarding games. This icon is also known for his 50/50 trick performed on the Staple’s Center ledge in Los Angeles in 1999. This trick, and the subsequent photograph of the trick, helped to launch him into the upper echelon of popular skaters.

Eric Koston began skating in 1986 while growing up in San Bernardo, California. He gained sponsorship in 1991 and quickly became a professional in 1993. He is a favorite among fans, and he has appeared in many skating videos and skateboard games as well. Koston popularized a trick known as the “crooked grind”, and he also invented the “banana bunny grind” and the “fandango”.

Any list of the top 5 skateboarding legends will be a point of debate. All fans have a personal favorite, and many qualified and influential individuals certainly deserve recognition. Although it is a relatively young sport, it has produced many classic legends and is sure to bring many more young skaters to the forefront of the industry as it continues to grow in scope.

This article will focus on two legendary game franchises and their most recent offerings for seventh-generation gaming consoles: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. Some titles in the two franchises are also available on handheld consoles, mobile platforms and/or personal computers.

You can not talk about this genre without paying homage to the Tony Hawk series. Sixteen titles have been released in this series since the first one, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, smashed onto the scene in 1999. The latest TH title, Shred, with its arcade look and gameplay style, is rumored to be the final title of the series. Activision announced in February 2011 that there will be no 2011 installment of the series.

Tony Hawk: Shred has been developed for younger gamers. Older gamers may still be enticed by some of the game’s features, though.

It comes with the cool skateboard-deck motion-controller (first seen alongside the last TH title: Ride), has social gaming features and a ‘Go Big’ trick system.

Like all TH games, the tricks in Shred are huge and crazy and cool. If you feel like carving through powder or shredding down a treacherous alpine mountainside, have your skater strap on a snowboard. TH: Shred hit retailers in October 2010. TH titles are all developed at Neversoft, published by Activision and, of course, endorsed by professional skater Tony Hawk.

The next big series is the Skate franchise from Electronic Arts, and comprises of Skate, Skate 2, Skate 3 (PS3 and Xbox 360) and Skate It (Wii). EA’s Skate series has impressed both hardcore and casual gamers and has garnered critical acclaim with its fresh ‘Flick-It’ control scheme, great features and beautiful urban environments. Flick-it departs from the button-combos (and occasional button-mashes) of traditional control systems by using patterns of flicks, pushes and pulls on the analog sticks to pull off tricks. This trick-system gives the player a sense of immediacy, tactility and precision. The Flick-it control scheme gets better with each sequel.

Skate 3, released May 2010 for the Xbox and PlayStation 3, is set in an all-new fictional city called Port Caverton. In contrast to Skate 2′s San Vanelona, which featured stark and gritty visuals and learnt an ‘underground’ feel to the game’s skaters and skating, Port Caverton is openly skater-friendly and its cityscapes are much more colourful.

There are new easy and hardcore difficulty levels, and a Skate School which will keep your basic Flick-It skills in nick. Online game modes have been nicely expanded to include three new online team play modes: 1-Up, Domination and Own The Lot. This adds a particularly fun dimension to an already cool game.

EA Black Box’s Skate franchise may be comparatively new (the first Skate debuted in September 2007), but it is immensely popular. The first Skate arrived at about the same time as Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground, yet has amassed nearly double the amount of sales. Shred had a bit of a dismal opening week in comparison to Skate 3′s too. Gaming fans have many predictions – the continuing dominance of Skate, the return to glory for TH in 2012 – but only time will tell which (if either) of these skateboarding games franchises will come out tops.

The skateboards were created with wooden boards and roller skates stuck on the bottom. They looked like scooters. The wooden board had a milk crate and a handle attached to it for support. As time passed, the look was changed by removing the crate and started to use it on two by fours with steel wheels. You can imagine how many injuries occurred at that time, not having any protection. It is unknown who began this creation, but we do know that a few people came up with the idea all at the same time.

It began when surfers across California got the idea of surfing on the streets. This became popular in the late 1950′s Surfing became very popular, and people began tie surfing on a board while cruising on board. Later on surfers began riding big waves, making skateboarding gain even more popularity.

In the late 1950′s the first professional skateboards built went up for sale. This is when it became even more popular. In the mid 1970′s, parks began being built all over. The first one created was in Florida. In 1963 competitions were held mostly downhill and freestyle. Companies began producing skateboards with clay heads.

Eventually the skating popularity came to an end. Everyone thought it was no longer available since it came to an unexpected end. Companies closed down and anyone that wanted to continue this sport had to do it on their own.

Then in the beginning of the 1970′s urethane skateboard wheels were invented. These are wheels that are similar to what is used today, boards with metal wheels. Fiberglass boards were also created around the same time. They became popular again like the sport we see today. Different popular moves were created giving the sport a popularity never seen before. Unfortunately another downfall occurred causing parks to close down. Street skaters began building their own ramps at home so they can skate. Companies owned by skateboarders began creating new styles of boards to try. Nothing became of this.

The beginning of game commercials took a big leap making skating even more popular. Pro skaters tried their best in making it to grow again. They succeeded in re-creating the sport all over making the first Extreme game to become a huge success. In the year 2000”s, the production of video games became a huge hit, and were accepted by skaters.

Skateboarding is practiced by kids and adults for fun. If the proper protection is worn it will be safe to practice skateboarding with the presence of your friends, making it even more fun. Over the years, it has become a safe sport that is enjoyed by may children playing with their friend and adults doing the same.

There is no right or wrong way to practice this sport. Everyone from children to adults can enjoy skating. Special parks have been built to accommodate everyone.

This skateboard bench is at the Skate Park in North Port, Florida.

There are some Tony Hawk skateboard games missing from this video like Tony Hawk Down Hill Jam, Tony Hawks Underground 2 Remix (but it is essentially the same as the PS2 version), Tony Hawks Ride.

Also, just because the graphics get better doesn’t automatically mean the game is better than the previous one.

Each ramp is designed with a specific use in mind and the type of tricks that can be performed are often limited by its size. A ramp is made up of a frame, which can be thought of its skeleton, a sub-surface which creates its characteristic curves, a high-speed surface, and an optional rail at the top edge called a coping.

The frame forms the skeleton of the ramp. The sub-surface is usually constructed with quality two-by-four and two-by-six lumber and plywood. Screws are preferred for this construction to assure that the connections are secure and that no heads are protruding. A skate-friendly surface is then laid on top of the sub-surface.

The great assortment of small scale slopes are normally not higher than six feet in length. These smaller size slopes are just as much fun for designing around obstacles, which make jumping over objects a feat of skill. A grind box has gentle slopes on either side and are flat in the center with either a grind pole or ledge to slide on.

Large inclines like pipes and verts are the most iconic pieces in skate parks. Pipes have flat bottoms which lead to concaves and come in various heights. Verts are almost always higher than six feet and is a half-pipe with its side built up so that they reach vertical for several feet before the top. The vertical section allows skateboarders to perform tricks that are not possible on the quarter-pipe or half-pipe.

The launch ramp is the easiest ramp to build and consists of an incline with two side supports. This is a great ramp for novices to roll up, perform a trick and then roll down. More experienced skaters can approach the ramp at speed and pop the board into the air while flipping or grabbing the board.

Great care is taken when building curved gradients by professionals, making exact measurements and joints with quality craftsmanship, allowing for the safest experience for each skater. Durability becomes a necessity for outdoor slopes with either sheet metal or waterproofed wood. Woods such as Masonite, Skatelite and birchwood are typically used for making indoor slopes.

Skateboarding ramps allow skaters to perform various tricks on their surface, or can be used to launch the rider into the air to execute the most awesome stunts. Small inclines are easy to build and are great for those who want to practice their tricks at home. Plans to build your own ramp can be found online or at a reputable skateboard store.

It either takes a good understanding of the laws of mechanics or to have a natural affinity to bend them in order for skateboarders to perform the seemingly endless variety of stunts that never cease to amaze spectators. Most feats are performed in the safety of a skate park which may be equipped with a number of ramps of varying sizes, rails, a bowl as well as various other obstacles which will provide the skater with a variety of options for them to express their individuality.

A tremendous amount of practice and skill is required to successfully execute most stunts. Injury is common and safety should always be the first consideration. Anywhere that a skateboard can negotiate is an open invitation for a trick.

The ollie, which is a jumping technique that allows the skater to jump over obstacles, is one of the most famous trick and forms the basis for most other stunts. A variety of combinations are possible and can include flips, and spins. It can also be performed with only one foot, or landed on only the front or rear wheels.

Slides, grinds, and stalls are performed on a coping or a rail and can use any part of the board, most often the tail, a truck, or the nose. When a spin or an ollie is added to the routine, it’s possible to perform something really interesting like the backside boardside. Adding handplants or footplants will gain a favorable reaction from the crowd.

When a skater drops in from either a ramp or bowl, they will usually use a technique called “pumping” in order to gain sufficient speed which will allow them to launch themselves into the air for long enough so that they can perform some of the most amazing stunts. When spins, various acrobatic leg placement, and ways of holding the board are combined, then feats like the highly acclaimed 900 degree, airwalking, and the backflip can be achieved.

Manoeuvres on the lip often include an ollie with a 180 degree spin as well as grinding and can also land on the nose. Sliding, or stalling, can be done on either the tail or the nose and can also include landing on a foot, called a footplant. A basic lip trick is the invert, where the rider plants a hand on the coping so that they are balancing upside down on the lip of the ramp with a number of variations of how the board is grabbed as well as leg placement.

Most of the thrills of skateboarding tricks comes from the enjoyment of practicing, rather than successfully executing stunts. Old school tricks, like 360 degree spins and the impossible, have produced many variations because of the pleasure of performing them. It can be asked who has more fun, the thrilled spectator or the adrenaline junkie rider?