Most everyone has heard of the term skateboarding, and some of us may have even tried our luck and this action sport. Skateboarding is a sport that goes beyond the ramps and parks, and has a subculture that frequent skateboarders become a part of. What is this? How does someone join this subculture? I'm no anthropologist, but let's try to tap into this skateboarding subculture. Belief Systems: This subculture generally includes young males from ages 8 to 22, according to researcher Graham L. Bradley. The appeal of this culture is its fluidity and flexibility. Skateboarding does not require practices or scheduling, and gives the individuals freedom in when/how they skateboard. This sense of freedom is a key value in this subculture, and differentiates this sport from other common sports people of this age are being encouraged to join. Language: Like every subculture, these individuals eventually formed a certain type of language around their craft. Skateboarding language is mainly slang that acts as shortcuts to frequently used terms. For example, a skateboard is simply a "board" or sometimes "deck" is used when referring to a specific wood part of the board. Other terms such as rad or sick defines the performance or terrain. The term sketchy means not trustworthy, and stoked means excited. This language is not cryptic, but specific to the skateboarding culture. Artifacts: Skateboards and skate shops obviously fall into this skateboarding culture, but other brands such as Vans and DC have also become incorporated. On social media, a whole collection of skating trick videos can easily be found on Youtube or Instagram. Kinship: Tony Hawk is the classic professional skater that comes to mind, but there is a wide range of skaters that have gained a following due to their tricks and "rad" performances. These individuals inspire others to try their moves and join this culture. Symbols: As mentioned earlier, certain brands have attached themselves to this skating subculture. As a result, their logos are often seen as symbols for the skating community, most often in the form of stickers on one's board. Rituals: The fluidity and freedom that this sport offers is one of the main reasons it appeals to so many young people. However, even though the sport does not have much formal structure, certain rituals can still be found. Preparing for the sport has many steps, such as waxing, applying their grip, adjust wheel graphics, tweak nuts and boards of the board, and arrange their stickers perfectly. According to skateboarding blogs, skateboarders are types of perfectionists when it comes to their preparation for performance, so these rituals are key to the culture.
As a 20 year old woman with absolutely no coordination, my experiences with skateboarding have been short and often painful. However, through this search I have discovered much more about the significance of the culture around this sport, and hope you have as well! Rad!
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AuthorMy name is Lexi Haskins, and I am a Junior Communication Studies student at Loyola Marymount University. I am also apart of the M-School Marketing Program. Archives
March 2018
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