The Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Museum: A Must-Visit for Skateboarders and Fans

Published on by Daydream Under The Stars

1 minute read

Discover the 10,000 square feet hall of fame dedicated to Skateboarding. The collection includes thousands of vintage boards, memorabilia, artifact, a library, VHS, painting art, skating ramps, and a skate shop. Let’s celebrate the pioneers and future of skateboarding.

Origins of Skateboarding

Created by Californian surfers in 1950, skateboarding was allowing them to “sidewalk surfing” when waves were low. They practiced surf-style techniques on land while waiting for waves.

The first skateboard dated from the early 1900s and looked like a scooter. By the ’50s, scooter handlebars were removed. Wood planks and roller-skate wheels remain. It was the beginning of skateboarding.

The first skateboards

Evolution of Skateboarding

The museum encompasses a large collection of skateboarding showing the evolution since the 50s.

Look at the first skateboards. All of them were homemade: a single piece of wood with wheels. At the beginning of this sport, no company produced them.

By the 60s, they were called sidewalk surfers.

In the 70’s shape and size changed. Captain Cadillac, aka Frank Nasworthy, invited wheels made of urethane. Grip tape and kicktail were added too. These inventions improved the skating experience and performance.

70’s skateboards

In the ’80s, there were new accessories and colorful graphic boards.

80’s skateboards

By the 90s, skateboards look like today’s skates.

90’s skateboards

Skateboarding today

 From the first skateboarding competition in 1965 in California to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games, skateboarding became the sixth largest popular sport. Today, it gathers more than 85 million skaters worldwide.

The Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Museum

Ready to explore this museum?

Plan your visit:

  • Location: Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Museum, 1555 Simi Town Center Way #230, Simi Valley, CA, 93065
  • Hours: 2:00 pm-8:00 pm Wednesday-Friday, 11:00 am-8:00 pm Saturday, and 12:00 pm-8:00 pm Sunday.
  • Admission: Free
  • Duration: I spent 20 minutes discovering it.
  • Parking: free parking
  • More information is available at https://skateboardinghalloffame.org/museum/

Article based on my visit in March 2023

If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment and share it with an skate lover.

Leave a comment