The first skaters emerged from the water. In the 1950s, Californian surfers ditched their boards in favor of wheels. Taking their talents to the streets, a new sport was quickly born. This sport came to be known as skateboarding. The first skateboarding contest was held in 1973. The prominent style at the time was what modern skaters now refer to as freestyle. Freestyle skating is a mix of technical and flat ground skating. Afterwards, skateboarding gained popularity during the late 1960s and early 1980s. In 1993-2006 (considered street skateboarding’s golden era), international skate teams formed, such as BAKER Skateboards and video game franchises including THPS and the SKATE trilogy were released. 

From 1983-1991, a prominent time for skate fame, there were multiple people who helped move it along. In 1984, “The Bones Brigade Video Show” was created by Powell Peralta. In the streets, there was Tommy Guerrero, Mark Gonzales, and Natas Kaupas. The vertical champions were Neil Blender, Lance Mountain, Christian Hosoi, and Tony Hawk. Rodney Mullen, known as the inventor of the kickflip, was the unmatched champion of freestyle contests. Skateboarding took a turn in 1995 when the X-Games competition was created and, in 2020, the skateboarding division was added to the Summer Olympics. These worldwide competitions boosted the popularity of the sport and allowed talented athletes to be recognized, as well as inspire other skateboarders.

Although the topic of skateboarding has garnered a positive light, many negative issues still affect the community. One of the main problems boils down to the lack of skate-friendly infrastructure in cities and towns. Oftentimes, the only choice a skater has is to skate on the sidewalk. This choice risks them hurting pedestrians or themselves, due to lack of road maintenance. It also runs the risk of vehicular damages and further road safety concerns. 

The Library Municode of Chattanooga, Tennessee Sec. 25-28 titled: “Prohibition of skateboards and aggressive skates on downtown streets and sidewalks,” lays out the framework for road laws on boards. The section declares: “It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to skate on skateboards or aggressive skates on public streets and sidewalks, in the downtown area, which is more particularly as described as follows.” And while skateboarders may be unable to avoid fines and police intervention, there are some ways to make this less common. In public, skaters must be aware of trespassing laws and what areas are legal or not. Additionally, paying attention to curfews and limiting property damages (public or private), can lead to a decline in these interactions. 

On the topic of first-hand experience, there are many skaters in the Chattanooga area that are more than willing to share their encounters. We interviewed three local skaters to get their input on these topics.

Justin Collette started his journey in 2000, being given a Walmart board for Christmas. “I got a Walmart board for Christmas in 2000 when I was four and I’ve been on it ever since. When I was in elementary school, there were a bunch of high schoolers that lived in the back of my neighborhood and had a bunch of ramps and rails they would pull out into the cul-de-sac.” Another skater, Hans, told us, “1998. I lived in SoCal. It was more accepted near beaches. Not as accepting of outsiders.”

We posed the question to our interviewees: "how have you watched skating develop as you’ve continued skating?" Joey McGraw replied with, “Tricks have evolved, more money has entered the scene, popularity has boomed, and inclusivity has increased.” Furthermore, Hans answered, “Many ways. Diversity in participants, tricks, countries, and skate spots.” We then asked, what are your favorite places to skate and what is the bust rate on those locations? Hans informed us, “Plazas, empty parking lots, ledges, minimal bust rate.” Justin said, “Right now, my favorite spot is Patton Square, there’s a bunch of ledges and really nice flat ground. It’s usually a bust though after about an hour tops.”

As the interview continued, we asked our interviewees if they had ever been forcefully run out of a spot. Hans responded, “Too many times.” Joey told us, “Back in Cincinnati where I grew up, but not here.” Justin explained that police officers on bicycles “will roll up and be super rude and run us out.” Afterward, we asked, why do you think people enforce no skating rules? Hans replied, “Destruction of personal property, potential injury liability, noise from board/skater.” Justin answered, “I think the system is inherently flawed, and we should have more interactive infrastructure to make us a less car dependent society.”

Considering the future of skateboarding in Chattanooga, we posed our interviewees with this question: "What do you hope the Chattanooga community will look like in the future?" Joey hopes it will be “psyched, inspiring, inclusive, and friendly.” 

Our interview closed off with the question, what do you want for skaters in the future? Joey wants “to be able to enjoy their sport and develop a relationship with the community at large.” Hans hopes for “less tickets, more acceptance, less posers.” And Justin responded with, “I would love for Chattanooga to get a new skatepark. This area deserves it and the community has a bunch of young skaters who need proper facilities… A lot of places it’s seen as criminal and most skaters aren’t. We just see the world with a more creative view so we want to interact with the surroundings in a different way.” 

While some skateboarders may have to deal with expensive fines, being kicked out of certain areas, and overall negative perception, things could be looking up for the future of skateboarding in Chattanooga. News Channel 9 ABC mentioned on Jun. 20, 2023 that the Chattanooga City Council had approved numerous renovations and projects from the Mayor. The news station reported “Another $1 million will go toward the revitalization of the Chattanooga Skate Park, and $400,000 is set aside for long overdue maintenance projects in neighborhood parks.” Plus, Public Art Chattanooga has stated that, “While the skating community is vibrant and growing quickly, the current skatepark is aged, and does not adequately support and represent the talent and passion of local skaters. The new facility will serve as both a recreation space for the community and a training facility for athletes, but also provides the opportunity for public art inclusion through a community driven design process.” 

From the humble beginnings of the backstreets of California, skateboarding has traveled to various new heights with its current status on the world stage of premiere events. Along the way, skaters have been criminalized, as well as revered. Will current community supports allow skaters the freedom they need for the sport to continue to advance? As the sport progresses and new faces grace the limelight, only time will tell where the sport goes next.

Sources

• Foley, Zane, “History of Skateboarding”

• Public Skatepark Development Guide, “The Skateboarding Problem” 

• Skatedeluxe, “History of Skateboarding”

• Surfer Today, “Skateboarding is not a Crime: the Origin of the Slogan”

• Surfer Today, “A Brief History of Skateboarding” 

• X Games California, “Our X Games History”

• Chattanooga Municipal Code 25-1

• Skateboarders HQ Skated and Rated, “Skateboarding is Not a Crime & how not to get Arrested”

• Public Art Chattanooga, “Chattanooga Skatepark Project”

Photo credits: Griffin Grymes