Skateboarding as an Art Form

What is skateboarding, really? Skateboarding began as a new method of transportation. The pioneers of skateboarding say that it was a better way to walk from point A to point B. So, is it safe to say that skateboarding is a mode of transportation? It certainly started that way. But, what exactly did it become?

Skateboarding is not simply a faster way to get from A to B. It’s much more creative than that. We don’t just skate to get places.

We skate to pursue mastery. Skateboarding has an obvious learning curve, that for most people is pretty steep. Once you start progressing along this learning curve, you can’t just stop learning when you’re OK at getting to work on your board. We humans have a natural desire to get better and better at a task. Again, it becomes more about the journey than the destination. Think to yourself, have you ever met a skateboarder that says ‘’yeah I got good enough and decided not to learn anything else”. I doubt it.

We skate to express ourselves. There is no order of tricks or method of learning to skateboard that has been agreed upon by the industry. Each person can take a different path to learning, and each skater has a different approach. We all look at obstacles differently and dig into a unique bag of tricks. We develop a style of our own that cannot be replicated.

Skateboarding becomes a way of life, a medium of expression, and a performative art form. Skateboarders like Rodney Mullen, the inventor of the kickflip and often known as the godfather of skateboarding, like to view skateboarding as an art form, even today.

Now, in 2021, skateboarding was added to the olympics as an olympic sport, leaving many wondering if skateboarding has changed into a sport. I would argue that, although skateboarding is now an internationally recognized olympic sport, the essence of skating is still art. Skateboarding culture has produced its own subsection of fashion and inspired many to pursue a personal style. Everyone skates differently, and although there is a judging system based on difficulty of tricks, competitions are meant for entertainment. We even make buying decisions based on artwork more often than utility.

Skateboarding is all about expression and personal style. Although it is recognized as a sport and a method of transportation, it is still an art form, as it has always been. Next time you go out to ride, remember: Your style is 1 of 1. You are 1 of 1. Isn’t it time your grip tape was too?