Technical Description Of A Skateboard
3/21/21
Nissan Nath
Writing for Engineers
21007-R
Elizabeth Von Uhl
Table Of Contents
Introduction [figure 1.1] page, 3-4
Technical Description page, 5-7
Description
Components [figure 1.2]
- Deck
- Griptape
- Truck Bolts
- Truck
- Riser
- Wheels
- Bearings
Conclusion page, 7
References page, 8
Introduction
Skateboarding is a sport where people ride a long wooden board with wheels. With these boards, the riders are able to perform various tricks with them. Although skateboarding is mostly for entertainment and doing tricks, it can also be used as a form of transportation.
There are two speculations in which ways that the first skateboard emerged. One way skateboards were invented was in the 1950s by surfers in California (Vee, 2020). These surfers wanted to experience surfing on the streets. This was called “sidewalk surfing” (Vee, 2020). Another way skateboard emerged was from kids changing the design of a scooter. These scooters were made out of a 2×4 birch plank with rollerskate wheels attached to it and had a milk crate standing at the top of the board which was used as a handle. Later kids would remove the milk crate and change the design to make the first skateboard (Vee, 2020).
Skateboards were first mass-produced by the company Roller Derby in 1959 (Vee, 2020).
Surfers would use [Figure 1.1 first Roller Derby skateboard ]
Pinterest. (n.d.). Pinterest. Retrieved March 20, 2021, from https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/807833251880687868/
this skateboard to practice their surfing skills when there weren’t many waves. Then in 1962 surf shops like “Val Suf” started selling complete skateboards with a more surfboard-like shape and trucks from rollerskates.
In that same year, a new company called “Patterson Forbs” made a more improved skateboard through upgraded trucks which helped with steering (Vee, 2020). This caused the first rise in the use of skateboards. However, the popularity of skateboarding peaked in 1963 because all the parts of the skateboard were low quality and there were no improvements made to the deck, wheels, or trucks (Vee, 2020).
Luckily in the 1970s, there was a breakthrough for skateboarding. The company called “Creative Urethane” created a new material called polyurethane (Vee, 2020). This material was repurposed by a guy named Frank Nasworthy, who asked the company to make wheels using polyurethane (Vee, 2020). He tested these wheels and discovered that it was smoother, there was more control and gained speed better than the metal and clay wheels that were used before (Vee, 2020). So Nasworthy made his own company called Cadillac Wheels Company and advertised these wheels toward skateboarding (Vee, 2020). This technological development reignited the popularity of skateboarding. Many companies now are innovating skateboards trying to make them more durable and reliable for skaters.
Skateboarding has always used plywood as the base of the skateboard since it was invented, but the shape of the board changed through the years. Many components of the skateboard like the wheels and trucks have been improved to make skateboards better.
Technical Description
Description
The Skateboard is a long narrow board that’s made out of plywood with a set of two wheels placed on both ends on the bottom of the board. The wheels are attached to a component called the truck which helps the rider steer the skateboard. The truck is held onto the plywood called the deck. The deck has a thing called griptape that’s glued to the top of the board. The rider stands on the board and propels himself forward by pushing their feet against the ground. The skateboard is sturdy enough to perform many tricks with it.
Components [Figure 1.2 skateboard components]Skatepro. (n.d.). Skatepro. Retrieved March 22, 2021, from https://www.skatepro.com/en-us/a535.htm
1. Deck:
The deck is the base of the skateboard and is a wooden platform where the trucks are mounted at the bottom and the griptape is applied to the top. The front and back of the board, known as the nose and tail respectively, are concave and are raised slightly to make it more functional for the rider. Decks come in various sizes which is useful for people of different sizes, larger decks being more useful toward taller people and smaller decks for smaller people.
2. Griptape:
The griptape is a grainy, sandpaper-like sheet that is applied to the top of the deck so the skater doesn’t fall off the board. The griptape has an adhesive applied on the bottom so it can adhere to the deck before it’s assembled. It is used for traction and to control the skateboard.
3. Truck
The truck is a metal component of the skateboard that’s attached to both ends. This part is used to steer the skateboard when the person is riding by leaning to the left or right.
4. Riser
A riser is a durable plastic plate that sits between the truck and deck which elevates the skateboard higher. This is used to prevent wheel bite, which is when the wheels touch the deck when turning.
5. Wheels
There are 4 wheels on a skateboard and are made up of plastic polyurethane. There are two types of wheels, soft and hard wheels, which are used for different types of terrain. They also come in different sizes,
smaller and hard wheels are for street skateboarding while larger wheels and soft wheels are for cruising. The wheels have a hole in the middle where the bearings are placed.
6. Bearings
There are 8 total bearings used to make a skateboard, two on each side of each wheel. Bearings are metal rings with 8 small steel balls inside of them. This helps the wheels spin smoothly on the axles of the trucks.
7. Truck Bolts
Truck bolts are what attach the truck to the deck. There are 2 sets of 4 holes on the skateboard where the bolts attach the truck to the deck.
Conclusion
The skateboard has gone through many stages of development throughout its lifetime. It started as a scooter that kids played with to a sport that is played throughout the world. The popularity of skateboarding has gone through ups and downs, but it eventually stayed up due to the advancement in the components of the skateboard. The invention of new material for the wheels started the massive increase in its popularity and helped other companies start to focus on making improvements to the skateboard.
References
EVERYTHING ABOUT SKATEBOARD WHEELS. (n.d.). Skatedeluxe. Retrieved March 20, 2021, from https://www.skatedeluxe.com/blog/en/wiki/skateboarding/skateboard-wiki/wheels/
Pinterest. (n.d.). Pinterest. Retrieved March 20, 2021, from https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/807833251880687868/
Skatepro. (n.d.). Skatepro. Retrieved March 22, 2021, from https://www.skatepro.com/en-us/a535.htm
The anatomy of a skateboard. (2020, December 15). Surfertoday. https://www.surfertoday.com/skateboarding/the-anatomy-of-a-skateboard
Vee, R. V. (2020, August 30). 100 Years of Skateboarding History | Scooters Came 1st? Skateboardershq.
