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Skateboarding is the act of riding
on or performing tricks with a skateboard. A person who
skateboards is referred to as a skateboarder or skater. Skateboarding—often portrayed in the media
as an extreme sport—can be a form of art, a hobby, or a method
of transportation.
Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by
many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report by
American Sports Data found that there were 12.5 million
skateboarders in the world. Eighty percent of skateboarders
polled who had used a board in the last year were under the age
of 18, and 74 percent were male. Skateboarding is a relatively modern
sport—it originated as "sidewalk surfing" in the United
States—particularly California—in the 1950s. A key skateboarding
trick, the ollie, was only developed in the late 1970s |