Boardriding and american culture

[outsider]

While other students are writing their Jr. Theme papers on the war experience or on transcendentalism, I have undertaken the task of writing about something distinctly American- board sports. The challenge I face, however, is the lack of source material, namely literary works. The question I pose to everyone here is what books would you recommend. I have found a few, but am still looking for whatever I can get. I am focusing not solely on snowboarding, but rather all things that evolved from the first dude that thought it would be fun to ride a wave.

Any suggestions?

[trikerdad]

Can't think of anything in print, but then I read mostly fiction. But your question did get me thinking about the origin of board sports. Back in the days before kids spent all their time in front of the tv or computer, we were always trying to find ways to amuse ourselves. I think that's where everthing from hula hoops to skate boards came from. I don't think that the incentive to be creative is there anymore. I remember, in about 1956 or 57, my neighbor and I nailing shoe skates to the bottom of a short piece of 2x6, sitting on it, and riding down our driveway. The goal was to make the turn onto the sidewalk without going into the street and see how far we could go. We never thought of standing on it, but obviously, some other enterpising young person did. Makes me wonder if that's not how surfing came about. Some adolescent boys, in ancient Hawaii (without tv's or computers), trying to find a way to pass the time. Anyway, good luck on your project.

[Tommy D]

Check out the film 'Dogtown and Z-Boys', check out the history of surfing, etc, and try to trace the evolution of board sports and the effect it has had on our culture. (Or the effect our culture has had on board sports.)

Best of luck. I'd be interested in reading it when you are done! :)

[D-Sub]

I dont mean to be argumentative, but..."distinctly american?"

thats questionable.

if you mean the origins...perhaps of skateboarding, maybe snowboarding...definitely not surfing...and...theyre global now no doubt

as for books...jeez..no doubt...old magazines would be the source Id say. Havent been too many books written Id guess, and most of the ones that were were probably pretty hokey

you could always do an analysis of "skater dater" but I think that was an australian movie?

[ncermak]

check out the article in the first "snowboard journal" about the first snowboard...

I hope you'll post this thesis when it is complete...

[Skully]

(Sick) : a cultural history of snowboarding By Susanna Howe.

Probably a pretty good reference - If I remember right there is a quote from Mr. Jake Burton Carpenter about how he believed that Alpine was the future of snowboarding, while Tom Sims pushed freestyle. Guess Jake changed his mind eh?

I also enjoyed these @ skateboarding: brought back many good memories

The concrete wave : the history of skateboarding by Michael Brooke.

The answer is never : a skateboarder's history of the world by Jocko Weyland.

Haven't read this one, but it sounds interesting:

History of skateboarding : from the backyard to the big time by Michael Martin.

These are all available at my local library BTW.

[Guest johann]

step into liquid!

[outsider]

Thanks for the suggestions, and step into liquid is first on my list for historical support, but literature (fiction or non) is what i am having more trouble finding.

[Guest AlpentalRider]

The origins of surfing can be found here:

http://www.legendarysurfers.com/surf/legends/ls01.shtml

There's much more in terms of how it was outlawed when christians settled hawaii and "converted" the locals, and also how modern surfing got started, but you can find all that with a simple google search ;)

[Guest johann]

Bet there's some good literature on the whole surfers hating on the Windsurfers and then the Windsurfers hating on the kite surfers and visa versa.

Saw a sticker down in Cape Hattaras on one of the Real kite boarding trucks: "Windsurfing is Closed"