1. Skateboarding was invented by surfers. In the 1950s, California surfers wanted something to do when the ocean waves were totally flat. They nailed roller skate wheels onto wooden boards and called it "sidewalk surfing"!

2. The "Ollie" changed skateboarding forever. In 1978, a skateboarder named Alan "Ollie" Gelfand figured out how to stomp down on the board's tail while leaping up, making the board magically jump into the air with him without using his hands!

3. Skateboard decks are built like wooden sandwiches. A standard skateboard deck isn't made from a single thick block of wood. Instead, manufacturers glue together about 7 paper-thin layers of hard maple wood and press them under thousands of pounds of pressure to make the board bendy yet super strong.

4. Grip tape feels like sandpaper for a reason. The rough black top of a skateboard is called grip tape. It is covered in tiny mineral grains (just like sandpaper) that grab onto the rubber soles of your sneakers so your feet don't slide off during tricks.

5. Polyurethane wheels made skateboards smooth and safe. Early skateboards used metal or clay wheels that cracked easily and stopped dead if they hit a tiny pebble! In 1972, Cadillac Wheels invented smooth, grippy polyurethane (plastic) wheels that let riders roll smoothly over rough pavement.

6. Skateboarding became an official Olympic sport. In 2021 at the Tokyo Summer Games, skateboarding made its official Olympic debut! Athletes from all over the world competed in two cool events: "Park" (riding in deep concrete bowls) and "Street" (doing tricks on rails and stairs).

7. Goofy vs. Regular footing. Skateboarders stand with one foot forward. If you ride with your left foot forward, you have a Regular stance. If you ride with your right foot forward, you ride Goofy! About 44% of skateboarders prefer riding goofy.