Throughout the city there are many great spaces and places. Places like neighborhoods, parks, markets, buildings, districts and more are what make up our city. While these places act as the physical makeup of our city there are also conceptual places and spaces which play a huge role in our cities make up as well. Conceptual spaces can be thought of as spaces of art, theater, activism and so on, spaces which exist outside of one physical location. Skateboarding has become, over the years, more than just an activity or a sport. It has evolved into a culture. Skateboarders across the city have united as one subculture, devoted to their boards. With that said skateboarding transcends the traditional skate park and is prevalent all around and throughout the city. Skating the busy streets, and thrashing a local “spot” are just some examples of skateboarding as a conceptual space in NYC.
Skateboarding origins date back to the early 50s in California. Surfers were looking for ways to “surf” the streets. They started by putting roller-skate wheels on boxes and riding them around town. As things evolved they began using wooden boards and skating empty swimming pools. Skateboarding saw a huge decline in popularity during the 60s as it was seen as a passing fad which was all too dangerous. Suddenly, with the invention of the urethane wheels’ skate boarding’s popularity began to boom as it became safer and more practical. Throughout the 70s, 80s, 90s up until today skateboarding has only grown. As skaters moved away from pools they began skateboarding ledges and sidewalk curbs. Later expanding to stairs, railings and any other obstacles found on the streets.
In New York City, street skateboarding can be traced back to the 80s. However, it wasn’t until the early 90s that the scene actually took off. Street skateboarding involves skating the found architecture and various obstacles present on the city streets. These obstacles, usually made up of ledges, railings, stair cases and literally anything skate-able around the city, can be come across randomly while skating the streets or can be part of a local spot. Skate spots are a huge part of street skateboarding and street skateboarding culture today. These spots are designated areas where street-skaters regularly meet up to skate, hangout and do tricks. When you talk about the history of skateboarding in New York City one place comes to mind, The Brooklyn Banks. Located under the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge, The Brooklyn Banks is known as the Mecca of skateboarding in NY and some argue the entire North-East. We can compare the Brooklyn Banks importance to skateboarding to that of Harlem’s Rucker Park in regards to basketball.