The sport came from humble beginnings. It actually was born in California as a alternative to surfing to give the surfers something to do when the waves were less than desireable but it quickly earned a place as a sport in a class all it's own.
The initial "street skating" migrated into empty concete swimming pools which launched the idea of "vert skating" which is riding the board on a vertical surface. Such vertical surfaces were not limited to swimming pools as skateboard ramps were soon to follow. Common skateboard ramps come in two form factors, the quarter-pipe and the half-pipe. Named for their design, these ramps take the shape of a round pipe layed on it's side and cut cross-section into a quarter or a half of it's original shape.
Vert skating has also found its way to the streets in the form of a trick called a wall ride. Most often completed using the assistance of a quarter pipe layed against a brick wall, this trick launches the rider vertically up the ramp and the skater then "rides" the wall until he or she reaches the ground and rolls away clean. This trick is vert skating for street skaters as a ramp is not required thus allowing an otherwise "street skater" to enjoy a bit of the vertical thrill without being deemed as a vert skater by riding ramps primarily.
Since the time of my childhood and this strange phase called skateboarding there have been skaters in various events of the olympics, there is even an extreme sports competition called the x-games which is in it's 12th year and going strong and many popular video games have been marketed to the skating community such as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. I would say that this sport has found a home in the hearts of the American Population and will be with us for a long time to come.
