Get your adrenaline going with extreme skateboarding.

Skateboarding is a pursuit which has long been popular with teenagers and young people as it can be a fun and relatively inexpensive thing to do as well as providing a means of transport.  While it would perhaps be fair to say that it is in the United States where skateboarding is most common the activity has spread in other countries including Britain and Australia and has grown in popularity.  Whilst you may think that messing about on a skateboard is something that only teenagers do you might be surprised as it is popular with people from a range of ages and backgrounds. 

Many people who have a skateboard may eventually grow tired of it as with any other hobby or may grow out of the habit of using it but some people become dedicated to using their skateboard as for them it is much more than a means of transport or something to do when there is nothing on the television.  When a group of skateboarders meet up they will usually demonstrate various tricks and stunts to each other either to show off or demonstrate their skill or just to have some fun.  There are some skateboarders who are so good at what they do that they turn to being professional skateboarders.  You might not think there would necessarily be professional skateboarders or consider skateboarding to be a sport but there are numerous organisations who run events and competitions for professional skateboarders.  Perhaps the best known professional skateboarder is Tony Hawk who has helped to popularise his sport.  Tony Hawk has had a number of skateboarding computer games named after him which have helped to spread interest in skateboarding and perhaps encouraged more people to give it a go.

There are many different organisations who try to promote skateboarding and help set up skateboarding parks and ramps.  In Britain there is the United Kingdom Skateboarding Association, or UKSA, who run different events and promote the pastime.  People who get really interested in this hobby will very often begin to look into ways of improving their skateboard or customising it and may change different elements such as the wheels or the type of bearings used.  Changing things on your board such as the type of bearings in the wheels or trucks will have an effect on how it performs and what you are able to do with it.

Whilst skateboarding is not yet an Olympic sport it is certainly growing in popularity; there have been a few attempts over the years to get skateboarding into the Olympics but as yet it is still to be included.  Regardless of your level of skill on a skateboard it is a hobby which if you engage with it can really get your adrenaline pumping.  You can get some good exercise at the same time as having fun and learning new tricks and stunts and, who knows, if you turn out to be very talented you might even find yourself one day representing your country in skateboarding at the Olympics.