SKATERS (URBAN TRIBE): CHARACTERISTICS AND HISTORY - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The skateboarders are an urban tribe or subculture born in the 70s of the twentieth century in California, United States. They are characterized by practicing skateboarding, and are usually young between 8 and 30 years of age.

They occupy public space moved by a feeling of rebellion that prompts them to make the principles of freedom, self-realization and cooperation a reality. They carry out an alternative cultural practice, of resistance or counter-hegemonic, challenging the capitalist and sports values ​​that reaffirm this system. However, despite having this underlying ideology, they tend to be peaceful and focus on playing sports.

Skaters work under a hierarchy, with the lifers being the oldest and of course the most versed and knowledgeable about the practice. They dress in loose clothing, wide sneakers, accessories such as a cap, belts with large buckles and they usually use a relaxed and informal language.

It is estimated that there are 13.5 million skaters in the world; 80% are under 18 years of age and 74% are men. Skateboarders generally have a friendly attitude, avoid problems, are peaceful, and their focus is on skateboarding.

Origin of skaters

In the decade of the 50s of the 20th century the practice of surfing became popular in the world. During competitions the weather was sometimes inappropriate and the athletes took advantage of the time doing their practices in places such as unoccupied swimming pools.

At the end of the 50s the first board was created that allowed to reproduce on land the movements that were made on the waves when practicing surfing and that is how skating was born, first known as sidewalk surfing.

California was experiencing a liberalization of its customs in those years; conservative models were declining and hedonistic and consumerist values ​​were being imposed.

These new ideas were immediately associated with the practice of skating and for this reason the new sport obtained, from the beginning, a marked characteristic of irreverence.

During the year 1973, urethane wheels modernized the sport allowing a smoother and safer ride; The practice boards were enlarged from 16 to 23 centimeters, providing greater stability.

The new skaters

Skateboarding evolved to include completely vertical skating among its disciplines of slalom, downhill, freestyle and longjump and thousands of young people took to the streets to practice it.

The influx in the streets caused governments to be alarmed at the insecurity that this practice could bring for adolescents and created regulations to limit it, but the result was the increase in fans who made the laws reversed.

In the late 70s skateboarding culture merged with punk and new age music; his followers also liked art in illustrations.

With the 80s, and to end the measures that tried to restrict its practice, a ramp made of plywood was invented that was taken to the streets, revitalizing skateboarding as a sport.

The phrase "do it yourself" became famous and fans began to create their own wooden ramps in the backyards of their homes or parking lots, creating innovative spaces made to measure.

The 90s arrived with a great diffusion of this sport and knowing more about the characteristics of their followers as an urban tribe, they created publicity and events that made their practice even more popular.

Skaters characteristics

Attitudes

Skaters are rebellious by nature, the tricks they skillfully perform on the streets serve to assert their ability and autonomy.

They consider that the streets are to be used and worn because citizens pay to find them in good condition and make use of them.

They like to be on the street because it is a way of feeling valued, but they do not relate to those who admire them. They represent the principles of freedom, self-realization and cooperation.

Most of them are men, but they do not reproduce traditional values ​​such as strength, power or supremacy, but on the contrary they show themselves to be very supportive.

Use of the streets

Skaters are itinerant, they go through the cities choosing public spaces with unevenness that allow them to live intense adventures, letting themselves be carried away by the instinct of wanting to develop their jumps and movements such as fifty-fifty, impossible or Lip.

Clothes

They wear alternative clothing, with particular designs and striking accessories such as belts, caps and chains; low-rise pants with large pockets and wide legs, and their underwear is common because they are sagging.

Slang or language

Among skaters, a language has been created that uses, among others, phrases like “skate or die” to refer to never getting tired of trying; "Skate and destroy", with subversive features typical of the 80s; "Skate is not a crime", in defense of a legal practice; or it is Spanish like “hunt a trick”, which means to jump and that the feet do not leave the board until they make contact with the ground.

Hierarchy in skaters

They work under a hierarchy that places the Posers in the lowest place in a pyramid; These are the youngest practitioners, they are between 8 and 12 years old. They don't understand much about the practice, but it appeals to them.

Second are the Begginners, who are between 12 and 16 years old. They know much more about the sport but are not immersed in the culture of the skater.

Third on the rise are Teenage skateboarders, aged 17-20; they know and practice the principles of skateboarding, wear distinctive clothing and regularly attend exhibition activities.

And at the top of the pyramid are the Lifers, known as the "spirits of Skateboard." They are between 20 and 30 years old and not only fully know the sport and its culture but also promote it and live by it and for it.

Where are the skaters?

It can be said that this urban tribe basically inhabits the streets of the great and intermediate cities of the world.

From the 70s until the beginning of the 20th century, skateboarders were in the great cities of the United States, but over the years the practice has spread throughout the world.

References

1. Márquez, I. (2015). Skate culture in contemporary societies: an ethnographic approach to the city of Madrid. EMPIRIA. Journal of Methodology of Social Sciences, (30).
2. Amoroso Abad, GS (2016). Analysis of the lifestyle of young skaters who frequent the skating rink of La Carolina park in the year 2014-2015 (Bachelor's thesis, Quito: Universidad de las Américas, 2016.).
3. De La Haye, A., Tobin, S., & Dingwall, C. (1996). Surfers, soulies, skinheads, & skaters: subcultural style from the forties to the nineties. Overlook Books.
4. Buckingham, D. (2009). Skate perception: Self-representation, identity and visual style in a youth subculture. Video cultures, 133-151.
5. Slee, T. (2011). Skate for life: An analysis of the skateboarding subculture.