Skateboarding is Not a Crime: 50 Years of Street Culture

An illustrated tour of a unique subculture.

Skateboarding first emerged in the United States in the 1950s and has been gaining in popularity ever since. The number of skateboarders worldwide is now estimated at eighteen million.

• One in ten U.S. teenagers currently owns or rides a skateboard
• Skateboarding has recently seen the biggest growth of any sport
• More than 600 skateparks were built in 2001
• Skateboarding has become the sixth largest participation sport.

Skateboarding is Not a Crime is a celebration of the success of both the sport and the subculture. Illustrated with dramatic action photography and written in a lively style, the book recounts the history of the sport and explains its unique codes and customs. Also included are valuable 'boarding instructions for enthusiasts.

This book is organized as follows:

• Introduction
• History and Development
• Global Skate Village
• Skateboarding Culture
• Skateboarding Media
• Standing on a Board
• Tricks and Techniques.

Skateboarding is a sport with a philosophy and a culture very much its own. Skateboarding is Not a Crime reflects this very individual 'boarding culture and is designed to appeal to skateboarders as well as those who want to understand their world.