One of the very first longboards! A piece of history! Of the era whereby skateboarding was marketed as a means to learn how to surf “sidewalk surfboard”. 35″ L x 5.75″W. Has a cool logo of a guy on surfboard. It’s in fair-good condition: it has just enough wear to give it street cred, but is still legible. History of early wooden longboards with metal wheels, often known as “sidewalk surfboards” in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Origins of Skateboarding: The “Sidewalk Surfboard” Era (1950s-early 1960s). ???? Roots in Surf Culture. Skateboarding began in California in the 1950s, invented by surfers looking for a way to “surf” when the ocean was flat. The earliest boards were homemade, using wooden planks and attaching metal roller skate wheels to the bottom. These makeshift boards were nicknamed “sidewalk surfboards” to emphasize the connection to surfing. Decks : Flat, solid wood-usually rectangular or slightly rounded, sometimes shaped like small surfboards. Wheels : Steel or cast metal wheels taken from roller skates. These offered little to no grip, a very rough ride, and could easily lock up on small debris. Trucks : Often scavenged or rudimentary, lacking the responsiveness of modern skate hardware. Early skateboarding gained national attention when Life Magazine published photos of sidewalk surfing in the early 1960s. Local competitions and skate demonstrations boosted visibility. Safety issues due to steel wheels and lack of control led to numerous accidents. By 1965, the first skateboarding craze had started to fade, partly because of injuries and negative press. In 1963-64, clay composite wheels started replacing steel. In 1973, urethane wheels were introduced by Frank Nasworthy (Cadillac Wheels), completely transforming the sport.