Into the Danger Zone (4 page)

Joe opened his mouth to speak, but Rick cut him off.

“I know you think that extreme sports are dangerous and that I shouldn’t be allowed to do them. But they’re not dangerous, not as long as you obey some safety rules. If you would just give me half a chance, come see me ride sometime, you’d see that I know what I’m doing.”

Charlie held his breath, waiting to see what Joe would say.

“Well, ahem,” Joe finally said, clearing his throat. “I guess we can talk about it.”

“In the meantime,” Rick’s mother said, “I’m afraid I will have to punish you for breaking into the skatepark. No Rocket Robert show for you tonight.”

Rick didn’t argue, but he shot Charlie a disappointed look.

Charlie threw an arm around his friend’s shoulders — not an easy task, considering Rick was so much taller. “I think I’ll stay home, too. Alison, want two tickets to the show? Rick and I have a lot of catching up to do.”

Rick stared at him, then broke into a big smile. “Yeah,” he said. “I guess we do.”

Charlie picked up his skateboard and started toward the park gate. “Um, Mom?” he said. “There’s just one other thing I think you should know.”

“Yes?” she said.

He held up a filthy stocking foot. “This pair of socks is shot.”

They were all still laughing when they reached the gate.

“Hey, what’s so funny?”

Outside the fence stood Jonas and X. Bizz, Savannah, and Mark were right behind them.

“So, what’s the joke?” Jonas asked again.

“No joke,” Charlie replied. “Guys, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine.” He nudged Rick in the ribs. “We go way back. And you know what? I bet we’re going to go way forward, too!”

A Short History of Skateboarding

Many people think skateboarding is a new sport, but it actually got its start nearly a century ago. In the early 1900s, children rode scooters made from an upright wooden crate with handles that was attached to a wooden plank on top of roller-skate wheels. Over the next few decades, changes were made to this crude design, the most important being improvements to the wheels. This change helped riders maneuver more easily. By the 1950s, the wooden crate and the handlebars had been abandoned and children simply rode on planks with wheels — the first true skateboards.

Skateboarding became very popular in the early 1960s. More than fifty million professionally made skateboards were sold from 1963 to 1965. Unfortunately, most of these skateboards featured cheap clay wheels that did not grip the pavement well. Riders often lost control of their boards, resulting in bad accidents. Reckless behavior also caused trouble. By late 1965, many cities had banned skateboarding, and the sport began to die out.

Then, in 1970, a surfer named Frank Nasworthy discovered that urethane wheels made for roller skates could also be used on skateboards. Urethane wheels worked much better than clay wheels, and when they replaced clay wheels in 1973, the sport of skateboarding took off once again.

Adventurous skateboarders took to riding in empty inground pools, leading to the birth of vert skating and the first skateparks. In 1978, when Alan Gelfand created the ollie — a simple move that popped the board into the air — streetstyle skating took on a whole new dimension. By the 1980s, both styles were hugely popular.

Skateboarding continues to grow and change. Professional skateboarders like the amazing Tony Hawk are constantly working out new tricks, developing new-and-improved boards and equipment, and promoting skateboarding safety. Through their dedication, they launch themselves — and their sport — to ever greater heights.

The Extreme Team

#1
 ONE SMOOTH MOVE

#2
 DAY OF THE DRAGON

#3
 ROLLER HOCKEY RUMBLE

#4
 ON THIN ICE

#5
 ROCK ON

#6
 INTO THE DANGER ZONE

#7
 WILD RIDE