Most people think the history of skateboarding started with surfers trying to find a way to sidewalk-surf, but there's a lot more to the story than that. Did you know that people were skateboarding in the early 1900s? Before most people were surfing, hip city-dwellers were getting around by attaching roller skate wheels to a two-by-four. And your parents think today's skateboards are dangerous! In the 1950s, surfers rediscovered skateboarding and popularized the sport. These boards were safer, but still pretty dangerous, so skateboarding was actually outlawed in many places. Skaters kept the sport alive, but it wouldn't become mainstream for many years - not until 1995 when skateboarder Tony Hawk was nationally televised winning two medals at the first X Games. Michael Brooke is a self-proclaimed 'skategeezer' - he's been skating the streets and empty pools of California since the early 1970s. Brooke's research and skateboarding experience make this audiobook better than a frontside 540 nosegrab tail tap (almost).