Skateboarding began in California in the 1950’s when surfers wanted something to surf when the waves were flat (they called it “sidewalk surfing”). The first skateboards were nothing more than wooden boxes or boards with roller skate wheels attached to the bottom. They became so popular that skateboard companies soon formed. They built better skateboards, with a rounded front like the boards of today. By 1963, over 50 million skateboards had been sold!