Barnstaple Skateboard Park Competition

From the collection of

The Box
Established in 1992, the South West Film & Television Archive collection spans from 1893 to the present day containing more than 250,000 items. Formed from a variety of depositors, including broadcast news and programmes material from the Westward and TSW archive. In 2018 the archive collection transferred to The Box in Plymouth.

Barnstaple Skateboard Park Competition (Westward Diary)


A skateboard park in Barnstaple holds a tournament where the new fad for sidewalk surfing has prompted the local council to build a skateboard park. Young hopefuls show off their skills and tricks.

The earliest skateboards from the 1940s were simple wooden boxes with roller-skate wheels attached and came about because surfers grew restless when there were no waves. Skateboarding also became known as sidewalk surfing until custom-built skateparks helped launch it as a competitive sport.


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