I used to hate people who rode those silly planks on wheels. However, as an attempt to learn something new and foreign I decided to meticulously study the dynamics between science and skateboarding (soon to be my second favorite thing). While doing my preliminary research (finding a skate shop, buying equipment, and finding skate spots) I learned that almost every aspect of skateboarding is scrutinized to the point where it's illegal! In this essay, I hope to answer a few questions: How does a skateboard work? What aspects of skateboarding can I quantitatively study and measure? Why do people have dissenting opinions about skateboarding?
It’s no lie that the outside world (non-participants) views skateboarding as negative, risky, delinquent behavior. I used to hate the sport, it seemed ridiculous and a waste of time. However, I’ve changed my mind, and I have to thank an honors thesis at University of South Florida Scholar Commons for shedding some light on the subject. The author, who is a skateboarder himself, describes the world of skateboarding through two lenses. First, he analyzes what skateboarding means to him …show more content…
One of the most influential people in this process was my friend and local skateboarder, Ayden. He provided useful insight and the motivation to try a few things I would've never done. Halfway through my learning experience, I realized that learning an ollie was a good way to put my scientific abilities to the test. Let me tell you how. I decided to record myself doing an ollie, and map the object on Premiere Pro. The next part, which I call the physics component, was fairly easy but getting the perfect ollie was impossible. I got extremely close, yet it was not perfect (video on my blog). I was able to demonstrate those skills to my peers and I am proud that I learned a trick that takes months to