Boardsport facts for kids

Boardsports are exciting activities that use a special board as the main piece of equipment. These sports happen in many different places. You can find them on paved roads, snowy mountains, in the water, and even in the air!

Most boardsports are known as action sports or extreme sports. This is why they are often very popular with young people. In the past, some boardsports like skateboarding were not always seen as "proper" sports. This was partly because many young people enjoyed them, and sometimes skateboards caused minor damage to public property.

However, things are changing! Many boardsports are now getting more recognition. They are shown on TV, get sponsorships, and are even included in big events like the Olympic Games.

Surfing was the very first boardsport. It came from the ancient Polynesian culture. Later, Skateboarding was invented by surfers who wanted to "surf" on land when there were no waves. Most boardsports have similar, interesting beginnings that aren't always widely known.

Millions of people around the world enjoy boardsports. For example, it's thought that between 18 and 50 million people skateboard, and 5 to 25 million people surf!

Types of Boardsports

Boardsports can be grouped by where they are played. The main types are surf, snow, wake, and skate.

Water Boardsports

• Surfing: This is the original boardsport! It's a water sport where a person rides a breaking wave on a board.
• Stand Up Paddle Surfing (SUP): In SUP, you stand on a board and use a paddle to move. You can ride waves or even race on flat water.
• Skimboarding (1930s): This sport involves riding a small board on wet sand or shallow water. It's a fun activity that has also become a competitive sport.
• Windsurfing (1970): Also called sailboarding, this sport uses a board with a sail to travel across water. The sail is connected to the board by a flexible joint.
• Bodyboarding (1971): Bodyboarding uses a small, soft board. Riders usually lie down on the board to catch waves. You can also ride it kneeling or even standing up!
• Kneeboarding (1973): In kneeboarding, the rider paddles into a wave while lying on their belly. Then, they ride the wave on their knees.
• Riverboarding (1978): For this sport, you lie on a board in a river. You use fins on your feet to move and steer.
• Wakeboarding (1983): This sport mixes water skiing, snowboarding, and surfing. The rider is pulled behind a boat or a special cable system.
• Skurfing (1984): Skurfing is a growing sport where a person is pulled behind a boat on a board, similar to surfing.
• Flowriding (1991): This is like surfing, but it's done on a man-made wave, often indoors or at water parks.
• Wakeskating (1990s): Similar to wakeboarding, but the board is smaller and has no bindings. It's like skateboarding on water.
• Kitesurfing (1996): Also known as kiteboarding, this sport uses a large kite to pull a rider on a board across the water. It allows for high speeds and big jumps!

Land Boardsports

Paved Surface Boardsports

• Skateboarding (1950): This uses a board with wheels. Skateboarding is popular in skate parks, on half-pipes, and in city areas.
• Longboarding (1970s): Longboards are longer skateboards that come in many shapes. Longboarding is often used for racing, but also for cruising and other styles.
• Snakeboard (1989): This board is like a mix of skateboarding and snowboarding. It has two foot platforms connected by a bar.
• Freestyle scootering (1996): This action sport involves using scooters to do cool tricks, much like skateboarding or BMX biking.
• Freeboarding: This board feels a lot like snowboarding. It has two extra wheels in the middle that are slightly lower. This lets the rider "edge" and slide, just like on a snowboard.
• Caster board: This board has two narrow platforms connected by a metal bar. It allows for a twisting motion to move forward.
• T-boarding: A T-board is a skateboard deck with two wheels that can spin all the way around (360 degrees).

Off-Paved Surface Boardsports

• Land windsurfing: This is like regular windsurfing but done on land. A board with four wheels and a sail is used to move across the ground.
• Mountainboarding (1992): This is similar to snowboarding but done on hills without snow. The board is wider and stronger, built for rough terrain.
• Kite landboarding: In this sport, a large kite pulls the rider along flat ground, often a sandy beach, on a mountainboard.

Snow Boardsports

• Snowboarding (1977): This sport is a mix of skateboarding and skiing, done on snow. The type of snow can change how you ride. There are different styles like freeride, freestyle, and powder.
• Snowskating (1998): This is like snowboarding but without bindings. The snowskate has a foam grip, letting you do skateboard-style tricks on snow.
• Snowkiting: This is when a kite is used to pull a snowboarder along the snow.

Sand Boardsports

• Sandboarding: This fun activity is like snowboarding, but it takes place on sand dunes instead of snowy hills.

Air Boardsports

• Skysurfing: This is a type of skydiving. The skydiver wears a board attached to their feet and performs surfing-like tricks while falling through the air.

See also

In Spanish: Deportes de tabla para niños

Images for kids

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  Skateboarding in Mexico