[Ads-l] Antedating of "Skateboarding"

[Ben Zimmer]

On Sat, Jan 22, 2022 at 11:56 AM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu>
wrote:

> skateboarding (OED 1964)
>
> 1956 Akron Beacon-Journal 11 Mar. 14 (Newspapers.com)  The British Isle of
> Wight has a riding sport ... They call it skate boarding.
>

Interesting find. From the text and photos (via United Press), it appears
this is somewhat different from "skateboarding" as it developed in
California. The Isle of Wight version involved putting a board on a single
roller skate, sitting on the board, and rolling down a hill as if riding a
sled.

Akron Beacon-Journal:
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93192792/skate-boarding/
Philadelphia Inquirer:
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93192856/skate-boarding/

As for the Californian variety, Fred previously noted an antedating for
"skateboard" from the May 29, 1959 Pasadena Independent:

http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2010-July/100984.html

That same newspaper had "skateboarding" a few days later.

---
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93193973/skateboarding/
"Skateboard Casualties Mount," Pasadena (Calif.) Independent, June 3, 1959,
p. 11, col. 7
"One fellow had his leg set while his friend waited in my office. Three
hour later his friend came back with a broken ankle. Both of the accidents
were from skateboarding." [quoting an orthopedic surgeon]
---

--bgz

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