Skateboarding took off in the 1970s with the introduction of new designs, which helped a subculture become a serious sport. Public spaces were reinvented as obstacle courses, as skaters used empty pools and stairs with hand railings to perform their tricks.
This early skateboard designed by George Powell is skinned with aluminum—a crossover from the aerospace industry. Not all innovations are successful: aluminum skateboards fell out of use because they became dangerously sharp from grinding against the pavement. But some of Powell’s other ideas caught on, such as the kicktail and “honeycomb” core construction, which allowed for new speed and maneuverability.
Skateboards and skaters have come a long way since the 1970s. The modern skateboard displayed here was used by seven-time X-Games medalist Leo Baker, one of the sport’s most acclaimed street skaters and an advocate for trans identity.
This section includes the following objects:
Quicksilver Skateboard
Leo Baker’s Meow Skateboard
Leo Baker Futurist Portrait
A Cutting-Edge Skateboard
Quicksilver Skateboard Used by Stacy Peralta
George Powell, 1977
Urethane, wood, and aluminum
Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History
Description: A silver and black skateboard. The top of the skateboard has two gritty black grip tape strips that run lengthwise over a smooth silver base. The top has “90kg” printed in the center. It has four yellow wheels. On the bottom is the same smooth silver finish with the word, “Quicksilver” in black.
Meow Skateboard Used by Professional Skateboarder Leo Baker, 2018
Wood, metal, urethane, plastic
Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History
Description: A black skateboard. The top of the skateboard has a black gritty top. It has a black and white photo of Lady Gaga on the lower bottom of the board. Lady Gaga is a white woman. She has white hair down to her shoulders. She wears a headset microphone. Her makeup accentuates her eyes, eyebrows, and lips. The back of the skateboard resembles a collage of graphics. Most of the graphics have been worn or scraped off from use. Some of the designs on the bottom include an orange grinning face and a “Nike SB” symbol.
Athlete and Advocate
“To be unapologetic about my image and who I am, I can’t even describe how that feels. To bring together girls who skate, queers who skate, and let those worlds collide. I’m lucky to be here.”
—Leo Baker
Description: A portrait of Leo Baker. The portrait is digitally created based on a photograph. Leo Baker is looking down and holding a skateboard. They have buzzed hair. They have light colored skin. They wear a white tank top with dark pants. Their skateboard is white and multicolored and has a “Nike” logo on it. The image consists of streetscape-like patterns that create both the portrait and the background. The back of this banner includes a repeating pattern of purple skateboard silhouettes.
Leo Baker (born 1991) is one of the top names in competitive skateboarding and an icon of trans and non-binary identity. Under a media spotlight, he risked his career by coming out. It was a personal decision: he didn’t want to live a life of “splintered truths,” as Baker puts it, “being a different person depending on who I’m with.”
Baker has since become an influential activist and has helped foster inclusive spaces, such as the New York City Skate Project, which welcomes people of all backgrounds and identities.
This portrait was made by artist Nettrice Gaskins using Deep Dream Generator, a computer vision program that uses artificial intelligence to generate new and complex images.