History
Fingerboards first existed as homemade finger toys in the late 1960s and later became a novelty attached to keychains in skate shops. [2]
In the 1985 Powell-Peralta skateboarding video titled "Future Primitive," Mountain brought fingerboarding to the skateboarders of the world. Around the same time, Mountain wrote an article on how to make fingerboards in TransWorld SKATEboarding magazine. [1] In the video, Lance Mountain rode a homemade fingerboard in a double-bin sink. It is widely accepted that this is where the idea for the ramp found in The Search for Animal Chin came from. Some consider this the earliest fingerboard footage available for public viewing. That homemade fingerboard was built from wood, tubes, and toy train axles. [1]
The first company to mass-produce fingerboards that weren't intended to be used with a figurine or accessories was Somerville International's Fingerboard brand. They were also the first to include licensed graphics from actual skateboard graphics with the introduction of the Pro-Precision board. [1]
Although fingerboarding was a novelty within the skateboarding industry for years, skateboarding reached wider popularity in the late 1990s. Toy fingerboards became an inexpensive novelty toy and high-end collectible, complete with accessories one would find in use with standard-size skateboards. [3] [2] [4] Fingerboards are used by skateboarders as 3-D model visual aids to understand potential tricks and maneuvers. [5]
In 1999, fingerboarding was popular in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Although fingerboarding originated in the United States, it gained popularity in Eastern Europe. Fingerboarding evolved from a hobby to a lifestyle for some people. Fingerboarders had regular contests, fairs, workshops and other events. Examples include FastFingers and FlatFace Rendezvous. [1] [2] Fingerboard-product sales were estimated at $120 million for 1999. [1]
