What is A Skater Boy & How to Be a Skater

It’s not your imagination, the skater boy style is back and perhaps more popular than ever. You might be wondering, what is a skater boy and how did this style and skate culture emerge?

Currently, skater boy clothes, music and even skater slang is relevant and making an impact with Millennials, Gen Z’s and even Gen Alpha.

In this post, I share the origins of skater boy style, music and culture. You’ll also get some practical tips on how to become a skater boy, and answers to some frequently asked questions.

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History of the Skater Boy

The first skateboard was created in California back in the 1950’s by surfers who wanted to have fun when the waves were low. By 1963, the skateboard became very popular and skate culture began to emerge.

Over the years, there have been phases where skate style has been extremely popular and times where it has been less popular. Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk had a big role in popularizing skate culture.

In 1999, Tony Hawk managed to land a “900”, which brought a lot of attention to the skating community. At the time, skate style was different and it heavily influenced the fashion in the early 2000’s.

Overtime, the hype around skating died down and fashion moved on from skate style. Until 2021, when skater boy style made a huge comeback on social media apps like TikTok and Instagram.

Skater on Skateboard

How to Become a Skater

Becoming a skater may seem overwhelming, but the community is very accepting of newcomers. Skate style has become very popular, so it’s understandable that many people want to get more into skate culture.

Here are 5 simple steps to become a skater:

1. The Style

The first step to becoming a skater starts with the style. Skate fashion is unique and different from what is currently in style. Wearing skate brands, loose pants and skate shoes are the basics for dressing like a skater.

Here are some recommended skate brands:

  • Vans
  • Santa Cruz
  • Powell Peralta
  • Carhartt
  • Element
  • Thrasher
  • Palace

If you’re looking for loose pants, the Levis 501 Jeans are perfect. They are very popular right now and they are an essential for dressing like a skater. The loose fitting Levis jeans are the pants that every skater boy wears.

If you want to be a skater, you are going to need skate shoes. Vans make some great skate shoes as they are durable, have good grip and they are stylish.

Here are a few different styles of Vans:

Related: Skater Boy Outfits – How to Dress Like a Skater

2. The Music

Typically, skater will listen to early 2000’s pop punk and early 2000’s rap. Listening to skater music is a big part of indulging in skate culture.

If you want to become a skater, immersing yourself in the music is a big part. Don’t forget to listen to your music with wired earphones!

3. The Talk

Skaters are known to have a certain lingo. Many words originate from California skate culture as that’s where skating was first created.

Talking like a skater will have you fitting in at the skatepark and well on your way to becoming a skater boy. I get into specifics on skater lingo later on in the article.

4. The Skateboard

Choosing a skateboard is one of the final steps to becoming a skater boy. If you get a skateboard from Walmart, everyone will know that you’re just a poser.

Getting a skateboard from a real skate brand will not only make you look like a skater, but it will make skating a lot easier.

Here are some good skateboard brands:

  • Santa Cruz
  • Birdhouse (by Tony Hawk)
  • Alien Workshop
  • Anithero
  • Element
  • Girl
  • Flip

5. Learn How to Skate

Nobody learns how to skate overnight. Skateboarding takes time to learn and it’s important to develop your skills overtime and not rush into doing any tricks.

For beginners, skating can be dangerous (wear a helmet), so start with the basics and gradually improve. Mastering tricks on the skateboard can be a tiring process, but it is very rewarding.

If you want to be a real skater, learning how to skate is the final step.

What is Skate Culture?

Skate culture is about more than the sport of skateboarding. The skate culture is a subculture of people who embrace the skater lifestyle. This includes how skaters dress, talk and the music they listen to.

The skate culture embraces free thinking and independence, and people who like to do their own thing. People don’t have to follow strict rules, like in other sports. Doing different things and trying out different tricks is encouraged. This makes the skate community a fun and cool group to be part of.

What Kind of Music do Skater Boys Listen to?

Traditionally, skater boys listen to pop punk and rock music. As skating became more popular and skate culture began to grow, skater began listening to hip-hop and rap music.

Here are popular bands and rappers that skaters listen to:

  • NoFX
  • MXPX
  • Dropkick Murphys
  • Green Day
  • Fall Out Boy
  • The Offspring
  • Notorious B.I.G
  • Wu- Tang Clan
  • Brockhampton
  • Tyler, the Creator
  • A$AP Rocky

How to Talk Like a Skater Boy (Terminology)

Skater boys use certain words and lingo that derive from the surf community. Talking like a skater boy is a great way to fully indulge in skate culture.

Here are some skater boy words:

  • Knarly: Means cool
  • Rad: Means cool
  • Nose: Front of the board
  • Tail: Back of the board
  • Stoked: When you’re excited
  • Poser: When somebody thinks they’re alot better than they are
  • Clean: When a trick is perfectly executed
  • Steeze: Means style
  • Chick: Means girl

If you mix some of these words into your vocabulary, you’re well on your way to becoming a skater boy.

Are There Skater Girls?

Just like there are skater boys, there are also skater girls. In the last 20 years, skating and skate culture has become popular among girls. Olympian, Lizzie Armanto has also played a big role in the growth and popularization of skating among women. Now, skating is becoming more popular that ever for women.

What’s a Skater Poser?

A skater poser will hang out at the skate park, dressed like the stereotypical skater and claim that they can do certain tricks even though they can’t. Skaters have no issue with those who embrace skate culture, it’s when someone pretends they know how to skate that they will be labeled a skater poser.

What do Skater Boys Wear?

Skater boys wear oversized shirts with loose fitting jeans, skate shoes and tube socks. Depending on they skater, they may wear a helmet, a beanie, a bucket hat or a baseball cap. Skater boys wear a lot of retro brands and their outfits will have a retro look. Skater boys will also wear a lot of skater brands like DC, Vans and Element.

skaters

Here’s a full guide on how to dress like a skater boy: Skater Boy Outfits – How to Dress Like a Skater

The Song Sk8er Boi by Avril Lavigne

When hearing the words “skater boy”, for most people, the first thing that comes to mind is the song “Sk8er Boi” by Avril Lavigne. The iconic song came out in 2002 and it was the number one song in America at one point.

Even though skaters have been around way before the song came out, this song was a huge sign that skate culture was becoming mainstream. For a pop musician to have such a big song called “sk8er boi”, this brought a lot of attention to skate culture and the skate community.

Ironically, Avril Lavigne’s hometown of Napanee, Ontario actually banned skateboarding in their downtown area.

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Final Thoughts on What is A Skater Boy & How to be a Skater?

Being a skater boy and skateboarding is popular and cool once again. Skate culture has been around for over 50 years. It’s pretty amazing how in today’s day and age skateboarding is still popular!

In this post, I shared the history of the skater boy, how to be a skater and I explain everything there is to know about skate culture and the skater boy.

Are you a skater boy? Let me know in the comments below.

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