Misplaced Pages

Fingerboard (skateboard): Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 22:30, 10 December 2008 editBenjiboi (talk | contribs)50,496 edits moving to talk← Previous edit Latest revision as of 18:57, 29 November 2024 edit undoMSLQr (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers3,621 editsm Reverted edits by Paulhenry80 (talk) (AV)Tags: AntiVandal Rollback 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Miniature skateboard controlled by the fingers}}
{{copyedit|date=November 2008}}
{{other uses|Fingerboard (disambiguation)}}
{{Cleanup|date=October 2008}}
]

A '''fingerboard''' or '''finger-skateboard''' is a miniature version of a ] complete with moving ]s, ]s and ].<ref name="The Fingerboard Controversy: Are">{{cite web | last=Waters | first=Mark | title=The Fingerboard Controversy: Are toy-skateboard makers promoting skateboarding or just profiting? | publisher=Transworld Business | date=2000-03-03 | url=http://www.twsbiz.com/twbiz/industrynews/article/0,21214,704472,00.html | accessdate=2007-12-25}}</ref> A fingerboard is 96 ]s long or longer; some range up to 100mm long and can have a variety of widths. ]s may be performed using fingers instead of feet. ] helped develop Fingerboarding as a ] in the late 1970s and wrote an article on how to make fingerboards in ]'s ] in 1985.<ref name="The Fingerboard Controversy: Are"/>

Although fingerboarding was a novelty for years, they became a collectible toy as skateboard manufacturers realized the potential for product branding and profit starting in the 1990s. Tech Deck Fingerboards are now available as inexpensive novelty toys, while Berlinwood, Blackriver Ramps, Prete, Homewood, Frost, and Flatface have filled a niche as high-end collectibles, complete with accessories one would find in use with standard-size skateboards.<ref name="Life and Limb: Skateboarders">{{cite web | last=Hocking | first=Justin | coauthors=Jeff Knutson, Jared Jacang Maher, Jocko Weyland | title=Life and Limb: Skateboarders Write from the Deep End | publisher=Soft Skull Press | year=2004 | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=BxFdbXUDGt0C&dq=%22fingerboard%22+skateboard | accessdate=2007-12-25}}</ref><ref name="About Fingerboarding" /><ref name="Fingerboard Tuning">{{cite web | title=Fingerboard Tuning | publisher=Fingerboardstore.de | year=2007 | url
=http://www.fingerboardstore.de/shop/index.php?cPath=23 | accessdate=2008-12-25}}</ref>
Fingerboards are also used by skateboarders as ] model visual aids to understand potential tricks and maneuvers;<ref name="The Mutt: How to Skat">{{cite web | last=Mullen | first=Rodney | coauthors=Sean Mortimer | title=The Mutt: How to Skateboard and Not Kill Yourself | publisher=HarperCollins | year=2004 | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=yKDJjltBon8C&pg=PA49&dq=%22fingerboard%22+skateboard&sig=0iaF28br3TMTt0-5GG-oAjm2JRw#PPA43,M1 | accessdate=2007-12-25}}</ref> many users make videos to document their efforts.<ref name="YouTube videos of fingerboarding" /><ref name="YouTube videos of handboarding" /><ref name="YouTube videos of fingerskating" />
__TOC__



A '''fingerboard''' is a scaled-down replica of a ] that a person "rides" with their fingers, rather than their feet. A fingerboard is typically {{convert|100|mm|in|sp=us}} long with width ranging from {{convert|26|to|55|mm|in|abbr=on}}, with ]s, ] and plastic or ball-bearing ]s, like a skateboard.<ref name="The Fingerboard Controversy: Are">{{cite web | last=Waters | first=Mark | title=The Fingerboard Controversy: Are toy-skateboard makers promoting skateboarding or just profiting? | publisher=Transworld Business | date=2000-03-03 | url=http://skateboarding.transworld.net/2000/03/03/the-fingerboard-controversy | access-date=2009-04-09}}</ref> A fingerboard can be used to do traditional ]s, such as an ] and ].


==History== ==History==
Homemade toys in the 1970s and later became a ] attached to ] chains in skate shops.<ref name="About Fingerboarding">{{cite web | title=About Fingerboarding | publisher=Blackriver Ramps | year=2007 | url=http://www.blackriver-ramps.com/brr-blog/wordpress/?page_id=3 | accessdate=2007-12-25}}</ref> Fingerboards first existed as homemade finger toys in the late 1960s and later became a ] attached to ] in skate shops.<ref name="About Fingerboarding">{{cite web|title=About Fingerboarding |publisher=Blackriver Ramps |year=2007 |url=http://www.blackriver-ramps.com/brr-blog/wordpress/?page_id=3 |access-date=2007-12-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071227104547/http://www.blackriver-ramps.com/brr-blog/wordpress/?page_id=3 |archive-date=2007-12-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


In the 1985 documentary "Future Primitive" a homemade fingerboard was ridden in a sink; some consider this the earliest fingerboard footage available for public viewing. The homemade fingerboard was built from ], ], and ] ]s.<ref name="The Fingerboard Controversy: Are"/> Professional skateboarder ] is widely credited with creating the first fingerboard.<ref name="Kerr-2015">{{Cite web |last=Kerr |first=Christian |date=2015-12-14 |title=An Interview with a Professional Fingerboarder |url=https://www.jenkemmag.com/home/2015/12/14/an-interview-with-a-professional-fingerboarder/ |access-date=2023-03-15 |website=]}}</ref> 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 ] magazine.<ref name="The Fingerboard Controversy: Are" /> 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 ] came from. Some consider this the earliest fingerboard footage available for public viewing. That homemade fingerboard was built from ], ], and ] ]s.<ref name="The Fingerboard Controversy: Are" />


The first company to notice the potential of the fingerboard was Somerville International's Fingerboard brand, established in 1987. They were the first to mass-produce fingerboards that weren't intended to be used with a figurine or accessories. They were also the first to include licensed graphics from actual skateboard graphics with the introduction of the Pro-Precision board.<ref name="The Fingerboard Controversy: Are" />
Fingerboards have been a peripheral part of the skateboarding industry since the late 1980s and were originally marketed as keychains."<ref name="The Fingerboard Controversy: Are"/> Although barely "rideable," they were improved upon by the Tech Decks brand which mass produced a "rideable" miniature ].<ref name="About Fingerboarding"/> The first entertainment licensed fingerboards were introduced by Bratz Toys, released through a Hong Kong-based toy company named Prime Time Toys, and designed by PANGEA , the company that helped develop "The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" toy line for Playmates Toys. The designs were harnessed from entertainment properties such as "Speed Racer," "Woody Woodpecker," "NASCAR," "Heavy Metal," and "Crash Bandicoot." The licensed boards drove the Tech Deck brand into licensing strong urban brands, rather than simply making up cool designs. Suddenly, brands were appearing on fingerboards, and the Tech Deck brand became a household name. In the late 1990s, as fingerboards became more prominent outside the skateboarding community, X-Concepts' Tech Decks licensed "actual pro graphics from major skateboard brands" riding "the 1999 fingerboard wave right into ] and other major outlets."<ref name="The Fingerboard Controversy: Are"/> In 1999 there was a Tech Deck fashion of collecting one of each design similar to the ] fad months prior.<ref name="The Fingerboard Controversy: Are"/> Thusly, Tech Deck, and its distributors at Spin Master Toys, suddenly found themselves large market to milk. Entertainment-based fingerboard brands couldn't compete against the urban juggernaut, and eventually disappeared. Other "major players in the skateboard industry" soon followed in hopes of reaping profits as young toy-playing children would choose to take up skateboarding.<ref name="The Fingerboard Controversy: Are"/> More modern fingerboards, like newer, advanced Tech Decks, , the , and Fingerboard brand's Pro-Precision boards all featured "interchangeable wheels and trucks, a fairly accurate scale size, and pad-printed graphics reproduced from the most popular skateboard companies in the business."<ref name="The Fingerboard Controversy: Are"/> Blackriver Ramps' Fingerboardparks providing all manner of fingerboarding accessories including sophisticated and customizable components able to duplicate, in scale-model, the skateboarding experience thus developing the fingerboard into a ] ] and the practice into a "form of mental skating".<ref name="About Fingerboarding"/>


Although fingerboarding was a novelty within the skateboarding industry for years, as skateboarding reached widespread popularity in the late 1990s, X-Concepts realized the potential for the fingerboards, specifically for products bearing the logos and branding of real skateboarding brands, and introduced the Tech Deck brand. Fingerboards caught on during this period and Tech Deck has since grown into a widely recognized fingerboard brand. Toy fingerboards are now available as inexpensive novelty toys as well as high-end collectibles, complete with accessories one would find in use with standard-size skateboards.<ref name="Life and Limb: Skateboarders">{{cite book |last=Hocking |first=Justin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BxFdbXUDGt0C&q=%22fingerboard%22+ng" |title=Life and Limb: Skateboarders Write from the Deep End |author2=Jeff Knutson |author3=Jared Jacang Maher |author4=Jocko Weyland |publisher=Soft Skull Press |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-932360-28-8 |access-date=2007-12-25 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="About Fingerboarding" /><ref name="Fingerboard Tuning">{{cite web |year=2007 |title=Fingerboard Tuning |url=http://www.fingerboardstore.de/shop/index.php?cPath=23 |access-date=2008-12-25 |publisher=Fingerboardstore.de |archive-date=2008-05-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080525105453/http://www.fingerboardstore.de/shop/index.php?cPath=23 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Fingerboards are also used by skateboarders as ] model visual aids to understand potential tricks and maneuvers.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mullen |first=Rodney |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/55534817 |title=The Mutt: How to Skateboard and Not Kill Yourself |publisher=] |others=Sean Mortimer |year=2004 |isbn=0-06-055618-8 |edition=1st |location=New York |oclc=55534817}}</ref>
==Fingerboard Parts==


Fingerboarding is popular in Europe, Singapore, Asia and the United States. Although fingerboarding originated in the United States, it has gained much popularity in Eastern Europe. Fingaspeak, in ], ], is rumored to be the world's first fingerboard store, and is part of a small list of fingerboard stores worldwide.<ref name="About Fingerboarding" /> Fingerboarding has evolved from a hobby to a lifestyle for some people. Fingerboarders have regular ], ]s, ]s and other events. Examples include FastFingers and FlatFace Rendezvous.<ref name="The Fingerboard Controversy: Are" /><ref name="About Fingerboarding" /> Fingerboard-product sales were estimated at ]120 million for 1999.<ref name="The Fingerboard Controversy: Are" />
The parts of a fingerboard are: Deck, Griptape, Trucks, Bushings, and Wheels

'''Decks'''
there is a wide variety of decks out with material ranging from wood to plastic, to paper. Most commonly, however, decks are made from wood, as this gives it much more pop, and a much more authentic feel. Your average deck will have 2 kicks, while some old school models have only one kick. Usually, decks have lower kicks much like that of a Berlinwood or a Tech Deck, however, some decks have higher kicks, and if the kicks are very steep, they are refered to as wall kicks.

'''Griptape'''
There are many different types of griptape. You can use regular griptape, from a skateboard, or you can buy smooth tape from brands such as Riptape, FBS, Toxic Tape or NoComply flex tape. This tape is much less harsh on your fingers allowing you to fingerboard for longer periods of time. Additionally, normal skateboard grip wears out over time, and faster on fingerboards than on skateboards as fingerboards have to endure much more moisture (e.g. sweat). However, many argue that traditionally griptape has the advantage of giving the board a more traditional look and feel.

'''Trucks'''
Many companies make trucks for fingerboards, such as Tech Deck, Capsule, Radio, Chemistry, and Semi-trux. Several of the "collector" or "pro" brands, like Blackriver Ramps, claim that Tech Deck's trucks are not built to handle professional riding. Additionally, "collector" or "pro" brands of trucks are traditionally shaped using special instruments to make them lighter and look better.

'''Bushings'''
Bushings are very important, as they keep your trucks straight so that you can get a stronger pop when performing tricks. Aside from Tech Deck bushings, there are FBs O-Ringz, Riptape tuning, Summit tuning, and Smack bushings. These "collector" or "pro" brand bushings are made from many different types of squishy material, usually rubberized plastic or rubber, which will keep your trucks straight.

'''Wheels'''
Wheels are very important, of course, as they give you the ability to ride, but they can determine how smooth your ride is how what kind of flow your ride has. Well-known wheel producers are Tech Deck, Flatface, Nollie Wheels, No Comply Wheels, Winkler Wheels, Destruction, and Substance. The pro brands are traditionally made out of a variety of different materials, and have small ball-bearings inside of them to give you a smooth flow in your fingerboarding.

'''Modding'''
The trucks and decks can easily be modified to reduce weight, improve smoothness or look better. You can find several modding tutorials at .

=== Materials ===
Tech Deck, arguably the most popular fingerboards,<ref name = "The Fingerboard Controversy: Are"/> are made out of hard plastic and borrow designs from many well-known skateboard manufacturers, such as ], ], and ]. They have real metal trucks, grip tape, and real graphics. The stock trucks on Tech Decks are made of die-cast metal and have two separate axles for the wheels to roll on. The wheels are made out of plastic. Some fingerboarders prefer the feel and performance of decks made out of wood. Wooden decks can be made from 3-7 plies of a given veneer; maple, walnut, and mahogany being the most popular. All of the hole-drilling and shaping is done entirely by hand. Because wooden decks are not mass-produced, they are highly priced. A wooden deck from a popular company usually costs $30 USD. Along with wooden decks, advanced fingerboarders also tend to prefer bearing wheels to Tech Deck wheels. Bearing wheels can be made from a plethora of different materials such as teflon, urethane, silicon, and fiberglass. The materials are usually put into a lathe which gives them the most perfect round shape possible. Once the wheels have been properly drilled, bearings are put into place to increase the smoothness of the wheels rolling on the axle. Tuning is another luxury that advanced fingerboarders enjoy. Rather than using the stock axles and kingpins that come on Tech Deck trucks, fingerboarders use tuning screws and custom kingpins to ensure that wheels and hangars are more properly secured. Tuning screws for the wheels cause the wheels to roll more smoothly.


==Usage== ==Usage==
]
]
] (Belgium)]]
To use a fingerboard one's ] goes on the "tail" (back end), and the ] goes on the middle of the board or vice versa if it does not feel comfortable to ride in the fashion that was previously stated. Many people though, find it easier to start with 3 fingers. A variety of innovative tricks from classic, so-called "old-school", to more original and creative maneuvers can be envisioned and done on a small scale either for the enjoyment alone or as a precursor to one's skateboarding experiences where individual style and diversification of tricks is rewarded.<ref name="The Mutt: How to Skat"/>
Fingerboards are used by a range of people, from those using them as toys, to skateboarders and related sports professionals envisioning not only their own skating maneuvers but for others as well. Similar to ] enthusiasts building ], fingerboard ]ists often construct and purchase reduced ] ]s that would be considered natural features to an ] skateboarder such as ]s, ], and ] they would be likely to encounter while skating. In addition, users might build and buy items seen in a ] including ]s,<ref name="Roll-up halfpipe fo">{{cite web | last =Halford | first =Wayne |author2=Eric SodKar Fai |author3=Steven Moran | title=Roll-up halfpipe for miniature toy skateboard.
| publisher=Mattel, Inc. | date=2000-08-03 |url= https://patents.google.com/patent/US6350174
| access-date=2007-12-25}} Patent number: 6350174; Filing date: Aug 3, 2000; Issue date: Feb 26, 2002.</ref> ]s, ]es, ]s,<ref name="Amusement ramp and method">{{cite web
| last =Labelson | first =Ross |author2=Timothy J. Klima | title=Amusement ramp and method for constructing same | publisher=Pillsbury Winthrop LLP | date=19 July 1999 | url =https://patents.google.com/patent/US6623367 | access-date=2007-12-25}} Patent number: 6623367, Filing date: Jul 17, 1999; Issue date: Sep 23, 2003.</ref> pyramids, banked ramps, full pipes, and any number of other ]-oriented objects.<ref name="Reciprocating plaything">{{cite web | last=Hull | first=Everett | title=Reciprocating plaything and method for playing | publisher=Thomas L. Adams | date=10 December 2004 | url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US7261613 | access-date=2007-12-25}} Patent number: 7261613; Filing date: Dec 10, 2004; Issue date: Aug 28, 2007</ref> These objects can be used simply for enjoyment and also to assist the visualization of skateboarding tricks or the "flow" from one trick to the next (colloquially referred to as "lines").


==Components==
Fingerboards are used by a range of people from people utilizing them as toys to skateboarding and related sports professionals envisioning not only their own skating maneuvers but for others as well and can include the use for planning out competition courses as skating boarding develops into an international sport. Skateboarding is currently being considered as a sport for the ] in ].<ref> BBC Sports, 8 June 2007.</ref> The ], due to be held 8 August-24 August, 2008 in ], may present the sport as spectator event as ]'s second gold of the ] (October 2007) was to Che Lin for skateboarding.<ref> Xinhuanet, Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, 28 October, 2007.</ref> Also, skateboarding youths have attracted "mesmerized" crowds in ], a city described by professional skateboarders as "a skating ]."<ref> Xinhuanet, Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, 12 September, 2007.</ref>
{{More citations needed section|date=December 2022}}
]Similar to a skateboard, a fingerboard consists of several components:


* Deck: Fingerboard decks are made out of plastic or wood. The shapes vary from popsicle decks, cruiser decks, boxy decks and old-school decks. Modern and/or higher-quality decks have a defined nose and tail just like a real skateboard. Over the years decks got wider, for example old decks made by various brands were 29mm wide, while today decks range from 26mm to 55mm.
==Communities==
* Trucks: Trucks are mostly mass-produced from metal for the toy industry. In recent years, however, there have also been manufacturers who produce special trucks specifically for the sport and thereby set significantly higher standards for quality in lower quantities.
There are many different online communities where fingerboarders can go to share new information, chat, or even advertise for new companies.
* Wheels: Wheels are made of CNC, urethane , or resin, widely spread is ]. Higher-quality wheels are also equipped with bearings. They are either cast, 3D printed, or machined on a lathe (or their industrial equivalent).
* Bearings: The bearings used in fingerboard wheels are also the same as skateboard wheel bearings. They are made of high-quality steel to make the wheels spin smoothly, the same as skateboards.<ref>Buying guide for fingerboard with a detailed guide of its every part including wheels and bearings. {{cite web |url=https://skateboardidea.com/best-fingerboard/ |title=Best Fingerboard; |access-date=January 21, 2022}}</ref>
* Tape: For better adhesion, a grip tape is glued to the deck, which consists of either rubber, neoprene, fine-grain (similar to sandpaper), or foam skateboard grip.
* Screws: Are the screws that attach the trucks to the deck.
* Nuts: The nuts ensure that the wheels stay on the trucks. Widely spread are locknuts, that do not loosen as easily.
* Bushings: Fingerboard trucks have two bushings that usually smooths out riding the board. Cheap plastic boards sometimes only have hard plastic bushings, which can break easily and make it harder to do certain tricks on the fingerboard.


== Fingersnowboarding, handboards, Fingerbmx-ing and fingersurfboards ==
Among the most famous are Finger Flip Inc. or FFI, Fingerboardtalk, Fingerboard Community, Fingerforum and Tech Deck Forums. These websites allow fingerboard enthusiasts to discuss and debate the hobby, as well as plan meets and events, which is very important in the relatively small, but growing, fingerboarding community.
] on a mini-skateboard, similar to a handboard.|181x181px]]
Similar to fingerboarding, fingersnowboarding is ] on a small-scale snowboard controlled with one's fingers. In December 1999 the first-ever World Snowboard Fingerboard Championships was held with a cash prize of ]1,000.00.<ref name="Snowtopia 99">{{cite web
| last =Stouffer
| first =John
| title=Snowtopia 99: Tom Sims Wins World Fingersnowboard Championships
| publisher=Transworld Business
| date=17 December 1999
| url=http://snowboarding.transworld.net/1999/12/17/snowtopia-99-tom-sims-wins-world-fingersnowboard-championships/
| access-date=2007-12-25}}</ref> Sponsored by companies such as Gravity Fingerboards, Transworld ''Snowboarding'' and ''Snowboard Life'' ]s and others the competition featured twenty competitors utilizing a custom "fingerboard snowboard park."<ref name="Snowtopia 99" /> ], a world champion of snowboarding,<ref>"Snowboarders Finally in Olympics, But Are Conforming Grudgingly", ''], February 8, 1998.</ref> ended his run by landing his fingersnowboard into a ] ] of ]; he was treated for minor burns and donated his winning prize to ]'s Snowrider Project and to ].<ref name="Snowtopia 99" />


Fingerbmx-ing, is similar to finger scootering which is basically a scaled-down version of a ] and has different parts to change and equip. Unlike a ] it requires 4 ]s to control the ].You can perform ] tricks, Companies like "LC Boards" sell fingerbmxs and they sell similar ] products. Its not quite popular and used like a ] instead, it's used for customisation and decorations.


Handboards, similar to fingerboards, are a scaled-down version of a ] roughly half to a third of the size of a standard skateboard (29 centimeters or 11&nbsp;in) and utilizes a person's hands rather than just their ]s to control the board and perform ] and ]. Professional skateboarder ] was the one to invent the hand board: "When we were kids, my friend Esao and I used to make little skateboards out of cardboard. They were actually way more intricate than that, but it would take a long time to explain... we used cardboard, clothes lines, pens for the trucks, bearings for the wheels. We got really good at them, surpassing anything we could actually do on a real skateboard. When I moved to California, I approached the company that was making fingerboards at the time and I showed them a video we'd made, kind of like a sponsor me tape. They liked it, and eventually went into production with it, giving us an inventor's royalty and a contract."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Erik Ellington |url=https://www.nocomplynetwork.com/erik-ellington/ |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=No Comply Network}}</ref> Handboards, because of their larger size, more closely match the details of a standard skateboard. For instance, a skateboard truck, the wheel structure, would more likely match part for part an actual skateboard truck rather than be a cast one-piece construction or otherwise simplified. If a user preferred a particular type of wood or decorative style that could also more easily resemble a full-scale skateboard.{{Citation needed|date=December 2022}}


==References in media==
==Accessories==
* In the ] ] ], Pim's cousin Graham Nelly is said to be "A whiz at the skateboard" and then pulls out a Fingerboard and fails a ] awkwardly at the dinner table.
], ] showing young people utilizing a ]s and other transition ramps for ] and practicing skills. Fingerboarders create and purchase similar items to duplicate the experience.]]
* In the ] film ], one of Mei's classmates can be seen playing with a fingerboard on her desk during the scuffle between Mei's mother and the security guard. The movie is set in 2002.
Similar to ] enthusiasts building ], fingerboard ]ists often construct and purchase reduced ] ]s that would be considered natural features to an ] skateboarder such as ]s, ]es, and ] they would be likely to encounter while riding. In addition users might build and buy items seen in a ] including ]s,<ref name="Roll-up halfpipe fo">{{cite web
| last name =Halford
| first name =Wayne
| coauthor =Eric SodKar Fai, Steven Moran
| authorlink =
| title=Roll-up halfpipe for miniature toy skateboard
| publisher=Mattel, Inc.
| date=2000-08-03
Board Kennel
=http://www.google.com/patents?hl=en&lr=&vid=USPAT6350174&id=v5AJAAAAEBAJ&oi=fnd&dq=fingerboard+skateboard
| accessdate=2007-12-25}} Patent number: 6350174; Filing date: Aug 3, 2000; Issue date: Feb 26, 2002. </ref> ]s, ]es, ]s,<ref name="Amusement ramp and method">{{cite web
| last name =Labelson
| first name =Ross
| coauthor =Timothy J. Klima
| authorlink =
| title=Amusement ramp and method for constructing same
| publisher=Pillsbury Winthrop LLP
| date=19 July, 1999
| url
=http://www.google.com/patents?id=BloNAAAAEBAJ
| accessdate=2007-12-25}} Patent number: 6623367, Filing date: Jul 19, 1999; Issue date: Sep 23, 2003. </ref> pyramids, banked ramps, full pipes, and any number of other ]-oriented objects.<ref name="Reciprocating plaything">{{cite web
| last name =Hull
| first name =Everett
| coauthor =
| authorlink =
| title=Reciprocating plaything and method for playing
| publisher=Thomas L. Adams
| date=10 December, 2004
| url
=http://www.google.com/patents?id=h1-BAAAAEBAJ
| accessdate=2007-12-25}} Patent number: 7261613; Filing date: Dec 10, 2004; Issue date: Aug 28, 2007 </ref> These objects can be used simply for enjoyment and also to assist the ] of skateboarding tricks or the "flow" from one trick to the next (or to create "lines"). Fingerboarding events feature some of the latest elaborate models and accessories; many of the manufacturers features photos and videos on their websites.


==Video sharing== ==See also==
* ]
Fingerboarding is a good match for videography as the action can be controlled and framing the activity offers opportunities for creativity.<ref name="Fresh Dialogue 3">{{cite web
| last=Vienne
| first=Véronique
| title=Fresh Dialogue 3: New Voices in Graphic Design
| publisher=Princeton Architectural Press
| year=2003
| url
=http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=3PoFw_4hj3UC&oi=fnd&pg=PT16&dq=fingerboard+skateboard&ots=iqx9fzkMIm&sig=GrozcGffn2GKTjvF-TcFpb2KJsY#PPT101,M1
| accessdate=2007-12-25}}</ref> With the rise of the ] business from early 2006 through the present,<ref name="US online video popularity keeps">{{cite web
| last=Perez
| first=Juan Carlos
| title=US online video popularity keeps climbing
| publisher=]
| date=September 13, 2007
| url
=http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/09/13/video/
| accessdate=2007-09-15}}</ref> fueled, in part, because the feature that allows ]ing clips to friends,<ref name="A Work in Progress">{{cite web
| last=Zawadski
| first=Alison
| title=A Work in Progress
| publisher=]
| date=September 13, 2007
| url
=http://media.www.leprovoc.com/media/storage/paper453/news/2007/09/12/Viewpoint/A.Work.In.Progress-2964495.shtml
| accessdate=2007-09-15}}</ref> several thousand finger board and handboard videos can now be found on popular video-sharing sites such as ].<ref name="YouTube videos of handboarding">{{cite web
| title=YouTube videos of handboarding
| publisher=]
| date=25 December 2007
| url
=http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=search_videos&search_query=handboard&search_sort=video_avg_rating&search_category=0&search=Search&v=&uploaded=&filter=1
| accessdate=2007-12-25}}</ref><ref name="YouTube videos of fingerskating">{{cite web
| title=YouTube videos of fingerskating
| publisher=]
| date=25 December 2007
| url
=http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=search_videos&search_query=fingerskate&search_sort=video_avg_rating&search_category=0&search=Search&v=&uploaded=&filter=1
| accessdate=2007-12-25}}</ref><ref name="YouTube videos of fingerboarding">{{cite web
| title=YouTube videos of fingerboarding
| publisher=]
| date=25 December 2007
| url
=http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=fingerboard&search=Search
| accessdate=2007-12-25}}</ref> Thus even if the weather does not permit a skateboarder to practice outside they could try a potential trick with their scaled-down fingerboard and related items and share the video with whomever they wished.

==Popularity==
Fingerboarding is popular in ] in countries such as ] and ];<ref name="Fingerboard Events Forum">{{cite web
| last name =
| first name =
| coauthor =
| authorlink =
| title=Fingerboard Events Forum
| publisher=Fingerboard.de
| year=2007
| url
=http://fingerboard.de/
| accessdate=2007-12-25}}</ref> there is growing popularity in ].<ref name="About Fingerboarding"/> Besides skateshops and the internet the world's first fingerboard store opened in ], ].<ref name="About Fingerboarding"/> Fingerboarders have regular "]s, ]s, ]s and other events".<ref name="About Fingerboarding"/> Teri Werner, owner of Boards and More, a skateboarding shop, in ], ], commented on the fad stating she promotes fingerboarding and skateboarding by holding contests on the store's fingerboard ramp with one contest having "175 entrants in two categories, plus another hundred spectators."<ref name="The Fingerboard Controversy: Are"/> {{cquote|The kids specifically come here to buy their fingerboards. We sell them for $1.99, but they come to us because they trust what we do. We're kid-friendly, and we keep it alive by having ramps available for them to play with. We sell fingerboards like crazy.<ref name="The Fingerboard Controversy: Are"/>}} Fingerboard-product sales were estimated at ]190-million for 1999.<ref name="The Fingerboard Controversy: Are"/>

There is also a growing scene in America greatly due to many US based companies sponsoring/hosting fingerboard events. People have flown in from across the US to be apart of these events, and that shows the dedication that many of the more serious fingerboarders are trying to help the scene. These events can be attended almost anywhere in the US, from the west coast all the way to the east coast; most notably Mike Schneider(owner of Flatface) hosts what is known as the "Rendezvous", which is held 1-2 times a year for the last 2 years.

== Handboards ==

Handboards, similar to fingerboards, are a scaled-down version of a ] roughly half to a third of the size of a standard skateboard (11 inches) and utilizes a person's ] rather than just their ]s to control the board and perform ]s and ]s. Handboards can be harder to use than fingerboards.

Handboards are used exactly like skateboards only with the hands


==References== ==References==
{{reflist|2}} {{Reflist|30em}}


==Further reading== ==Further reading==
* ''Finger Skate Board Tricks and Tips Prepack'' by Susan Buntrock (2000); Scholastic, Incorporated - ISBN 0439217148. * ''Finger Skate Board Tricks and Tips Prepack'' by Susan Buntrock (2000); Scholastic, Incorporated - {{ISBN|0-439-21714-8}}.
* ''Life and Limb: Skateboarders Write from the Deep End'' by Justin Hocking, Jeff Knutson, Jared Jacang Maher (2004); Soft Skull Press - ISBN 193236028X. (See ''Whaling'' chapter by Justin Hocking). * ''Life and Limb: Skateboarders Write from the Deep End'' by Justin Hocking, Jeff Knutson, Jared Jacang Maher (2004); Soft Skull Press - {{ISBN|1-932360-28-X}}. (See ''Whaling'' chapter by Justin Hocking).
* An ambitious, new international community site. Forum is up, a blog and other features are in the making.
* A popular American fingerboard forum
{{commons|fingerboard}}
{{Wiktionary|fingerboard}}
* at the ]
* includes ''The Anatomy of a Finger Skateboard''.
* Fingerboard Magazine representing the largest fingerboarding community in Europe, in German with some English translations.
* Emerging portuguese fingerboard community starring forums, webshop and download section with over 500 members.


{{Juggling}}

===Videos of boarders===
*
*
*
*
made by kweenciti
{{Skateboarding}} {{Skateboarding}}


] ]
] ]
] ]
]

]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 18:57, 29 November 2024

Miniature skateboard controlled by the fingers For other uses, see Fingerboard (disambiguation).

A fingerboard is a scaled-down replica of a skateboard that a person "rides" with their fingers, rather than their feet. A fingerboard is typically 100 millimeters (3.9 in) long with width ranging from 26 to 55 mm (1.0 to 2.2 in), with graphics, trucks and plastic or ball-bearing wheels, like a skateboard. A fingerboard can be used to do traditional skateboarding tricks, such as an ollie and kickflip.

History

Fingerboards first existed as homemade finger toys in the late 1960s and later became a novelty attached to keychains in skate shops.

Professional skateboarder Lance Mountain is widely credited with creating the first fingerboard. 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. 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.

The first company to notice the potential of the fingerboard was Somerville International's Fingerboard brand, established in 1987. They were the first to mass-produce fingerboards that weren't intended to be used with a figurine or accessories. They were also the first to include licensed graphics from actual skateboard graphics with the introduction of the Pro-Precision board.

Although fingerboarding was a novelty within the skateboarding industry for years, as skateboarding reached widespread popularity in the late 1990s, X-Concepts realized the potential for the fingerboards, specifically for products bearing the logos and branding of real skateboarding brands, and introduced the Tech Deck brand. Fingerboards caught on during this period and Tech Deck has since grown into a widely recognized fingerboard brand. Toy fingerboards are now available as inexpensive novelty toys as well as high-end collectibles, complete with accessories one would find in use with standard-size skateboards. Fingerboards are also used by skateboarders as 3-D model visual aids to understand potential tricks and maneuvers.

Fingerboarding is popular in Europe, Singapore, Asia and the United States. Although fingerboarding originated in the United States, it has gained much popularity in Eastern Europe. Fingaspeak, in Steyr, Austria, is rumored to be the world's first fingerboard store, and is part of a small list of fingerboard stores worldwide. Fingerboarding has evolved from a hobby to a lifestyle for some people. Fingerboarders have regular contests, fairs, workshops and other events. Examples include FastFingers and FlatFace Rendezvous. Fingerboard-product sales were estimated at $120 million for 1999.

Usage

A fingerboard approaching a ramp
Fingerboard skatepark in Ghent (Belgium)

Fingerboards are used by a range of people, from those using them as toys, to skateboarders and related sports professionals envisioning not only their own skating maneuvers but for others as well. Similar to train enthusiasts building railway models, fingerboard hobbyists often construct and purchase reduced scale model figures that would be considered natural features to an urban skateboarder such as handrails, benches, and stairs they would be likely to encounter while skating. In addition, users might build and buy items seen in a skatepark including half-pipes, quarter pipes, trick boxes, vert ramps, pyramids, banked ramps, full pipes, and any number of other trick-oriented objects. These objects can be used simply for enjoyment and also to assist the visualization of skateboarding tricks or the "flow" from one trick to the next (colloquially referred to as "lines").

Components

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
A table with benches, replicated as a fingerboard obstacle.

Similar to a skateboard, a fingerboard consists of several components:

  • Deck: Fingerboard decks are made out of plastic or wood. The shapes vary from popsicle decks, cruiser decks, boxy decks and old-school decks. Modern and/or higher-quality decks have a defined nose and tail just like a real skateboard. Over the years decks got wider, for example old decks made by various brands were 29mm wide, while today decks range from 26mm to 55mm.
  • Trucks: Trucks are mostly mass-produced from metal for the toy industry. In recent years, however, there have also been manufacturers who produce special trucks specifically for the sport and thereby set significantly higher standards for quality in lower quantities.
  • Wheels: Wheels are made of CNC, urethane , or resin, widely spread is polyurethane. Higher-quality wheels are also equipped with bearings. They are either cast, 3D printed, or machined on a lathe (or their industrial equivalent).
  • Bearings: The bearings used in fingerboard wheels are also the same as skateboard wheel bearings. They are made of high-quality steel to make the wheels spin smoothly, the same as skateboards.
  • Tape: For better adhesion, a grip tape is glued to the deck, which consists of either rubber, neoprene, fine-grain (similar to sandpaper), or foam skateboard grip.
  • Screws: Are the screws that attach the trucks to the deck.
  • Nuts: The nuts ensure that the wheels stay on the trucks. Widely spread are locknuts, that do not loosen as easily.
  • Bushings: Fingerboard trucks have two bushings that usually smooths out riding the board. Cheap plastic boards sometimes only have hard plastic bushings, which can break easily and make it harder to do certain tricks on the fingerboard.

Fingersnowboarding, handboards, Fingerbmx-ing and fingersurfboards

A chicken on a mini-skateboard, similar to a handboard.

Similar to fingerboarding, fingersnowboarding is snowboarding on a small-scale snowboard controlled with one's fingers. In December 1999 the first-ever World Snowboard Fingerboard Championships was held with a cash prize of Can$1,000.00. Sponsored by companies such as Gravity Fingerboards, Transworld Snowboarding and Snowboard Life magazines and others the competition featured twenty competitors utilizing a custom "fingerboard snowboard park." Tom Sims, a world champion of snowboarding, ended his run by landing his fingersnowboard into a flaming shotglass of Sambuca; he was treated for minor burns and donated his winning prize to Surfrider Foundation's Snowrider Project and to Board AID.

Fingerbmx-ing, is similar to finger scootering which is basically a scaled-down version of a bmx and has different parts to change and equip. Unlike a Fingerboard it requires 4 fingers to control the bmx.You can perform Aerobatic tricks, Companies like "LC Boards" sell fingerbmxs and they sell similar finger products. Its not quite popular and used like a Fingerboard instead, it's used for customisation and decorations.

Handboards, similar to fingerboards, are a scaled-down version of a skateboard roughly half to a third of the size of a standard skateboard (29 centimeters or 11 in) and utilizes a person's hands rather than just their fingers to control the board and perform tricks and maneuvers. Professional skateboarder Erik Ellington was the one to invent the hand board: "When we were kids, my friend Esao and I used to make little skateboards out of cardboard. They were actually way more intricate than that, but it would take a long time to explain... we used cardboard, clothes lines, pens for the trucks, bearings for the wheels. We got really good at them, surpassing anything we could actually do on a real skateboard. When I moved to California, I approached the company that was making fingerboards at the time and I showed them a video we'd made, kind of like a sponsor me tape. They liked it, and eventually went into production with it, giving us an inventor's royalty and a contract." Handboards, because of their larger size, more closely match the details of a standard skateboard. For instance, a skateboard truck, the wheel structure, would more likely match part for part an actual skateboard truck rather than be a cast one-piece construction or otherwise simplified. If a user preferred a particular type of wood or decorative style that could also more easily resemble a full-scale skateboard.

References in media

  • In the Adult Swim cartoon Smiling Friends, Pim's cousin Graham Nelly is said to be "A whiz at the skateboard" and then pulls out a Fingerboard and fails a kickflip awkwardly at the dinner table.
  • In the Pixar film Turning Red, one of Mei's classmates can be seen playing with a fingerboard on her desk during the scuffle between Mei's mother and the security guard. The movie is set in 2002.

See also

References

  1. ^ Waters, Mark (2000-03-03). "The Fingerboard Controversy: Are toy-skateboard makers promoting skateboarding or just profiting?". Transworld Business. Retrieved 2009-04-09.
  2. ^ "About Fingerboarding". Blackriver Ramps. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-12-27. Retrieved 2007-12-25.
  3. Kerr, Christian (2015-12-14). "An Interview with a Professional Fingerboarder". Jenkem Magazine. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
  4. Hocking, Justin; Jeff Knutson; Jared Jacang Maher; Jocko Weyland (2004). " Life and Limb: Skateboarders Write from the Deep End. Soft Skull Press. ISBN 978-1-932360-28-8. Retrieved 2007-12-25.
  5. "Fingerboard Tuning". Fingerboardstore.de. 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-05-25. Retrieved 2008-12-25.
  6. Mullen, Rodney (2004). The Mutt: How to Skateboard and Not Kill Yourself. Sean Mortimer (1st ed.). New York: ReganBooks. ISBN 0-06-055618-8. OCLC 55534817.
  7. Halford, Wayne; Eric SodKar Fai; Steven Moran (2000-08-03). "Roll-up halfpipe for miniature toy skateboard". Mattel, Inc. Retrieved 2007-12-25. Patent number: 6350174; Filing date: Aug 3, 2000; Issue date: Feb 26, 2002.
  8. Labelson, Ross; Timothy J. Klima (19 July 1999). "Amusement ramp and method for constructing same". Pillsbury Winthrop LLP. Retrieved 2007-12-25. Patent number: 6623367, Filing date: Jul 17, 1999; Issue date: Sep 23, 2003.
  9. Hull, Everett (10 December 2004). "Reciprocating plaything and method for playing". Thomas L. Adams. Retrieved 2007-12-25. Patent number: 7261613; Filing date: Dec 10, 2004; Issue date: Aug 28, 2007
  10. Buying guide for fingerboard with a detailed guide of its every part including wheels and bearings. "Best Fingerboard;". Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  11. ^ Stouffer, John (17 December 1999). "Snowtopia 99: Tom Sims Wins World Fingersnowboard Championships". Transworld Business. Retrieved 2007-12-25.
  12. "Snowboarders Finally in Olympics, But Are Conforming Grudgingly", Salt Lake Tribune, February 8, 1998.
  13. "Erik Ellington". No Comply Network. Retrieved 2023-04-22.

Further reading

  • Finger Skate Board Tricks and Tips Prepack by Susan Buntrock (2000); Scholastic, Incorporated - ISBN 0-439-21714-8.
  • Life and Limb: Skateboarders Write from the Deep End by Justin Hocking, Jeff Knutson, Jared Jacang Maher (2004); Soft Skull Press - ISBN 1-932360-28-X. (See Whaling chapter by Justin Hocking).
Juggling and object manipulation
Patterns
and forms
Props
Groups
and events
Balance
and twirling
Other
Skateboarding
Skateboarding styles
Skateboarding tricks
Skateboard variations
Culture
Skateparks
Categories: