Mechanical drawing for the Ollie Bat

Mechanical drawing for the Ollie Bat

Usage conditions apply
Downloads
Description (Brief)
Mechanical drawing for the Ollie bat, a skateboard device that allows for manipulating the skateboard to do tricks. It is a black plastic device in the shape of a bat with two holes in each end for attached the device to the skateboard. The device never actually made it to production but is an example of the ingenuity of skateboarders and their desire to continue to innovate their sport. The donor, Michael Alan Hays was the maker of this device.
As curator Joyce Bedi relates, "The “ollie” is one of the best-known tricks in skateboarding. To perform it, a skater jumps straight up while pushing the tail of the skateboard against the ground, forcing the nose of the board up. Attaching the Ollie Bat—invented in the 1980s by Michael Alan Hays—to the front bolts of the board gave the skater more control in “popping” an ollie. Hays prototyped his invention with skaters, taking the design from a straight wooden bar to a plastic bat, “influenced,” he recalled, “by the great advertising for the up-and-coming [1989] film Batman.” The Ollie Bat never went into production; Hays opted instead to attend college."
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
drawing, skateboarding
drawing
date made
1988
1980s
maker
Hays, Michael Alan
Physical Description
glassine paper (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 11 in x 8 1/2 in; 27.94 cm x 21.59 cm
ID Number
2014.0115.05
accession number
2014.0115
catalog number
2014.0115.05
subject
Sports
skateboarding
Invention
See more items in
Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Nominate this object for photography.   

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.

Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.