1980s skateboard used as a prop during the Innoskate event

Description (Brief):

This 1980s style skateboard was made by Paul Schmitt for, and ridden during, the Smithsonian’s Lemelson's Center Innoskate event in June of 2013. The deck is laminated wood with a wide deck, kick tail in the back and a rounded nose at the front. There is grip tape on most of the top surface of the board with indentations on the bottom of the board by each wheel for carving. The board is light blue with a neon pink splash design with "80s" printed in blue on the bottom of the skateboard. The colors and design were indicative to boards designed and used during the 1980s. The Independent trucks and Chris Haslam wheels are modern day. This is one of four boards designed by Paul Schmitt to show the evolution of the skateboard deck through the 1960 to the 1990s. Schmitt, President of PS Stix, Inc., CreateASkate.org and The New Deal Skateboard Products, Inc. owns and operates one of the largest and most successful skateboard manufacturing companies in the United States and is known in the industry as 'Professor Schmitt’. For almost 30 years Schmitt’s companies have been considered an innovative leader in the design and the manufacture of high quality skateboards. Schmitt has been involved with many different brands throughout the skate world including Schmitt Stix, the New Deal and Element. His CreateASkate.org program started in 2004 and teaches kids from 5th to 12th grade how to build a skateboard while learning about math, science, physics and chemistry. The kids don’t even realize they are learning, they just know they walk away with a cool skateboard that they designed. Schmitt, a skater himself works with skaters and industry leaders to constantly transform the sport and is one of the most respected innovators in the skate industry.

Description (Brief)

Innoskate was a public festival presented by The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation during June of 2013. “Innoskate highlighted the contributions skate innovators made to society through demonstrations, hands-on education activities, public programs with inventors and innovators, and donations of objects to the national collections.”