LIFE has recently been going through their archives and highlighting events of cultural importance from past decades. In the 1960's , LIFE reported on the "craze and menace of skateboards" to contemporary America. The fact that LIFE chose to spotlight skateboarding as one these cultural elements along with other key moments (i.e, civil rights, the Kennedy years) demonstrates it's impact on our society. Surprisingly,female surfer and skateboarder pioneer Pat McGee was featured on the cover of the May 14,1965 issue. The almost half-century old issue also features McGee skating barefoot at the 1965 National Skateboarding Championships. In 2010, Pat was the first female inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame. Seeing McGee featured on the cover of this issue is a remarkable reminder of the importance of women to skateboarding. Though, female athletes in skateboarding and other sports still lack equal rights, it is evident that their roots are so deep in the sport it can never be replaced.
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| Source: Time, 1965 |
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| Source: Time,1965 |
Read more: http://life.time.com/culture/life-goes-skateboarding/#ixzz1nk2RYUMX