The History of Streetboarding - From Snakeboard to Streetboard

Jay Nowman Nosegrind Dimension Streetboard
Words By Jay Nowman - Nosegrind in The Rain

The History of Streetboarding

Streetboarding’s story is one of defiance. A (non-holonomic) movement that refused to die. Of a tight knit community spanning the globe who have never sought the approval of others. Fiercely independent yet eternally welcoming.

A Brief History of Snakeboard Ep01

Snakeboard – The Origin Story (1989–1998)

Streetboarding began under a different name - Snakeboard. Born in South Africa in 1989, the board was a Frankenstein hybrid of skateboard, snowboard, and surfboard. It featured two pivoting footplates connected by a centre bar.

The inventors had initially only intended for the board to be used when carving down hills.

Thomas Kienle Ositos Streetboards Flyer
Thomas Kienle

They had however unwittingly invented a board capable of non-holonomic  motion: allowing a rider to propel themselves at speed without ever touching the ground. 

This then opened up the possibility to add bindings.  That combined with the deep carves the board design opens up meant that you now had a boardsport that could bring to the streets what snowboarders did to the slopes. 

By the mid-90s, Snakeboarding had exploded worldwide. 

There were pro teams, World Championships, big budget videos and whole series of domestic contests. 

The boards like the Pro & the Comp, defined a generation of hardcore riders.

But in 1998, the lights went out. Snakeboard Industries folded, (The brand name has made a return though here) leaving riders stranded. The sport should have died there. But it didn’t.

The folks over at Snakeboard Official have a detailed look at this period and are currently rolling out a YouTube series

A Brief History of Snakeboard. 

Watch ep01 below. 

WATCH HERE

SHOP STREETBOARDS

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" ALL OF THE STRUGGLES WE'VE BEEN THROUGH TO KEEP THE SPORT ALIVE....I WOULDN'T CHANGE FOR THE WORLD. I'VE MET SOME OF MY CLOSEST FRIENDS THROUGH THIS SCENE." JAY NOWMAN

The Early Years

From invention in South Africa to the collapse of Snakeboard Industries—this is how it all began.

1989
Snakeboard is born in South Africa
1993
Snakeboard Industries expands into Europe
1994
First World Championships
1998
Snakeboard Industries collapses
2002
Dimension Streetboards emerge
2006
Highland Streetboards launches

The Resurrection: DIY to tha Core

(1998–2002)

Now one thing many people do not know.  Snakeboard was both a trademark (thankfully lapsed in many parts of the world.) but also a patent on the design of the boards.  Not just the models they made previously. But any sort of board using the same movement. 

As you can imagine for those who had fallen in love, signed deals with the devil and pledged all allegiances over these addictive boards. This news was devastating.  

Many of those running key areas of the sport today were the abandoned of that generation. Ourselves here at Red Pen streetboard included. 

I myself had just won the UK amateur national championships.  To give you an idea of the size of the sport then I had had to qualify for the nationals and place top 3 at a number of other UK events.  Plus I was competitor 64 at the finals and I know it had started at 1. 

One other thing.  This was early 1998. And the internet was shall we say. Severely pixelated and slower than an Urban Masters date announcement.  If anyone mentioned the words social network they assumed you were talking about the crochet class your nan went to keep active. (Crochet also only became cool due to social networks. Just saying) 

 At this point we had two choices: give up or go underground. 

Many chose to give up. The totally committed few. We decided to go underground and bring some good hearty punk DIY ethics down with us. 

The first hurdle was. What the fxck do we call it? 


Sergi Nicolas riding Dimension Streetboards
Sergi Nicolas

The name Streetboard had been thrown around a bit. In fact our Team CHEeSE shirt from 1995 had used the phrase Streetboarding Creeps. 

A vote was held by whoever happened to be Denny’s in Ogden Utah  that evening, a few nights before the first ever rider organised World Championships were held. 

Although not everyone was happy with the decision, I prefer the catchy Swing stick of Doom, Streetboard it was. Deals with patent holders were made and finally new rider run brands emerged—Dimension, Highland, Gazpacho. 

Europe became the new epicentre. In the UK, Spain, and Germany, streetboarders kept pushing—without pay, without press, just passion.

This was Streetboarding leaving home after being kicked out by their parents to fend for themselves. No money. No advice, but a shit tonne of energy grit and will.

It’s also worth noting that many of us organising world championships, building brands and printing magazines (we had previous titles to Red Pen. Get the full story below.) were aged between 18-20.  With no Google and definitely no ChatGPT. 

The Tricks That Shook

(2005–2015)

We did however possess two very important things. Trying to grow an industry at 18 years old is a longshot. But pushing the limits of what can be done on a Streetboard at that age? Well you’re only just getting started. 

With no industry and no rules, Streetboarding’s direction of travel was ours to choose. 

Streetboarding is different than these big Olympic featured mainstream action sports. Trends aren’t important. Following the herd is not the vibe. 

World Championships were rider-run. The best in the world—like Matt Yates, David Reyes, and Sergi Nicholas—competed not for trophies, but for legacy.

Red Pen Magazine emerged as the voice of the movement, covering tricks, style, and most importantly telling the stories of the sport. 

.South America caught fire. Germany hosted full-scale events. Spain became the new Mecca.

While other board sports sold out, got gutted out and are now wondering what the hell happened, streetboarding stayed strapped in.

Underground, unfiltered, and unapologetically ours.

Chris Kamm Rodeo Streetboard
Chris Kamm

The Revival & Rise

A new generation of riders. A global scene rebuilt from the ground up. Streetboarding evolves.

2008
Red Pen Streetboard Magazine launches
2009
Gabi Muñoz lands the first ever double backflip
2010
Gazpacho Streetboards launches
2015
The Cobra Tour
2021
DeLaVia Streetboards launches
2023
Streetboard World Series launches
2025
Midnight Streetboards launch

The Next Generation

(2016–Now)

You can’t kill what won’t quit.

In the social era, a new wave found the board. Streetboarding has always felt like the boardsport of tomorrow.

Midnight Streetboards, emerged with an edge built for the next generation. Of riders, but importantly, through innovative design and precision engineering, a new generation of tricks.

The Streetboard World Series was born, bringing together Europe, the Americas, and beyond. It’s still raw. Still rider-run. Still pushing.

And we've only just strapped in.

Ready to Strap in & Slay?

There is no better time to START STREETBOARDING than now. So whether you are looking to level up your skatepark and make it way more fun or you're considering an SWS title shot.

Grab yourself a Streetboard today.

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