In the modern game of hockey, players rely on an unholy combination of steel, plastic and composite to skate across the ice. It’s the end result of more than 5,000 years of evolution, experimentation and technical advances. And then there are the skateboards, which have arguably played as big of a role in the growth of the sport as the game itself has. From the skateboards that helped bring the game to the mainstream, to the custom-built boards designed to showcase a player’s individual style and unique skating ability, these are some of the weirdest hockey skateboards ever made.
The early days of ice hockey saw people developing games to pass the time. These often involved a stick and a ball, and were usually adaptations of existing field games. But as ice became more prevalent around the 1300s, people began to use skates to travel over the ice. The first ones were made of bone, with sharpened ends crafted into a blade that glided over the ice with little friction. The bones were also easy to carry, and it was possible to fashion a pair of skates quickly on the fly when traveling.
Bone skates continued to be used for centuries, and even lasted until the 20th century in some areas, but the advent of iron blades in the 1800s marked a significant change to skating technology. The new iron-bottom blades created much less friction with the ice and allowed skaters to push off with both feet, an important step toward the modern skating technique used today.
These iron-bottom skates also prompted the development of more durable boots, which were designed to be fastened onto the shoes using leather straps. These were later replaced with lace-up boots, which offered better support and comfort for the feet. Over the years, more and more improvements were made to the design of both skates and boots, until they finally reached the level of sophistication that we see in the modern game of hockey.
While the death of a hockey player this week over a skate blade to the neck might seem like a freak accident, the truth is that it isn’t. Broken jaws, smashed noses and concussions are far too common in the game of hockey. And yet, despite the risks, there are still players who refuse to wear protective equipment.
This is especially true for the most rebellious of the hockey players, those who play longboard hockey. Unlike the more traditional forms of the game, which are played on rinks or tennis courts, longboard hockey is played in underground parking lots and other covered areas, and it often involves a lot of body checking. It’s a wild, violent, rebellious form of the game that has its own league and championship trophy called the Chanley Cup. And it’s also a great way to test your mettle on some of the most challenging skateboards ever designed. Here are some of the best ones out there.