The Language of Skateboarding

 

Ever since the increased popularity of Skateboarding and the formation of a huge global culture centred around the sport, there has been a unique style of language to go with it. The mutual understanding of this language amongst those that skateboard and those that may have some other involvement in the sport seems to bring together people into 'tight-knight' groups, and the language can therefore be labelled as covert prestige. I say this, not because the style of dialect is inferior to that of Standard English (Although some may view it in this way), but because it asks those that speak it to 'read between the lines' –in other words, understand the implications of things and not just their literal meaning.

 

One of the most identifiable things about the language used by skateboarders is that there is a vast amount of field specific lexis, in particular nouns, which are the labels for specific tricks and movements that can be done on a skateboard. For example, 'Boardslide' is just one of several nouns which exist within the known vocabulary of a skateboarder. A Boardslide is "a trick where you lift your front truck over the lip, coping, rail, ledge, or whatever it is that you desire, and slide" according to a Greg Hart on AngelFire.com (http://www.angelfire.com/ga2/Century/terms.html). Other nouns, which can mostly also stand as verbs, that you may hear, are 'Ollie', 'Heelflip', 'Kickflip' and 'Fakie'. These nouns/ verbs tend to have been formed through the merging of two different words. Words such as 'Heelflip', 'Kickflip' and 'Frontside' are clearly compounds where two words relevant to the intended meaning are connected.

 

Another thing that can be identified about Skateboarder's language is that there are a number of unusual adjectives used when describing both successes and failures in the sport. For example, 'sick', 'rad' and 'gnarly' are all adjectives used when something is believed to have been good, like when a trick is landed, or a manoeuvre is pulled off correctly. The etymology of these words is difficult to identify, although it is safe to say that 'Sick' (probably the most common adjective used in skateboarding) has gone through a process known as broadening, as the word can be used to suggest something completely different in another context. BBC found this during an interview and a skateboarder himself actually identified the unusualness of the adjectives that he and his peers use: "When it comes to words for 'good', things could get confusing - calling something 'sick' and 'knarly' is understood throughout extreme sports: "It is quite strange that words that should be used in a negative sense can be used to big something up. If you take it literally, we do say some strange things to each other, but you do have to understand the lingo." (http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/articles/2005/08/23/voices_skaters_feature.shtml)

 

Overall, it must be said that the language of skateboarding mainly consists of technical terms used to label certain styles and tricks pulled off. It is more complex than many would imagine, although it can be easily argued from simply reading a little further into the words that they have been formed on the basis of very simple rules about meaning. For example, 'Kickflip' is the name of a trick where you kick in order to flip the board – Unarguably simple. By going on the basis of ideas proposed by Ludwig Wittgenstein, a 20th century philosipher, it becomes easy to work out the purpose of skateboarding language according to Dovad Tsap, a scholar author and lecturer: "Skateboard culture has its own vocabulary for skateboarding specific objects and actions. There are hundreds of tricks, each with a particular name; there are words for each component of a skateboard and for the variety of ramps and equipment skated on. Without adequate skateboarding vocabulary it's difficult to speak about skating without long winded descriptions of what one is referring to" (http://spiritualskating.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/language-game.html). A clear understanding of the style of language itself allows people to bond with others, and acts as evidence that Labov's theory of Overt and Covert Prestige has plenty of substance to it.

 

Thomas Williamson