Miami’s skateboarding scene has sizzled for decades, from the ’60s and ’70s and into the ’80s and ’90s. The skateboard craze first boomed in Santa Monica and Malibu in the ’70s, spreading rapidly across the country. In 1981, a San Francisco-based punk-skateboard magazine called Thrasher urged teens to abandon the skate parks and “take your boards to the streets.” Skateboarding bans began popping up around South Florida neighborhoods and public spaces, mostly born out of noise complaints and safety issues. In recent years, Bayfront Park, the roof of the abandoned Marine Stadium, Martin Luther King plaza in Liberty City, the steps of the Miami Beach post office and handrails on Brickell Avenue have become popular spots for skateboarding. Skateboarding parks sprinkled around South Florida have also become safe havens for enthusiasts.

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5/17/1979, Bob Eighmie/Miami Herald Staff: Scott Senatore, 15 - Skateboard.

8/18/1985, Miguel Fairbanks/Miami Herald Staff: Richard Mihalek (19), gets airborne on his Skateboard as friends look on.

6/21/1984, Rick McCawley/Miami Herald Staff: John Van Wambeck, 18, demonstrates his skating skills inside drainage pipes. He says none of the parks have places to skate anymore.

8/20/1980, Alan Freund/Miami Herald Staff: Bobby Schoea, 13, resting on 96st NE 4 Ave. said he skate boards all over town. Once he rode from the beach back to Miami Shores.

5/18/1990, Brian Smith/Miami Herald Staff: Bruce Elliott, 17, holds his Graffitti covered skateboard.

1/24/1988, Rick McCawley/Miami Herald Staff: John Walker, 19, skateboards down Memorial Highway.

5/28/1965, Albert Coya/Miami Herald Staff: It's the challenge. A Circular, descending strip of concrete. Balance is needed. Control of board. The acceleration as you ride downward, sharply clicking, rollers rumbling into a high pitch. These two Miami youths took the challenge.

1/1/1976, Tim Chapman/Miami Herald Staff: Laura Perking on her board at South Beach.

4/16/1976, Albert Coya/Miami Herald Staff: Skateboard, Judy Cohen on second try.

5/19/1989, Raul Rubiera/Miami Herald Staff: Marc Garcia, 13, Alex Rodriguez, 14, Leyden Rodriguez, 13 and Adin "Puff" Prieto on their way to a skate board competition held every Friday afternoon at St. Paul Luthern Church on the corner of Miller Dr. and 107 Ave.

8/15/1989, Albert Coya/Miami Herald Staff: Neil Karam, 16, from Highland Oaks High School doin a stunt called "Slide down the hand rail", and land safely on all four wheels. Location: Brickell and 13 St.

4/19/1988, Rick McCawley/Miami Herald Staff: Jason Leakes, 9, leaves school with his skateboard.

5/18/1990, Brian Smith/Miami Herald Staff: William McDonald, 14, flies off a ledge in front of the Southeast Financial Center.

12/5/1986, Andrew Innerarity/Miami Herald Staff-- North Miami High School English teacher ,David Hudak, skateboards to school with briefcase in hand. It's a Samsonite bearing two bumper stickers, one reading “Educators make the difference,” the other “Dade County Public Schools. Awesome.” "An extension of me is my skateboard,” Hudak said. "It is my sole source of transportation." He owns eight of them. On weekends, he skateboards to Haulover pier. When he must travel farther, he relies on public transportation. Using a skateboard may save money on gas, but occasionally Hudak must spring for a box of bandages. "The students think it's crazy,” Hudak said. "They have this stereotyped image that teachers are supposed to fit a certain way. They ask me, 'Aren't you too old to ride a skateboard?' I say, 'No, no I'm not.

6/24/1988, Rick McCawley/Miami Herald Staff: Skateboarder Jason Gallagher, 13, does a hand stand.

11/25/1976, Miami Herald Staff-- Youngsters wait outside Skateboard Park for grand opening.

9/15/1965, Bill Sanders/Miami Herald Staff-- Whee! Stymied by a lack of wheels these young ladies solved their problem with a packing carton and a bit of ingenuity. Gena Cox, in the box, gets the ride here, with an assist from Karen Lee Sanders. Action took place at Miami Lakes.

9/19/1987, Raul Rubiera/Miami Herald Staff-- W.R. Thomas Middle School students Orestes Tamayo (14), Alex Rojas (13) and older brother L. J. Mertz watch Howie Mertz (13) as he drops down the ramp. You don't always get a perfect drop so Howie wears a helmet to protect himself from injury.

1/11/1965, Bob East/Miami Herald Staff-- Donald Nellissen, 15, leans into a turn.

3/9/1992, Raul Rubiera/Miami Herald Staff-- Steve Paul Jumps with his Skateboard during an amateur competition.

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