International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 21 March

"We must join forces to end racism, and sport can help reach this goal. On this International Day, let us recommit to ending racial discrimination and realizing our vision of justice, equality and freedom from fear for all."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

This year's theme was chosen by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to highlight the problem of racism in sports, which remains a disturbing occurrence in many parts of the world, as well as to raise awareness of the role sports can play in combating racism and racial discrimination.
Both sports and human rights share many fundamental values and objectives. The principles underpinning the Olympic Charter, such as non-discrimination and equality, are also the bedrock of human rights. The Olympic Charter notes that the "goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity."
According to the UN Office on Sport for Development and Peace, well-designed sport activities that incorporate the best values of sport – self-discipline, respect for one's opponent, fair play, and teamwork – can help integrate marginalized groups and teach individuals the values necessary to prevent and resolve social tensions and conflicts.
The 2001 Durban Declaration and Programme of Action – a document at the centre of the international community's efforts to prevent, combat and eradicate racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance – urges States, in cooperation with intergovernmental organizations, the International Olympic Committee and international and regional sports federations, to intensify the fight against racism in sport (para 218).
In a resolution of 2010 (A/HRC/RES/13/27), the UN Human Rights Council urged States to prevent, combat and address all manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in the context of sporting events.
The UNESCO Charter of Physical Education and Sport states that "every human being has a fundamental right of access to physical education and sport." The first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination reminds us of our collective responsibility for promoting and protecting these ideals.

source: http://www.un.org/en/events/racialdiscriminationday/

Skate by Numbers

4 wheeled skateboard, complete with handles and axles to help steer the skate, was first invented in the mid 1940s.

1963 The year Larry Stevenson started Makaha Skateboard Company to mass produce his surfboard shaped skateboard design.  The unique shape offered a better ride on the concrete wave.

100 competitors took part in the first ever skate contest, that same year, in Hermosa Beach, California.

3,000,000 boards were sold in a three year span since their first manufacturing.

1965 the year skateboarding’s popularity took a dive, deeming it as another fad which had died out.

10 years later, in 1975, skateboarding took off on an evolutionary boost toward the sport that we see today.

50 MPH, the speed a skater can reach when riding with their bodies parallel to the road and their hands behind their back. Wooooohooooo!

85% of skaters polled to have used a board in the last year were under the age of 18.

74% of those skaters were male.

67, the age of Pattie Mcgee, the first pro female skater. To this day, she still loves skating.

900 degrees, record for the most rotations while in mid-air, held by Tony Hawk.

11.14  meters, 36 feet by 7 inches, holds the Guiness World Record for the longest skateboard ever designed.

242 miles, the longest distance, covered by Ted McDonald, in a 24 hour period.

1976 the year the pilot episode of Charlie’s Angels featured Farah Fawcett on a Skateboard.

$1000 to $10,000. The typical salary of a pro skater today per month, based on winnings.

2 years old, the age of our world’s youngest skaters.

18.5 million skateboarders in the world were reported in 2002.

6-21, June 21st, has officially been proclaimed, Go Skateboarding Day! by the U.S. House of Representatives.

2005, The year Stacy Peralta’s movie, Lords of Dogtown, opened.

44.5 inches, record for the highest ollie by Danny Wainwright from England.

1/3 of skateboarding injuries are suffered by skaters who have been skating for less than a week.

2007, year Six Flags in San Antonio, Texas opened, “Tony Hawk’s Big Spin”, a skateboard themed roller coaster.

2100 skateboard parks were built in a span of four years.