According to legend, skateboarding was invented by a surfer named Bill Richard. However, there is proof that skateboarding may have been invented as early as the 1890s. Skateboarding evolved from a simple game of balancing on a plank to a full-blown sport in the early 1900s. In 1932, J.W. Foster created the first skateboard deck. In 1939, Walt Powell designed and built the first skateboard park.