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Skate punk (also known as skatepunk, skate-punk, skate-thrash, surf punk, or skate-core) was named because of its popularity among skateboarders, and the fact that many members of skate punk bands were themselves skaters. Lyrics themselves will occasionally focus on, or at least reference, skateboarding.

Skate punk typically uses four note basslines, surf-like drums, and fast, Ramones-style guitar. Mostly played on the upbeat instead of the downbeat, skatecore is known for emulating the "feel" of skating—much in the same way surf sought to emulate the feel of surfing. Skate punk utilizes quick uptempo "jumps" of silence at the end of the measure to emphasize the start of the riff. As many band members as well as much of the audience were skaters, a scene developed distinct from the larger punk scene. Bands used a similar aggression as hardcore, but with different musical topics. At the time of the emergence of this genre, skateboarding was still seen as an outcast activity (similar to that of surfing, from which skateboarding has its origins). Many bands used that 'outcast' feeling, of being a skater, and thus the stereotypes that came with that, as fuel for their music. Often, bands like JFA would talk about their problems with police, or "preps," and the harsh treatment they received from them, in their songs and albums.

Many bands of the "Nardcore" music scene from Oxnard, California—such as Rich Kids on LSD, Dr. Know, Agression, Habeas Corpus, Scared Straight, and Ill Repute—are extensions of this genre. Despite coverage in Thrasher Magazine, this style of punk differs from thrash. The legendary 1970s skateboarder Duane Peters grew into skate punk via skateboarding, forming three skate punk bands: Turn Your Head and Cough, U.S. Bombs and later The Hunns (also known as Duane Peters and the Hunns, die Hunns). Other bands associated with skateboarding are Guttermouth, Bones Brigade, The Faction, , Lagwagon, NOFX, Sheglank'd Shoulders, Gang Green, Descendents, Adolescents, Agent Orange, Skate Death, Black Flag, Uncle Pervey, SideSixtySeven, Clay Wheels, Big Boys, The Sidewalk Surfers, Bad Religion, Millencolin, Dead Kennedys, The NoNamed, Suicide Machines, Agnostic Front.

Suicidal Tendencies is Venice Hardcore along with Excel, No Mercy, Beowülf and others

Los Olvidados, Free Beer, Drunk Injuns, JFA and lots of others could be classified as "skaterock" because of their appearance on Thrasher's skate rock tapes in the 80s. .

By 1987, skateboarding started to lean towards hip hop as a more up-to-date soundtrack to its own counterculture. Despite this turn, skateboarding and punk rock were still associated, due to a rich history. The popularity of Nirvana brought media attention, and money, to this underground community. A new era of skate rock (and skateboarding) emerged during this explosion. Bands like Pennywise, Less Than Jake, NOFX, Lagwagon, Face to Face etc. saw larger audiences and large scale venues. Much of this music was popularized by the Warped Tour, Lollapalooza, The X games, and the advent of the internet.

Skate punk can also describe the fashion created by earlier skateboarders. The clothes worn by "skate punks" includes thrift store clothing or anything that openly rejects mainstream clothing. A skate punk's attire will be strewn with holes and rips due to the hazards of skating. A baseball cap with the bill flipped up, as popularized by Mike Muir and Suicidal Tendencies, is a common skatepunk fashion. This culture has died as of late, its members being being wrongly mistaken as emo-punk, generic-punk, or relatively mainstream bands.

See also: Punk fashion

• Hardcore punk
• Skate rock
• Grindcore
• Grunge

• skatepunk.net
• SKATEPUNK.ORG
• Sk8Core Records — Independent Seattle Skate Punk Label