Skateboarding now attracts a greater cross-section of people than ever before and recently debuted as a new Olympic sport at the 2020 Summer games in Tokyo.

The skateboarding community embodies youthful exuberance and independence; and its culture permeates everything from music and fashion to festivals and competitions. Its artwork reflects this reality, incorporating raw, creative designs which highlight the diversity of this culture and our country.

The Art of the Skateboard stamps feature four unique designs created by skateboarders-turned-artists Worl, Greenwood, MasPaz, and William James Taylor Junior, also known as “Core222.” Shown here is the Tlingit Athabascan Salmon.

Skateboard decoration has been particularly vibrant since the 1970s when inventive skaters rode in emptied backyard swimming pools.

Advanced skaters began experimenting with gravity-defying aerial maneuvers and eventually achieved the “vert” — shooting vertically up the pool’s side and cresting over the top edge. When skateboard magazines published photographs of these radical new moves, the skaters were catapulted to idol status and the in-your-face board graphics on the decks’ undersides became part of the allure.

Today, skaters and artists, one and the same, want boards that reflect their unique style and use a variety of techniques to achieve their desired look. Whether vulgar or highbrow, the artwork often employs ancient iconography and modern forms like graffiti art, absurd cartoons, and riffs on pop culture. Whatever the style, eye-catching deck art is ever evolving and an integral aspect of skateboarding cool.