ROCHESTER, New York—The latest toys to be inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame require noinstruction manual. Welcome the Baby Doll, the Skateboard, and—the Stick! , Thomasthe Tank Engine™, Wiffle Ball, and Yahtzee.
The Baby Doll and Skateboard were chosen from among 12 toy finalists that included Clue, Dollhouse, Flexible Flyer Sled, The Game of Life, Hot Wheels, Magic 8 Ball, Rubik’s Cube.
On the flip side, the Skateboard —encouraging speed, sharp turns, spins, thrills, and risks—brings out the more daring side of a child’s personality and has been attracting kids to the sport since the early 1950s. The first skateboarders cruised the beach walks of Southern California trying to imitate the moves of the surfers they watched offshore. Singing duo Jan and Dean’s Top 40 hit “Sidewalk Surfin’” gave the new sport national exposure. Network television aired skateboard competitions, and by the time Life magazine put a skateboarder on a 1965 cover, more than fifty million skateboards hadbeen manufactured. The early contraptions were homemade affairs of roller-skate wheels fixed to two-by-fours but changes in skateboard technology in the 1970s improved traction on asphalt and concrete.Today’s superior technology and improved safety gear provide for a safer, more stable ride.
The National Toy Hall of Fame ® at Strong National Museum of Play ® recognizes toys that haveengaged and delighted multiple generations, inspiring them to learn, create, and discover through play. Criteria for induction include:
Icon-status (the toy is widely recognized, respected, and remembered);
Discovery (the toy fosters learning, creativity, or discovery through play); and Innovation (the toyprofoundly changed play or toy design).
Information courtesy of www.allextremesports.com
Posted by ALLEXTREMESPORTS 
ALL EXTREME SPORTS BLOG 