Skip to main content Skip to main navigation
heart-solid My Visit Donate
Home Smithsonian Institution IK development site for ODI
Press Enter to activate a submenu, down arrow to access the items and Escape to close the submenu.
    • Overview
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Entry and Guidelines
    • Museum Maps
    • Dine and Shop
    • Accessibility
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Group Visits
    • Overview
    • Exhibitions
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX & Planetarium
    • Overview
    • Topics
    • Collections
    • Research Resources
    • Stories
    • Podcasts
    • Overview
    • For Caregivers
    • For Educators
    • For Students
    • For Academics
    • For Lifelong Learners
    • Overview
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Membership
    • Make a Gift
    • Volunteer
    • Overview
    • Our Organization
    • Our Leadership
    • Reports and Plans
    • Newsdesk
heart-solid My Visit Donate

Powell Quicksilver skateboard designed by George Powell and used by Stacy Peralta

American History Museum

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

    Object Details

    user

    Peralta, Stacy

    maker

    Powell, George

    Description (Brief)

    The Powell Quicksilver skateboard has as a hard rock maple core, laminated with aluminum. The aluminum Tracker trucks were designed by Larry Balma and the yellow polyurethane wheels were a Powell design. George Powell designed and manufactured this board, which was used by Stacy Peralta, a pro skateboarder in 1977. The Quicksilver was the first deck Powell made and was a successful design, but the rapid changing market made it "out of style" less than a year after it was introduced. According to Powell, "the quicksilver utilizes very high strength 7000 series aluminum alloy skins very low elongation, epoxied to hard maple cores to achieve the best strength to weight ratio. The result was a deck that turned quicker than a fiber flex and was a little stronger and less resistant to breaking."

    Location

    Currently not on view

    Credit Line

    Powell Corporation thru Mr. George Powell, President

    date made

    1977

    ID Number

    1987.0738.01

    accession number

    1987.0738

    catalog number

    1987.0738.001

    Object Name

    skateboard

    Physical Description

    black (overall color)
    gray (overall color)
    red (overall color)
    yellow (overall color)
    aluminum (overall material)
    urethane (overall material)
    wood (overall material)

    Measurements

    overall: 4 in x 6 1/2 in x 28 3/4 in; 10.16 cm x 16.51 cm x 73.025 cm

    place made

    United States: California, Santa Barbara

    See more items in

    Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure
    Skateboarding
    Sports & Leisure

    Data Source

    National Museum of American History

    web subject

    Sports

    name of sport

    skateboarding

    level of sport

    Professional

    Subject

    Invention

    Metadata Usage

    CC0

    Link to Original Record

    https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b0-f5e1-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

    Record ID

    nmah_682797

    Discover More

    Apple II 1977

    1977: A Year in the Collections

    Tony Hawk's first skateboard

    Skateboards and Invention

    arrow-up Back to top
    Home
    • Facebook facebook
    • Instagram instagram
    • LinkedIn linkedin
    • YouTube youtube

    • Contact Us
    • Get Involved
    • Shop Online
    • Job Opportunities
    • Equal Opportunity
    • Inspector General
    • Records Requests
    • Accessibility
    • Host Your Event
    • Press Room
    • Privacy
    • Terms of Use