At its inception skateboarding was called "sidewalk surfing," as the Californian youths who invented it were seeking a dry-land surfing equivalent. Both sports were initially done barefoot, but over the decades, skateboarders have donned shoes and the sports have diverged widely.

Now some unusual developments are bringing them somewhat closer to convergence. As we wrote back in May, a company called Webber Wave Pools has been developing circular wonders like this:

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Webber's creations will enable surfers to ride an endless wave. Similarly, a Swiss company called Velosolutions has developed a paved equivalent that they call Pump Tracks, which enable skateboarders to go 'round and 'round on asphalt undulations, generating momentum through gravity and the up-down pumping of their legs. 

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Check out the awesome Pump Track that Velosolutions' U.S. branch has installed along the Brooklyn waterfront:

The newly-built track was put together in partnership with Skateboard Supercross, a/k/a SBSX, an organization dedicated to building a competitive athletic league around tracks like these. Together, the two companies aim to design and build Pump Tracks all around the country. Click here and scroll down if you'd like to put them in touch with your local Parks & Rec.

Lastly, if you're in Brooklyn, get to the Williamsburg track and ride it, because who knows how long it's going to be there? That's prime waterfront real estate, sitting right in the shadow of the Domino sugar factory that's being turned into condos, and the location can't last....