The Science
Skateboards steer using a truck. This is a device on the bottom of the board that consists of a plate attached to the board, an axle which pivots on bushings (the Scots used car tyres for theirs) and a pivot point called a kingpin which holds everything together.
By shifting their weight left or right, the rider steers by forcing the axle to turn on the pivot.
The basic skateboard truck is an adaptation of roller skates, which had been popular since the 1930s.
