Skateboarding originated in California in the 1950s as a way for surfers to entertain themselves when they were not in the water. The sport has spread to many countries around the world, and skateboarders continually invent new tricks, jumps and maneuvers. Although many skateboarders can be seen on the street, skateparks, which are designated concrete areas with many different skateboard-friendly structures where skateboarding is encouraged, are found throughout the United States.

Related article: Playing Into the Future

Sometimes called "the last great race on Earth," the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska consists of teams of 12 to 16 dogs pulling a sled driven by a man or woman called a "musher." These races last nine to 20 days, and cover 1,868 kilometers of treacherous but spectacular wilderness in sub-zero temperatures with fierce, blinding winds. Since it began in 1973, the Iditarod has tested the physical and mental stamina of the mushers and their dogs, who have endured months of training.

Oregon-born Rachael Scdoris became the first blind competitor in the Iditarod in 2006.

Related article: Rachael Scdoris, Competitive Musher

Many who engage in fly fishing consider Idaho the best place to fish for trout in the continental United States. Some come from as far away as Southeast Asia to experience Idaho’s beautiful mountains and rivers. In the sport of fly fishing, fish like trout are caught with an artificial fly: colorful bait made of materials that attract fish. The artificial fly is cast with a fly rod, commonly known as a fishing rod, and with a fly line, a heavy string that caries the artificial fly to the desired location in the water. During good fishing years, Idaho fly fishers can catch 35 to 40 fish a day.

The Cheyenne Frontier Days event in Cheyenne features the largest outdoor rodeo in the world and draws nearly 40,000 spectators to see cowboys demonstrate their skills involving cattle and horses. Some events, like the timed riding of a bucking horse or a bull, are an endurance test. Other events involve the speed of roping or wrestling an animal. Lasting for 10 days, Cheyenne Frontier Days also showcases the culture of the western United States.

Texas high school football was immortalized by the nonfiction book Friday Night Lights: a Town, a Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger, which was about high school football in Odessa, Texas. The title of the book reflects the fact that most high school football games throughout the United States take place on Friday nights. In many Texas high schools, more than 10 percent of the student body participates in the school football program. In fact, Texas has traditionally led the nation in the number of high school students going on to play football in college.

On Thanksgiving Weekend (in late November) over 70,000 visitors descend upon Stuttgart, Arkansas, (population 9,376) for the annual World Championship Duck Calling Contest. A panel judges dozens of contestants on their 90-second routine, scoring them on five elements: hail call, feeding call, callback, lonesome-duck call and overall performance. The 2002 winner, Bernie Boyle of Danville, Iowa, told Sports Illustrated: “You’ve got to be loud, but not too loud. You need a good feeding call. Heck, you got to sound like a duck.”

The sport of bicycling is almost two centuries old. Iowa’s contribution to bicycling tradition is the 1973 creation of the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), a noncompetitive race where 10,000 people bike 759 kilometers across Iowa. This biking tradition has been replicated in other states throughout America. During the weeklong event, participants enjoy cycling with a community of other biking enthusiasts, and spend evenings sharing their experiences.

Minnesota has over 12,000 lakes, so it is no wonder ice fishing is a popular sport there. Ice fishers drill a hole in a thick sheet of ice, often on a lake, and use equipment like fishing rods and spears to catch fish. In America, ice fishing is often a social activity for groups of friends and family. Organized contests draw thousands of people. There are over 10,000 participants in the Brainerd Jaycees $150,000 Ice Fishing Extravaganza, with all the proceeds going to local charities.

The Daytona 500 is an annual 200-lap, 500-mile (800-kilometer) car race in Daytona Beach, Florida. In February 2008 the Daytona 500 celebrated its 50th year. It is one of the four NASCAR races that lower the top speeds of the cars to increase the safety of the race. Attendance, while less then that of the Indy 500, still tops 100,000 spectators. Additionally, the Daytona 500 gets the highest television ratings of any American car race, with 33.5 million Americans watching at least part of the 2008 race.

The All American Soap Box Derby was established in 1934 and has been held in Akron, Ohio, since 1935. The Soap Box Derby has three kinds of races for kids ages 8 through 17. The most advanced Masters Division race offers kids the opportunity to design, build and race their own soapbox cars. A soapbox car has no motor and relies completely on gravity to attain speeds of up to 30 miles per hour (40 kilometers per hour) on a 989-foot (296.7-meter) track. Contestants qualify for the Derby by winning local races in communities around the country, so in a sense the competitors are all already champions!

Inspired by the 1896 Olympic marathon, the Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon, running since 1897. The participants race across hilly Massachusetts terrain and face variable New England weather each April. On average 20,000 people run in this 42.195-kilometer competitive race. The Boston Marathon is the only major American marathon requiring a qualifying time, so even qualifying for the marathon is an achievement. Finishing the Boston Marathon is a lifetime accomplishment for many.