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Unraveling a free-wheelin’ skateboard mystery in Columbia, South Carolina

Help us learn more about the “Murf Board” built by Nancy Murphy in Columbia, SC, in the late 1970s.

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Photo clipping of Nancy Murphy with her hand built skateboards in Columbia, SC. | Clipping via Sandlapper Magazine and SC Library

In the “Free-Wheelin’ Skateboards” from the 1978 issue of Sandlapper Magazine author Karen Ermutlu talks to Nancy Murphy, a former USC student and Columbia native who operated a small business called Skateboard Specialist.

The article is a fascinating piece of skateboard history in hindsight. Since that year, the sport has only continued to grow thanks to people like David Toole, owner of Bluetile Skateshop in Five Points and champion of Cola’s skate community.

The article shows and mentions Nancy building and inventing styles of boards not previously seen. Besides this archived magazine, we can’t track down any other information about this specific “Murf Board.”

If you have one in a closet, remember going to Skateboard Specialist, or you happen to be Nancy Murphy — connect with us here and help us share this skate culture history.

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