Scooterboy
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A scooterboy is a member of a subculture based on motor scooter riding, particularly Vespas and Lambrettas. Scooterboy culture originated in the late 1960s in the industrial north of England,[citation needed] and surfaced nationally in the United Kingdom around 1979 or 1980 at the time of the mod revival.[citation needed] The scooterboy movement inspired the establishment of a number of scooter clubs.
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[edit] Style
Unlike the mods, who often customize their scooters with 1960s-style paint jobs and accessories (such as extra mirrors), scooterboys generally use a more modern style of paint work, sometimes adding murals depicting events or music, or in some cases turning them into cutdowns. Performance items were also added to the scooters to improve speed and handling.
There are no rigid fashion rules among scooterboys, although many have resembled punk-influenced skinheads. Many have had either normal hairstyles, psychobilly-style quiffs or flattops, or dreadlocks.[citation needed] In contrast to the mods and traditional skinheads, who wear more formal clothing styles, the scooterboys typically wear MA-1 bomber jackets, military surplus parkas, and leather or denim jackets (or vests). It is common for scooterboys to sew patches onto their jackets showing the scooter rallies they have attended, the clubs they have belonged to, and the brand of scooter they prefer.
Many scooterboys have worn Dr. Martens or military surplus boots and Ben Sherman or Fred Perry shirts, showing some throwback to their mod/skinhead roots, although T-shirts with the wearer's club emblazoned across the front or back were most popular at parties and scooter rallies.
[edit] Culture
The high point for scooterboys in Great Britain was from 1984 to 1987. Scooter rallies during this period attracted more than 10,000 or 15,000 people. Scooter rallies usually involved camping, allnighters and alldayers, watching bands, dancing to DJs, drinking and doing drugs, and participating in various scooter-related activities. In the 1980s, scooterboys listened to various styles of music, including ska, 2 Tone, psychobilly, punk rock, Oi!, and northern soul.
The scooterboy subculture has spread around the world, partly due to magazines such as Scootering, which has been published in the UK since 1985,[1] and Scooter Scene, which was published until 1989. The 2000s saw the rise of sizable scooterboy scenes in many countries, notably the UK, Germany, the United States, France, and Italy.[citation needed]
