Skateboarding was banned in Norway on 1 September 1978, with the intention of preventing serious accidents. This did not discourage the skateboarders, and the skateboarding scene grew steadily. When the ban was lifted in 1989 the interest exploded. Skateboarders went from being lawbreakers to celebrities and youth idols. In January 2017, 28 years after the ban was lifted, Oslo finally got its own custom-built venue for the today a well-established sport. Oslo Skatehall stands now as the best custom-designed skatepark, and one of the largest of its kind in northern Europe.