Exactly, although I think it may be both. I have a college campus nearby and have been surprised at the popularity of skateboards among the students recently. It’s been very noticeable just in the last year or two. I don’t know if it’s part of the ‘80s revival that’s currently going on or what, but there is no doubt that skateboards are experiencing a resurgence among the younger demographic. So i’m thinking that Antifa’s seizing on skateboards as a weapon may be them taking advantage of a trend.
Could likely be. Back in the 70’s, when I was in university (yes, I’m old), skateboard became popular and “we” (the gymnastics team) gave it a go and found them to be boring and no challenge at all. Balance, strength, timing, we found the “skills” necessary to roll around on a a piece of wood weren’t much. Things were slower, didn’t require much strength when pressing to a handstand, let alone other strength demands, and things didn’t present a challenge when it came to timing. And of course, no fear motivation because things were very much slower when compared to competitive gymnastics. Rack your junk on a pommel horse, or high-bar, and what fear/pain will affect you while scooting around on a piece of wood. (Most have no idea of the injuries gymnastics can cause, and from great heights, too, depending on the apparatus).
Other may have different opinions.