1700, "one who ice-skates," agent noun from skate (v.). Extended to skateboarders by 1977.
Entries linking to skater
skate v.
1690s, "to ice-skate, glide over the ice on skates," from skate (n.2). U.S. slang sense of "to get away with something" is attested from 1945. Related: Skated; skating.