Famous Skateboarding Personalities

Did you know that skateboarding started as far back as the 1940s by California surfers who wanted something to do while there were no waves?

Since then, skateboarding has grown as a sport. Almost every year, new tricks are made famous, resulting in various models of skateboards.

Globally, the skateboarding market is estimated at 1.9 billion USD for the year 2018. Product demand has been steadily growing among teenagers, especially among Generation Z.

Magazines and Movies

Thrasher magazine is published in the US, featuring the latest in skateboarding as well as skatepark reviews. They give out “Skater of the Year” awards annually. The magazine’s mantra “Skate and Destroy” was even tattooed in the bodies of skaters worldwide.

Around the same period in the ’80s, Hollywood started showing movies about skateboarders. The most notable was the film “Thrashin,” which smartly included the era’s best skaters.

The word “thrasher” is now imprinted in various items bought by skateboarders, such as T-shirts, snapback hats, hoodies, shorts, sweatpants, and tank tops.

The Olympics

The International Olympic Committee has announced that skateboarding will be one of the five sports to be explicitly added at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

This news excited many skateboarding enthusiasts who have been looking forward to a time when it will be counted as a competitive sport.

Let us take a look at skateboarders who are training to join the Olympics.

Bowman Hansen

This Kiwi skateboarder is eyeing the Tokyo Olympics to fulfill his skateboarding dream. He has moved from Taupo to Melbourne to train with the best.

He considers skateboarding a technical sport, one that involves lots of practice, many injuries- and pure dedication.

Shaun Boucher

Like Bowman, Shaun is also a Kiwi skateboarder.

His interest in joining the Summer Olympics was inspired by watching Nico Porteous and Zoi Sadowski-Synnott. These two teenagers won for New Zealand in the Winter Olympics, their first medal in twenty years.

Spending up to nine hours a day skating, Boucher is fully dedicated to the sport.

Krysta Ashwell

This Christchurch skateboarder is an inspiration to girls who are keen on joining the sport. Having won national titles, Krysta is now being sponsored by non-profit organizations.

She is currently training in full swing for the Tokyo Olympics, focusing on park style.

Sky Brown

She is a ten-year-old who wants to be known as the youngest to join the Olympics. Having started skateboarding at age three, she is steadily inspiring followers for her determination and ambition.

A Living Legend in New Zealand

Lee Ralph is a Maori born in Auckland, New Zealand. Now considered a living legend, he was one of the country’s first professional skateboarders.

At the tender age of eight, he fell in love with the sport when he saw a magazine cover of Tony Alva, the pioneer of vertical skateboarding. His popularity peaked in the mid-1980s when he went to the US to perfect his skills.

Everyone was talking about his aggressive yet smooth style. He was recognized for always wearing four tikis wherever he competed.

He signed up with Vision Skateboards to advertise Ralph-branded skateboards featuring korus and Maori designs.

Skateboarding is one sport that has moved from a recreation activity into competitive sports. Everyone is eager to see athletes outperform each other in the upcoming Olympic games.