But Ledecky did swim the 200m free at Julys national championships, posting a time that would have won the world title by 42 hundredths of a second. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[468,60],'boardcoast_com-leader-4','ezslot_7',103,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-boardcoast_com-leader-4-0');Mullen has appeared in over 20 skate videos and co-authored his autobiography with writer Sean Mortimer, titled The Mutt: How to Skateboard and Not Kill Yourself. Ondrej Nepela died of AIDS-related complications on February 2, 1989, at the age of 38. He was also featured in the games Skate and Skate 2 and has been in countless movies, TV episodes, and documentaries. She also finished ninth in a 200m free at the December 2019 U.S. Open. Huston's father was a skateboarder and owned a skate park, where Nyjah used to practice 5 hours a day. His first influence came from watching Mark Gonzales. His career as a skateboarder began when he was 12 years old. Its hard, and you dont want to put yourself though it again, Byron Allen, producer of Stars on Ice (SOI), said. Sheckler became a pro skater at the age of nine and became the youngest X-games winner of all time at the age of 13. Danny Way Net Worth: $12 million. To this day, Grinkovs colleagues often reflect on the time they shared with the man Hamilton called a gentle giant, remembering his fleeting life and the spell Gordeeva and Grinkov wove on, and off, the ice. Daewon Song, Chris Haslam. As of April 2020, Hawk is sponsored by Birdhouse, Vans, Independent Trucks, Bones, and Nixon. and our All persons present were hugely passionate about travel and content creation, hence these themes were the main focus of the trip, he told the AP by email, Prisma Bildagentur/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Patient, new father among 5 killed in medical flight crash, Medical aircraft crash in Nevada leaves 5 dead: report, 5 dead in small plane crash in Little Rock, Human error eyed as cause of Yeti Airlines crash that killed 72 people. And whenever I stand where the Zamboni comes on, I remember when Elena Bechke ran in and said, Oh my gosh, Sergei fell down. It was one of those moments where your life just changes.. There are many professional skateboarders who have dedicated their lives to perfecting the sport. A member of the Z-boys, Peralta joined the likes of George Powell to form Powell-Peralta, ultimately adding to his success as the brand grew to be one of the most popular of the 80s. The trick, in and of itself, is no joke. Celebration of a Life marked Gordeevas debut as a singles skater, in programs choreographed by Zoueva to Tchaikovskys Serenade for Strings and Mahlers Adagietto. Just 24 when Grinkov died, the skater wrote a bestseller (with E.M. Still overwhelmed with energy, Hawks parents supported his newfound pastime, a way for him to expend some of his boisterousness. 1. When it comes to skateboarding style, the variations are as wide as they are long. He was finally successful on his twelfth attempt. These days, some people can do tricks but they cant skate, Bechke said. Soon CKY2K, CKY3, and CKY4 followed. At last Junes world championships, Ledecky and McIntosh were the top female swimmers. Other incredible athletes who died in 2022 include Soccer legend Pel, NFL QB Dwayne Haskins, MLB slugger Jeremy Giambi, and women's basketball pioneer Lusia Harris, who was the subject of an Oscar-winning 2022 documentary film. Paulss career and achievements are numerous and deserves an article of its own. Quote from: ShpotaSb on March 07, 2015, 12:43:40 AM. Jackass was a huge success all over the world and launched not only the career of Bam, but also Johny Knoxville and Spike Jonze. Full of dedication to their craft, these skateboarders have proven that to skate well, you need a good dose of creativity, resiliency, and some solid problem-solving skills. Lee also appeared in Dogma, Mallrats, Vanilla Skies, Chasing Amy, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. The couple regained their Olympic eligibility for the 1993-1994 season and won a second Olympic title, that time competing for Russia. We always take care of the skateboarders, he said, but you have to think of the bigger picture because now you are selling to the world., Keith Hufnagel, Pro Skateboarder and Entrepreneur, Dies at 46, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/26/style/keith-hufnagel-dead.html. As of November 2018, Reynolds has released thirteen signature shoe models with the skate shoe company Emerica: The Reynolds 1, The Reynolds 2, The Reynolds 3, The Boss, The Reynolds Light, The AR Slim, Reynolds Cruisers, The Reynolds Classics, The Reynolds, The Reynolds low, the Reynolds Low Vulc, the Reynolds 3 G6 and the Reynolds G6. Peralta has gone on to write, direct, and produce twelve skate films and documentaries, including Dogtown and Z-Boys, Lords of Dogtown, and Bones Brigade: An Autobiography. You didnt have to sit there and rack your brain and think, What are they trying to do? It was like black and white We are here, we are clean and beautiful. These days everybody is trying to outdo everybody Oh, Im going to do this lift upside down, one leg in this position, or this or that. Some of it doesnt even look pretty, its just chasing after points.. An autopsy found he died of blunt force injuries to his head, and the medical examiner's office ruled the death a homicide. Following Grinkovs death, his colleagues at Stars on Ice and IMG honored the skater with a special show, Celebration of a Life, in Hartford, Connecticut, on Feb. 27, 1996, with opening and closing numbers choreographed by Zoueva. 7 energizer101 11 yr. ago L to R: Shane Cross, Pepe Martinez, Van Wastell, Harold Hunter, Keenan Milton KDIZZLL 11 yr. ago Harold Hunter IdrisB 11 yr. ago Alex Merritt is the artist, and it was done inside of Roll Skate Shop. It features Adams alongside fellow Dogtown skater Shogo Kubo. Jason was doing backside flips and kickflip to tailslides in the late 80s before many sponsored pro skaters landed kickflips consistently. Korean-born American street-skateboarding pro, Daewon Song, is best known for his technicality on the board. Paul Wylie, the 1992 Olympic silver medalist, remembers the impact Grinkovs passing had on his own life. Bam had a couple of hugely successful shows (Viva La Bam, Bams Unholy Union) on MTV but always struggled with addiction. Adams had a troubled life and dealt with addiction and was convicted for assault. We didnt have a business plan or anything. His humility is what makes him one of the best, knowing that hes essentially invented most of the tricks that youll find professional skaters doing today including the street ollie, kickflip, and 360 flip, to name a few. Then from 2001 and onwards, he was a member of Team Element, the Element Skateboards demonstration team. Bob Burnquists biggest success was in the vert contest at the 2001 X Games. Hawk has been in countless films, skateboard videos, documentaries, and TV episodes. Five years ago, we posted a (tribute) on Facebook that is the most viewed SOI social media post ever, because of the fans love for Katia and Sergei., It seems like yesterday and it seems like 100 years ago, Scott Hamilton, the 1984 Olympic champion, said. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'boardcoast_com-leader-1','ezslot_24',631,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-boardcoast_com-leader-1-0'); if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'boardcoast_com-mobile-leaderboard-2','ezslot_10',158,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-boardcoast_com-mobile-leaderboard-2-0');Jay Adams was a skateboarder that in 1974, at the age of 13, became the youngest member of the Z-Boys. Skateboarding culture in California in the 1970s has left an indelible mark on the sport and on America's cultural identity, and photographer Hugh Holland perfectly captured the spirit of this golden age in his beautiful street photography album - Locals Only: California Skateboarding 1975-1978. Instagram "The remains of four people at. I remember thinking, [Performing] is the calling for you, at this moment of your life. In a way, Sergei led me to that.. He has been awarded Thrasher magazines Skater of the Year award twice and is the only skateboarder to ever jump over the Great Wall of China. Lance brought leadership, guts, and goofy performances that acted as the segue to many of the vert portions in the film, The Bones Brigade Video Show. Died: October 12, 2016. Huf is a powerful skater and known as one of the highest olliers in the world, Mr. Thiebaud told The San Francisco Chronicle in 2005, using the skateboarding term for jumping with the board. Skateboarders such as Elliot Sloan, Danny Way, and Jake Brown have all regularly used the ramp. Bam got his nickname Bam Bam from running into walls on purpose at the age of 3. Kok won the won the womens 500m. Cole has been named Thrasher magazines Skater of the Year twice in 2005 and 2009 a rare achievement. Without a doubt, Alva has single-handedly transformed the history of the skateboarding world. Continue with Recommended Cookies. The saddest thing to think about was Katia, and what life would be like for her and Daria without Sergei. He came of age as a skateboarder in New York City in the 1980s. Mountains first skateboard deck sponsor was Variflex, which he joined in 1981; the following year, he joined the Powell-Peralta team. Read More How To Push Properly On A Skateboard [Explained]Continue, The typical skateboard weighs around 5 to 7.5 lbs (2 to 3.4 kg) with all components attached. I recommend that you open them up, clean, relubricate them and store them in a moisture-free container until they are ready to use again. Reuters in Los Angeles. Hop on a board and try not to fall off or lose your balance, right? if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'boardcoast_com-sky-3','ezslot_22',659,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-boardcoast_com-sky-3-0'); Upon completing the 900, Hawk decided to retire from the professional competition that same year. Even though skateboarding is considered a male-dominated sport, its great to see woman are finally taking their rightful place so dont forget to check out the top female skateboarders. Hes also co-authored his autobiography, The Mutt: How to Skateboard and not Kill Yourself, reflecting on his fathers hope that he would cease skateboarding after the first time he became injured. Kassahun, from Wheaton, died July 31 at Rush University Medical Center. He also won Thrasher Magazines Skater of the Year award in 1998, and in his video part in the 2010 skateboard video Stay Gold, he received Transworld Skateboarding magazines award for Best Video Part. Before his final run, which would be the last run of the event, he was in second place behind two-time defending champion Bucky Lasek. Coles skateboarding team, Zero, won Thrasher Magazines King of the Road contest three times consecutively, and he won the gold medal at the X Games twice consecutively. Ryan Decenzo, Neen Williams, Josh Hawkins, Terry Kennedy, Justin Eldridge and a lot of . Still increasingly popular today, Hawk continues to release new and updated Pro-Skater games. Dyrdek starred in Rob & Big with Christopher Big Black Boykin, Rob Dyrdeks Fantasy Factory, and Ridiculousness. We are in close contact with them, as well as with the authorities, and were doing everything we can to assist them during these difficult times, the company added. Rogowski grew up in Escondido, Calif., where he was raised alone by his mother. They take selfies with the 39-year-old, whose wavy . He was nominated for a Golden Globe in 2006 and 2007 and won the Independent Spirit Award for the best supporting male for his part in Chasing Amy. Today, youll likely find Burnquist in his own Dreamland quite literally. If thats not enough, hes also known as the pioneer of vertical state boarding. ), Consider sharing this page & support my site. Jay Adams, riding Oxmard bowl in 1977, was widely recognised as one of the most stylish skateboarders - Photo: Jim Goodrich Jay Adams Facts Full Name: Jay J. Adams DOB: 3rd February 1967 From: California, USA Most Famous For: Being the original bad boy of skateboarding The plane didnt send a distress signal after disappearing from radar on Thursday. They also met in a 200m free, with Ledecky placing second and McIntosh fifth. No one is as good as they were, she said. A young avid skateboarder uncovers a government conspiracy while investigating his adoptive brother's mysterious death. Hes known for switch-stance skateboarding, meaning he can use the opposite foot from his normal stance, and for intentionally finding new, innovative ways to add creativity and difficulty to everything he does. Thats right, 2021 marks a new era of skateboarding, as it will make its Olympic debut as an official sport.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'boardcoast_com-vertical-banner-1','ezslot_33',144,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-boardcoast_com-vertical-banner-1-0'); Huston first started grabbing attention after signing a sponsorship deal with Element Skateboards and joining their skateboard team. He graduated from high school in 1992 and briefly attended San Francisco State University, but he dropped out after six months to become a professional skateboarder for Fun Skateboards. Haslam had started this company partly due to Ben Raemers suicide in May of 2019. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Although he is now better known for his TV show Ridiculousness, he has a rich background in skateboarding and is one of the best known names of the sport. Also Friday, the U.S. womens team pursuit squad of Brittany Bowe, Mia Kilburg and Giorgia Birkelandwere upgraded from fourth place to bronze minutes after the event. 7 . So whether it be Dogtowns Z-Boys who made skating a household discussion in the mid-70s or Alan Ollie Gelfand who invented the ollie here are the most important skateboarders of all time. But its not just her skill and prowess on the board that makes her one of the best of all time its her strength, her courage, and her commitment to transforming the world of womens skateboarding. The remains of four people at the bottom of the lake have been found and located at a depth of 37 meters (about 121 feet) or less, police said in a statement, CNN reported. That is the difference. In time Huf expanded to new locations and became catnip for sneakerheads, who waited in line for hours to spend hundreds of dollars on limited-release Nikes or Adidas. He was 46.. 2. Ms. Freeman wanted to focus on womens apparel, but they found that the market was oversaturated. He is survived by his wife, Mariellen Hufnagel; their children; a brother, Chris; and his mother. This team later became the Bones Brigade and included other skaters such as Mike McGill, inventor of the 540 aerial or McTwist in 1984, and Rodney Mullen invented the flat ground ollie. Erin Jackson, the Olympic champion, was the top American in fifth. "He was the gatekeeper to why skateboarding was cool," said skateboarding legend Tony Hawk. Allow Necessary Cookies & Continue 2 of 13. 12 Best Female Skateboarders That Made An Impact, The Best Skateboard Wheels (Bought & Tested! Gao Tingyu of China, last years Olympic champion, took this season off but is expected to return ahead of the 2026 Winter Games, according to Xinhua News Agency in September. 12. It is certainly not specifically for men or women; instead, there is no gender qualification at all. Ledecky won the 400m free by eight hundredths over McIntosh to extend a decade-long win streak in freestyle races of 400 meters or longer in U.S. pools. Chris Cobra Cole initially gained attention following the completion of a few really difficult tricks in his Transworld In Bloom and Fallen Ride the Sky Video Parts.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'boardcoast_com-small-square-2','ezslot_28',191,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-boardcoast_com-small-square-2-0'); Cole was awarded Thrasher Magazines Skater of the Year award in both 2005 and 2009, and the Readers Choice award from Transworld Skateboarding magazine. His mother was a nurse, and his father worked for Metropolitan Life Insurance. Skateboarding has long been misunderstood as an activity that attracted kids with little ambition, their only goal to garner attention on public property. Whenever I go to the USA rink, which is where Sergei passed away, I go to the blue line to the right of entrance and I think about that moment. It wasnt until the resurgence of skateboarding in the 90s that Lance quit his job to become a full time skater. McIntosh won the 200m fly and 400m individual medley, both in world junior record times, and placed second to Ledecky in the 400m free. Now a coach in the Raleigh, North Carolina area, Bechke minces no words about how the couple compares to current pairs. Also killed in the tragedy were Tim Alings, 27, the companys sponsorship manager, Nicola Bellavia, 32, a skydiver and fellow social media influencer from Belgium, and the pilot, Haraldur Diego, 49, officials said. When he was 14, he picked up his first board. Jeff Grosso, legendary skateboarder from the '80s, dies at 51 April 2, 2020 Grosso was sponsored by Vans throughout his career and in 2011 began hosting the popular "Loveletters to Skateboarding". Bam Margera started something that just took of and went viral way before the internet got big. Shattered spotlights his rape and murder of Jessica Bergsten. And it is presumed that Gonzales has more pieces lined up for future Supreme drops. For pushing the limits of what technical street skateboarding can do, and for reminding the world that contests aren't the heart of skateboarding, Daewon Song is one . Mullen won his first world skateboard championship when he was only 14 years old. Huf had a minimalist interior design that highlighted its products, and the stores also displayed and sold works of art by skateboarders and artists like Aaron Rose and Haroshi. The 39 year old had been hospitalized with a head injury at UC San Diego Medical Center, where he passed. Boardcoast is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program which is designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Check out this section to know more about some of the greatest skateboarders of the world! Adams was reportedly on a three-month-long surfing vacation with his wifeTracy. Two murals in Venice commemorate Adams. McKinney died in 1990, killed by a drunk driver after leaving the Tahoe home of friend Craig Colonica. He was born in Portland, Oregon and had a tough upbringing. 8 . He was notable for his pop, the seemingly effortless way he leapt onto and over tall obstacles, and for his fluid lines through intimidating terrain, even while dodging traffic or speeding down a steep hill. In 2011, Gonzales designed and painted the London Flagship Supreme store. Mr. Hufnagel was born in Manhattan on Jan. 21, 1974, to Monica and Robert Hufnagel. Thats exactly what makes Stacy Peralta another one of the best skaters of all time. But at that U.S. Open, she won her consolation final with a time that would have won the top eight-woman final, after she was ninth in the preliminary heats. He is considered to be one of the best skateboarders of all time due to his amazing tricks, crazy stunts, and long list of notable achievements. Runners up are Rodney Mullen, Steve Caballero, Mark Gonzales, Bob Burnquist, Rob Dyrdek, Tony Alva, and Stacy Peralta. Stolz is also younger than any male Olympic gold medalist in the sport. The record-setting pro biker was found sitting in a truck in Greenville around 4 p.m. with a . Although Bam Margera started as a skater, his career really took off with his MTV shows and stunts that he would pull off with the crew from Jackass. Bakerboys Distribution is a company that provides distribution for smaller in-house skateboard companies like Deathwish Skateboards and Shake Junt. During that nine-year run, Ledecky did lose freestyle races outside of the U.S. (including at the Olympics and world championships) and in short-course (non-Olympic-sized) pools. Neuman, who had been living in Los Angeles, was known for his daredevil videos, including skydiving and racing down mountains on his skateboard. Ben's appro. Favorite us! The bodies were discovered Sunday in Lake Thingvallavatn, Icelands second-largest lake, with the use of a remote-controlled submarine and sonar technology. The U.S. trials for Julys worlds are the last week of June. But he continued to perform at the annual X Games until 2003 when he retired from competing in professional skateboard competitions for good. We salute you, Koki, and this guy too, who also made the jump a year before Koki and crew filmed it. Hawk was hard on himself as a kid, and he was considered hyperactive and high-strung. And in 2016, Gonzales joined the Pro-Tec skate team. He was one of the few who never gave up skating and while at that time he had no intention of going pro or getting sponsored, his skills on the board impressed the likes of Rodney Mullen, who became a mentor to him. Over the years, Rodney Mullen transitioned from freestyle to street skateboarding, adapting his freestyle skills to the street, inventing and expanding upon numerable tricks in the process, such as primo slides, darkslides, and Casper slides. But perhaps his struggles are what have given Nyjah the name, The X-Factor by ESPN Magazine. In 2005, Haslam won the Readers Choice Award at the 7th Annual Transworld Skateboarding Awards. The following is a list of notable professional skateboarders and their sponsors. The evolution of skateboarding is vast and wide. Soon after, when Templeton realized that Gonzales also created all of the graphics for his own boards, he embraced the challenge. Her love of bringing people together to share in the same passions and pursuits has impacted many who wish to follow in her footsteps. Joining few others in the ranks of firsts, Elissa Steamer undoubtedly belongs on the list of the best skaters, both male and female, of all time. Another contribution of Peraltas includes his 1984 Bones Brigade Video Show, the first skate video of its kind. Grosso died at Hoag Hospital in. Danny Way is known for his huge airs and broke several world records doing what he loves. Tony Hawk would then become the vertical skating champion 12 years in a row. He has the hit video game series titled Tony Hawks Pro Skater, which originally debuted in 1999. Aside from Baker, Reynolds has also helped build up other skate-related brands. Shortly after moving to California, Dyrdek started riding for Droors Clothing, a company that eventually became DC Shoes. By the mid-90s, skateboarding was back with the first X-games reaching audiences across the globe. A former associate called Mr. Hufnagel a powerful skater who lands perfectly, and not in a gnarly, aggressive, attacking-the-streets way.. American skateboarder Josh Neuman was one of four men killed when a sightseeing plane crashed into a lake in Iceland, officials said Tuesday. Paul Rodriguez However, he did return to skating casually, which resulted in a renewed partnership with Element Skateboards, celebrating the brands 25th anniversary by re-releasing a series of ten of Bams most memorable deck designs. Skateboarding has come a long way since neighborhood kids started attaching roller skate wheels to fruit crates and other random boxes they likely found in a neighboring junkyard. Lance announced the end of The Firm on March 13, 2006. You can find him teaching others through an onslaught of how-to videos hes recently created, and, even better than that, you can upload a video of yourself so that you can compare your own form to Coles. He won by a whopping 36 hundredths of a second over Canadian Laurent Dubreuil, the previous world champion. Skateboarding legend Keith Hufnagel died earlier this week, as confirmed by USA Skateboarding on September 24. A statement from the company said the cause was brain cancer, which Mr. Hufnagel had for two and a half years. Clearly, that didnt happen, and, padded up, he continued to practice in his garage as a kid, eventually befriending Tony Hawk, who was also only 12 at the time. While he tends to keep the two separate, hes worked equally hard at both, and his success speaks for itself. Sounds like a few skills we could all use in the 21st century. By 12, he was winning amateur skateboarding contests. In January 2013, professional skateboarder John Cardiel, identified by Transworld Skateboarding as the eleventh most influential skateboarder of all time, listed Hawk as one of his personal all-time skateboarding influences, alongside Gonzales, Christian Hosoi, and Sacramento's skateboarders. Song has been featured in Tony Hawks video games as a main, playable character and participated in Hawks Secret Skatepark Tour. There was no heaviness to their skating, it was beautiful and light., A post shared by Ekaterina Gordeeva (@katiaagordeeva). Danny won his first contest he entered at the 11-years old, won the X-Games gold medal in 2004, and kept on winning and breaking world records til his last contest Big Air Rail Jam in 2009. "In Your Face (Jay Adams), Kenter Canyon," 1976. 8 shoes on Nike SB. and GoaffPro Associate, SkateboardersHQ earns from qualifying purchases. Elena Bechke, the 1992 Olympic silver medalist with Denis Petrov, grew up in the Soviet Union and competed against Gordeeva and Grinkov while skating with an earlier partner. Nowadays hes trying to recover and picked up skateboarding again non professionally. He has impacted the sport in more ways than one and, in 2017, was inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame. I was kind of undone by the specter of death, the possibility of death at that stage of your life, he said. Mark 'Gator' Rogowski went from an awkward kid to a legend of the 1980s skateboarding scene, but by the 1990s his career was floundering and when his girlfriend dumped him he murdered her friend. Mullen won his first championship at the young age of 14 and would go on to win 34 freestyle contests in a string of 35 competitions, making him the most successful competitive freestyle skateboarder in history. I can remember going down to The Cottage, a little pub on the lake, on the day Sergei died, and we all hung out there the rest of the night, Wylie said. According to his homepage, Neuman began making videos at the age of 12 with his fathers camera and later dropped out of college to pursue a career in extreme sports and filmmaking.In 2020, he published a sponsored video for Suspicious Antwerp, skating on a longboard down a winding road in LA.Suspicious Antwerp spokesman Bram Boriau said the purpose of the doomed flight was to capture footage of Icelands stunning scenery. Known to many as "Shockus", he was the global marketing director for C1RCA, a San Clemente-based . He invented the kickflip, one of the most popular of the wave-style kicks used in freestyle skateboarding today. He was 46. Eric Heiden, a fellow Wisconsin native, was the only male skater younger than Stolzs current age to win the other global championships events the world allround and world sprint, both in 1977 at age 18, according to Speedskatingstats.com. Burnquist began skating at the age of 11, turning pro by 14. Im an aged skateboarder and I still shred responsibly. During 1997 and 1998 (at the beginning of his career), Bam was sponsored by Toy Machine Skateboards. If there is one testament we can ascribe to the sport and its most influential contributors, it is that theyre indeed here to stay. In many other skate competitions, Cole has been victorious, including Back to the Berg and the DC Copenhagen Pro. Hugh Holland "Hardstanding on the beach. However, some skateboards can weigh more or less than others depending on the components that you purchase. Our clothing retails a bit higher than your average core skate brand, but our apparel winds up appealing to a broader spectrum of people, Mr. Hufnagel told WWD in 2009. Rob Dyrdek is perhaps one of the most infamous skateboarders but no way near the level of Gator or Ben Pappas. What hasnt changed, however, is the creativity that goes into what it means to be a brilliant skater. The Tony Hawk Foundation has provided funding for skateparks across the globe, giving millions of others a safe place to skate. Gonzales was the first to skate handrails along with his contemporary, Natas Kaupas, and he has made several skateparks famous for his presence and personality.