r/SkateTribune

┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ AARON HOMOKI – "JAWS" │
│ Big Drops / Big Gaps │
├──────────────────────────────┤
HOMETOWN: Phoenix, AZ
BORN: February 2, 1990
STANCE: Regular
NICKNAME: Jaws (braces early on / bites big rails)

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
- 4x Thrasher King of the Road winner – 2012 (Alien mystery guest), 2013-2015 (Birdhouse three-peat)
- Thrasher SOTY – 2014
- X Games bronze – Park, Austin 2014
- Lyon 25 – ollie melon grab over 25 stairs, France 2016 (Thrasher cover)
- Zero-gravity skate with Tony Hawk – 201

MARK “GATOR” ROGOWSKI RISES AND FALLS IN THE 1980s
Mid 1980s. Mark “Gator” Rogowski was one of the most dominant vert skaters in the world, competing alongside Tony Hawk and Christian Hosoi during skateboarding’s rapid rise.
Known for his aggressive style, Gator pushed fast lip tricks, disaster variations, and spinning 540s in both directions, bringing power and unpredictability to vert skating.
At his peak, he was one of the most recognizable faces in skateboarding, helping define the energy and image of the 80s era.
But his story took a dark turn.
In 1991, Rogowski was convicted of the murder of his girlfriend, bringing a sudden and tragic end to his career and permanently impacting how he is remembered in skateboarding history.
via TransWorld Skateboarding 1988
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RODNEY MULLEN INVENTS THE DARKSIDE IN 1991

In 1991 Rodney Mullen released his part in Plan B's Questionable video.

Midway through the part he rolled into a trick no one had ever seen. He flipped the board upside down, stood on tge underside , and slid the grip tape across a curb.

He called it the darkslide.

It was not just a new trick. It was a complete rethink of what grip tape and wheel contact could do. Mullen had been working on it for two years in his garage, using waxed boards and furniture sliders to test the physics.

The darkslide became one of the most iconic technical tricks ever filmed and is still considered impossible by many skaters today.

It proved that street skating had no limits, only ideas no one had tried yet.

via Plan B Questionable 1991 and Rodney Mullen interviews

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┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ TONY HAWK – "BIRDMAN" │
│ Vert Pioneer / 900 King │
├──────────────────────────────┤
HOMETOWN: San Diego, California
BORN: May 12, 1968
STANCE: Goofy
TURNED PRO: Age 14 (1982)

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
- First to land the 900 – X Games 1999 (age 31)
- Won 73 of 103 pro contests – best in the world by 16
- 12 X Games golds, 3 silvers, 2 bronzes
- Invented 100+ tricks (varials, ollie-to-540s, etc.)

BUSINESS:
- Founded Birdhouse Skateboards (1992)
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater – launched 1999, $1.4B+ franchise
- Co-created Boom Boom HuckJam tour

PHILANTHROPY:
- The Skatepark Project (formerly Tony Hawk Foundation) – 600+ parks built, $10M+ raised

FAMILY: 4 kids – Riley (pro skater), Spencer, Keegan, Kadence

STYLE: Technical vert, consistency under pressure – made skateboarding mainstream

CURRENT: Retired from comp 2003, still skates demos, media, games

IG: @tonyhawk | tonyhawk.com
└──────────────────────────────┘

┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ CHRIS HASLAM │
│ Goofy-foot Innovator │
├──────────────────────────────┤
HOMETOWN: Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
BORN: December 19, 1980
STANCE: Goofy
FIRST BOARD: Santa Cruz, age 11 (started Nov 1993)

EARLY PATH:
- Moved to Singapore at 11, back to Canada 1996
- First contest: mini-ramp in Singapore, 4th place (tied with brother)
- Home park: Richmond skatepark (Vancouver)

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
- Transworld Readers' Choice Award – 2005
- Vs 411VM winner – 2006
- Almost: Round Three (2004), Cheese & Crackers (2006 w/ Daewon Song), 5-Incher final part (2012)
- Globe signature shoes: "The Sabaton", "The Odin"
- Bones Wheels rider since 2011

SIGNATURE TRICKS: Kickflip underflip, one-foot BS Smith (

┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ JIM GRECO │
│ Baker / Deathwish OG │
├──────────────────────────────┤
HOMETOWN: West Haven, CT (lives LA)
BORN: December 25, 1977
HERITAGE: Italian (Naples roots)

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
- Videos: Zero "Misled Youth", Baker "Bootleg", "2G", "3", "Baker Has A Deathwish", Deathwish Video
- Known for fast, hammer-heavy street style – East Coast power

ENTREPRENEUR:
- Co-founded Bakerboys Distribution (2007) w/ Andrew Reynolds & Erik Ellington
- Co-founded Deathwish Skateboards (2008) w/ Ellington
- Co-founded Brigada Eyewear (2007)
- Launched Hammers brand (2014) – made in USA
- Early Supra Footwear team (2005) – pro models "Thunder", "Hammer"

SOBRIETY FILMS:
- "The Way Out" (2016) – years 11-12 sober
- "Year 13" (2017) – follow-up

STYLE: No-bullshit, individuality-first – "based on the pure moment of creation"

CURRENT: Still filming – "White Wall" part at age 44 (Thrasher)

IG: @jimgreco
└──────────────────────────────┘

CARA BETH BURNSIDE FIRST WOMAN ON THRASHER COVER 1989

1989. Cara Beth Burnside became the first woman on the cover of Thrasher Magazine with a frontside air.

via Thrasher 1989

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┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ MARK GONZALES – "THE GONZ" │
│ Godfather of Modern Street │
├──────────────────────────────┤
HOMETOWN: South Gate, CA
BORN: June 1, 1968
HERITAGE: Irish & Mexican
FIRST SKATE: Age 8 (cousin's board)

LEGEND STATUS:
- Named "Most Influential Skateboarder of All Time" – Transworld, Dec 2011 (ahead of Hawk & Mullen)
- Thrasher cover Nov 1984 at age 16 (Alva, beanplant)
- Skateboarding Hall of Fame – 2012

INVENTIONS:
- Pioneered modern street skating with Natas Kaupas
- First known boardslides on a handrail (with Natas)
- "Gonz Gap" – ollie at SF Embarcadero, 1986
- First to ollie Wallenberg Set (4-block gap)

CAREER ARC:
- Pro debut: 1985 (Vision) – won NSA Sure-Grip Beach Style
- Co-founded Blind Skateboards, 1989 (designed the logo)
- Starred in "Video Days" (1991, Spike Jonze) – often called most important skate video ever
- Founded Krooked Skateboards, 2002 (still running)
- Rode for Real, Deluxe, adidas, Supreme

ARTIST SIDE:
- Poet & zine maker (145+ zines, books: Social Problems, High Tech Poetry)
- Exhibited Tokyo, NY, SF, Germany; designs Supreme stores worldwide
- Appears in 40+ films/TV (Gummo, Beautiful Losers)

SPONSORS (legacy): adidas, Krooked, Spitfire, Independent, Supreme, Pro-Tec

STYLE: Improvisational, poetry on grip tape – turns curbs into canvases

CURRENT: Lives between Paris & NYC with wife Tia, 2 kids
└──────────────────────────────┘

┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ DAVID GONZÁLEZ │
│ 2012 SOTY – Flip / Globe │
├──────────────────────────────┤
HOMETOWN: Bello, Medellín, Colombia (now Long Beach, CA)
BORN: August 9, 1990
STANCE: Goofy
STARTED: Age 12 – quit school in 7th grade to skate, growing hair ever since

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
- Thrasher Skater of the Year – 2012
- Discovered at Tampa Am age 13 – signed to Flip after escaping $50/month Monkey Stix contract
- Street League: 7th Ontario 2012
- X Games best: 9th Street (as of 2013)
- Video: "Possessed to Skate" (Thrasher, 2012) – most-viewed Thrasher part that year

SIGNATURE GEAR:
- Flip "P2" decks (including Possessed graphic)
- Globe "The Heathen" shoe (Thrasher collab)

SPONSORS (peak): Flip, Globe, Rockstar Energy, Ricta, Mob, Independent, ESP Guitars, OC Ramps

OFF BOARD:
- Lead guitarist – band Rattblack
- Overcame Medellín barrio violence to go pro
- Known for timeless transition skills + street gnar

STYLE: Fearless, fast, heavy – "gnarliest skater to emerge from Colombia" – NBC Alli

IG: @davidgonzalez
└──────────────────────────────┘

┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ KERRY GETZ – "HOCKEY TEMPER" │
│ Pro Street – Philly OG │
├──────────────────────────────┤
HOMETOWN: Philadelphia, PA (born in PA)
BORN: June 10, 1975
HEIGHT: 5'8" | STANCE: Regular
YEARS ACTIVE: 1998–present

PERSONALITY STAT:
- Famous for his temper – "Hockey Temper" montage opens his DVS "Skate More" part
- Started skating age 9

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
- X Games gold – FIRST ever street contest
- X Games medals: 2000 & 2001
- 1st Place: Tampa Pro 2000
- 1st Place: Vans Triple Crown Finals
- Original Habitat team rider (with Fred Gall, Tim O'Connor)

VIDEO PARTS:
- DVS: Skate More
- Habitat: Mosaic, Inhabitants
- Alien Workshop: Photosynthesis
- Toy Machine: Jump Off A Building

CURRENT ROLES:
- Owner, Nocturnal Skateshop (Philadelphia)
- Entrepreneur – flips houses, "KG splitters"
- Dad of 6

SPONSORS (recent): Habitat, Nocturnal, MOB Grip, Terror of Planet X, Royal Trucks

IG: @kerrygetz
└──────────────────────────────┘

https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ6Gr7EmEeg/?img\_index=1&igsh=em40Z2lvMno1dW5s

┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ NICK GARCIA │
│ Pro – Welcome / etnies │
├──────────────────────────────┤
HOMETOWN: Buena Park, CA (Long Beach lifer)
BORN: June 16, 1985
STANCE: Regular
STYLE: Fast & smooth, "powerful with finesse – like a silk boxing glove"

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
• Flow footage voted #1 in Element's 2008 contest → signed
• Turned pro for Element, Nov 2012
• 10+ years Element pro, now on Welcome Skateboards
• Video parts: "Flowers For Mom" (tribute to his late mom), "Welcome to Welcome"

SIGNATURE VIBE:
• Inventor tricks – gorilla-grip combos, lip-shuffles that bend physics
• Well-rounded – street, transition, weird spots

OFF BOARD:
• Reads: Carl Sagan, Karl Marx, Leonard Cohen, Noam Chomsky
• Hobbies: dice games, books & candles on the coffee table, talking to grandpa, hanging with his dogs
• Music on deck: Patti Smith, Slowdive, Ray Barbee, Chief Keef, Black Sabbath
• Future plans: become bilingual, live overseas, drive to Alaska

IG: @nick_garcia
└──────────────────────────────┘

QUIT YOUR DAY JOB BECOMES FIRST ALL FEMALE SKATE FILM IN OVER A DECADE

In 2017 filmmakers Erik Sandoval and Monique O'Toole released Quit Your Day Job.

The project was the first full length all female skate film in the United States in more than ten years. It featured top pros and up and coming talent from across the country, with progressive street skating and honest storytelling about bails and breakthroughs.

The film arrived at a moment when women's contest fields were growing but video parts were still rare. It helped spark a new wave of female led projects, including Nike SB's Gizmo tribute to Elissa Steamer in 2019.

via Google Play and Hypebeast 2017

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YUTO HORIGOME WINS FIRST OLYMPIC SKATE GOLD IN TOKYO

July 25 2021. Yuto Horigome won the first Olympic men's street gold in Tokyo. Kelvin Hoefler took silver. Jagger Eaton took bronze.

via Sportsnet 2021

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