 |
Natas Kaupas | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 23, 1969 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Skateboarder |
Natas Kaupas (born March 23, 1969) [1] is an American former professional skateboarder. He grew up in South Santa Monica, California, in the area known as Dogtown, and is of Lithuanian descent. [2] He is often referred to as one of the first true professional street skateboarders.
Kaupas began skating during his childhood years. In 1983 Kaupas won a local Santa Monica surfing contest and received a Santa Monica Airlines (SMA) skateboard as a first place prize. SMA was operated out of the back of a surfshop owned by Skip Engblom. Kaupas approached Engblom about becoming a member of his skate team, which did not exist. However, Engblom was impressed with Kaupas's skating ability and offered to sponsor him. [2]
Kaupas by his own admission remained clueless and uninterested in the mainstream skateboard subculture. He honed his street skateboarding skills by utilizing his surroundings, preferring not to ride ramps or parks. By the mid-1980s, Kaupas had discovered riding walls where he would throw his skateboard up against a wall and ride off it. He then perfected this trick by riding up the side of walls without using his hands. [2] In 1984 Thrasher Magazine photographer and skating commentator Craig Stecyk took a photo of Kaupas riding off a wall which featured on the cover of Thrasher Magazine's September 1984 issue. [3] With this cover photo, Kaupas began to receive more magazine coverage and recognition from professional skaters. [2] Also in 1984, SMA released Kaupas's first pro-model skateboard, which infamously featured a panther image drawn by Santa Monica artist Kevin Ancell. [4] [5] At this point, Kaupas was regularly skating with such notables as Mark Gonzales, Julien Stranger and Jim Thiebaud and pioneering what would be known as 'street skating'. Kaupas and Gonzales innovated many new skateboarding tricks and ideas, the first of which was transferring Rodney Mullen's kickflip from freestyle skating to street skating. [2]
In 1986 demand for SMA skateboards had grown at an increasing rate which they struggled to meet. At 16, Kaupas impressed Engblom when he arranged a manufacturing and distribution arrangement with the much larger company, Santa Cruz Skateboards. It is claimed by some in the skateboarding community that Kaupas pioneered rail slide manoeuvres in the late 1980s while at a Pro-Am skate contest held in Oceanside, California. Kaupas stunned the crowd by attempting a board slide down a handrail. Although his attempt was unsuccessful, skating history was made. [2] This was followed up when Kaupas and Gonzales performed what is considered the first legitimate rail slide and later with 50-50 grinds.
In 1987, Kaupas had his debut role in the Santa Cruz skateboarding video Wheels of Fire. In the film, Kaupas displayed an ability to ollie which far surpassed anyone else, and his part is considered to have paved the way for the new direction of skateboarding. This role gave Kaupas a sudden jolt of notoriety, however attention was soon turned to the spelling of his first name, as 'Natas' spelled backwards is 'Satan'. Kaupas attempted to explain his name as being the masculine version of the Lithuanian female name 'Natalija'. Despite this however, many schools and shops instituted a ban on any merchandise bearing the name 'Natas'. [2]
Later in 1987, Kaupas had become such a well-known figure that shoe company Etnies offered him his own pro model shoe, an entirely new concept in the skating world. [6] The marketing and design of the shoe was influenced by Kaupas. He was able to use his artistic talents, which he later incorporated in SMA skateboard designs.
In 1989 Santa Cruz released a follow-up video to Wheels of Fire entitled Streets on Fire, in which Kaupas played a greater role. Kaupas' stand-out performance in the film was a new trick where he ollied up onto a fire hydrant and performed a 720 degree spin on top of it. The trick would be known as the 'Natas spin' and has also been adapted to the sport of snowboarding. The 'Natas Spin' was also incorporated into the Tony Hawk's video game series.
Kaupas along with fellow skater Jim Thiebaud, who was now skating for SMA, began a tour across America driving used Cadillacs. During the tour, the duo discovered many unknown but talented skaters who would later skate for SMA. Upon their return in 1990, skateboarding's hype had died with a slowing US economy. [2]
In 2005, Kaupas received the Legend Award at the seventh annual Transworld Skateboarding Awards. [7] [8]
In 1991 fellow pro skater Steve Rocco, who founded World Industries skateboards, approached Kaupas about starting his own line of skateboards. Kaupas left SMA and began 101 Skateboards. The company would become an outlet for Kaupas to employ his graphic and artistic talents. [9] By 1992, 101 had become a major brand, however a broken ankle meant Kaupas' skating career was halted. While convalescing, Kaupas explored his artistic talents more and began to use computer graphics programs. He was soon asked to assist with the first issue of the Big Brother skateboarding magazine, which was also owned by World Industries. As World Industries and 101 Skateboards became more successful, scooping up many well-established pro skaters and new emerging amateurs, Kaupas lost interest. Kaupas received a call from Larry Flynt Publications who were interested in launching a new magazine entitled Rage and needed an art director. Kaupas left shortly afterwards however, again losing interest after a change in tone of the magazine.
In 1998 Kaupas along with longtime friend Mark Oblow formed Vita Shoes, which was short lived. Kaupas then found work in design and art with clothing companies Quiksilver and Element Skateboards. Both companies also sponsored him for their skateboarding team. Quiksilver soon promoted Kaupas to the role of graphic director and then vice president of marketing. [8] [10] [11] In 2004, Natas started a new board company, Designarium under the manufacturing and distribution of NHS. Natas' art background led him to focus Designarium on artists rather than pro skaters. He has commissioned artists to interpret his original Santa Monica Airlines Panther graphic into their own vision. Each board is produced in limited edition runs.
| Year | Film | Sponsor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | NSA '86, Volume 4 | Unreel Productions | Featured skater |
| 1987 | The Search For Animal Chin | Powell Peralta | |
| 1987 | On the Prowl | NSI Video | Featured skater |
| 1987 | Sacto Street/Ramp Contests | NSI Video | |
| 1988 | Wheels of Fire | Santa Cruz | Featured skater |
| 1988 | Street Skating with Rob and Natas | (None) | Featured skater / instructional street skating video |
| 1988 | Sick Boys | Mack Dawg Productions | |
| 1988 | Savannah Slamma | Thrasher Magazine | Featured skater |
| 1989 | Tales from the Street | Mack Dawg Productions | Featured skater |
| 1989 | Streets on Fire | Santa Cruz | Featured skater / first video to feature "Natas Spin" |
| 1989 | Speed Freaks | Santa Cruz | Featured skater |
| 1989 | Savannah Slamma III | NSI Video | Featured skater |
| 1989 | Goin' Off | T.R. Productions | Featured skater |
| 1990 | A Reason for Living | Santa Cruz | Featured skater |
| 1991 | Quiet Storm Volume 1 | Frontline Video | Documentary on skateboarding in San Diego |
| 1996 | Shit | Big Brother | Compilation video from Big Brother magazine |
Skateboarding is an action sport that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. Originating in the United States, skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2009 report found that the skateboarding market is worth an estimated $4.8 billion in annual revenue, with 11.08 million active skateboarders in the world. In 2016, it was announced that skateboarding would be represented at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, for both male and female teams.
John Rodney Mullen is an American professional skateboarder who practices freestyle skateboarding and street skateboarding. He is considered one of the most influential skaters in the history of the sport, being credited for inventing numerous tricks, including the flatground ollie, kickflip, heelflip, impossible, and 360-flip. As a result, he has been called the "Godfather of modern freestyle skating."
Daewon Song is an American professional skateboarder. He is co-owner of Thank You Skateboards, and skates for the company. Song was named the 2006 "Skater of the Year" by Thrasher magazine, an award that is widely considered to be one of the most significant honors in skateboarding.
Geoffrey Joseph Rowley Jr. is an English professional skateboarder, former co-owner of Flip Skateboards and owner of the Civilware Service Corporation. He received Thrasher Magazine's "Skater of the Year" award in 2000.
Tony Alva is an American skateboarder, entrepreneur, and musician. He was a pioneer of vertical skateboarding and one of the original members of the Zephyr Competition Skateboarding Team, also known as the Z-Boys. The Transworld Skateboarding Magazine ranked him eighth in its list of the "30 Most Influential skateboarders" of all time.
Andrew Reynolds is an American professional skateboarder known for co-founding Baker Skateboards in 2000 with artist Jay Strickland. He is now Baker Skateboard's sole owner. Reynolds established Bakerboys Distribution with Erik Ellington and Jim Greco in 2007. Bakerboys Distribution provides distribution for closely related in-house skateboard companies such as Deathwish Skateboards and Shake Junt. He is also the head of design at Altamont Apparel. Reynolds primarily skates street. He has been called one of the most influential skaters of all time.
Deluxe Distribution is an Ermico Enterprises, Inc-owned subsidiary founded in 1986 with limited partner Brian Ware in San Francisco. Deluxe was formed to distribute the Beware Record label, and other small record labels popular with skateboarders, along with Thunder Trucks and Supercush Bushings. Deluxe distributes six skateboard brands and owns DLXSF, a retail outlet.
Mark Gonzales, also known as "Gonz" and "The Gonz", is an American professional skateboarder and artist. He is known as the godfather of modern street skateboarding and was named the "Most Influential Skateboarder of All Time" by the Transworld Skateboarding magazine in December 2011.
James Chris Cole is an American professional skateboarder. As of September 2020, his sponsors are Fallen Footwear, Monster Energy, Bones Bearings, Cult Crew, Thunder Trucks, Spitfire Wheels, Stance, Kershaw Knives, Grizzly Griptape, GoPro, Indian Motorcycles, cbdMD, Remind Insoles, and most recently Zero Skateboards.
Chris Haslam is a Canadian professional skateboarder whose natural stance is right foot forward, or 'Goofy'. He is recognized as an innovative skateboarder whose skateboarding is defined by creativity and progression.
The no comply is a skateboarding trick that was invented by John Lucero and then named and popularized by the skater Neil Blender in the 1980s.
Nyjah Imani Huston is an American professional skateboarder. With numerous sponsorships and competition prize winnings, Huston is one of the highest paid skateboarders in the world. Huston won gold medals at the SLS Super Crown World Championship in 2014, 2017 to 2019, and has won 12 gold medals at the X Games since 2011.
Eric Koston is a Thai-born American professional skateboarder and company owner. He has been featured in the Tony Hawk's video game series and the Electronic Arts (EA) video games Skate 2 and Skate 3. Koston co-owns both Fourstar Clothing and the skatepark/website "The Berrics".
John Joseph Cardiel is a former professional skateboarder and snowboarder who has been a core member of the AntiHero Skateboards company since it was founded in 1995.
Greg Lutzka is a "goofy-footed" professional skateboarder
Torey Jamieson Pudwill, also known by his nickname "T-Puds", is an American professional street skateboarder.
Grant Taylor is an American professional skateboarder. He is the son of former professional skateboarder Thomas Taylor and won Thrasher Magazine's Skater of The Year in 2011. Grant's style of skateboarding is known to be fast and powerful. He is recognized for his unique versatile skateboarding.
A wallride or wall ride is a maneuver in skateboarding in which a rider positions their skateboard parallel to a wall, putting the wheels on the side of the wall as they ride along it. The trick is noted for its particular grace.
William Sean Sheffey is a regular-footed American professional skateboarder.
Jason Dill is an American professional skateboarder, photographer, and co-founder of Fucking Awesome—an American skate company.