| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 10, 1972 Washington, D.C. |
| Sport | |
| Country |  United States |
| Sport | Skateboarding |
| Turned pro | 1989 |
Salman Agah (born July 10, 1972) is an American professional skateboarder and entrepreneur.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 10, 1972 Washington, D.C. |
| Sport | |
| Country | United States |
| Sport | Skateboarding |
| Turned pro | 1989 |
Salman Agah (born July 10, 1972) is an American professional skateboarder and entrepreneur.
Salman Agah was born in Washington, D.C. to Persian and Azeri parents. He started skateboarding at the age of 5. After returning to the United States from living in Iran and Europe, he settled with his family in San Jose, California.
At the age of 16, Stacy Peralta spotted Agah, who began riding as a sponsored amateur for Powell Peralta. He joined the Powell team in 1989 along with Steve Caballero, Tony Hawk, Tommy Guerrero, Ray Barbee, and Lance Mountain. He then went on to skateboard professionally for Real Skateboards (owned by Deluxe Distribution) from 1990–1994, and The Firm Skateboards (now defunct) from 1995-2000. Agah spent 14 years on the Vans pro skate team. He was sponsored by Black Label Skateboards from 2000-2017 until he rejoined Powell Peralta, the brand he rides for to this date. During his career as a professional skateboarder, Agah has made significant contributions to the progression of the sport, specifically pioneering switch stance which is riding opposite of your regular stance — the skateboarding equivalent of ambidexterity. He has been recognized as an innovator and legend, having been voted Thrasher Magazine’s Skater of the Year in 1993, [1] Transworld Skateboarding’s Most Influential Skater of the Decade in the 1990s, and Big Brother Magazine’s Most Beautiful Skater. [2]
From 1993-2001, Vans produced the Salman Agah Signature Shoe. [3] Over the years, Agah has endorsed signature products by leading brands such as Spitfire Wheels, RVCA, and Independent Trucks, and traveled the world extensively skateboarding & touring throughout the U.S., Canada, Asia, Australia, Europe, and Central and South America. He participated in the Vans Warped Tour from 1994–2000, was an X Games Competitor in 1997, and a World Cup of Skateboarding Judge from 1995-1998.
Embracing his entrepreneurial spirit, Agah co-founded The Academy of Skateboarding. [4] Specializing in staff development, training, team building, and video production for the skateboard industry, Agah consulted and developed programs for city and private skateparks. The Academy's clients included Vans, Element, Woodward Skate Camps, and various cities in Central and Southern California.
In 2003, Agah established The Skaterade Beverage Co., an internationally distributed functional refreshment specially formulated for skateboarders. Collaborating with artist Shepard Fairey on the package design, Agah acted as President and Managing Director, overseeing sales and promotional marketing, creative direction, production, and warehouse and inventory management. Soon after, he developed Icelounge.com, the very first action sports driven social network, and Skatecoverage.com, [5] a skateboarding media monitoring service.
In 2007, Agah teamed up with skateboard photographer, Mike Ballard, to form SkateBook, [6] a quarterly, hard-bound 350+ page coffee table book featuring skateboarding’s iconic moments, individuals, events, eras and brands. They produced and published four acclaimed, limited-edition books before Agah left the company in January 2009. From 2009-2011, Agah worked as director of business development at The Berrics, alongside Steve Berra and Eric Koston.
Agah was inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame in 2022. [7]
Agah is the founder and owner of the globally recognized brand, Pizzanista!. Its flagship store is located in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles. [8] Agah expanded globally with locations abroad in both Tokyo, Japan, and Seoul, South Korea. He launched his second location in the Los Angeles area; Pizzanista! San Marino in 2022. [9]
Agah now occupies his time operating & growing Pizzanista!, skateboarding, surfing, mountain biking, and riding motocross. He married wife Joan Coulter in 2018, and they have two children, son, Zephyr Ocean, and daughter, Sabbath Spreckels. [10]
Anthony Frank Hawk, nicknamed Birdman, is an American former professional skateboarder, entrepreneur, and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse. A pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding, Hawk completed the first documented "900" skateboarding trick in 1999. He also licensed a skateboarding video game series named after him, published by Activision that same year. Hawk retired from competing professionally in 2003 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential skateboarders of all time.
Steve Caballero is an American professional skateboarder. He is known for the difficult tricks and air variations he invented for vertical skating and for setting the long-standing record for the highest air achieved on a halfpipe. In 1999, Thrasher Magazine named Caballero the "Skater of the Century".
Mike Vallely, also known as Mike V, is an American professional skateboarder and musician. Since November 2013, he has been the lead vocalist of the hardcore punk band Black Flag. Vallely is the second-longest-serving member of the band, although he has not appeared on any albums.
Steve Berra is an American professional skateboarder and director, and is also the cofounder/co-owner of the skateboarding website The Berrics.
Stacy Douglas Peralta is an American film director and entrepreneur. He was previously a professional skateboarder and surfer with the Zephyr Competition Team, also known as the Z-Boys, from Venice, California.
Tom Penny is a professional skateboarder from Abingdon, United Kingdom (UK). As of January 2013, Penny is sponsored by the Flip skateboard deck brand and his Cheech & Chong signature deck is one of the brand's highest-selling deck products.
Tommy Guerrero is an American musician, composer, and professional skateboarder.
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 American skateboarding company 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", "the Gonz" and "the Godfather", is an American professional skateboarder and artist. A pioneer in the development of modern street skating, he is considered one of the first street-style skateboarders alongside Natas Kaupas. Gonzales and Kaupas are also credited with the first known boardslides on a handrail. Gonzales' pioneering influence on skateboarding has caused him to be known as the "God Father" of modern street skateboarding, and he was named the "Most Influential Skateboarder of All Time" by Transworld Skateboarding magazine in December 2011. Gonzales was placed ahead of Tony Hawk (2nd) and Rodney Mullen (3rd)
Robert Lance Mountain is an American professional skateboarder and artist who was one of the prominent skateboarders throughout the 1980s, primarily due to his involvement with the Bones Brigade. As of August 2017, Mountain continues to skate professionally and his sponsors include Flip, Nike SB, Indy, Spitfire, and Bones Bearings.
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.
Colin McKay is a Canadian professional skateboarder who is widely recognized for his involvement with the original Plan B Skateboards "superteam" as well as the subsequent relaunch of the brand in 2005.
Dustin Dollin is an Australian professional skateboarder who is one of the original team riders for Baker Skateboards
Patrick John Ladd, professionally known as PJ Ladd, is an American professional skateboarder whose stance is regular. Ladd was labelled an "east coast legend" by fellow professional skateboarder and team manager John Rattray in May 2013.
Richard McCrank is a Canadian professional skateboarder and skate shop owner.
John Rattray is a Scottish professional skateboarder.
Anthony Van Engelen is an American professional skateboarder whose stance is Regular. In the skateboarding scene he is well known by the name “AVE”, which is an acronym of his full name.
Eric Koston is an 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.
Gregory Lutzka is an American professional skateboarder.