Skateboarding is an action sport originating in the United States 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. 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 will be represented at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, for both male and female teams.
Anthony Frank Hawk, nicknamed Birdman, is an American professional skateboarder, entrepreneur, and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse. He completed the first documented "900" skateboarding trick in 1999, licensed a video game series named after him published by Activision that same year, and is a pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding. He retired from competing professionally in 2003 and is regarded as one of the 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".
Christian Rosha Hosoi is an American professional skateboarder. He is also known by the nicknames "Christ" and "Holmes".
Rune Glifberg, nicknamed "The Danish Destroyer," is a Danish professional skateboarder. Glifberg is one of three skaters to have competed at every X Games. He has a total of 12 X Games medals. At 46, he became the oldest skateboarder to ever compete in the Olympic Games and the first male skateboarder to ever compete in a park event in the Olympic Games when he represented Denmark in the men's park event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Ryan Allen Sheckler is an American professional skateboarder and entrepreneur, and was the star of the MTV-produced reality television series Life of Ryan. He also starred in four seasons of the short-format video series Sheckler Sessions on Red Bull TV. Sheckler was listed in Fox Weekly's "15 Most Influential Skateboarders of All-Time" article.
Robert Lance Mountain is a 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, Independent Trucks, Spitfire Wheels, and Bones Bearings.
World Cup Skateboarding (WCS), sometimes referred to as World Cup of Skateboarding, is an international skateboarding organization that hosts the World Championships of Skateboarding series and other skateboard competitions.
Nyjah Imani Huston is an American professional skateboarder and was the overall champion at competition series in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2017, and 2019. He is also the highest paid skateboarder in the world. As of May 19, 2013, Huston has won more prize money than any other skateboarder in history.
Spohn Ranch is a skatepark design and construction firm based in Industry, California. The firm specializes in the construction and design of concrete skateparks and skate plazas, skateable art sculptures, several styles of ramps, and courses for skateboarding, BMX and motocross events.
Neal Hendrix is an American professional skateboarder, commentator, and brand manager.
Salman Agah is an American professional skateboarder and entrepreneur.
Skateboarding arrived in China in April 1986 when an American skateboarder arrived in China to study Chinese at the Beijing Language Institute. He says, "When I arrived in China, there wasn't even a word in Chinese for skateboard. People were really interested in learning to ride, and in a few years Chinese skaters started appearing in almost every city I travelled to". Domestic skate companies and retailers began to appear at around the turn of the century, bringing the average price for a skateboard of ordinary quality down from an expensive 1000 yuan to around 280 yuan as of 2009. Skateboarding has been slow to develop in China because of the lack of a strong preexisting street culture and of skating infrastructure; nevertheless, it's estimated that as of 2009 there are 40,000 to 50,000 skateboarders in China.
Anthony Furlong is an American professional skateboarder. He has been sponsored by 187 Pads, Triple 8, Skatepark of Tampa, Type S Wheels, Woodward, Ogio, Etnies, and Theeve.
SITE Design Group is a consulting firm specializing in landscape architecture, urban planning and skateparks. Based in Solana Beach, California, the firm operates worldwide and has overseen the creation of over 100 parks.
Street League Skateboarding (SLS) is an international skateboarding tournament series. The league features 25 professional street skateboarders competing for the largest monetary prize in the history of skateboarding, and was founded by professional skateboarder and entrepreneur Rob Dyrdek.
David González is a Colombian professional skateboarder. In December 2012, he was named Thrasher magazine's "Skater of the Year".
William Sean Sheffey is a regular-footed American professional skateboarder.
A skateboarding organization is an organization that advocates for skateboarding and the skateboarding community.
Cindy Whitehead is an American professional skateboarder and activist. A pioneer of vertical skateboarding, she was inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame in 2016. She is married to photographer Ian R. Logan.
