He tried to find ways to escape it. Hufnagel, who trailblazed the New York City skate scene during the 1990s, passed away. saying on Tuesday,. To best understand skateboarding its counter-culture roots, its rise to the Olympics, its helter-skelter tale of competing styles, clashing customs and self-sabotaging plot twists its best to understand someone like Jeff Grosso. Alessandro Renesis Published on 3rd Jan 2023. BEYOND Paradise viewers were treated to a line-up of stars in tonight's second episode. A post shared by Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) on Mar 31, 2020 at 8:56pm PDT. Vans, which had sponsored Grosso since he was an amateur in 1982, saw an opportunity and connected him with Nichols and Charnoski to create the show for its digital platform. The skateboarding world looks much different now than it did then. Prior to the Bones Brigade, Lance was part of the Veriflex team (1981) as an amateur but soon move to Powell Peralta in 1983. He had become the sports cool uncle, wiser from his mistakes and unapologetic in his beliefs. Improvements to the board and wheels gave birth to more ambitious vertical skating, a style defined by gravity-defying aerial tricks off half-pipes and vertical ramps. Jeff Grosso poses for a photo while on set for the filming of a Vans shoe commercial on July 11, 2015. We were the freaks. Skateboarding is an anti-hero culture, Eisenhour said. But culturally, his stature was nearly unmatched. A string of Southern California droughts turned empty swimming pools into skating bowls. But an authentic source of joy to the end. Mar 9, 2022. With Grosso starring in the Loveletters series, the show quickly became an unexpected cult hit that garnered hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube. When he talked to you he believed in you. Known for his wallride which made Thrasher Magazines September 1984, Kaupas become a well-respected skateboarder resulting in his own pro board. Nyjah started skating at age 4. That carefree disposition is what initially captured Grossos interest. Vans. His early parts were very impressive, and he was recognized as the little kid with the long dreadlocks, laying down sick lines, and putting out killer video parts. Though he was naturally athletic, he found the structured pressure of team sports arbitrary and suffocating. Its one of the reasons I was attracted to skateboarding in the first place.. If interested, follow me on Instagram, SkateboardersHQ is an independent blog run by real skaters, snowboarders, and surfers. They skated throughout the city from Riverside Park to the abandoned swimming pool in Van Cortlandt Park dubbed the "Death Bowl." He sold boards for an upstart skating company called Black Label run by John Lucero, another childhood friend and former pro. Stacy deserves to be in the top five because without him, skateboarding history would probably have taken a different direction. It was a. But like a flickering candle at the end of its wick, those golden days began to fade. And he cherished his responsibilities as a dad. Jon Comer, a professional skateboarder from Dallas, Texas, died yesterday. Two years later, in 1982, the shoe and apparel company Vans began its sponsorship of him, one that continued into 2020 with his popular YouTube show Love Letters to Skateboarding.. Every time he bombed down the street, he fell more in love with the feeling. Koston has a very recognizable style that is clean, smooth, and also technical. If you want to compare it to the timeline of a persons life, its matured. As a 53-year-old, Hawk . With the main goal of making the best Skateboarding videos we possibly can that showcase. Rodriguez was just 46 years old. Watch him yelling at a guy that broke into his car on Girls Yeah Right; its the opener to the classic Koston skate part. He gets caught up in "S", an underground skateboard race, along with Reki Kyan, and the two are quick to become close friends. Only a few years removed from the height of his pro career, his life was spiraling into an abyss. Dont let these f---ing people take it from you. Most people that know me know this bulls--- about me anyways, he said. Grosso became an ambassador, speaking for skateboardings soul through his beloved Loveletters to Skateboarding YouTube show. Its always a personal preference so just take the ranking with a grain of salt. With P-Rods clean, smooth and consistent style, he deserves everything he has worked for. He clung to whatever notoriety he had left. Williams declined to comment on the findings of her sons autopsy. Jeff Grosso: The life and death of skateboarding's soul By Jack Harris Staff Writer Follow Videography by Mark E. Potts March 4, 2021 4 AM PT Jeff Grosso's first skateboard wasn't much. Seth Affoumado, who skated with Mr. Kessler when almost nobody else was pursuing the sport, said in an interview on Wednesday that Mr. Kessler was the catalyst for skateboarding in New York City., Glen E. Friedman, a photographer who has extensively covered skateboarding, said, He pursued making it something important in New York City.. Grosso barely knew how to stand on the thing, struggling to keep his balance without toppling to the ground. He has a cool, laid back attitude, and it is reflected in his skating. Princess Diana Dress Sells at Auction for Over $600k. Jeff Grossos Lovetters videos with Vans. Our whole thing was, we dont want to fit in, we want to do our own thing. SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) California skateboarding legend Keith Hufnagel has died at the age of 46 after a battle with brain cancer. Grosso was just reemerging as a visible figure in the skateboarding community after announcing hed finally achieved sobriety six years earlier. He found the thing in life at the end that really drove him, said Vans global digital marketing manager Chris Nieratko, who accompanied Grosso to many events in recent years. We all dabbled in art, he said. His 3 Maloof Money Cup wins, X-Games and Gravity Games medals, Battle at the Berrics, Thrasher King of the Road, and eS Game of Skate wins prove that he is one of the most skilled and consistent skaters still active today. ), known in "S" as Snow (, Sun? On Nov. 20, 1995, two-time Olympic pairs champion Sergei Grinkov, aged 28, died of a heart attack in Lake Placid, New York. Jeff Grosso, the legendary skateboarder who hosted Vans' "Loveletters to Skating" video series, died Tuesday in Costa Mesa, California, the Orange County coroner's office told . Ed also started Toy Machine skateboards, which has consistently had one of the most talented skate teams, and has spawned many of todays legends. He traveled to the few slimmed-down competitions that remained. Hardcore is a good word to describe Mike V. Not only is he the singer for classic hardcore punk band Black Flag, but his skating is unapologetic, raw, and very creative. "I just received the terribly sad news that Jay Adams passed away last night due to a massive heart attack, send your love," Peralta wrote. Skateboarding legend Jeff Grosso -- one of the biggest skate stars of the '80s -- has died. He battled drug addiction and suicidal depression. For five years, Mr. Kessler worked in fields as diverse as flea markets and massage therapy. It has teetered on the fringes of mainstream society ever since. How do we decide who made the cut? He is well know for clearing huge stair sets and gaps, grinding and sliding massive rails, and his switch frontside flip down the Love Gap. A little later in the 1970s, the sport tiptoed into New York. 2022 SkateboardersHQ.com | Content protected by blockchain, Turned pro in 2017 for Plan B Skateboards, Gold at X Games Street contest in 2018 (Norway) and 2019 (Shanghai). Thats how it was. The news of Adams' death was confirmed by. Leonard Cohens Everybody Knows bellowed in the background as Grosso and his son, Oliver, entered the frame. I treated some woman really poorly; I treated my mother poorly and my family, he said. I wasnt making plans for the future. Despite being such a star he remains down to earth. He took Oliver trick-or-treating one Halloween even though he had a 2 a.m. flight for China early the next morning. Flash forward 20 years to 2012, Guy did the impossible with a switch 360 flip nosegrind down a handrail, in Girls Pretty Sweet. Roger Mark Hubbard 1970-2018.-Jake Phelps 3 SLS wins. The same defiance that endeared Grosso to skating fans decades ago was still there, but now there was a level of wisdom and wistfulness in his words as well a maturation that was materializing across the entire sport. Less than 12 hours later, Grosso was rushed to Hoag Hospital near his Costa Mesa home in cardiac arrest. Lizzie Armanto, one of the leading female skateboarders in the world, was one of those young athletes Grosso took under his wing. Then suddenly, we found ourselves with some success and fame.. Nyjah has worked his ass off for these accolades. Orange County coroners office investigator Inez Chavez said the cause of death has not been determined. One skateboard hung from the living room wall. Only when he was on a skateboard did Grosso truly feel free. His mother, Ruth, said he asked for a skateboard for his birthday and other gift-giving occasions without fail. In 2005, he fell while skating and incurred a $20,000 medical bill. I tried getting sober in 1997 and didnt get there until 2005, if that tells you anything, Grosso said in an interview with King Skateboard magazine. They had been there for 3 months. On an exquisite late-spring afternoon, Andy Kessler is leaning against the promenade wall overlooking the Riverside Park skate . Even for 1977, it was antiquated, with rickety old clay wheels and worn-out bearings. Lee Ralph was pissed off. Jay Adams, riding Oxmard bowl in 1977, was widely recognised as one of the most stylish skateboarders - Photo: Jim Goodrich. His old Natas boards are now collectors items that go for hundreds of dollars, and for good reason. Whether you liked his opinions or not, he was real. Hawk as a child had enormous talent, and he became a pro at just 14 years old. Grosso and Nash spent almost every weekend at one of the few Southland skate parks that were left. He was only 51. 8 X-Games medals. Also, Elissa has pretty much dominated every competition that she has entered. In addition to the huge stuff, Chris is also very consistent and can put together lines and runs. He picked contrarian arguments during conversations simply to spark a debate. Skateboarder Jeff Grosso Dies at 51: 'Skateboarding Was Lucky to Have Him as an Ambassador Behind Phillips, a group of three skateboarders gathers around local skateboarding legend Brandon. I think thats who he was.. I feel like were living in the upside down. Where would we be without him? Its the best thing that ever happened to me and the worst thing that ever happened to me, all rolled up into one. Jeff Grosso, to Juice Magazine in 2006. Fentanyl, which is often present in counterfeit pills, has become one of the leading culprits in drug-caused deaths over the last five years in the Los Angeles area and other parts of the country. Skateboarders were very rare at that time, said Grossos childhood friend Eric Nash, the only other kid at their Camino Grove Elementary School who matched Grossos passion for the sport. Story: A skateboarding legend's ups and downs He voiced Dr. Jumba Jookiba, the evil genius who created Stitch, in 2002's "Lilo & Stitch" and various spinoffs; once he became part of the Disney family, Stiers went on to do voicework on a . Talk about skateboard legends, this dude saw his destiny. I wasted years and years running around doing bulls--- when I couldve been riding. Jeff Grosso, to King Skateboard Magazine in 2016. Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. They need to go and do this and be creative and come up with new tricks and try different things.. He is survived by a son, Oliver, who is 8. Andy Kessler, who banded with graffiti artists to help give a distinctively New York spin to the nascent sport of . Reliving the memory during an interview, Williams stopped herself and laughed. In recent years, they did episodes on the underlying philosophy of the sport; the rise of female stars; skateboardings international growth; and, in a collection of videos that aired after Grossos death, a love letter to the sports LGBTQ+ community. Skateboard legend Tony Hawk is that person. When Mike started skating, he had open streets, and parking lots, so he developed his style to suit this terrain. They first skated on ramps specifically built for skateboarding in 1976 on Long Island. Tributes have been flooding in for the 43-year-old who overcame great adversity to reach the heights of skateboarding. Thats what drew us to skateboarding.. I thought the world owed me something and I thought skateboarding owed me something.. Skateboard legend and World Industries' most elusive Love Child, Jed Walters, has died. At first, the three self-described skating nerds focused their episodes which were formatted like mini-documentaries meant to serve as literal on-camera love letters to specific skating subjects on niche topics they thought nobody almost would care about, Nichols said. He found steady work laying hardwood floors. Mike V is know for old school street tricks such as hand plants, foot plants, street grabs, and fast plants to get over obstacles. Richie is easily one of the more creative skaters these days. We were the people that nobody wanted to be, doing things that nobody wanted to, and that nobody understood. The bowl was later immortalized in the documentary about the evolution of the skate scene in New York, "Deathbowl to Downtown. Admittedly, Nichols and Charnoski werent trying to unravel such profound dilemmas when they first teamed up with Grosso for the Loveletters show in 2011. "He battles hardships for 15 years, gets through things that would kill normal people, and he dies from a bee sting? Updated: 10:56 AM PST November 29, 2016. Its your world. Dogtown Legend Jay Adams Dies on Surf Trip. At first, she was intimidated by his booming voice and larger-than-life presence, but over the years, he became one of her closest mentors. At the end of the day, its a toy. But famous graffiti artists like Zephyr also skateboarded; another, ALI, coined the name Zoo York. He would sit on his back or lie flat on his stomach and let gravity take over. Aside from his recognizable hippie look with the Salvadore Dali mustache, you always know when you are watching Richie Jackson skate. Andrew Kessler, who was adopted with his sister in Greece, was born in Athens on June 11, 1961. The new discipline became known as street skating, and by the early 1990s it began to consume the sport. Kaupas was never really into mainstream skateboarding but was one of the first pioneers of street skateboarding. Its ever-increasing popularity is pulling the fundamentally subversive sport into the mainstream. Nuff said. Skateboarders skate in front of city hall in remembrance of Tyre Nichols, who died after being beaten by Memphis police officers, five of whom have been fired, in Memphis, Tenn., Monday, Jan.. Before that, he covered the Angels, the Kings and almost everything else the L.A. sports scene had to offer. Jeff Grosso does a frontside smith grind at Vans skatepark in Huntington Beach on March 20, 2014. Back in the day, people took offense to his name because its spelled Satan backward. The $30 limited edition 8x10 card features both Tony Hawk and professional BMXer Rick Thorne doing a doubles run, along with their signatures as well. Sluggo is a huge Canadian Skater and one of the first riders of Real Skateboards. Tony has won over 70 contests, more contests than any other skateboarder in history. Rally icon, DC Shoes and Hoonigan founder, professional skateboarder - Ken Block was an all-around legend. He has over 18 video game titles, countless movie and TV appearances, started YouTubes RIDE channel, and built skateparks all over the world. He went on to design and build parks throughout the five boroughs and beyond. Phelps died "suddenly and easy" while sitting in his sofa chair, playing guitar at his San Francisco apartment on Thursday, March 14, his uncle Clark Phelps told The Chronicle. And Jeff understood that. We're told Adams was there with his wife and the 2 were on a long surfing holiday. Dan Loumena has worked myriad jobs at the Los Angeles Times since joining the staff in 1996, including as a page designer, copy editor, assignment editor and web producer. His income couldnt always fully fund his habit, so he sometimes stole VCRs and TVs from friends to sell at pawn shops. Life was never easy for me. Anyone can read what you share. He pops his tricks high, catches them so nicely, and lands so smoothly. Joslin goes huge and fast. Mr. Kessler was an early New York hero of skateboarding, a sport that probably began in California after World War II, when surfers looked for something to do when the waves were flat. Dont forget to check out the most famous skateboarders or check out the best female skateboarders that shred like no other. A post shared by Jeff Grosso (@grossosucks). Skateboarders and the skate industry will forever be in debt to Dogtown legend Tony Alva. Im indestructible I was wrong. Jeff Grosso, to Juice Magazine in 2006. One of my favorite skateboarders, oh and he pushed mongo at some point, imagine that. The Gonz is considered the pioneer of modern street skating. But somewhere at its core, the lust for that poetic nonsense remains. Keith Hufnagel, a professional skateboarder who grew a San Francisco streetwear store, Huf, into a global apparel company by the same name, died on Thursday at his home in Los Angeles.He was 46. He was in the midst of making a new Loveletters season with Nichols and Charnoski. I just really look forward to doing it in person with our friends, said Nieratko, who moderated the virtual call. It is with a heavy heart that we report the untimely death of NYC skateboard legend Andy Kessler. Aug. 12, 2009. We were a bunch of nerds, we were weirdos, we were social outcasts, Grosso said in a 2015 episode of his Loveletters series. Last month he killed himself. Unlike Reki, Langa has no skateboarding experience . Have you seen Cheese and Crackers? There is nothing that this guy cannot do; handrails, ledges, gaps, circus tricks, mini ramps. I was lucky enough to skate with him over the last four decades and occasionally featured on his @vans Love Letters series. His story wasnt unique at a time when many notable skaters from his era went to jail or battled substance abuse. And you either accomplish something or you dont. Jeff Grosso, to the St. Louis Dispatch in 1986. Here on Strictly Skateboarding we produce quality Skateboarding videos of Skaters from all around the World. When people were doing a boardslide on the rail and people thought that was super crazy, he was doing 180 nosegrinds and 180 fakie 50-50s. I believe Jeff is a big reason that anyone truly cares, and skateboarding was lucky to have him as an ambassador and gatekeeper to its history, Hawk wrote on an Instagram post. One of their friends, future pro skater Lance Mountain, had a ramp in the backyard of his Alhambra home where the group would spend hours together honing their technique and embracing a recalcitrant culture few others could comprehend. Here are some of the stats: The overall champion of SLS for 5 seasons and several 1st place finishes, 12 X-Games medals, 5 medals in World Skateboarding Championship, winner of 5 Tampa Pro, and placement in the Dew Tour several times, to mention a few. The little wooden toy is a kiss and a curse. Its the feeling that when you go out there with your board, its a no-hero type of thing. The rarest sight in skateboarding might be a frown. Kessler, 49, died on Monday night from cardiac arrest due to an allergic reaction to a wasp sting . But he still puts out incredible street video parts, which always blow the viewer away, and never disappoints. A Phoenix native, he originally interned at The Times before joining the staff in 2019. Last week, skateboarders from around the world came together for his funeral. What about X, Y, and Z? The timing was perfect for Grosso, who blossomed into a top amateur before dropping out of high school to turn pro in 1986. His addictions, however, eventually wore him down. The founding of X Games in 1995 helped revive skateboardings mainstream popularity, especially after Tony Hawk landed a famous 900-degree-spin in 1999 that reignited interest in vert tricks. Explore our comprehensive glossary of skating terms and expressions. Skate City in Whittier became their home base, though sometimes they snuck away to more secluded spots a cement ditch behind a church in Glendale, an empty washway nicknamed the V bowl in Irwindale.