Born on June 12, 1961, Duane Peters (aka the Master of Disaster) is best known for being one of the first pros (along with Steve Olson) to introduce punk rock music and fashion to skateboarding. He is also credited with inventing a host of now staple tricks to the sport, including the acid drop, disaster (fakie hang up), fakie footplant, Indy air, invert revert, layback rollout, sweeper, and the backside layback grind revert. In addition to his trick inventions, Duane was also the first skateboarder to attempt the full pipe loop for the Skateboard Mania show in 1978, while also helping Neil Blender evolve the original footplant into the fast plant.
Outside of his contributions to the evolution of tricks, Duane has also greatly impacted the sport culturally through his various stints as lead singer for a host of bands, including the U.S. Bombs, Die Hunns, the Exploding Fuck Dolls, Duane Peters Gun Fight, and Duane Peters and the Hunns. Having turned pro for Santa Cruz in 1979, Duane has battled his way through many ups and downs involving drugs, jail and homelessness over the past four decades of pro skateboarding. As recently as 2014, he still had a pro model deck on the brand Pocket Pistols. It’s safe to say Duane Peters is easily one of the most influential characters ever to step on a skateboard.
