Josh Marlow RIP

(? – March 30, 2025)

It is with tremendous sadness that we note the passing of Josh “Bomb King” Marlowe.

In the summer of 1976, my friend, the late Rob Hilty, went to Ocean City, Maryland, and rode, for the first time, the new Ocean Bowl skateboard park. When he came home, we heard a lot about the park, but Rob also had a few names stuck in his head. The first was Bobby “Casper” Boyden. There had been some kind of demo(?)/contest(?)/exhibition(?) while he’d been there and he saw Casper do a (old style) kickflip as he rode off of some kind of platform.

The other name stuck in Rob’s head was Marlowe. There were a pair of brothers… Marlowe. Their mother had convinced the mayor and city council to build the park. Then he started to go on about Josh. He was so impressed. Bobby Boyden was a pro from California. Rob could’ve expected to be blown away by him. Josh, however, was a Marylander. He was one of us. Almost a local to us. That was nearly 49 years ago.

Roughly a decade later, I’d taken up skate photography and was shooting for Lapper. I submitted the first photo in this set, and it became my first Lapper cover. It was Josh’s first cover, too. By that time, Josh was a legend—The Bomb King. He was tall and kind of quiet. He let his skating speak for him, and his skating spoke volumes.

Josh passed last night. The past few years have been tough for Josh, as health problems and a body beaten by years of skateboarding took over. He had lost a leg and was living in a health care facility. I pray that his passing was peaceful. Reunited with his leg, his health, and his mother, I know he is in a better place. We will miss him nonetheless.

You put on a good show, Josh. You kept us amazed. Rip in peace.

~ Andy Bittner – Lapper Mag