Follow John on Facebook Widely known as the top downhill racer of the 1970s, John Hutson won 11 out of 14 races in 1978 alone, taking second place in two, and third in the other! John was also famous for the Hut Tuck, a stance he employed to achieve maximum velocity during downhill runs that …
Find George on social Media George Orton was one of the most bio vert skaters of the late 1970s. Born in Long Beach, California, George was a hyperactive kid with ADHD who was always involved in school sports. At age seven, he discovered surfing and skateboarding on a Black Knight with clay wheels. Around 1974, …
Follow Micke on Social Media Born in the Badlands of Southern California, Michael “Micke” Alba enjoyed a career as one of the top vert pros from the late 1970s to the late-’80s. Starting out skating freestyle around 1975, Micke switched over to vert at the Bel Air Pool, the Central Pool, the famous L Pool …
Find Judi on Social Media Born and raised in Santa Cruz, California, Judi Oyama started skating in her driveway at age 13 on a homemade board her brother made in wood shop. A few years later, she entered her first slalom competition and promptly crashed, but kept racing–bloody elbow pad, bandages and all. Within a few …
Born in San Jose, California in October 1944, Jim Phillips is a graphic artist best known for his surf and skateboard art. In terms of skateboarding specifically, Jim is responsible for three of the most recognizable logos ever created within the sport: the Santa Cruz “Dot” logo (co-created with Jay Shuirman in 1978), the Independent …
Find Eric on Social Media Eric Dressen was born on September 16, 1967 in Los Angeles, California and got his first skateboard at the age of eight. Only a year later, Eric was discovered by Laura Thornhill while skating a pool in Torrance. Impressed by his obvious natural talents, she introduced him to Skateboarder magazine …
Find Steve on Social Media Having stepped on a skateboard for the first time in third grade, Steve Alba would refine his vertical skateboard skills over the next few years before winning the first pool contest in skateboarding history at the Spring Valley stop of the Hester Series in 1978. From there, the man known …
Follow Duane on Instagram 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 …
Find Henry on Social Media Henry Hester, aka Bad H, started skateboarding in 1959 on a homemade board with steel wheels. Over the next four decades, he would go on to win multiple titles as world slalom champion, and become one of the fastest and best-known downhill racers of all time, in addition to founding …
Find Steve on Social Media Credited with introducing skateboarding to punk rock at the end of the 1970s, along with being the original tester of the Independent Stage 1 truck (which was released in ’78), and whose iconic Santa Cruz Checkerboard model became the first use of full-board graphics on seven-ply laminated maple, Steve Olson …
Find Natas on Social Media Born in 1969 and raised in south Santa Monica, California, Natas, Kaupas along with Mark Gonzales, repurposed Rodney Mullen’s flatground Ollie and outright invented modern street skating. Ollies, kickflips, wall rides, handrails, and, of course, fire hydrants— all became realities through the critical years of 1984 through ’89 thanks to Natas. Originally …
Find NHS on Social Media Founded in 1973 by Richard Novak, Doug Haut, and Jay Shuirman, NHS, Inc. has grown into a veritable empire in skateboarding, consisting of a wide variety of brands, including Independent, Flip, Krux, Ricta, Mob Grip, Nor Cal Clothing, OJ Wheels, Creature, Santa Cruz Skateboards, Santa Cruz Surfboards, Santa Cruz Snowboards, …
