Skateboard Artists of the 1980s

The 1980s were a period of huge growth and development in the skateboarding world, as the sport adapted from vert ramp skateboarding in the first half of the decade to street skating in the second. The sport also had a huge surge in popularity, due primarily to a handful of professional skaters who pushed the limits of skateboarding to a new level.

  1. Tony Alva

    • Tony Alva, professional skateboarding's first world champion, is one of the sport's most influential skaters. One of the original Z-Boys, Alva's aggressive skating style during the 1980s was vastly different from the tricks that the sport had relied on in previous decades. Alva also revolutionized the skating world by establishing Alva Skates, the first skateboarding company owned and operated by a professional skateboarder.

    Tommy Guerrero

    • A key member of the Bones Brigade skateboarding team, Tommy Guerrero won skateboarding's first street-style competition in 1983 and became the sport's first professional street skater the following year when he joined Powell Peralta skateboards. Guerrero won competition after competition throughout the 1980s and also starred in a string of popular skateboarding videos.

    Rodney Mullen

    • Considered to be one of the best, if not the best, skateboarder ever, Rodney Mullen was at the top of the sport in the 1980s. Credited with inventing the kickflip, the flatground ollie, the heelflip and a host of other original tricks, Mullen revolutionized the world of skateboarding for future generations. A freestyle skateboarder throughout most of the 1980s, Mullen shifted toward street skateboarding by the end of the decade.

    Christian Hosoi

    • Known by the nicknames "Christ" and "Holmes," Christian Hosoi was one of the stars of the skateboarding world in the 1980s. He developed a rivalry with fellow vertical skater Tony Hawk, whose big tricks stood in stark contrast to Hosoi's smooth skateboarding style. As street skating became more popular in the second half of the decade, Hosoi proved that he could win competitions in both styles, solidifying his spot as one of the sport's best all-around skaters.

    Tony Hawk

    • Tony Hawk, perhaps the most well-known skateboarder ever, turned professional in 1982 at only 14 years old. By 16, Hawk was dominating the sport, winning nearly every competition he entered. Known as the "Birdman" because of his outrageous, high-flying stunts on the ramp, Hawk was the face of vertical skateboarding in the 1980s.