Best Skateboarders of All Time Who Made the Sport Hard

Skateboarding is a popular sport, often considered a favourite recreational activity among youngsters, which has now become a profession for many. This tough sport requires lots of courage, agility, and balance. Originating in the United States, this action sport is now famous worldwide and debuted in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. With more and more popularity, this sport has produced several professional skateboarders who do not hesitate to take risks. 

Skateboarding from rails and ramps to large half pipes, these skateboarders are perfect for entertaining their audience with their exceptional skills. Many of these are the best skateboarders of all time. Do you want to meet the greatest skateboarders? Here is the sorted list of the top 10 skateboarders of all time, but before that, explore the sport.

Skateboarding: A Sport Just Beyond Passtime 

Skateboarding is more than just a sport. Born on the streets of California in the late 1940s and early 1950s, skateboarding has evolved over time. At its core, skateboarding involves riding a specially designed-board with wheels. It requires performing tricks and agility. There are several types of skateboarding, including street skating, vert skating, freestyle skating, and bowl skating; each comes with unique techniques and challenges. 

Though skateboarding has become a professional sport today, it is more about competition and performance. It is more of self-expression and creativity. Skaters often develop a unique style and approach to riding. From flips to grinds and slides, possibilities are endless, and innovation is celebrated. With unique skills and physical ability, some skaters have become the best skateboarders of all time. Let’s go through the journey of these greatest skateboard masters. 

Listing Best Skateboarders of All Time

Before listing the best skateboarders, let us inform you that this list is not curated in any particular manner. We have chosen the names of the skateboarders based on their skills and performance in the competition. Here is the list of top 10 best skateboarders of all time. 

 1. Tony Hawk

If there is any name to which skateboard is known, it is Tony Hawk. He is an American skateboarder, entrepreneur, and owner of the skateboard company ‘Birdhouse’. Tony started skateboarding at the age of nine and turned professional at 14. He won 12 World Championships and 13 X Games medals. In his skateboarding career, he participated in 103 professional contests, out of which he won 73 and got second position in 19. Hawk also invented over 80 tricks, making him one of the best skateboarders of all time. 

2. John Rodney Mullen

Another American professional skateboarder on the list is John Rodney Mullen, who is known for his exceptional skills. He is known for his freestyle and street skateboarding and is considered the most influential skateboarder in history. He has invented several tricks in his career, including flatground ollie, kickflip, hellflip, impossible, and 360-flip. As a result, he has been called the ‘Godfather of Freestyle Skateboarding’. John won the first world freestyle skateboard championship at the age of 14. For the rest of his career, he won 34 out of 35 freestyle contests, thus establishing himself as one of the best skateboarders of all time. 

3. Mark Gonzales 

Also known as ‘Gonz’ and ‘The Gonz’, Mark Gonzales is an American professional and known as the Godfather of modern skateboarding. He is also named the ‘Most Influential skateboarder’ by TransWorld Skateboarding Magazine. Started skateboarding at the age of thirteen, Mark has been known as one of the best skateboarders of all time. Mark had a great skateboarding career as he won the 1985 NSA Sure Grip Beach Style Contest. He has been known for freestyle skateboarding and tricks and employs them in the street context. 

4. Nyjah Imani Huston

Nyjah Imani Hutson is an American skateboarder who left no stone unturned to be on the list of the best skateboarders of all time. He began skateboarding at the age of four when most of the kids were busy playing with blocks. Hutson practised skateboarding for five hours daily and soon learned all the tricks that made him a professional. He is good at the competition level, which made him win more competitions than other skateboarders. The winning competition prize money and advertisements from brands like Nike have also made him one of the highest-paid skateboarders. With his skills and exceptional performance, he claimed gold medals at the World Skateboarding Championship in 2014, 2017, and 2019. Not only this, but he also won 12 gold medals in the X Games. 

5. Patti McGee

Patti McGee is one of the most influential and popular skateboarders of the 1960s. She was the first women’s national skateboarder champion and one of the best skateboarders of all time. In a sport largely dominated by males, she proved that there is room for women, too. She started skateboarding with a skateboard made by her brother in the wood shop. With her talent and agility, she made the world record for the fastest girl on the skateboard at 47 mph during Dick Clark’s Wood Teen Fair in 1964. Patti won several skateboarding competitions; one of them was the ‘National Competition,’ which was held in Santa Monica. 

6. Daewon Song 

If there is any creative skateboarder, he is Daewon Song. In the skateboarding sport, nothing is impossible for him. Daewon can skate on rocks, trees, and pretty much everything he sees. He also invented a bunch of tricks that can not be done by anyone; this is what made him an exceptional skater. He was also named the ‘Skater Of The Year’ in 2006, one of the most significant honours by Thrasher magazine, and induction into the Skateboarding Hall Of Fame in 2017. Isn’t all this enough to name him on the list of best skateboarders of all time? Starting his journey at the age of 14, Daewon is currently the co-owner of Thank You Skateboards. 

7. Tony Alva

An American professional skateboarder, entrepreneur, and musician, Tony Alva is a popular face. His style was revolutionary, and he introduced a radical and effective free surf style to skateboarding, placing him on the list of ’30 Most Influential Skateboarders’ in the TransWorld Skateboarding Magazine. He became the USSA World Invitational Skateboard Champion in 1975 and made the Guinness World Record for barrel jumping. In addition to being creative and investing in skating styles, he also worked with Vans to create the first skateboarding-specific shoe. 

8. Stacy Peralta

Stacy, a former professional skateboarder, is currently a film director and entrepreneur. He was 19 when he became one of the best skateboarders of all time and significantly impacted the skateboarding industry. With this achievement, Stacy is also considered the most influential skateboarder. Peralta also founded Bones Brigade, a team consisting of some of the best skateboarders at the time. Without any doubt, Stacy has revolutionised the skateboarding world and brought it to modern skateboarding. 

9. Roberto Dean Silva Burnquist

Brazilian-born American skateboarder Roberto Dean Silva Burnquist, famously known as Bob Burnquist, was the first skateboarder to land a ‘Fakie 900’ in 2010. His successful attempt at 900-degree reverse natural rotation made him the fifth person in history to successfully complete 900 tricks. Bob is reputed for creating innovative vertical tricks in skateboarding. This all made him placed on the list of the best skateboarders of all time. In his career, he won 30 medals (14 Gold, 8 Silver, and 8 Bronze) and was the only person who competed in every single X Games summer event. 

10. Eric Koston 

American professional skateboarder and the owner of The Berrics, Eric Koston, is a popular skateboarder. His teammates and professional skateboarder Bradon Biebel named him the ‘Michael Jordan of skateboarding’ because of his unique skating skills. What made him popular is the video games Skate 2 and Skate 3, in which Electronic Arts featured him. Besides this, he was also featured in the Tony Hawk video game series. 

Skateboarding is a risky sport that involves challenges. These skateboarders put all their efforts and become masters in skateboarding sports. Therefore, they deserve all the respect and attention.