He might be late, but he’s worth the wait. When we’d go to contests, no matter what place he got, he’d hang out and sign autographs after all the other pros had left. Every time someone gave him new clothes, he’d tear off the sleeves or the bottom of his t-shirts and make his own fashion statement. He has that magnetic personality, which I think came from growing up around skateboarding and being able to be yourself. What was cool about Christian was that he’d skate and have fun. As skateboarding grew in popularity, Christian became one of the kings. At the time I met Christian, there were only 17 pros in the world of skateboarding. He got to travel the world, and every weekend he was in a new town skating. Hosoi lived in the heyday of the ’70s and into the ’80s and he carried the ’70s torch through to the next generation. He got sponsored by Dogtown and then moved on to Powell trying to find his way. He was concrete surfing at Marina early on. They set the dream in his eye of what the good life was about, surfing, skating and hanging with your friends.

Those were the influences Christian had when he was 10 years old.

He was around with guys like Jay Adams and Shogo Kubo when they were skating Marina Skatepark back in the day and they were the kings of skateboarding. Through him, you can see the history of skateboarding. A true rockstar, Hosoi's skate celebrity led him to movie roles, modeling, entrepreneurship, as well as all the pitfalls of fame, only to see his star rise again, cementing his resolve and allowing him to shine his prove that his talent is timeless.JUICE MAGAZINE 13 YEAR ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL:Ĭhristian Hosoi is skateboarding. Even as a 14-year-old entering the pro ranks, he exuded the confidence of a veteran and the flair of an artist that shot him to worldwide fame. Recognized by Transworld Skateboarding as the 4th most influential skateboarder of all time, Hosoi's contributions to skating are massive, yet can be boiled down to his signature mix of power and grace on a skateboard. Along with pioneering above the coping, Hosoi's forged his way as a resilient innovator, whose independent spirit has resulted in one of the most colorful careers in skateboarding. With one of the deepest record of contest wins, accolades, accomplishments, benchmarks, and a legacy that continues to grow and inspire new generations, Christian Hosoi's is one of the few skateboarders that truly embodies the tag 'icon.' Since turning pro in 1981, he's navigated his career with so much charisma and individuality that his silhouette alone casts a massive shadow over skating and influence that's undisputed.

Skateboard christian hosoi