Chad Muska

Chad Muska (born May 20, 1977 in Lorain, Ohio) is an American professional skateboarder. Over the span of his career he has been sponsored by many companies including Toy Machine, Shorty's, éS Footwear, C1RCA, KR3W, Element Skateboards, Ricta Wheels, and Supra. He resides in Los Angeles, California.

Using earnings from his pro skateboarding career, Muska set up his own makeshift music studio in his Los Angeles home. He later moved to a New York City hotel, the SoHo grand, and produced a hip hop album, MuskaBeatz, featuring stars such as Afrika Bambaataa, Raekwon, Special Ed, KRS-One, Guru, Biz Markie, Flava Flav, Prodigy, and Ice-T.

In early 2004, Muska started to step away from the skateboarding industry and became a figure in the Hollywood club scene. Around this time he also befriended Paris Hilton. In August 2006, while DJing at a club in Los Angeles at which Muska regularly spins, he had a scuffle with Kevin Connolly over comments made about Nicky Hilton. Muska was then escorted out of the club.[1] Several reports have surfaced with different claims about who started the fight and who got hurt.

In late 2005 Muska started to make a comeback into the industry. He left long-time sponsor Shorty's Skateboards in July 2006 and was developing a new project,[2] although he then joined Element that November. His current sponsors are Supra Footwear, KR3W Apparel, Element Skateboards, Ricta Wheels, Mob Griptape, Independent Trucks, Rockstar Energy Drink and Brooklyn Projects. He has a high-top signature shoe from Supra called the Skytop.

He has been featured in the first six Tony Hawk games, from THPS to THUG2, and in Shorty's Skateboard's films Guilty, Toysoldierz, Fulfill The Dream, How To Go Pro, and Bak2Basics. He appeared in the latest Element skateboards project, "Go Skateboarding Day", entitled, This Is My Element.

Muska has also made cameos in music videos, such as singer Kelis' "Bossy", N*E*R*D's "Rock Star", and the Handsome Boy Modeling School's "The World's Gone Bad", and later was featured in HBO's Entourage.

Mike Vallely

Mike Vallely (pronounced VAL-uh-lee; born June 29, 1970), a.k.a. Mike V, is an American professional skateboarder.

Vallely was born in Edison, New Jersey and resides in Long Beach, California. He is the singer in the hardcore band Revolution Mother and in the punk rock band Mike V & the Rats. He also sang for Black Flag on their 2003 reunion shows in Los Angeles. He was the singer for the part of the show where the band played the entire My War album. He is on the Element Skateboards team as a pro skater. Vallely was featured in the popular Tony Hawk's Pro Skater video game series. Vallely is also a big fan of the NHL's Anaheim Ducks, as he writes a blog on the Ducks' official website. Vallely also has a wife Ann and two children, Emily and Lucy.

Mike Vallely started skateboarding in the autumn of 1984 and was sponsored only two years later in the summer of 1986 by Powell Peralta. That same summer he was the NSA National Amateur Streetstyle Champion and appeared on the cover of Thrasher Magazine.

Vallely turned pro in 1987 and in 1988 he moved to California from his native state of New Jersey and his first pro model skateboard was released by Powell Peralta.

In 1989 he left Powell Peralta to help form World Industries Skateboards which revolutionized the skateboard industry.

In 1992 Vallely married his longtime girlfriend Ann and in December of that year their daughter Emily was born.

In 1995 Vallely won the first annual Skatepark Of Tampa Pro Street Contest in Tampa, Florida and competed in the first ever X-Games.

In 1997 Vallely traveled to China to do the very first professional skateboard demonstrations in that country.

In 1998 Etnies Footwear released Mike V’s first signature skateboard shoe.

In the summer of 2001 Vallely joined Tony Hawk on his Gigantic Skatepark Tour and would go on to be featured on many of Hawk’s tours and video games including Tony Hawk Underground, Tony Hawk's American Wasteland and Tony Hawk's Project 8

In 2002 Build Worldwide released the documentary film DRIVE detailing Vallely’s career, his passion for skateboarding and his dedication to the skateboard community. That same year Vallely formed his band Mike V And The Rats as well as recorded his first solo record with Pittsburgh singer / songwriter Joe Grushecky.

In 2003 Vallely performed with Black Flag as a guest vocalist at the Black Flag Reunion Show at the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California.

In 2005 Fuel TV began airing Vallely’s television series, DRIVE: Notes From The Wilderness and Sportskool began airing Mike V’s Video On Demand skateboard instructional segments on digital cable. Vallely currently resides in Long Beach, California with his wife and their two daughters. He continues to pursue his music with his new band Revolution Mother formed in November 2005.

Vallely is an avid ice hockey fan and player. He has done charity work for the NHL and is currently working with the Anaheim Ducks to promote hockey in Southern California. Vallely is a board member of the Tony Hawk Foundation which helps fund skateparks nationwide and also sits on the board of the Patrick Kerr Skateboard Scholarship which funds college scholarships for skateboarders.

Sandro vs. Shaun

The Skateboard Vert competition at the Portland stop of the Dew Tour is really anyone’s game -- Bucky Lasek, Bob Burnquist, Sandro Dias, Shaun White. Really, any of them could take it, but the competition between Dias and White should really be one to watch.

White is a relative newcomer on the Vert scene. He enjoyed his first pro win at the Louisville Dew Tour stop in 2005 and has been on fire every since, although his most impressive accomplishments (can you say Olympic Gold?) have come with him strapped on to his snowboard. Dias, on the other hand, is seasoned, to say the least, with almost ten years as a Vert pro under his belt. He was the third person to land a 900 on a skateboard and remains the only person to do it in his run in timed competition.

But for all of Dias’s experience and skills, the young gun White has been giving him a serious run for his money. First off, it was always Dias whose name was synonymous with amplitude, that is, until White started blasting his snowboard-style airs out of the vert ramp. And although he did not succeed in his attempts to land the 1080 at the X Games, White is as close as possible to landing it and will no doubt be the first one to pull it off. Okay, so the 900 will still be impressive, but a 1080? What’s next, a double backflip on a motorcycle? Oh, wait...

Anyway, back to White and Dias. The 2006 season has been impressive for both but in Denver, White took away Dias’s gold, or at least, some saw it that way. Dias threw down one of the best runs of this life, only to have White take it all with his remarkable amplitude and trickery.

Then at X Games it was payback time. Dias was on. He threw down a run to match his second-place run in Denver and took home his first X Games Vert gold medal. What about White? He had trouble sticking his run and ended up in 8th. Dias was no doubt ecstatic about his win, but it probably would have been a bit more sweet to do it when White was on.

Fellow Vert competitor Bucky Lasek says it’s hard to compare the two skaters. “Sandro is more fluid, more flowy, more stylish, and Shaun has more bangers and has his run more dialed.” But, he predicts, “If Sandro pulls out the 900 it will be all over.”

In Portland, White looks to defend his Denver win and also get back on the horse after faltering at X Games. Dias is floating high off his gold and would love to beat the 18-year-old snowboard sensation (and of course, everyone else). Both skaters have had trouble with consistency in the past, but if they are both on in Portland, it should be a close match and an exciting show.

Jereme Rogers, Nyjah, and Rodolfo Clinch Top 3

As if it wasn’t hot enough here in Denver at the Right Guard Open, the boys of skate park decided to really crank up the heat at the park finals. During Thursday's park prelims Rodolfo Ramos took first, Nyjah Huston second, Kyle Berard third, and 16 year-old ladykiller Ryan Sheckler finished in ninth. And they all came to Friday’s finals ready to fight to the finish.

And the spectators came ready for a serious show. The bleachers were packed like sardine cans with raving fans. The energy in the park was electric. In between sessions they had interviews with today’s vert skate prelim winner Pierre-Luc Gagnon and FMX favorite Travis Pastrana. Plus, they were giving away crazy loot: signed boards, tshirts and all kinds of other shwag that sent the crowd screaming. All I gotta say is these Dew Tour peeps know how to put on a good show.

Oh, and then there was the real show. The skate park finals were divided into three events: a single run and two jam sessions for the top riders. We watched Sheckler tear it up on the flat rails nailing kickflip 50-50’s and frontside nose grinds left and right. Not bad for someone who did a little accidental firewalking just a couple of weeks ago at a 4th of July beach bonfire. Nyjah looked totally solid yet again. This kid is fast becoming one of the most consistent riders on the circuit. He was pulling big heel flips over the center box, backside lipslides, 5-0’s and backside tailslide to fakies down the flat rail, and too many other tricks to name.

Jereme Rogers was all about switch. Switch tailslides to fakie down the flat rail. Switch feeble grinds to fakie. You name it. He was doing it… switch. Chad Bartie rocked out to the classic tunes of AC/DC and doing big, gooey tailslides on the big wall. Rodolpho had a stellar first run with a big, floating kickflip over the center box and a frontside 180 crooked grind to fakie on the flat rail.

And finally, I can’t forget to mention Eric Koston. Everyone was surprised to see the multi-gold medal-winning legendary skater show up at the prelims Thursday. And a welcome surprise it was. Eric’s got such great style and such a positive attitude. He was smiling ear to ear skating long after the buzzer sounded for his run to end. He was just having so much fun he couldn’t stop.

So, after round one, which consisted of single runs from each skater, and jam session #1 the standings looked like this: Jereme Rogers in first, Nyjah Huston in second, Rodolpho Ramos third, Ryan Sheckler fourth, and Eric Koston in fifth. Fans were on the edge of their seats as the second jam session started up. All five riders on the course at the same time trying to secure top-three finishes makes for a crazy show. And when the smoke had cleared… the standings remained the same! Rogers took first. Nyjah took second. And Rodolpho took third. Sheckler had to settle for fourth, but hey, you can't win all the time. He'll be back for the Portland stop of the Dew Tour - so ladies: there'll be plenty more of him to see.

Bucky Lasek wins one

I had the honor of standing next to an awe-struck Steve Caballero to watch today’s Skate Vert Finals. In between his oohs and ahs as he went nuts over each consecutive performance, he looked at me and said, “It’s come a long way, man.” Indeed.

Bucky Lasek’s first round score of 91.75 put him in the lead heading into round two, and held strong to give him his first win on this Dew Tour. Lasek, the returning 2005 Dew Tour champion, was the overall points leader coming into this event but had yet to place higher than second in previous events. His winning run included a nollie heelflip to fakie, a frontside heelflip gay twist, and a huge frontside Caballaerial – a tribute nod to the local legend that was respectfully made by nearly every skater here at some point during the Toyota Challenge Prelims and Finals.

Lasek’s win didn’t come easy: 2nd and 3rd place finishers Sandro Dias and Bob Burnquist were skating at the top of their game, and some of the skaters further down the list were skating better than we’ve seen all summer: Rune Glifberg, Tas Pappas, Lincoln Ueda and Mathias Ringstrom each had runs that might have put them in the top three if they’d each held on for one more second. In a contest this close, the difference between 44 and 45 seconds of quality skateboarding is huge.

After the contest, Burnquist – who limped into the Toyota Challenge with a cane and a broken toe – made several just-barely 900 attempts. He was having more difficulty walking up the stairs to the roll in deck than he was attempting the trick! He one-footed two landings before giving up and heading in for painkillers.

After the contest I had time to ask Steve Caballero one quick question to sum up his reaction to the contest: Cab was a hero of mine when I started skating back in the 80s, and I wanted to know what he thought the 80s version of himself would have been most surprised about by the state of skateboarding, circa 2006.

“I’m so impressed by the tricks – I never imagined that the progression of the sport would go so far,” said Caballero.

“Back in the 1980s it felt like it had peaked, and there was nothing much you could do afterwards. But with years gone by, it’s proven that the sport keeps progressing further and further. It goes to show you: keep an open mind and stay positive, and don’t limit yourself as far as thinking anything is impossible. That’s the lesson you have to take from watching guys like these. The guys who keep their minds fresh, try new things, and take risks are the guys who are progressing the sport. Bucky, Sandro, Bob, and the rest of these guys deserve everything they’ve got coming to them.”

Lasek now leads in the overall points race, with 313 points heading into the Playstation Pro, the final Dew Tour stop next month in Orlando. To shake things up, Sandro Dias would need to win in Orlando, with Lasek in 4th place or lower. Otherwise, Lasek will be adding to his collection of Toyotas and drinking from the Dew Cup.

Nyjah Huston

Once in a great while, an athlete emerges from the long shadows of a sports’ top competitors to remind them that glory is fleeting and fame is only temporary. In skateboarding, this inevitable sea-change is happening now. The athlete’s name is Nyjah Huston of Davis, California, and at an astounding eleven-years-old he's bringing a blistering heat to the ramps that's causing his well established competitors to break out in a cold sweat.

Some cynics are calling this young park assassin a flash-in-the-pan. Only time will tell if that's the case. But to be so irrefutably talented at age 11? Huston appears to have all it takes to make high-ranking veterans twice his age -- and thirty-something standouts like Ronnie Creager and Element teammate Chris Senn -- wondering if their days are numbered.

For those who have yet to experience it, watching Nyjah creates an instant sense of duality. He appears utterly unfazed by the glitz-blitz that surrounds current pro skate events. Liberated from the pressure of high expectations, Nyjah takes flight with a poise and confidence that lifts the spirit of all onlookers. It's as if he's simply there for the joy of finding that zone where the only thing that matters is having fun. The five-digit paydays are just icing on the cake. He has the smile of a Boy Scout, the self-assurance of a gladiator, and the air of a carefree youngster, all crammed into a frame that makes you wonder if he could pass the height requirement for the rides at Six Flags.

Not that Nyjah cares; who needs and amusement park when you can shred the Park Finals on the pro skate circuit the way he did last month in Louisville. Even though he placed second behind 16 year-old Ryan Shackler (a red-hot pistol in his own right) Huston so ignited the crowd and the judges that Panasonic and the Kentucky Sports Authority presented him with the first ever Kentucky Unbridled Spirit Award for Action Sports. How’s that for standing tall?

Nyjah’s next duel-on-the-decks comes this week at the next stop of the Dew Action Sport Tour: The Right Guard Open. Tongues are already wagging in anticipation, wondering if he can pull off a history-making upset against a talented field of established competitors. If he does, he'll be one of the youngest to ever do so. For Huston, though, one gets the impression that respect and adulation aren't a big part of what he's seeking. Not yet, anyway. For the time being, He's just here to slay another rail, and plant a smile across the face of anyone who ever landed a trick.

Ali baloula dipenjara

Satu lagi skateboarder profesional terkenal harus merasakan hidup di penjara. Ali Boulala mendapat tuntutan 2 tahun penjara karena mengendarai sepeda motor dalam keadaan mabuk sehingga terjadi kecelakaan. Tragedi naas tersebut menyebabkan kematian Shane Cross juga seorang profesional skateboarder yang pada saat itu sedang berboncengan dengan Ali. Pada darah Ali ditemukan kadar alkohol sebanyak .162 sedangkan darah Cross hanya pada level .18.

Berawal dari keduanya Ali dan Cross nongkrong bareng di Cherry Bar, Gold Coast, Australia. Mereka berencana pergi ke rumah seorang teman Cross mengendarai motor. Ali berada diposisi kemudi dan cross dibelakangnya. Mereka sempat berputar 2 - 3 kali di depan sebuah hotel sebelum mereka menabrak dinding hotel, diperkirakan kecepatan motor saat itu sekitar 30 km/jam sekitar jam 01.00 malam. Pada saat terjadinya kecelakaan keduanya tidak memakai helm. Ali mengalami cedera otak sehingga harus dirawat selama 3 bulan di rumah sakit dan mengalami trauma amnesia paska kecelakaan selama 65 hari. Shane Cross tidak tertolong ketika tiba di rumah sakit.

Tragedi ini sangat disayangkan karena Ali Boulala dikawatirkan sudah tidak dapat bermain skate secara normal dikarenakan cedera serius di bagian kakinya. ita juga kehilangan seorang talented skateboarder Shane Cross.