Jake Brown Basic Bio Information:

* Name: Jake Brown
* Gender: Male
* Hometown: Sydney, Australia
* Date of Birth: September 6, 1974
* Family: married to April Brown
* Occupation: Pro Skateboarder
* Started Skating: 1987
* Started Competing: 1996
* Turned Pro: 1997
* Favored Discipline: Vert
* #1 Sponsor: Blind
* Stance: Regular

Jake Brown Skateboarding Style and Strengths: Jake Brown has some of the hardest vert skateboarding tricks dialed in, like 720s and his double kickflip mute. However, in competitions, Jake Brown tends to go for the biggest tricks, which often backfires if he doesn't land them. But skating conservatively is not Jake Brown's style, and his mastery of technical and flip tricks lead him to his first X Games gold finally in 2006. Jake Brown is known for being soft spoken about his incredible skating, and for his sly sense of humor (ESPN).
Jake Brown Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks: Jake says he likes the tailgrab 540 and backside airs, and grinds.
Jake Brown Skateboarding Career Highlights:
2004 - First in Vert at LG Action Sports Tour, Beijing, China
2005 - First in Vert Best Trick at Globe World Cup, Australia
2005 - Second in Vert at LG Action Sports Tour, Paris, France
2005 - Won "Best Vert Skater" from TransWorld Skateboard Magazine
2006 - Won silver in big air at X Games
2007 - Won silver at X Games in Big Air, where he also fell 50 feet and walked away from it!
Jake Brown Personal History: Jake Brown's parents divorced when he was young, and he lived with his mom, riding horses and going to dog shows. In his early teens, Jake Brown gave up soccer for skateboarding, and eventually moved from Sydney to Melbourne to be able to skate more. In 1996, Jake Brown competed in his first pro event, the Slam City Jam, and in 1997, he moved to California. Jake Brown now lives in Carlsbad with his wife April, who works at a Biotech firm.
Jake Brown Interesting Fact: Jake Brown had a famous crash in the 2007 X Games Big Air competition. Jake Brown was leading as he went into his last run. He landed a huge 720 jump over the gap, but as he went up off the quarter pipe at the end of the Mega Ramp, he lost control of his skateboard and fell, running in air, 50 feet. Jake Brown fell hard, the crowd was shocked, but Brown got up and walked away from the fall! He still won a silver medal for his previous run - his first X Games medal

Greg Lutzka Basic Bio Information:

* Name: Greg Lutzka (LUTS-ka)
* Gender: Male
* Height: 6'
* Weight: 140 lbs
* Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA
* Born: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
* Date of Birth: April 20, 1984
* Family: Jeff and Lori (dad and mom), and Andy (brother)
* Occupation: Pro Skateboarder
* Began Skating: 1997
* Started Competing: 1998
* Turned Pro: 2001
* Favored Discipline: Street
* #1 Sponsor: Globe shoes
* Stance: Goofy
* Setup: Almost deck, Independent trucks, FKD bearings, Bones wheels, Globe shoes

Greg Lutzka Skateboarding Style and Strengths: Lutzka is a technical skater, who likes to incorporate kickflip combos into his runs - runs that usually seem to hit most everything on the course. Greg Lutzka loves to try new things and challenge himself, and this style shows in his skateboarding.
Greg Lutzka Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks: "I just pretty much love to skate everything. I love to go out and ride my skateboard, pools, vert, street, stuff that's out of the ordinary. I like to try everything because it builds your skill around the whole ballpark. I don't want to be categorized in one particular way or moment." (EXPN)
Greg Lutzka Skateboarding Career Highlights:
2003 - Took first in Street at Globe World Championships in Dortmund, Germany
2004 - Won silver in Street at Gravity Games
2004 - Ranked third in world and 4th in North America in World Cup Skateboarding's year end rankings for Street
2004 - Placed second in the Vans Triple Crown year end rankings for Street
2005 - Won silver at X Games in Street
2005 - Featured in video "Almost Round 3"
2006 - Won first at Slam City Jam
2006 - Won first at Toronto West 49
2006 - Ranked first in street for world rankings for World Cup Skateboarding
Greg Lutzka Personal History: Greg Lutzka grew up playing hockey in Milwaukee. After 9 years of hockey, in 6th grade, Lutzka came home from a hockey camp and simply decided to ride a skateboard instead. He was in competitions by age 13, and in 2004 he and a couple of friends moved out to Huntington Beach, California. The move allowed him to skate with other pros, and get into more magazine photo shoots. His career has exploded over the last few years, as he has rocketed into first place over and over. But, he still likes to go back to Milwaukee each Christmas because he says, "I gotta have the snow!"
Greg Lutzka Interesting Facts: Australia is one of Greg Lutzka's favorite places to visit - he calls it, "The clean America."
Greg Lutzka Quote: About his approach to big skate contests, Greg Lutzka says, "I pretty much just go out there and think of it as skating and having fun with my friends. When I start thinking too much about it being a contest, it gets to be too much for my head. If I'm having fun I'll do a lot better than if I stress to do well." (EXPN

Geoff Rowley Basic Bio Information:

* Name: Geoff Rowley
* Gender: Male
* Height: 5'8"
* Weight: 145 lbs
* Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA
* Born: Liverpool, Great Brittan
* Date of Birth: June 6, 1976
* Family: Geoffrey and Ruth (mom and dad), and Louise (sister)
* Occupation: Pro Skateboarder
* Began Skating: 1989
* Started Competing: 1990
* Turned Pro: 1994
* Favored Discipline: Street
* #1 Sponsor: Flip & Vans
* Stance: Regular
* Setup: Flip deck, Ricta wheels, Independent trucks

Geoff Rowley Skateboarding Style and Strengths: Rowley is known for his incredible street skills. He is also famous for taking on big tricks: huge handrail tricks, stair drops, and the like. Geoff Rowley is also freakishly good at technical skating, and seems to have flip tricks in his back pocket. In 2005, Thrasher magazine said Geoff Rowley was, "tough as nails, crazy as a fox, and ready for more."
Geoff Rowley Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks: Geoff Rowley doesn't so much have a favorite trick, as he loves big gaps, big handrail tricks, and flip tricks. He seems to know every flip trick known to humanity.
Geoff Rowley Skateboarding Career Highlights:
1995 - Competed in first X Games, taking 7th
1998 - Joined Flip
2000 - Thrasher's Skater of the Year
2003 - Featured in Flip's first video, "Sorry", which won Best Video from TransWorld Skateboarding 2005 - Nominated as one of Thrasher magazine's "15 Most Loved Skaters of All Time."
Geoff Rowley Personal History: Geoff Rowley was born in Liverpool, Great Brittan. At 12 years old, he saw some other kids at his school get skateboards. Says Rowley, "I had seen them skating and I started having a go on their boards. Happiness came forth." He went on to say, "As a little kid, all I wanted to do was be a little bastard and travel and mess around. You can do that in skateboarding, and that was OK." (EXPN) In the late 90's, Geoff Rowley moved to California, and only sees his parents once in a while now, but he still calls Liverpool one of his hometowns. He now does a lot of skating for videos, focusing on unique locations.
Geoff Rowley Interesting Facts: Neither of Rowley's parents have ever seen him skate, and he plans on keeping it that way. He also loves to hunt, and read about hunting, though he says he prefers to photograph animals instead of killing them. He started hunting when he was 15 years old.
Geoff Rowley Quote: On competitions, Geoff Rowley told EXPN, "I am about competing. I like contests. I just won't go to any these days

Eric Koston Basic Bio Information:

* Name: Eric Koston
* Gender: Male
* Hometown: Los Angeles, California
* Date of Birth: April 29, 1975
* Family: Single
* Occupation: Pro Skater, Co-owner of Fourstar Clothing Company
* Began Skating: 1986
* First Sponsored: 1991
* Turned Pro: 1993
* Favored Discipline: Street
* Stance: Goofy
* #1 Sponsors: Girl Skateboards, eS Footwear, Fourstar

Eric Koston Skateboarding Style and Strengths: Eric Koston is a fearless skater. He has technical skill combined with the willingness to try out new, untested tricks in the middle of a competition. Eric Koston is one of the few ultra successful pro skateboarders who retains his reputation for throwing everything he's got into every competition he comes across, be it the X Games, or Koston's famous games of SKATE.
Eric Koston Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks: Eric Koston's signature trick is the K grind, or crooked grind. The K is for Koston. Though he didn't in fact invent the trick, he was the first person to show it to the world in a video. Eric Koston has a battery of other tricks that he has invented.
Eric Koston Skateboarding Career Highlights:
1993 - Helped start Fourstar Clothing Company
2000 - Eric Koston won Globe World Contest, X Games and Gravity Games
2001 - won TransWorld Skateboarding Best Video part for his segment in eS Menikati
2002 - won gold in Gravity Games Street
2003 - won gold in X Games Street competition
2005 - Listed in Thrasher's '15 Most Loved Skaters of All Time'
2005 - Koston's Game of SKATE went international, with 24 contests world wide, and the winner competing against pros in the fall.
Eric Koston Personal History: Eric Koston's father, Bob, was in the airforce when he and Eric's mom met. Wanida, Eric's mom, was from Thailand. Eric was born in Bangkok, and moved to the states at 9 months old. His parents were divorced when he was only 5, and Eric grew up in San Bernardino, CA. Eric's older brother Chris gave him his first skateboard. Eric later went to a skate camp in MI, and met Eddie Elguera. This is where Eric realized his potential as a professional skateboarder.
Eric Koston Interesting Fact: Eric Koston plays basketball on an NBA Entertainment league in the winter. The team is called the Maverics, and he plays with Ashton Kutcher, Justin Timberlake and Mike Marlin to name a few. Eric also loves to play golf.
Eric Koston Quote: From skatinghazard.com - "The progression of skateboarding seems to be getting more technical with a flip into a slide then a flip back out as well as going down bigger rails and down more stairs. I like to do all that stuff, especially when it feels good. I don't stick myself into one type of style, I would get bored with that

Danny Way Basic Bio Information:

* Name: Danny Way
* Gender: Male
* Height: 6'1"
* Weight: 180 lbs
* Hometown: San Diego, California
* Date of Birth: April 15th, 1974 in Portland, Oregon
* Family: wife Kari Way, sons Ryden and Tavin Way
* Occupation: Professional Skateboarder
* Started Skating: 1978
* Started Competing: 1984
* Turned Pro: 1989
* Favored Discipline: Vert / Mega Ramp
* #1 Sponsor: DC
* Stance: Regular
* Setup: Plan B 81/4 x 35 1/2 board (extra thick 7 ply), extra stiff trucks

Danny Way Skateboarding Style and Strengths: Danny Way is continually pushing himself and his skateboarding to the next level. A daredevil and showman's spirit drive him. Danny Way is also perfectly at peace with the cost of pushing himself in this way, understanding that there will be yet another injury to work through, another rehabilitation. Danny Way is aggressive, calculated, inventive, and knows what he needs to do and is willing to do it.
Danny Way Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks: More than favorite tricks, Danny Way seems to always want to change up the environment, and try something all together new. To the X Games interviewers he said, "I go through phases. I get bored and like to keep progressing with new and different terrain."
Danny Way Skateboarding Career Highlights:
1991 - won Thrasher Skater of the Year
1995 - won gold at X Games High Air (not Big Air)
1995 - broke his neck surfing
2000 - first of 7 knee surgeries. Danny's ACL has been replaced 3 times
2003-2004 - won Trans World Skateboarding Best Vert Skater (both years)
2004 - won Thrasher Skater of the Year (first skater to win this award twice)
2004-2005 - won gold at Big Air competition at X Games (both years)
2005 - jumped Great Wall of China (first non-motorized jump of wall in history)
Danny Way Personal History: Danny Way's father died when Danny was 8 months old. He went through a rough childhood with his mother working hard as a single parent. His mother re-married, and Danny Way gives credit to his step dad for his introduction to skating. Danny also played football and baseball, but quit for skateboarding. At age 15, Danny Way went through what he calls a "destructive era". He now loves to fish, as a way to get away from the world. He plays guitar, skates, and rides motorcycles with his boys.
Danny Way Interesting Fact: Danny Way is a Co-Founder of DC Shoe Co USA (the "D" of DC).
Danny Way Quote: "That's what we're operating on today!" Danny Way said this as he pulled off his sock and put his bruised, bloated, fractured ankle on the table in the press room at X Games 11, right after winning gold on the mega ramp. Danny originally fractured his ankle a few weeks prior, when jumping the Ju Yu Gong Gate, of the Great Wall of China

Dan MacFarlane Basic Bio Information:

* Name: Dan MacFarlane
* Gender: Male
* Height: 5'10"
* Weight: 170 lbs
* Hometown: Houston
* Birthday: December 9th
* Occupation: Pro Skateboarder, Instructor
* Began Skating: 1986
* Started Competing: 1989 as an amateur vert and mini ramp skater. 1993 as a street skater, and 2002 as a street pro
* Turned Pro: 2002
* Favored Discipline: Streetstyle
* Stance: Goofy
* #1 Sponsor: Mentality
* Setup: 7.75 Dan MacFarlane Mentality, 52 mm Mentality wheels, Bones Swiss bearings, Low profile Independent trucks (loose), Shorty's Silverados bolts, Mentality Grip tape

Dan MacFarlane Skateboarding Style and Strengths: Dan is a well rounded shredder who adds in a fair share of technical skill. His consistency and versatility set him appart, plus a good dose of creativity (Dan MacFarlane has created some trick variations over the years)
Dan MacFarlane Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks: "Backside 270 to frontside tailslides, Switch varial heelflips, nollie frontside caballerials, Switch 180 to smith grinds, manuals. I recently came up with a new variation to me, I am calling it a Barley stall to 270 out." Check out the Barley stall to 270 out sequence.
Dan MacFarlane Skateboarding Career Highlights:
1990 - First sponsored by Skatepark of Houston
1993 - Took 4th place in Shut Up and Skate, Street Division, and shown in 411 #3
1995 - Began instructing in skateboarding at the Encinitas YMCA (Instructed Shaun White there. He was
1996 - First major sponsor, Formula One Skateboards (Omar Hassan's company)
2000 - 8th place Vans Am World Championships
2001 - 1st Place Damn Am
2002 - Turned pro for Vision
2003 - 17th Overall by Vans TripleCrown as a Pro
2003 - started Mentality Skateboards
2006 - made Skateboarding Explained, the instructional video
Dan MacFarlane Personal History: Dan MacFarlane was introduced to skateboarding in 1986 by his brother John, plus the Back to the Future movie. He was influenced at first by the Bones Brigade and Tony Hawk, then H-Street and the original Plan B. In 1990 MacFarlane was sponsored by the Skatepark of Houston, but a couple of years later a broken ankle combined with vert’s sudden drop in popularity forced MacFarlane to expand to street. MacFarlane went though a turbulent time with various sponsors, and focused more on his shredding. He now runs Mentality Skateboards, released the Skateboarding Explained DVD, and is back in the competition circuit.
Dan MacFarlane Interesting Facts: Dan MacFarlane is trained in mixed martial arts by UFC fighter Yves Edwards! He says that the stuff he learned in MMA helped him become a better skateboarder and instructor.
Dan MacFarlane Quote: "The only limits you have are the limits you set on yourself

Corey Duffel Basic Bio Information:

* Name: William Corey Duffel
* Gender: Male
* Height: 6'2"
* Weight: 160 lbs
* Hometown: Walnut Creek
* Date of Birth: April 11, 1984
* Family: "The best"
* Occupation: Pro Skateboarder / "Burger Eater"
* Began Skating: age 10
* Started Competing: doesn't
* Turned Pro: age 18
* Stance: Goofy
* Setup: "The one I like best"

Corey Duffel Skateboarding Style and Strengths: Duffel says, "I aint trying to toot my own horn. I jus wanna roll and get my kicks."
Corey Duffel Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks: "I like to ollie and bomb hills."
Corey Duffel Skateboarding Career Highlights: "I'm jus siked to ride a skateboard and travel with my friends."
Corey Duffel Personal History: "I got a skateboard for my 10th birthday from my mom. It was fun, and I jus kept riding it and having fun. And over a few years s*** just happened. I'm jus influenced my firneds and music, my family is rad too."
Corey Duffel Interesting Facts: "I fancy brers and fries the most with a coke

Colin McKay Basic Bio Information:

* Name: Colin McKay
* Gender: Male
* Hometown: Vancouver, BC Canada
* Date of Birth: August 29, 1975
* Family: Single
* Occupation: Pro Skater, Co-Owner of RDS Skate Supply / Center Distribution
* Began Skating: 1986
* Began Competing: 1987
* Turned Pro: 1992
* Favored Discipline: Vert
* Stance: Goofy
* #1 Sponsor: DC Shoes

Colin McKay Skateboarding Style and Strengths: Colin focuses on inventing and pulling off complicated technical combinations that no one has ever seen before. This "best trick" style makes his skateboarding perfect for skateboarding videos, and he's starred in several huge ones (the DC Video, Yeah Right!, the Red Dragon video, and more).
Colin McKay Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks: "I like backside tail slides - the simple tricks, not the difficult ones. The simple tricks that I can do well. Like backside tailslides, backside ollies, stuff like that."
Colin McKay Skateboarding Career Highlights:
1995 - won Slam City Jam
1997 - won Slam City Jam
1999 - Colin McKay action figure came out
1999 - won silver in X Games (Vert Best Trick)
2000 - won silver in X Games (Vert Best Trick)
2003 - appeared in the movie Grind 2005 - Colin McKay and Danny Way resurrected Plan B Skateboards
Colin McKay Personal History: Colin McKay grew up in the skateboarding mecca of Vancouver, BC Canada. He started skating at the age of 10, but says he had to work to get good at it. In 1986 he saw Tony Hawk at the Vancouver Expo, and Colin began to think about becoming a pro skater. From 2001 to 2004, Colin has 8 serious shoulder surgeries, but still kept skating professionally. Now, he and long time friend Danny Way are building homes and a skateboarding compound on Kauai, for filming, skating, and enjoying life.
Colin McKay Interesting Fact: Colin McKay has a little minpin dog named Reggie, who goes with him everywhere (you see Reggie in the DC video, during the part with Danny Way practicing on the DC ramps).
Colin McKay Quote: On what he loves about skateboarding: "I love the feeling, the sensation that it gives me especially like landing a trick, riding away, there's no better feeling

Chris Cole Basic Bio Information:

* Name: Chris Cole
* Gender: Male
* Height: 6"1'
* Weight: 186 lbs
* Hometown: Levittown, PA
* Date of Birth: March 10, 1982
* Family: single, mother Jennifer Cole and brother Dr. Kevin Cole
* Occupation: Professional Skateboarder
* Started Skating: 1990
* Started Competing: 1993
* Turned Pro: 2000
* Favored Discipline: Street
* Sponsors: Fallen, Zero
* Stance: Regular

Chris Cole Skateboarding Styles and Strengths: Jamie Thomas says Chris Cole can "go to any spot, it doesn't matter what it is - a ditch, a quarterpipe, a ledge, a bank, a rail - and he can do anything." Chris Cole is also known for being extremely consistent, something important for competitions. He also says that his larger size makes some of his tricks look small.
Chris Cole Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks: As funny as it sounds, Chris Cole's favorite trick is the ollie. He says he loves to be going really fast and and ollie over short, steep gaps. He's also well known for skating as well switch as he does regular (sometimes even better!).
Chris Cole Skateboarding Career Highlights:
2004 - First place in Street Best Trick, Tampa Pro (also took 4th in Street)
2005 - Gold in Gravity Games, Street
2005 - 16 page spread in Skateboard Mag (June)
2005 - First signature shoe (Fallen)
2005 - Featured in final part in Zero or Die video
2005 - Bronze in skateboard Street at X Games
Chris Cole Personal History: Chris Cole says, "I started skating when I was about 8 or 9, right at the decline in skateboarding, right when everybody quit. I was once a kid who skated out in front of my house on a curb for two years - alone. I never skated anywhere else." Chris Cole was a skate rat though and through, and became pro though sponsor-me videos, instead of competitions. Chris Cole still gets nervous at competitions and doesn't like them, but does incredibly well even so.
Chris Cole Interesting Fact: Chris Cole waited 6 years to get his drivers license.
Chris Cole Quote: "I need to live up to my potential, wherever that may be, in all aspects of my life. My head gets in the way, and I need to look at the big picture - that this is the best, and I am living my dream

Bucky Lasek Basic Bio Information:

* Name: Bucky Lasek (LASS-ick)
* Gender: Male
* Height: 5'10"
* Weight: 165 lbs
* Hometown: Baltimore, MD
* Date of Birth: Dec. 3, 1972
* Family: Married to Jennifer Lasek, 2 daughters Devin and Paris
* Occupation: Pro Skateboarder
* Began Skating: 1985
* Started Competing: 1986
* Turned Pro: 1990
* Favored Discipline: Vert
* #1 Sponsor: Billabong
* Stance: Regular
* Setup: Element pro board, Independent trucks, Random hardware, Type-S wheels and Swiss bearings

Bucky Lasek Skateboarding Style and Strengths: Bucky Lasek is a consistent and skilled pro skater. One of the few professional skateboarders who can pull off an entire vert run switch, Bucky Lasek is a powerful force in competitions. Bucky Lasek is also highly innovative and aggressive, and strongly motivated to conquer new skateboarding territory, though he sticks to vert.
Bucky Lasek Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks: According to an X Games interview (2005) - "Ones that look as good as they feel. It's all about what feels good and satisfies yourself. Backside smith grinds feel sick. That's what great skateboarding, tricks that I've done in the past can feel just as sick as new ones."
Bucky Lasek Skateboarding Career Highlights:
1999 - X Games gold (vert best trick)
2000 - X Games gold (vert)
2003 - 2 X Games golds (vert, vert doubles)
2004 - X Games gold (vert)
2004 - First at Slam City Jam (vert)
2004 - First at Vans Triple Crown #2 and #3 (vert)
2004 - First at West 49 Canadian Open (vert Best Trick)
2004 - First in Vans Triple Crown and World Cup Skate year end rankings
2005 - Gold at Gravity Games (vert)
2005 - Opened Bucky's Burritos in Newburyport, MA
2005 - First in Dew Action Sports Tour overall rankings (vert)
Bucky Lasek Personal History: Bucky Lasek picked up skateboarding at the age of 12, when his bicycle was stolen. His first skateboard was a Steve Caballero pro Powell deck - and Powell became his first sponsor in 1990. Unfortunately, that was when vert skateboarding took a nose dive in popularity, and Bucky Lasek was forced to work in an auto body shop. Vert skateboarding came back into style in the mid 1990's, and Lasek was able to compete more, finally moving to California is 1998 with his family to skate professionally.
Bucky Lasek Interesting Fact: Bucky Lasek was the first action sports athlete on the cover of ESPN magazine (July 19, 2004)
Bucky Lasek Quote: On getting injured - "Oh yeah, you get hurt all the time! But the good thing about the human body is that it gets better. I mean no matter what, no matter what, you get better I mean in some case you might cripple yourself a little in a different way that you might have to compensate in another way

Bob Burnquist Basic Bio Information:

* Name: Bob Burnquist (BURN-kwist)
* Gender: Male
* Height: 6'2"
* Weight: 174 lbs
* Hometown: Sao Paulo, Brazil
* Date of Birth: Oct. 10, 1976 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
* Family: with Jen O'Brien, 1 daughter (Lotus O'Brien Silva Burnquist)
* Occupation: Pro Skateboarder, Co-Owner of Burnquist Organics
* Started Skating: 1986
* Started Competing: 1989
* Turned Pro: 1992
* Favored Discipline: Vert
* #1 Sponsor: Hurley
* Stance: Regular
* Setup: The Firm deck, Fury trucks, Ricta wheels and Reflex bearings

Bob Burnquist Skateboarding Style and Strengths: Bob Burnquist is one of the most technical professional skateboarders on the scene today. His competition runs are characterized by complicated, inventive, and sometimes subtle maneuvers that can easily be missed by the casual skateboarding fan. Bob Burnquist is a master of skateboarding switch stance, and embodies progressive and inventive skateboarding.
Bob Burnquist Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks: In an interview for the X Games, Bob Burnquist said he likes to, "Throw down some airs, then some lip tricks. I've always had the backside ollie as a favorite, and it still is. It's just a really light weight and control trick. I like those."
Bob Burnquist Skateboarding Career Highlights:
1995 - Slam City Jam, Burnquist won first in vert (his first international skateboarding event, second Slam City Jam ever held)
1997 - Thrasher Skater of the Year award
2000 - X Games gold (vert best trick)
2000-2002 - TransWorld Best Vert Awards (three years in a row)
2001 - X Games gold (vert)
2002 - Won OP King of Skate competition (using an open hatch loop)
2003 - X Games gold (vert doubles)
2003 - First person to loop a natural full pipe (Nov. 23)
2005 - X Games gold (vert best trick)
Bob Burnquist Personal History: Bob Burnquist grew up in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Bob and his girlfriend Jen O'Brien live in Vista, California with their daughter Lotus. Bob and Jen are both interested in living naturally in harmony with their environment, and using their influence to help people and the planet. Bob Burnquist thrives on doing new and inspirational things. He is a licensed pilot, and licensed skydiver with over 450 jumps under his belt. Bob also loves film and farming.
Bob Burnquist Interesting Fact: Bob Burnquist has heavy asthma, and yet is still a very successful pro skateboarder.
Bob Burnquist Quote: "I’m just really excited about life, about everything that’s going on, and I’m so thankful and blessed in so many different ways, I’m just going to keep on moving, and keep on growing, and skating-wise keep on progressing, keep on pushing the skating limits, keep on learning." Read a more in the Bob Burnquist Interview
Bob Burnquist Website: bobburnquist.com

Anthony Shetler Basic Bio Information:

* Name: Anthony Shetler
* Gender: Male
* Height: 5'10"
* Weight: 175 lbs
* Hometown: Newbedford, Mass
* Now lives in: Long Beach, CA
* Date of Birth: November 15, 1982
* Family: "Love 'em"
* Occupation: Pro Skateboarder
* Began Skating: 7th grade
* Started Competing: never does
* Turned Pro: Fall 2007
* Stance: Regular
* Sponsors: Split, Zoo York, FKD, Solstice Skateshop, Spitfire, Thunder
* Setup: 8 inch board 51mm wheels

Anthony Shetler Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks: "The sushi grind." Also says he likes any flip trick. (Splitusa.com)
Anthony Shetler Skateboarding Career Highlights: "Every day I wake up and go skate, I try to land a trick that makes me feel good, skating is more of a life style then a sport."
Anthony Shetler Personal History: "My friend Dale gave me my first boards. I was a ghetto little kid with no friends and now I get to skate all over the world and I've met so many amazing people."
Anthony Shetler Interesting Facts: "I'm related to Bruce Willis."
Anthony Shetler Quote: "Find something that makes you happy and hang on to it

Andrew Reynolds Basic Bio Information:

* Name: Andrew Reynolds
* Gender: Male
* Hometown: Hollywood, CA (originally from England)
* Date of Birth: June 6, 1978
* Family: married to Christianna Reynolds
* Occupation: Pro Skater, owner of BAKER Skateboards
* Started Competing: 1987
* Turned Pro: 1995
* Favored Discipline: Street
* #1 Sponsor: BAKER
* Stance: Regular

Andrew Reynolds Skateboarding Style and Strengths: Andrew Reynolds is a technical skater, exact and precise. He also loves to take on big gaps and huge sets of stairs (in an interview with ESPN in 2005, he talked about heelflipping and frontside flipping down a 17 stair). Andrew Reynolds has become a bit of a skateboard "legend", having skated so well for so long.
Andrew Reynolds Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks: At X Games 11, Andrew Reynolds said he likes to, "go out and skate with my friends on stuff that's really not all that dangerous, and filming tricks on things that I just want to go out and get, something I can go home and watch."
Andrew Reynolds Skateboarding Career Highlights: 1995 - Joined Birdhouse and turned pro
1997 - Won 5th at X Games in Skateboard Park
1998 - First place in Skateboard Street at SPOT, Tampa Bay, Florida
2001 - Started BAKER Skateboards
2002 - Took second in Skateboard Street at the Tampa Pro in Tampa Bay, Florida
2004 - Won Silver Medal at X Games in Skateboard Park
Andrew Reynolds Personal History: Andrew Reynolds grew up in Lakeland, Florida. Andrew was 9 years old when he started skateboarding, and his parents put a lot of effort into getting Andrew Reynolds to skateboarding competitions, and he did very well. At age 18, he visited Huntington Beach, California and decided to stay. He took a large break from competing, from the late 90s to 2004, so he could devote more time to his passion for filming. He is now married and lives in Hollywood.
Andrew Reynolds Interesting Fact: When Andrew Reynolds was 9 years old, he went from having never skated before to winning his first competition!
Andrew Reynolds Quote: Andrew Reynolds has never been a big fan of skateboarding competitions. He views them "More just like a test for yourself. It's not really all that much fun, I'd say. Well, it's always fun skating, but it's just like, 'I wonder how I can do?'." (Emericaskate.com

Jean Postec Biographical Information:

* Name: Jean Postec
* Gender: Male
* Hometown: Annecy, France
* Date of Birth: January 29th, 1985
* Began Skating: 1995
* Turned Pro: 2003
* Favored Discipline: Vert
* #1 Sponsors: Monster, Right Guard, Tracker Trucks, Birdhouse

Jean Postec Skateboarding Style and Strengths: Jean Postec approaches skateboarding with a deep love and passion, combined with a strong awareness of what he is doing. He doesn't just throw himself at the ramp and hope for the best - Jean Postec knows what he is doing, and does it well.
Jean Postec Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks: Jean Postec really likes the 720.
Jean Postec Career Highlights:
2001 - took 7th in vert at European X Games
2002 - won 6th in vert at European X Games
2004 - won 2nd at the FISE in Montpellier, France
2006 - won 6th in vert at the Denver stop of the Dew Tour
2006 - won 3rd in vert at the LG Action Sports World Tour in Paris, France
2006 - won 3rd in vert at the Portland stop of the Dew tour
2006 - won 5th in vert in the overall Dew Tour standings
Jean Postec Personal History: Jean Postec was born in France. When he was 9 years old, Jean Postec was watching The Simpsons, and saw Bart Simpson riding his green skateboard in the opening to the show. That's what inspired him. He says he had a hard time learning how to skate without magazines and good ramps, but he slowly started to meet more people and get better and better. At 14 years old he started taking trips to Canada to skate with Pierre-Luc Gagnon and Max Dufour every summer, and at 16 he started taking trips to San Diego. He now lives in San Diego, and skates 5 days a week, taking the weekend off to surf. (thanks Kingpin)
Jean Postec Interesting Fact: Jean Postec did gymnastics when he was younger, and credits a lot of his skateboarding skill and fast progression to being good at gymnastics.
More Jean Postec: Read more about Jean Postec in the Jean Postec Interview, and check out pictures of Jean in the Dew Action Sports Tour Photo Gallery

Jereme Rogers Biographical Information:

* Name: Jereme Rogers
* Nickname: Sherm
* Gender: Male
* Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts
* Date of Birth: January 13th, 1985
* Began Skating: 1998
* Favored Discipline: Park
* #1 Sponsors: Billabong, DVS, Royal, Diamond, Modern Wheels, Monster Energy Drink, Boost Mobile

Jereme Rogers Skateboarding Style and Strengths: Jereme Rogers is a self taught, highly driven skateboarder. He pushed himself into being good enough to ride with the pros, and he still pushes himself today to become the best park rider around. And he's doing it. Jereme Rogers' style is strong and fluid, and loads of switch tricks mixed in.
Jereme Rogers Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks: Anything switch. Jereme Rogers is fluent in switch skating.
Jereme Rogers Career Highlights:
2005 - nominated Transworld's Rookie of the Year
2005 - took 5th in the Dew Tour for skateboard park
2006 - won 2nd in the Dew Tour for skateboard park
2007 - won 2nd in the Tampa Pro in street and best trick
Jereme Rogers Personal History: Jereme Rogers was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He dropped out of high school to pursue skateboarding, and has no plans to get his degree. Jereme discovered skateboarding and pushed himself to excel all on his own, and he did the same thing with Christianity. He is a very outspoken Christian, and very real in his faith in Jesus. In interviews, he has no problem talking about how he got his skill in skateboarding from God, and then dropping an F bomb. Jereme Rogers has a very strong, clean image and is a role model to skaters all over the planet.
Jereme Rogers Interesting Fact: In Thrasher's King of the Road 2004, Jereme Rogers skated a handrail naked.
More Jereme Rogers Stuff: Check out the Jereme Rogers Interview, and see Jereme Rogers' Myspace page

Paul Rodriguez Basic Bio Information:

* Name: Paul Rodriguez
* Nickname: P-Rod
* Gender: Male
* Hometown: Chatsworth, California
* Date of Birth: December 31, 1984
* Family: Single
* Occupation: Pro Skater
* Began Skating: 1996
* Began Competing: 1996
* Turned Pro: 2002
* Favored Discipline: Street / Park
* Stance: Goofy
* #1 Sponsor: Nike

Paul Rodriguez Skateboarding Style and Strengths: Paul Rodriguez looks as relaxed and comfortable on a skateboard as anyone could. He's consistent and almost never falls. On top of that, he's able to bust out with some incredible tricks. Paul Rodriguez is one of those rare gifted skaters who is obviously born to ride.
Paul Rodriguez Favorite / Signature Skateboarding Tricks: Paul Rodriguez skates anything he can find. in an interview with EXPN, P-Rod said it's not so much what he can do, but where he likes to do it. "My favorite things to skate are ledges, rails, stairs, pretty much anything you can skate." (EXPN)
Paul Rodriguez Skateboarding Career Highlights:
2002 - Trans World Skateboarding Rookie of the Year
2003 - appeared in the movie Grind
2004 - became first pro skater sponsored by Nike (Nike P-Rod)
2004 - won gold in X Games (Street) 2005 - won first in FTC Flatground (Street Best Trick)
2005 - took third in Dew Tour (Park)
2005 - won gold in X Games (Street)
Paul Rodriguez Personal History: P-Rod's father is the famous comedian Paul Rodriguez. At the age of 12, Paul's dad bought him his first skateboard for $30 (his dad stated last year that it was one of the best investments he's ever made!). Paul got his first sponsor at age 14, and was a pro skater at 16. He's happy with his life, and feels like he's already achieved his dream. Paul is an outspoken Christian, and has a tattoo of Jesus on his arm, and says, "God's not waiting for me to be perfect..." (EXPN)
Paul Rodriguez Interesting Fact: Paul Rodriguez has a pet chihuahua named Uma.
Paul Rodriguez Quote: "My goal, my dream has already come true. Every kid's dream is to become a pro skater, you know? Not only have I become a pro skater, but to me personally, I ride for the best sponsors there are. That's even more than I ever expected... I didn't skate to please everyone else. I started skating because I love to skate. you gotta watch out because there will come a point where you'll forget that."