People copy skateboarders. It's a fact. And every time mainstream culture gets a little too close to the skate subculture, we go and switch things up, always staying one step ahead. Remember big pants in the '90s? That was us way before it was rave culture. And skinny jeans with high tops in the '00s? Trendsetters like Chad Muska were rocking that gear long before you saw Lindsay Lohan in a similar getup on the cover of the latest tabloid. (Photo: Marc Falkenstien)
Action Sports and energy drinks have gone hand-in-hand for a while now. But only recently has Gatorade stepped into the game. The sports drink giant has chosen wunderkind, Chaz Ortiz as one of their premier athletes to represent the brand in 2009. Not yet 15, Ortiz stands between Michael Jordan and Peyton Manning on the elite roster; he's surely making grown-man money from the deal. When the world's original sports drink has its eye on skating, shouldn't you, too? (Photo: Sean Cronan)
The most respected brands associated with skating are still the ones run by, and for, skaters. Jamie Thomas, a dominant and celebrated skater has successfully transformed his pro career into that of a highly successful businessman: he owns and operates three skateboard companies, a shoe brand and a distribution company. Skaters the world over admire Jamie's prowess on board but his business acumen has earned him honors off it. He won a regional "Entrepreneur of the Year Award" in 2006. (Photo: Joey Shigeo)
Skateboarding's early years were as a predominantly white, suburban, middle class activity. But its ever-increasing popularity has grown the sport in so many directions its demographic is now impossible to pigeonhole. Street skating is thriving in all kinds of communities and gaining popularity the world over. In the '80s, a scene like this one might have been an anomaly. But today skaters like Darrell Stanton, skating spots like this bank deep in the Bronx, are closer to the rule than the exception. (Photo: Allen Ying)
More than just great exercise, skateboarding makes you look at the world in such a way that you're always seeing new potential. Every street, every bench, every pool has a new line and something you can try for the very first time. This attitude of continual discovery keeps everything fresh from the feeling in your bones to the grin on your face. 44-year-old pro skater Lance Mountain knows that if you live in a world of possibilities, you'll always be young at heart. (Photo: Jon Humphries)
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