2nd Annual Skateboarding Hall of Fame Honors Six of the Most Influential Skateboarders of All Time
On Saturday, December 4th, the International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC) and Skate Lab joined hundreds from the skateboard community in a fundraising celebration to honor and induct icons; Torger Johnson, Stacy Peralta, Steve Caballero, Eric Koston, Bob Burnquist and the first female to be inducted, Patti McGee; into the Skateboard Hall of Fame at the Los Angeles Cooper Building and Design Space
"It's important to recognize these incredible skateboarders for their passion, sacrifice, and all that that they have contributed to the progression of skateboarding and the community,” said John Bernards, executive director of IASC. “The Skateboarding Hall of Fame event is just one of the ways IASC can honor the pros and pioneers and I was amazed at the whole hearted brotherly respect that everyone at the event had for each other. The sincere appreciation of the Hall of Famers was definitely felt by the 300 plus in attendance and we look forward to growing the event in the future."
Professional skateboarders, Lance Mountain and Steve Berra hosted the event. In addition to this year’s honorees, the invite?only event was packed with VIPs from every era of skateboarding; skateboarding pioneer, George Powell; new and veteran skateboarders that wanted to pay tribute to their peers, Daniel Shimizu, Stefan Janowski, Ben Schroeder, Dave Duncan, Steve Olson, Chris Iverson, Dennis Martinez, Mike Vallely, Andy MacDonald, and last year’s inductee and legend, Bruce Logan.
This year’s event, held at the Cooper Building and Design Space in Los Angeles, offered an upscale venue with a penthouse view of downtown LA where guests mingled and reminisced while bidding on the many priceless memorabilia and high-end auction items. After a welcome speech from IASC’s chairman Don Brown, they started the ceremony with a live auction presented by Dave Duncan. The highlight of the evening, however, was the official induction ceremony in which each skateboarder was recognized individually and then took the stage to speak about their passion for the sport and give thanks to significant individuals in their own lives.
Torger Johnson, although no longer with us due to a tragic automobile accident while in Hawaii in 1983, was remembered for his contributions and talents in skateboarding industry by his long time family friends, Brian Logan and Dennis Scheufeldt. His award was accepted by his brother, Bay Johnson. George Powell presented Stacy Peralta with his award and went on to say that “Stacy has had over half a dozen careers after skateboarding and he is better known now as a filmmaker, but the most rewarding part of Stacy’s career would probably be his mentoring to so many young and talented skaters.” Stacy graciously accepted his award by saying, “My life has been defined by the sport and it’s definitely formed my identity." He did make a humorous comment to Steve Van Doren by adding, “I was the first skateboarder to be paid by a shoe company. Steve, don’t you think it’s time that I get my own shoe.”
Steve Van Doren and Stacy Peralta both presented Steve Caballero with his award. Steve came prepared with a well thought out and moving acceptance speech where he started it by saying, “It’s an honor for me to be here and I wanted to make sure what I said tonight would have meaning and come from my heart. Today is a special day for skateboarding as a whole because it is now being recognized as a legitimate sport.” After thanking his family and mentors, he ended his speech by thanking God.
As the youngest athlete to take the stage, Eric Koston also paid homage to those before him and humorously called his induction an abduction. He then went on to say, “Skateboarding has brought so much joy, happiness to my life. Thank you to skateboarding.” Bob Burnquist, born in Brazil, is the first inductee to be from another country. He accepted his award modestly and commented on how everyone growing up was playing soccer, but he chose skateboarding and it was the best thing he ever did. He also gave tribute to Christian Hosoi for the reason he is here today and as a skateboarder, he is the happiest man alive.
The last person to be inducted to the Hall of fame was the first female to ever be inducted, Patti McGee. Her award was presented by her daughter, Hailey who was so proud and said it was great growing up with the coolest mom who was also such an inspiration to her. Patti spoke about her start in skateboarding and how her sponsorship with Hobie really escalated her career. She is proud of all the female skaters that have made progress with the sport and taken on the challenge of being a female skateboarder.
New to the program this year was the induction of two Revolutionaries of Skateboarding, Craig Stecyk and Larry Stevenson – a category dedicated to the inventors, artists, visionaries, and industry game changers for their significant contributions to the progression of skateboarding.
The event grossed more than $40,000 for the non-profit organization, The Go Skateboarding Foundation that provides positive educational experiences, career-minded programming and scholarships for skateboarders, and donates to various skateboard-related charities. And, the event wouldn’t have been a success without the generous support of their sponsors: Tech Deck, Malakye, Magic Tradeshow, Wahoos, Vans, and Pyramid Brewing and award makers, Sk8ology and Watson Manufacturing.
To learn more, please visit www.skateboardiasc.org. For image or interview requests, please contact Erika Klein at erika@shoutpr.com
About IASC
The International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC), a non?profit organization that represents the united voice of the skateboard industry to the outside world, was founded in 1994. In 2003, IASC was restructured into the organization that founded Go Skateboarding Day. Driven by skate industry leaders, IASC strives to promote skateboarding and increase participation, educate, and save members money. For further information, please visit www.skateboardiasc.org.
About Go Skateboarding Foundation
The Go Skateboarding Foundation was founded in 2005 in response to the generosity of the skateboard industry. A donation to the Go Skateboarding Foundation helps fund programs which promote skateboarding and make a positive impact in our society and the lives of young skateboarders. The Go Skateboarding Foundation provides young people with scholarships to college and skatecamp and aspires to inspire and empower tomorrow’s skateboard community leaders.
About Skatelab Skateboard Hall of Fame and Museum
Skatelab Skateboarding Museum, located in Simi Valley, educates people about the history of skateboarding worldwide. The museum inside SKATELAB of California is home to the Skateboarding Hall of Fame’s inductees’ tribute display, which was founded in 1997. With more than 50,000 visitors each year, Skatelab shows a collection of more than 5,000 vintage skateboards as well as skateboarding memorabilia. Skateboard history lives on at Skatelab.
