Top 10 Pro Skateboarders

Known as ‘The Boss’ in skateboarding circles, the moniker is fitting as he gained a reputation for trying things that others just couldn’t pull off. And, Reynolds appears to nail these feats with minimal effort. When he hit the scene in the early 1990s, “Turtle Boy” was snapped up by skateboarding legend Tony Hawk’s Birdhouse team, alongside other skateboarding greats. An influential skater and Thrasher’s skater of the year in 1998, Reynold’s pedigree is matched by few. Today, Reynolds is “The Boss” of Baker Skateboards, which boasts Riley Hawk, son of Tony, as part of the brand’s team.

A fearless skater regardless of whether he’s on the street or mid-competition, Koston won’t think twice about mixing things up, whether it be with the Fandangle or the K Grind. With wins at numerous X Games and other competitions, fortune has favored his brave approach. Koston started the Fourstar Clothing company in 1996 and has even had his own custom Nike shoe – showing a pretty far reaching influence for a grade 10 dropout. As a skater who has invented so many of his own tricks, his lack of education clearly hasn’t hurt him none.

It’s easy to see why Thrasher Magazine honored Steve Caballero with the title “Skater of the Century.” Fully dominating the skateboarding world throughout the 1980s, the skater is noted for inventing the “Caballerial” – aka the fakie 360 ollie – a trick that has even been incorporated into snowboarding. Skilled in both street and vertical skating, he has been a longterm member of the Bones Brigade which features huge names like Rodney Mullen, Tony Hawk and Danny Way. Caballero may suffer from scoliosis of the spine, but that didn’t stop him from setting big air and board slide records throughout his career.

A true innovator of street skating, the climate of the sport would not be the same without Mark Gonzales. Along with Natas Kaupas, he was one of the first skaters to ride handrails, a major contribution to the development of street skating – which is for many the most popular form of the sport. Gonzales’ place in history was cemented when he cleared a major gap with his ollie at the famed skate spot Embarcadero in 1986. The obstacle was henceforth dubbed “The Gonz Gap.” His pioneering influence was confirmed when Transworld Skateboarding endowed him with the Legend Award in 2006.

Drawing heavily from the emerging surf culture of the 1960s, Alva’s skating style differed drastically to that of most skaters of the time, many of whom were using more traditional tricks and styles. One of the first members of the legendary Z-Boys skateboard team, he was an early innovator of vert skating. Never a fan of convention, Alva is credited with making empty swimming pools part of the skating norm. Alva broke new ground in 1977, when, at just 19 he formed Alva Skates, becoming the first skateboarder to form his own company.

This guy is too incredible for one sport: if he’s not ripping it up on his board, he’s likely moonlighting as a rallycross driver. It’s not like Lasek’s a mediocre skater or anything either: his ten X Games golds are a testament to his ability in vert skating. The only thing he’s not good at? Losing, but he doesn’t do that very often. Despite numerous injuries, Lasek is committed to vert skating and he is relentless in his pursuit of perfection and progression. It is likely this dedication that made Lasek the first action sports athlete to show up on the cover of ESPN Magazine, confirming him as a legend in every sense of the word.

Some of the things Danny Way has achieved are unbelievable; in fact, with his track record of major injuries, it seems like he is almost superhuman in his healing abilities. First, he bomb drops from a helicopter with a dislocated shoulder, THEN, he jumps the Great Wall of China with a broken foot and THEN he wins an X Games big air gold while still suffering from his Great Wall injury. Would it be a surprise if this two-time Thrasher Skater of the Year bomb drops from space at some point? Probably not.

Mullen’s influence on modern street and vert skateboarding is undeniable. Seemingly brought into this world to serve skateboarding, “the Mutt” started competing at age 11, and was immediately a force to be reckoned with. Three years later he turned pro at age 14. Mullen is credited with inventing many of the tricks which are now staples of modern skateboarding including the flatground ollie, the impossible, and the kick flip. These contributions alone earn him an automatic spot on any influential skateboarding list and rightly give him the title of the Godfather of Street Skating.

For Tony Hawk to say that you’re his favorite skater, you’ve got to be doing something right. Best known for both vert and big air skating, Burnquist is so far the only Brazilian to become Thrasher’s skater of the year. Known as a creative and innovative skater, Burnquist has made history as the first skater ever to land a fakie 900. The Brazilian won the Slam City Jam Mens Vert in 1995, coming into the event as relative unknown. Burnquist would eventually win 12 X Games golds, the most impressive of which came in 2001 when he nailed previously unseen vert tricks and snatched the victory from Bucky Lasek.

Before our top pick kick flips his way onto the list, let’s take a look at some honorable mentions:
- Paul Rodriguez
- Rob Dyrdek
- Nyjah Huston
- Ryan Sheckler
- Stacy Peralta

Was there ever any doubt? The greatest pioneer ever in vert skateboarding, Tony Hawk has seen his influence stretch far beyond the world of skateboarding. He is a cultural icon and is largely responsible for the rejuvenation of the whole sport in the early 1990s. Generations of future skaters will know ‘The Birdman’ as the first skater to land a 900, and for his role in bringing skateboarding to the mainstream, because – while the other skaters on this list may feature in his wildly popular video game – Tony Hawk is the star.

Do you agree with our list? Which pro skaters do you think deserve more recognition? For more ripping top 10s, be sure to subscribe to Watchmojo.com.