Christian Hosoi

Nobody got higher or fell further than professional skateboarder Christian Hosoi . While today nearly everyone in America knows of Hosoi’s greatest rival, Tony Hawk, far fewer know Christian.

Yet the Hawk/Hosoi rivalries of the 80s are legendary in skateboard circles. Hosoi was the black knight and Hawk the white knight, and their fans often clashed openly. "He was the skate star of the 80s, he had a personality and a posse," says The SkateboardingMag's photo editor, Grant Brittain.

One of the most important skaters in skateboarding history, Hosoi fell to drug addiction and served four years for transporting crystal methamphetamine in the late 90s. Today Hosoi is an associate pastor at a church aimed at skateboarders, The Sanctuary.

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