The 8 most famous skaters in the world (2023)

From Tony Hawk to Paul Rodriguez, these are some of the most famous skaters to ever grace the world of skateboarding.

Skateboarding is many things to different people. For some it is a sport, for others relaxation, work or art. For others, however, it's an easy way to get around. No matter how you look at it, skateboarding in any medium, but especially as a sport, is now a multi-billion dollar global industry that has transformed and continues to transform the lives of skateboarders around the world.

Who are the most popular skateboarders and what are they known for? In this post, we'll take a look at the biggest, most popular and most influential personalities in skateboarding. There are various metrics by which to judge the most famous skaters, including their trick repertoire, income, social media following, etc. Let's spotlight skaters on all of these metrics.

Without further ado, let's take a look at the most famous skateboarders in the world.

The most famous skaters of the last 20 years

Let's take a look at the most famous skaters of this century:

1. Bam Margera

The first on this list of the most famous skaters is Brandon Cole Margera. He was born in 1979 and is best known for the hit series "Jackass."

Aside from being number two on this list, Bam is the name on everyone's lips, even non-skateboarders, when it comes to the sport's most popular personalities. He is the most popular based on various unbiased metrics.

Known as Jackass, many are surprised to discover that he is actually a professional skateboarder. Nicknamed Bam from a very young age, he started his skateboarding journey at a very young age. In the late 1990s he became a professional skateboarder.

His popularity increased when he started making his skateboard movies, which featured various stunts and tricks performed by him and his friends. This group, known as the CKY Crew, made revolutionary videos at the time which led to them being picked up by MTV.

The show became an international hit and ran for up to three seasons. It also had frequent television reruns and reruns in the United States and parts of Europe. Bam was the star of the show and became a household name. The show was so successful that it was made into a movie and had several spinoffs. And meanwhile, Bam was the main man.

Bam has been somewhat out of the picture due to various personal issues, from fitness and alcoholism to the death of his close friend. Today you can still find him skating, but this time he is not looking for fame but the pleasure he originally had.

2. Tony Hawk

Tony Hawk is arguably one of the most popular personalities in skateboarding and quite possibly the most popular skateboarder that ever lived.

Born in 1968, Anthony Frank Hawk is famous for a number of things, from the video game series to being the first person to land the first 900. Even before you've read this list, there's a good chance that Hawk's face is just like you imagined it when you think of the most famous skaters of all time. But for Bam, he would certainly top our list of the most popular characters in the world of skateboarding.

Tony aka The Birdman is the skater and many of the modern day skaters look for inspiration. In fact, he's probably the only name non-skaters can think of when asked to name skaters they know.

Tony rose to fame when he joined the Bone Brigade, which remains one of the most iconic skate teams of all time and is responsible for the immense popularity of the sport to this day. After a brief slump, skateboarding regained popularity in the 1990s, and Hawk was the sport's poster child. He made history in 1999 when he was the first to land the 900, a maneuver in which the skater does two and a half turns on the board.

This performance cemented his place as a legend and catapulted Tony to stardom. A video game named after him was released to critical and commercial success. In fact, this game is still played on screens today.

Tony has also appeared in movies and TV series and remains one of the most famous skateboarders in the world.

Relive some of his best moments in this video:

3. Rob Dyrdek

Dyrdek, born in 1974, is one of the richest and most famous skateboarders of all time. Although he is best known today for his television show Ridiculousness, he has a wealth of skateboarding experience and is one of the most recognizable names in the sport.

His skateboarding career began at the age of 12. Due to his great ability and talent, he got a sponsorship at this age. When Alien Workshop was founded in 1990, this skater was one of the first to sign with the company.

His talent for skateboarding and business eventually led him to own Alien Workshop later in life. Today, he owns a variety of successful businesses that prove he's just as good on a board as he is on a skateboard.

One of his ventures is the hugely popular Street League Skateboarding competition, a competition that offers up to $1.6 million to winners.

Taunting aside, Bob is also known for the Fantasy Factory TV show. The show focuses on skateboarding, with cameras capturing Bob and his friends in and around his huge warehouse complete with skate park and other related equipment.

Although Bob doesn't spend as much time on a board as he used to, there's no question that he's still one of the most beloved personalities in the sport.

4. Jason Lee

My Name Is Earl star Jason Michael Lee aka Jason Lee is the next person on this list. Yes, you may know him from the sitcom above, but he is also one of the most famous skateboarders of all time.

Apart from starring in the aforementioned show, he also appeared in a number of other movies which, to be honest, weren't very successful in every sense of the word. At least Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is somewhat popular.

However, before becoming an actor. Jason was a professional skateboarder. His skateboarding career spanned from the late 1980s to the 1990s. At the peak of his skateboarding skills, he performed at the Blind Skateboard Video Days.

The video is one of the most watched episodes of the series. The show starred a few other famous names including Mark Gonzales.

Jason may not be a professional skater anymore, but he still finds time to skate. He briefly returned to the skateboarding waters when he appeared in the Tony Hawk game. This introduced him to the new generation of skateboarders.

5. Leticia Bufoni

There's no denying that skateboarding is a male-dominated sport. However, Leticia Bufoni has made a name for herself in the industry to become an inspiration for boys and girls around the world. Leticia Bufoni e Silva was born in 1993 and is Brazilian.

Not only is she one of the few figure skaters on this list, but she is also the only Brazilian on our list of the most popular figure skaters in the world. Brazil is known for soccer, not skateboarding. She played soccer growing up, and perhaps this ability to control the ball with her feet helped her develop excellent board control. She is undoubtedly one of the best skaters out there.

He regularly participates in the most competitive ice skating competitions. She even won six X Games medals and other awards. Surprisingly enough, she won the Street League in 2015. While she's not as skinny as many other successful skaters, she's best known for her focus and determination, traits that have no doubt helped her in the male-dominated sport. .

She is also known for her skills and tricks that many would not even dare try.

But she's perhaps best known for posing nude for ESPN's body issue. Her toned and fit body surely has a lot of people looking for her fitness tips.

6. Paulo Rodriguez

They pinch their faces in dismay and wonder who Paul Rodriguez is. Well, you may know him by another name: P.Rod. do you remember now? You probably would.

Born in 1984, Paul is considered one of the most successful skateboarders of his generation. His name is searched a lot on the internet and videos of him can be seen on the device of every aspiring skater. He is easily recognizable and has achieved many successes as a skater.

He has been successful in various competitions including The Dew Tour, Street League, X Games and just about every competition he has competed in.

He's known for his smooth, effortless style on the dash and near-perfect control of the dash, which means you're unlikely to find video of him falling off the dash.

Part of what characterizes him is being one of the first skaters to enjoy the sponsorship of Nike SB. Therefore, he has several signature sneakers, which only athletes like basketball and football players can appreciate.

He also showed that he knows his business, as he owns a skateboard company. The company makes gold decks that remain some of the most sought after today.

7. Ryan Sheckler

Born in 1989, Ryan Allen Sheckler is a very famous skateboarder. He is famous for his ability to jump great distances and his meteoric rise in the industry.

His talent made him one of the youngest skateboarders of all time when he turned professional at the age of nine. Since then, he has grown steadily and is now one of the best skaters of his generation.

In addition to his amazing abilities, he is known for his ability to perform impressive stunts on a board. One of the accomplishments credited to him is when he opened a 50-foot drop and Mega Ramp in 2008. He also eliminated the Costco Gap in 2013.

All of these stunts, while cool, are not as popular as his show The Life of Ryan, which aired on MTV from 2007 to 2009. The show, as the name suggests, showcased Ryan's private life. A list of the most famous skateboarders certainly wouldn't be complete without mentioning him.

8. Nyjah Houston

Nyjah was born in 1994 and is possibly the most successful skateboarder of his generation. He has won so many awards and competitions that it's hard to count them. Calling him a skate expert is not an exaggeration. He is still the best skater of that time.

From 2011 to 2016, he won no fewer than 11 X Games gold medals. In terms of prize money, no other skater in history has made as much of a profit as he has.

Houston is not only naturally talented, but she almost always practices, a tradition she has followed since she discovered skating. In it he is just a machine, and in competitions he surpasses all other skaters on the platform. He has a combination of tricks, feints and moves that are just amazing.

In addition to the competition, he also posts video portions of his work. When it comes to pulling off crazy tricks on the biggest stage, there's no other skater who can handle him these days.

For her

Skateboarding is really cool, and when it first came out, every kid on the block wanted to learn how to do it. Performing tricks, jumps, and spins is easier imagined than done, but the skaters on this list can do it all while they sleep. No wonder they are the most famous skateboarders of all time.

From critical to commercial success, you'll be hard-pressed to find another skater as famous or as good as the 8 Celebrity Skaters we've listed above.

Photo Credit Title:Lisbon on Unsplash