What does Chaz Ortiz have in common with Michael Jordan, Peyton Manning, Derek Jeter and Dwyane Wade? They're all ad pitchmen for Gatorade. Except, skateboarder Chaz Ortiz might better described as a pitchkid rather than a pitchman. He turns 15 years old until May 4, and yet he's already a veteran pro.

Chaz Ortiz doesn't come from one of those sunny skateboarding havens in southern California or in Florida. He hails from Chicago, where people know "the Hawk" not as Tony Hawk, but as the bitter winter wind that screeches from Lake Michigan. This means the weather often is not suited to skating, but that hasn't stopped Chaz.

When he was 6-years-old, Chaz Ortiz begged his father for a skateboard. It was a classic case of ask and you shall receive. And with his birthday in early May, Chaz had an entire Windy City skate season ahead of him. Chaz Ortiz immediately started practicing tricks, day and night, and he got better and better. Two summers ago, he competed on the Free Flow Tour, which is the premier amateur tour. He not only dazzled the crowds and the judges, but he actually won the season championship at the age of 13.

In June 2008, Chaz's first pro contest was the AST Dew Tour's Panasonic Open in Baltimore.
He placed third behind superstars Ryan Shecker and Paul Rodriquez. In September, he captured the Toyota Challenge in Salt Lake City in front of 26,000 fans and he went on to capture the season championship.

Despite his youth, Chaz is known for riding in a smooth style that goes beyond his years. Ryan Sheckler commented, "He deserves everything he has coming to him. I think that Chaz has the potential to be the next 'it' skater. He has the attitude of a champion, he skates like a champion; he skates like he wants to learn how to do everything that's going on in the skateboard world."

Chaz Ortiz says, "Just skate hard, skate your best, and don't get yourself down. Just go out there and skate how you know how to skate, make sure you have your run planned, and just have fun."

SOURCES:
http://www.kidzworld.com/article/14592-chaz-ortiz-biography
http://skateboardermag.com/skateboarder-news-features/news/chaz-ortiz-on-gatorade/
http://www.grindtv.com/athlete/Chaz_Ortiz/2627/bio/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaz_Ortiz

Brazilian skateboarder Bob Burnquist has come up with so many fantastic original tricks, even Bob can't name them all. For example, in his childhood hometown of Sao Paolo last December, he clinched the 2008 World Cup Skateboarding vert season championship by performing a backside 360 stale fish and an indie 540 over the gap.

Although 32-year-old Bob Burnquist has many career claims to fame, most of his skateboard fans look first to the vert contest at the 2001 X-Games. Burnquist knocked off two-time defending champ Bucky Lasek with a final run that included "multiple tricks that had never been seen before." He received 98 points, still an X-Games record. Part of the memory is that Tony Hawk, as TV commentator, was screaming so loudly in disbelief that he nearly lost his voice. This is part of the reason why Bob Burnquist is featured in so many of Tony Hawk's video games.

If Bob Burnquist is from Brazil, why does he have two names instead of one, such as Pele? His mother is Brazilian, while his father is Swedish. His full birth name is Robert Dean Silva Burnquist. Bob Burnquist took up skateboarding at age 11, turned pro at 14 and has never looked back. He was 18 when he showed up at Seattle's 1995 Slam City Jam as a virtual unknown, dazzled the judges (and fellow skaters) and won first-place.

Burnquist now lives in Vista, California, as a dual citizen of Brazil and the United States. His significant other is pro skateboarder Jen O'Brien, and their daughter's name is Lotus. They have a world-class vert ramp in their backyard.

To make the most of his fame, Bob Burnquist spreads his personal social messages as an environmental activist and a vegetarian. The Bob Burnquist Foundation reaches out to schools with information about organic farming and gardening. These activities may seem down to earth for a high-flying skateboard trickster, but Bob Burnquist's motto sums it up: "Live your life, and be in control, by learning to let go."

Sources:
http://www.bobburnquist.com/
http://www.bobburnquist.org/
http://oakley.com/sports/skate/athletes/2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Burnquist

Skateboard legend Tony Hawk is considered one of the world's greatest skateboarders, the only skateboarding guru who successfully completed the front side "900." This stunt consists of 2.5 midair somersaults (900 degrees of breathtaking action) and was witnessed at the ESPN X Games in San Francisco, California in 1999. Since then, daredevils and skating enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels have attempted to replicate the amazing act, but few have managed to pull off the stunt as flawlessly as the great Hawk.

The 900 was executed when Hawk launched approximately 5 feet from the rim of the half-pipe on the U-shaped skate ramp and then did two and a half flips on the board before landing back into the half pipe with both feet and the board intact. For Hawk, it was one of his greatest personal achievements; for spectators, this was history in the making. And for scientists, it was just another trick made possible by the laws of gravity.

Skateboard stunts like the 900 depend entirely on the laws of physics; gravity allows the skater to accelerate, control their speed, move at different angles while airborne and control exactly where they will land. The faster the skater moves, the higher they can launch themselves above the rim of the skateboard ramp. The best way to pick up speed on the ramps is to use a technique called 'pumping,' where the skateboarder uses one foot to launch forward on the board and then quickly bends his or her knees while moving in order to accelerate. After launching off the rim, the skateboarder must curl up into a tight ball so that their body weight is as close to their axis of rotation as possible. This may sound very technical and complicated, but it's the blueprint for skateboarding stunt success for many experienced skaters such as Hawk.

Skateboarders also need to consider wind speed and temperatures when they're approaching a new stunt; the wind can affect how quickly the skateboarder is able to accelerate when on the ground and how long they can be airborne. The climate dictates what type of clothing the skateboarder will need to wear and whether the skateboard's wheels need to be warmed up before the event.

Hawk's execution of this amazing 900 stunt is just one of several legendary tricks and stunts to make headlines in the skateboarding world; he officially retired from professional skating in 2000.

Source:

Science World, Feb. 2001

In 1999, skateboarding legend Andy MacDonald delivered a speech in then-President Bill Clinton's White House. Then Andy MacDonald skated across the marble floor. True enough, Bill Clinton as we know was a permissive sort of president, but still? You might have thought that by doing this, Andy MacDonald was on drugs. Actually, Andy MacDonald had just delivered an anti-drug speech.

Andy MacDonald, 35, is the Big Mac of skateboarding, an eight-time World Cup champion. Do you want to talk about a fan-friendly guy? Skateboarders are not exactly known for having highly literate web sites. Most often a skateboarder web site viewer is steered to videos of the skater doing all kinds of tricks, while learning little about the skateboarder as a person. But if you go to andymacdonald.com, you are greeted with this: "Welcome to Andy MacDonald's web site. If you have a slow Internet connection, click the slow button. If you have a fast connection, click the fast button." Well, of course we clicked the "slow" button, and sure enough, we received fast access to many of Andy MacDonald's writings and musings. Dang, thanks, Andy!

Just for a sampling, Andy MacDonald writes about his adolescent years in "All 80's All Day." He speaks of attending a recent retro 1980s skateboard event: "In the 1980's, the more accessories you were rocking, the more styling your kit: I had my boom box from high school, a neon FreeStyle watch as well as a Pop-Swatch on my shirt, suspenders on my Don Johnson pants with neon green Maui and Sons short-shorts to skate in, OG Airwalk Disaster's with the mud flap and paint splatter as well as a set of Airwalk prototypes to skate in complete with Smith lace savers, a custom made red Flyaway helmet, blue Rector elbows and Pain Cheater knee pads, oh and a radical 'flop' hairdo I did it myself with a set of buzzers the night before ... All this gear made it almost impossible to skate, but it didn't matter."

Andy MacDonald's next web site section explains how he joins Tony Hawk in raising funds for public skate parks. This guy is such a real deal. Respect Andy MacDonald! And to the younger skaters: Learn how to put something on your web sites besides videos.

Sources:
http://www.andymacdonald.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Macdonald

Go ahead and make Mike Vallely's day. The pro skateboarding legend is helping "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" successfully go head-to-head at movie box offices with Clint Eastwood's more hyped "Gran Torino."

Mike Vallely is one of the bad guys who gives Paul Blart bad days, but audiences love him. Vallely is among a group of extreme sports athletes who double as terrorists at the West Orange County Shopping Mall. The terrorists are named after Santa's reindeer. Mike Vallely is Rudolph.

"This is the first real movie I've worked on. I did some stunts and cameos before, but this one, I really feel that I was part of the production," says the 38-year-old Vallely. "We were part of the story," he says, referring to the X-gamer ensemble. "Our characters were integral to the plot." What exactly does Mike Vallely do in "Paul Blart: Mall Cop?" We won't spoil it for you, although you can get some clues on the web if you are nosy enough.

Movie producers were looking for a skateboarder who could act as well as shred. Mike Vallely perfectly fit the bill, not just because he sports shoulder length locks with a full beard, and not just because he hangs out with Tony Hawk sometimes. Mike Vallely is a hard rock vocalist who is touring with his latest band, the 4-year-old Revolution Mother, so he is no stranger to the stage or the camera.

Skateboarder? Terrorist (in movie life)? Rock singer? There's more. Mike Vallely is a Long Beach transplant from Edison, New Jersey, who also is into ice hockey; in fact, the National Hockey League's Anaheim Ducks have asked him to maintain a blog on their web site. He's a television personality with DRIVE on Fuel TV. He's done Hollywood stunts now and then. He even thought about going into pro wrestling.

But skateboarder Mike Vallely also has a softer side. He writes poetry. He has done charity work for the NHL via the Anaheim Ducks. He's a board member with the Tony Hawk Foundation, which gives grants to build skate parks in low income areas, and with the Patrick Kerr Skateboard Scholarship Fund, which supports college aid for young skateboarders.

Mike Vallely also is a family man, married for 16 years with two children. Talk about somebody having it all!

Sources:
http://mikevallely.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Vallely
http://www.shredordie.com/mikevallely