The Truth

Great things come in twos; we’re talking in sports here. Jordan and Pippen, Aikmen and Smith, Canseco and McGuire, Hosoi and Hawk — skateboarding’s dynamic duo. Last night at New York’s Knitting Factory, Christian Hosoi, the rock star anti-thesis to Tony Hawk’s nerdy fundamentals, and arguably the greatest skateboarder of all time, previewed his new documentary Rising Son: The Legend of Skateboarder Christian Hosoi for a packed house of fans and legends (Steve Caballero). Soon to be released this November, the DVD oddly produced by rap documentarian QD3 and Quiksilver, chronicles the life of Hosoi, narrated by Dennis “Pop Question” Hopper. The film’s twists and curveballs were nothing compared to Hosoi’s historical flamboyance, like rocking pink pants and hair extensions—and you thought skinny-jeans were funny-style. Tony Hawk, Tony Alva, Danny Way, and Jason Lee all hailed the king of skate, just like the audience when he took the stage at the end of the film to briefly speak about his rocky life of fame, prison, and finding God.

After a whirlwind of a career, Hosoi is living well skating for Quiksilver, taking care of his family and as a church pastor.


He’s still go it.
Images provided by Quiksilver

Complex’s treats and Christian Hosoi.