biggest industry grifters claiming to be pro skateboarders

[bokchoy]

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Saying Tony Hawk is wild.

He's one of the only guys from that generation that's actually giving back and contributing to skateboarding.

Meanwhile, you got islamaphobe and fake ass christian, Steve Cab still getting paid.

[close]

Cheers to this.  Fuck Cab.

Tony's still skating, signing completes and leaving them at skateparks for kids to find, and building skateparks with his foundation, and seems to still be a generally good human being.

[close]

False dichotomy. Hawk is both a valid professional skateboarder and a grifter. Hawk and Shaq will put their names on literal dog shit for a quick buck.

Birdman $ has to be low... how much u think it cost to maintain his indoor indoor ramp? Kinda sad how an all-time vert great and household celebrity draws hundreds of views on his YouTube channel. He is a dork now and back then. I sometimes wonder how skating would have turned out if Hosoi was the "guy" instead of Tony.. if he woulda been at those early xgames events it would have been a no brainer.

and anyone endorsing gambling or betting is a pos.

[mooraga]

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Saying Tony Hawk is wild.

He's one of the only guys from that generation that's actually giving back and contributing to skateboarding.

Meanwhile, you got islamaphobe and fake ass christian, Steve Cab still getting paid.

[close]

Cheers to this.  Fuck Cab.

Tony's still skating, signing completes and leaving them at skateparks for kids to find, and building skateparks with his foundation, and seems to still be a generally good human being.

[close]

False dichotomy. Hawk is both a valid professional skateboarder and a grifter. Hawk and Shaq will put their names on literal dog shit for a quick buck.

[close]

Birdman $ has to be low... how much u think it cost to maintain his indoor indoor ramp? Kinda sad how an all-time vert great and household celebrity draws hundreds of views on his YouTube channel. He is a dork now and back then. I sometimes wonder how skating would have turned out if Hosoi was the "guy" instead of Tony.. if he woulda been at those early xgames events it would have been a no brainer.

and anyone endorsing gambling or betting is a pos.

Yeah they whole hawk family its so poor that Riley had to get engaged with Kurt cobain's daughter in order to survive....

[bokchoy]

so?

[highena]

the biggest industry grifters are the fuckers that dont even skate. I dont give a fuck if you put your name on a board and claim pro and you skate. thats cool kinda whatever.its 2026 and pro means nothing and everyone needs to eat. some you pros suck but at least you skate. the fools that dont even skate is the biggest grifters. but also cards can have a pro board and never skate again cuz he's a real pro

[backside_reacharound]

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Defining grifting in skateboarding is taking more that you give.
In 2026, I would argue Tony Hawk fits that definition.

[close]

You think Tony Hawk is taking more from skateboarding then he gives?

[close]

Historically, no. In 2026? yes.
Tony Hawk is using skateboarding to prop himself up financially and socially more than directly impacting skateboarding.
Kill Tony appearances, an endless deluge of brand endorsements for things that have nothing to do with skateboarding, podcast cameos that do not relate to skateboarding.

Im open to changing my stance, this is just my opinion based on my perception of him currently.

Interested to hear how current Tony Hawk is benefiting skateboarding as a whole vs benefiting his own legacy from others.

Are you a moron? Tony has done some corny ads over the years, but skateboarding probably owes more to him than anyone else in the last 25 years.

https://skatepark.org/about-us

[TwisT]

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Defining grifting in skateboarding is taking more that you give.
In 2026, I would argue Tony Hawk fits that definition.

[close]

You think Tony Hawk is taking more from skateboarding then he gives?

[close]

Historically, no. In 2026? yes.
Tony Hawk is using skateboarding to prop himself up financially and socially more than directly impacting skateboarding.
Kill Tony appearances, an endless deluge of brand endorsements for things that have nothing to do with skateboarding, podcast cameos that do not relate to skateboarding.

Im open to changing my stance, this is just my opinion based on my perception of him currently.

Interested to hear how current Tony Hawk is benefiting skateboarding as a whole vs benefiting his own legacy from others.

[close]

Are you a moron? Tony has done some corny ads over the years, but skateboarding probably owes more to him than anyone else in the last 25 years.

https://skatepark.org/about-us

sounds like tony hawk is using his legacy to grift stupid corporations, and support actual skateboarding with money pits like vert alert and birdhouse.

he took his name off the skatepark foundation so people would stop saying he built the parks, when he was doing the least actual work.

If you're an adult skateboarder and you decided to sign up for fan duel because your hero 56 year old tony hawk did a commercial, then you probably already have unaddressed problems.

[Cuban_Lynx]

the biggest industry grifters are the fuckers that dont even skate.

I’m not going to search for the interview, but I remember Dill talking about getting Mikey Taylor kicked off AWS because he wasn’t “kicking ass” and he wanted to get rid of dead weight, so he started FA which is currently 50% dead weight.

[grandslam]

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Defining grifting in skateboarding is taking more that you give.
In 2026, I would argue Tony Hawk fits that definition.

[close]

You think Tony Hawk is taking more from skateboarding then he gives?

[close]

Historically, no. In 2026? yes.
Tony Hawk is using skateboarding to prop himself up financially and socially more than directly impacting skateboarding.
Kill Tony appearances, an endless deluge of brand endorsements for things that have nothing to do with skateboarding, podcast cameos that do not relate to skateboarding.

Im open to changing my stance, this is just my opinion based on my perception of him currently.

Interested to hear how current Tony Hawk is benefiting skateboarding as a whole vs benefiting his own legacy from others.

[close]

Are you a moron? Tony has done some corny ads over the years, but skateboarding probably owes more to him than anyone else in the last 25 years.

https://skatepark.org/about-us

Calling me a moron while simultaneously agreeing with me is hilarious.

[Uknowmyinsta]

A moron clock still appears unbroken twice per day.

[bokchoy]

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the biggest industry grifters are the fuckers that dont even skate.

[close]

I’m not going to search for the interview, but I remember Dill talking about getting Mikey Taylor kicked off AWS because he wasn’t “kicking ass” and he wanted to get rid of dead weight, so he started FA which is currently 50% dead weight.

I dont even like Mikey but dill prolly wanted him gone because he didnt like him... Dill is a hypocrite too... he was getting AWS checks for several years and ain't produce one clip... Kalis called him out on it after that "upriver" bullshit... that photo part is so overrated... but after that dill didnt do anything for about 6 years until Skate More.

[TwisT]

What about all that crypto x NFT shit Stevie did

[rawbertson.]

What about all that crypto x NFT shit Stevie did

Lost all respect for that dude
that was just one of many too. unfollowed that loser.

Add Mike Mo ABD Collectables to the list!

Who is responsible for the "Roll Forever" NFT Grift? I am on the discord but cant see any names

[Taffy Lee Fubbins]

What about all that crypto x NFT shit Stevie did

Perfectly acceptable behaviour, y'all are just jealous that you don't have this sweet pixel art chilling on the blockchain. 
Hardposting Canada's shittiest export is a more punishable crime than running a crypto scam. NFTs are hot trash but having to see and hear Kevin O'Leary should be result in a permanent ban from the internet.

[Jort250]

Mike Mo, Mikey Taylor and Stevie “Third Person” Williams are all good answers. Tony Hawk is Tony Hawk but atleast there are things there that are defensible

[cherry]

I forgot about the Stevie nft grift talk about embarrassing. Feel bad for anyone who fell victim to that shit show

[Cuban_Lynx]

The Stevie NFT thing might not even be as bad as Shrimpdaddy's $CJET crypto/AI scam

I'm not sure if I'd classify AVE's Griptape app as a scam, but it's close to Eric Bragg's ETN thing

Wouldn’t say Huberman counts as industry, but he's definitely trying to grift the "I used to skate" angle into being the subject matter expert of literally everything.

I've never actually watched the Mikey Alfraud video and never voluntarily clicked on anything Mikey Alfred related, but his name should defs be in this thread.

I’d always assumed the coffee slam was just a promo skit for Threat Skateboards and had no idea how far Garrett Hill was milking it until the GH takedown.

[bokchoy]

Mikey Alfred is the best answer

I'll thro in Pharrell and Virgil Abloh in there too

[DCLOVE]

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ultra cringe

[close]

it's fine he got sober but this motherfucker is selling hats that say "i love jesus" on it and making reels like this that seem like a personal glaze fest

he seems like the kind of person that would have been kooked out of skating in the 2000s pretty quickly but now anything goes so he's building a brand. one reason i miss gatekeeping

[close]

Dude also seems to be engaged to alleged sexual abuser so theres that also

There’s the uno reverse card no one expected from a nyjah protege. I’d have assumed he was out in Laguna date raping girls with jah and d.loy.

Also hating on Tony is so lame, bruh held it down in the 90s so us losers could even still have skateboarders and he’s doing it again now as the industry circles the drain once more. Tony will always be cool cause without him there’s no industry to grift. Without THPS there is no modern skating , cab is working a job , hosoi is dead , and Rodney is just some autist on the street babbling about the physics of tricks before asking you for some money for food. Put some damn repec on mans name.

[lowline]

it's since been deleted but there was a reddit post where someone that grew up with him in chicago said he was insanely racist in highschool and said the n word constantly

i mean, he totally looks like the type doesn't he? (the reddit post was on one of those la influencer subs because his girlfriend is an influencer as well as an alleged sexual abuser)

[GAY]

I was suspicious at first but I went "all in" on Stevie’s NFTs and I can’t stop thanking him to this day.

[Pbn_jake]

https://youtube.com/shorts/wJaHuXLXSTQ?si=03VWQP5pi9mqCjx1

Honestly fuck this dork and his brand

Sorry for not knowing how to imbed

[Slave IV]

I've never paid much attenttion to industry politics or drama, just enjoy skating and watching whoever else enjoys skating. Never been a big fan of Tony Hawk, mainly just because vert was never my thing but seeing all the chat here and then this video randomly came up on my feed so I watched it:



I can't say there was anything overly disingenuous here and hard to say this is a person who doesn't just love skateboarding and does what they can for it.

[Atiba Applebum]

Birdhouse isn’t kept alive by its sales.   Tony doing some goofy ad keeps him able to give pro boards to bunch of sick skaters and David Loy

[WarmUpZone]

Tony Hawk isn't a grifter. He is a huge sellout, but not a grifter.

If we're talking about using your skate celebrity to convince your fans to give you money or invest in something you benefit from but know they won't, I'd have to put Lil Stevie's NFTs and meta-real estate at the top. Who else did NFTs? Bob Burquist? I think Tony Hawk did as well, so perhaps he is a grifter.

If we are talking about pros who should have stopped having a pro board, that is hard to quantify. A pro skater's job is to sell skateboards, so even if they stop skating and getting footage (Dill, Rickk, Mike, Sheffey, Arto, and many many more) - if their board sells, then they are kind of doing their job.

[Mr. Jax Taylor]

Since No One Else Will Say It ... Kevin Bradley

[Cuban_Lynx]

Since No One Else Will Say It ... Kevin Bradley

How?

“A grifter is a confidence artist or swindler who obtains money or advantages through deception, fraud, or manipulation rather than force. They often use charm, false personas, and fabricated urgency to exploit trust, frequently appearing legitimate.”

[Jort250]

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Since No One Else Will Say It ... Kevin Bradley

[close]

How?

“A grifter is a confidence artist or swindler who obtains money or advantages through deception, fraud, or manipulation rather than force. They often use charm, false personas, and fabricated urgency to exploit trust, frequently appearing legitimate.”

There’s no deception or false personas with KB

[AnimalChinaski79]

Tony Hawk isn't a grifter. He is a huge sellout, but not a grifter.

If we're talking about using your skate celebrity to convince your fans to give you money or invest in something you benefit from but know they won't, I'd have to put Lil Stevie's NFTs and meta-real estate at the top. Who else did NFTs? Bob Burquist? I think Tony Hawk did as well, so perhaps he is a grifter.

If we are talking about pros who should have stopped having a pro board, that is hard to quantify. A pro skater's job is to sell skateboards, so even if they stop skating and getting footage (Dill, Rickk, Mike, Sheffey, Arto, and many many more) - if their board sells, then they are kind of doing their job.

Tony's done more for skateboarding then anything you will ever do or ever done. 

[Dj Paul]

Birdhouse isn’t kept alive by its sales.   Tony doing some goofy ad keeps him able to give pro boards to bunch of sick skaters and David Loy

hahahahahahahaha

[k-nutz]

The fact that you can make money based on your perceived deftness on a useless wooden toy is not a grift but a hustle.  Go and secure your bag!  You can later transition into selling real estate like all the other people with no hard skills.