Christian Hosoi

Christian Hosoi was one of the premier skateboarders of the ‘70s and ‘80s, arguably one of Tony Hawks biggest and only rivals. Beginning at the age of 7, Hosoi knew he wanted to become a professional skateboarder and wouldn’t let anything get in his way, including school. He quit school to focus on his skateboarding and when his first sponsor wouldn’t let him turn pro, he quit them and moved on to another sponsor who would. Hosoi began his promising professional career at the age of 14 and literally took the sport to new heights. Known for going big air with a little added flair, Hosoi helped attract new viewers to the sport of vertical skateboarding which was shortly followed by new sponsors and big time money. Hosoi was rolling in the cash, more than he ever expected, but unfortunately that proved to be the downfall for the skater known as “Christ”. After a few successful business ventures, Hosoi kept pushing for more and hit financial problems when his investments began to fail. Financial problems, along with a growing drug addiction, put Hosoi on a path that landed him with an arrest warrant in his name. After 5 years of hiding, including passing on an invite to the first X-Games, Hosoi was arrested and sentenced to ten years in prison. After four years, he was released from prison and became a born-again Christian. He still travels the country to tell his story and the power and comfort he found in his faith.