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Influential Bay Area skateboarder Marc Johnson has died, his longtime friend and fellow professional skateboarder Louie Barletta announced. Johnson was 49.
Barletta announced Johnson's death on Tuesday, May 26 in a social media post from Thrasher Magazine, calling him "one of the most talented and creative people to ever step on or off a skateboard."
Johnson is credited with helping establish the San Jose, California skateboarding scene as a key figure in the Tilt Mode Army, a group of Bay Area skateboarders who earned national acclaim in videos that showcased their technical street skating skill, inventive style and personality, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Johnson's cause of death is still unknown. Barletta noted Johnson had recently visited him less than a month ago in San Jose and "was sober, healthy, and full of life."
Johnson skated for several brands, most notably Maple, and earned Skater of the Year honors from Thrasher Magazine in 2007 after a memorable appearance in "Fully Flared" by Lakai, a revered street skating video. Johnson later started his own brand, Enjoi.
Tributes from across the skateboarding world poured in soon after news of Johnson's death began to spread.
"Marc was a genius and a tortured soul," Barletta wrote. "He told me he wanted to be remembered for his skateboarding, not for his failures or shortcomings. He was just a poor kid from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, who grew up in a trailer at the end of a dirt road. Yet he made it out, traveled the world, and touched so many lives. He will live on through the video parts that nobody can recreate. He gave opportunities to people who might never have had a chance otherwise."
Continue reading...
Barletta announced Johnson's death on Tuesday, May 26 in a social media post from Thrasher Magazine, calling him "one of the most talented and creative people to ever step on or off a skateboard."
Johnson is credited with helping establish the San Jose, California skateboarding scene as a key figure in the Tilt Mode Army, a group of Bay Area skateboarders who earned national acclaim in videos that showcased their technical street skating skill, inventive style and personality, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Johnson's cause of death is still unknown. Barletta noted Johnson had recently visited him less than a month ago in San Jose and "was sober, healthy, and full of life."
Johnson skated for several brands, most notably Maple, and earned Skater of the Year honors from Thrasher Magazine in 2007 after a memorable appearance in "Fully Flared" by Lakai, a revered street skating video. Johnson later started his own brand, Enjoi.
Tributes from across the skateboarding world poured in soon after news of Johnson's death began to spread.
"Marc was a genius and a tortured soul," Barletta wrote. "He told me he wanted to be remembered for his skateboarding, not for his failures or shortcomings. He was just a poor kid from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, who grew up in a trailer at the end of a dirt road. Yet he made it out, traveled the world, and touched so many lives. He will live on through the video parts that nobody can recreate. He gave opportunities to people who might never have had a chance otherwise."
Continue reading...
