Chris Cole is a professional skateboarder born on March 10, 1982, in Statesville, North Carolina. Cole was always interested in skateboarding while growing up and had the fortune of having a supportive family. He became passionate about skateboarding, but it remained a hobby for a long time.
It was finally in his teenage years that Cole began to gain traction. This happened because he performed some tricks like the 360 flip on the staircase of a high school and the backward 360 flips in the Amphitheatre in Sydney, Australia.
He then began competing in local contests, and his talent soon got the recognition it deserved. In 2002, he turned professional at the age of 20 and established himself as one of the best skateboarders in the world.
Over the years, Chris has won numerous awards and accolades for his skateboarding skills. He won the Thrasher Magazine Skater of the Year award twice in 2005 and 2009 and the prestigious X Games gold medal five times.
He also won three rounds of the infamous Maloof Money Cup and was given the “Reader’s Choice” Award by Transworld Skateboarding Magazine.
However, Chris’ career has not been a smooth ride all along, and he has had to deal with a fair share of challenges. He fought addiction and struggled with it while tackling some mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.
Chris has always been transparent about his struggles, informed his fans about them, and advocated for the need to get help. He used his position to raise awareness and deal with the taboo around addiction and mental health.
Chris also dealt his hand at entrepreneurship and succeeded big time. He co-founded the Reign Skate Shop and was a shareholder at the skateboard company titled Zero. He later founded his own brand called Omit Apparel, which dealt mostly with clothing related to skateboarding.
However, Omit Apparel was shut down over a year after its opening as Chris delved into new things.
In addition to his skateboarding and entrepreneurial career, Chris is also a dedicated philanthropist. He supports the Tony Hawk Foundation and the Sheckler Foundation, both of which work to build public skateparks and promote skateboarding as a positive activity for young people.
Off the skateboard, Chris is a devoted husband and father. He met his wife, Andrea, in 2006, and the couple got married in 2008. They have two children together, Wyatt and Sloane, and Chris has spoken about how much his family means to him and how they have helped him stay grounded and focused.
Chris Cole continues to be an inspiration for many young people. The late age at which he turned pro serves as a reminder for people to never give up on their passions and that no heed needs to be paid to the timelines set by the world. Chris’ contributions to the support are immense and will be appreciated for the longest of time by people in the community.
I’m an aged skateboarder and I still shred responsibly. I started skateboarding 25 years ago but also love surfing, snowboarding, or anything that involves a board.