Lavar McBride

Lavar McBride has the skills to pay the bills.

Prepped as the first of a new wave of kids killing everything in their path, Lavar rode onto the scene and skated gaps, ledges, banks... The whole Nine switch and regular with mad style. Making a debut under the Stereo banner all those years ago, it wasn't long before the academy of cool that was World Industries and it's affiliate companies scooped up the prodigal youngster and turned him pro at the tender age of 14 for Blind.

For the next few years, Lavar maintained legendary status keeping a good two steps ahead of the game, but as always with the brightest stars, things started to burn out and Lavar lost track a bit. Lavar has been out of the game for a while now, but his legacy remains.

Shit was tight!

The Muska

Chad Muska is a legend.

I remember reading an old article in TWS about an SMA tour to Las Vegas, and the guy who wrote couldn't believe this kid they met, a local named Chad. Chad killed it at each and every spot the pros went to the extent that he managed to get a few photos in the mag and his first major sponsor.

Fast forward a bit and sure enough the Muska resurfaces and creates a tidal wave of approval from sponsors and fans alike. For a couple of years, The Muska was selling more boards than anyone else, touring the world, claiming last parts in the top-selling videos and coverage in every magazine. It was the golden years for the young buck from nowhereville.

In true rock 'n' roll fashion, Chad lost the plot a bit and fell off the map so to speak. Boom boxes, getting chased down the street by German fans, dating Paris Hilton, producing an album- Muskabeatz- with some of Hip-Hop's greatest rappers over one week in a hotel suite, skating in Burberry gear... The only person ever to come close to that sort of notoriety was Christian Hosoi, but every generation has their rock star and we've got Chad. It's good to see Chad has regained focus on the one thing that started the wild ride- skateboarding.

Gabriel Rodriguez

Ahhh... Gabriel Rodriguez- where art thou?

If somebody pushed the envelope on the maxim "Quality over quantity", I think Gabriel takes the crown. Despite bursting onto the the scene in Powell Peralta's Ban This, in what can best be described as a second serving of the fantastic Rubber boys, Gabriel failed to follow through with anything more than 30 seconds of footage. Picked to ride for 101, Steve Rocco's most exclusive sub-company, nothing divulged from such a prime position. Maybe Gabriel missed the bus to each session..? After the demise of 101, Gabriel became a founding member of Girl's brotha from a different mother- Chocolate Skateboards, and thankfully, just in time for retirement, managed to pull out all the stops and muster up a couple of minutes of suave skateboarding for the curtains part of Las Nueves Vidas de Paco.

If anything, Gabriel will be remembered for his perfect fakie 5-0's and my favourite graphics of all time (Artwork- Andy Jenkins, Art director- Natas Kaupas).

Youssef

Youssef is a true skateboarder.

This is a Youssef messing around with the kids at their local park in Brussels. When Youssef isn't getting his skate on somewhere in or out of town, he's teaching the next generation about it. Youssef is down for skateboarding 100% but he doesn't need a sponsor or a company tattoo to remind him.

Youssef is the amateur team of Project Rad. But he doesn't know it.

John Cardiel

John Cardiel is an inspiration to us all.

My first time I saw John he was saluting the devil beneath a Slayer poster. The intensity in his eyes was only a spark of the fire that his skateboarding blazed.

John suffered a severe back injury that SHOULD have left him in a wheelchair. One year later, John was back on his board.

Watch John here.