Christian Hosoi
Encyclopedia
Christian Rosha Hosoi is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 professional skateboarder. He is also known by the nicknames "Christ" and "Holmes". Hosoi is married to a former night club dancer Jenn Lee and has four sons, James Hosoi, Rhythm Hosoi (from a previous relationship), Classic Hosoi and Endless Hosoi. He is currently living in Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...

, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

.

Skateboard career

Hosoi started skating at seven or eight years old with veterans such as Shogo Kubo, Tony Alva
Tony Alva
Tony Alva , is one of the original Z-Boys and is considered to be one of the most influential skateboarders of all time. He was professional skateboarding's first world champion in history, a title he won in 1977.-Career:...

, Stacy Peralta
Stacy Peralta
Stacy Peralta is an American director and entrepreneur. Peralta was previously a professional skateboarder and surfer with the professional skateboarding group, the Z-Boys.-Early life:...

, and Jay Adams
Jay Adams
Jay Adams is one of the original Z-Boys and is considered one of the most influential skateboarders of all time.-Career:He was born in Venice, California...

 as his idols. His father, Ivan "Pops" Hosoi became the manager of the Marina Del Rey Skatepark, and Christian quit school and spent his time there where he quickly developed his emerging talent. In 1979, as an amateur, Hosoi was sponsored by Powell Peralta
Powell Peralta
Powell Peralta is an American skateboard company founded by George Powell and Stacy Peralta in 1978. The company rose to prominence in the 1980s as skateboarding began maturing as a sport. The company featured the Bones Brigade, a team of the era's top competitors...

. He left Powell Peralta a year later when they wouldn't allow him to turn professional and joined Dogtown Skateboards. After Dogtown went out of business shortly thereafter, he turned pro at the age of 14 with Sims Skateboards.

Christian Hosoi emerged as one of the top competitors of vertical riding alongside such pros as Steve Caballero
Steve Caballero
Steve Caballero is a professional skateboarder and musician. Steve was born in the year of the dragon, and has had several board graphics that feature dragons. He was born with scoliosis.-Life and career:...

, Mike McGill
Mike McGill
Mike McGill is an American skateboarder. He is best known for inventing the McTwist, an inverted 540 degree mute grabbed aerial which he first performed on a wooden half-pipe in Sweden in 1984 and then at the Del Mar Skate Ranch in a concrete bowl when he returned to the US. He was inspired by...

, Lester Kasai
Lester Kasai
Lester Kasai grew up in Anaheim, California. He began skating at a young age and was one of the original "Sadlands" team skateboard riders. He was one of the top Pro Skateboarders that dominated the Skate City Skatepark, in Whittier, California for many years. Lester was one of the super stylish...

, and Mark "Gator" Rogowski
Mark Rogowski
Mark "Gator" Rogowski was a figurehead of professional skateboarding in the 1980s and very early 1990s. His career ended when he was convicted of assaulting, raping and murdering Jessica Bergsten on March 6, 1992...

 with an eventual rivalry developing with Tony Hawk with contrasting styles in both skateboarding and lifestyles—Hosoi, known for his flair and graceful style, and Hawk raising the bar with his technical ability and difficult tricks. Hosoi invented the Christ Air and Rocket Air, and was renowned for pulling huge aerials; at one point he was the world record holder. Vertical skateboarding grew in spectator popularity with prize money to match. This, combined with major endorsements with Converse, Swatch
Swatch
Swatch is a brand name for a line of wrist watches from the Swatch Group, a Swiss conglomerate with vertical control of the production of Swiss watches and related products...

, and Jimmy'Z, as well as receiving a pro model wheel, the OJ II Hosoi Rocket through Santa Cruz Speed Wheels, earning Hosoi more money than he had ever dreamed of. In 1984 he formed his own company, Hosoi Skates, first distributed through Skull Skates, then through NHS-INC. The board proved to be so popular that it was counterfeited. When street skating began to emerge in the mid-to-late 80s, Hosoi proved a threat as well, winning both the vert and street contests at the Lotte Cup contest in Japan in 1989.

Contest history

  • Placed in top 5 in 1980 Van's/Offshore Amateur State Finals (California) in boys 11-13 division
  • 1st in 1985 NSA Summer Series #5 (Vancouver, BC): pro vert
  • 1st in 1985 NSA
  • 2nd in 1986 Expo 86 (Vancouver, BC): vert
  • 1st in 1987 Thrasher Savannah Slamma I, street
  • 2nd in 1987 Vision Ramp N' Rage Down South: vert
  • 1st in 1988 Vision Skate Escape: vert
  • 2nd in 1988 Ohio Skateout: street
  • 1st in 1988 Ramp Riot Bells beach(Australia): vert
  • 1st in 1988 Titus World Cup (Germany): vert
  • 2nd in 1988 Titus World Cup (Germany): street
  • 2nd in 1988 Vision Bluegrass Aggression Session: vert
  • 1st in 1989 NSA Savannah Slamma III: Arena Street Style
  • 2nd in 1989 NSA Gotcha Grind: vert
  • 1st in 1989 Japan Slam Jam (Japan): vert
  • 3rd in 1990 Disco in Frisco: street
  • 3rd in 1990 NSA All Pro Mini Ramp Jam Hawaiian Style: mini ramp
  • 1st in 2008 the 10th Annual Tim Brauch Memorial Contest Grandmasters Event
  • 1st in 2008 Etnies GVR Skull Bowl – Masters (Lake Forest, CA)
  • Overall Best ‘80s in 2008 The “All ‘80s All Day Vert Challenge”
  • the 1st annual Team event at the 2009 Ultimate Boarder.
  • 2nd in 2009 Pro-tec Pool Party-Master's division
  • TransWorld Legend Award 11th 2009
  • 1st in 2009 the X Games 15 Skateboard Park Legends contest
  • 2nd in 2009 the 11th Annual Tim Brauch Memorial Contest Grandmasters Event
  • 1st in 2010 the X Games 16 Skateboard Park Legends contest

Incarceration

Hosoi's pro career began to falter as a recession hit the US in the early 1990s and the new street skating stars began to overshadow vertical riders in media coverage. Hosoi faced bankruptcy after financial difficulties with a series of failed skateboard companies like Tuff Sk8s, Sk8 Kultur, Milk, and Focus, in addition to a growing addiction to drugs.

In 1995, Hosoi was arrested on two minor offenses, and a warrant for his arrest was issued for failing to appear in court. To avoid arrest, Hosoi stopped attending competitions and demos, including declining an invitation to the first X Games
X Games
The X Games is a commercial annual sports event, controlled and arranged by US sports broadcaster ESPN, which focuses on action sports. The inaugural X Games was held in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island....

 (then the Extreme Games), which was going to be marketed as a renewed rivalry between Hawk and Hosoi.

Christian was finally captured in January 2000 at the Honolulu airport. He was apprehended while attempting to transport nearly 1.5 lb (0.680388555 kg) of crystal methamphetamine
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...

 from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 to Honolulu. He was charged with trafficking with the intent to distribute, a federal crime. He was sentenced to 10 years incarceration, of which he served 4 and was released from the San Bernardino Central Detention Center in June 2004.

Christianity

He was supported by the skate industry during his incarceration. The Emergency division of Black Label Skateboards issued a Hosoi pro model deck. Shorty's and Chad Muska released a tribute deck featuring an homage to Hosoi's first pro model deck on Sims with the Rising Sun graphic. He also received guest models through Mark Gonzales
Mark Gonzales
Mark Gonzales , also known as "Gonz" and "The Gonz," is an American professional skateboarder and artist. He is known in the skateboarding world as a pioneer of modern street skateboarding, currently skateboarding's most popular form....

' Krooked Skateboards and Pocket Pistols Skateboards; both decks feature his famous Hammerhead shape.

In June 2004 Hosoi's sentence was reduced for good behavior and he was released on parole. Hosoi married girlfriend Jennifer Lee. He became a born-again Christian through the urging of his wife and her uncle, Pastor Christopher Swain. He also earned his high school diploma.
Hosoi continues to be open about his new-found faith, having become ordained as an associate pastor, and has resumed his skateboarding career.

Hosoi was the subject of the 2006 documentary film Rising Son – The Legend of Skateboarder Christian Hosoi that detailed his initial success, drug addiction, and conversion to Christianity.

Christian joined forces with Jay Haizlip, Brian Sumner, and others to create The Uprising, a skate based ministry.

In 2008 The Uprising was documented by Steelroots, a Christian Youth Television Network, and made into a reality television show. The first season comprised eight episodes following the ministry around California and England.
Season 2, began airing in fall 2009.

Christian Hosoi also appeared in a testimonial video on I Am Second
I Am Second
I Am Second is an evangelical Christian multimedia movement and not-for-profit organization that is designed to inspire people to live for Jesus Christ and others...

, in which he shares the story of his faith in Jesus Christ.

External links

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