Tony Magnusson
Encyclopedia
Tony Magnusson is an Swedish
semi-retired professional skateboarder
and part-owner of Osiris Shoes
. Magnusson gained significant fame throughout the 1980s by inventing several tricks and becoming one of the first professional skateboarders to start a rider-owned company.
, located in the city of Stockholm
, Sweden
. He started skateboarding at the age of 12 on a Newporter skateboard, when skateboarding was still considered "a fad.." Magnusson turned 16 and had to decide whether he wanted to go to college or continue skateboarding.
After several years, Magnusson and his friend Mike Ternasky would form the H-Street skateboarding company, and would consult with skateboarding industry leader George Hamad to help with its daily operation. Magnusson was fond of the Powell videos, but did not have the budget to film the videos that they did. Instead, Ternasky and Magnusson agreed to edit the videos at home and sign some of the era's most innovative skaters to the team. Names like Ron Allen, Matt Hensley, and a fourteen year old Danny Way
.
His company would shoot some of the most popular skateboarding videos in the 1980s. "Shackle Me Not" was considered to be a turning point as to how skateboarding videos were made, and the 1989 release of "Hokus Pokus" featured new team members Brian Lotti, Colby Carter, and Sal Barbier. Magnusson would go on to release five different videos under the H-Street name.
Magnusson was also an innovator on board design. He would design a concept called the "Hell Concave", which is a deep concave that extended from the nose of the board to the tail.
H-Street would eventually disband, and co-founder Mike Ternasky would later die in a fatal car accident in 1993. After years of discussion, Magnusson, along with George Hamad, would resurrect the H-Street brand in 2008.
. Osiris was founded in 1996, and continues to produce technical footwear that is worn by several professional skateboarders.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
semi-retired professional skateboarder
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
and part-owner of Osiris Shoes
Osiris Shoes
Osiris Shoes is a skate shoe company that was founded in 1996 by Tony Chen, Tony Magnusson, Brian Reid, Doug Weston and Laura Kim. They created the company when they saw a void in the skateboard industry for pro designed and endorsed footwear. -History:...
. Magnusson gained significant fame throughout the 1980s by inventing several tricks and becoming one of the first professional skateboarders to start a rider-owned company.
Youth
Magnusson was born in the municipality of TyresöTyresö Municipality
Tyresö Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden on the coast of the Baltic Sea. Its seat is located in Bollmora.Most of Tyresö Municipality lies within the Stockholm urban area.-History:...
, located in the city of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. He started skateboarding at the age of 12 on a Newporter skateboard, when skateboarding was still considered "a fad.." Magnusson turned 16 and had to decide whether he wanted to go to college or continue skateboarding.
Professional career
Magnusson started his career as a rider in the United States for the Uncle Wiggly team in 1983.After several years, Magnusson and his friend Mike Ternasky would form the H-Street skateboarding company, and would consult with skateboarding industry leader George Hamad to help with its daily operation. Magnusson was fond of the Powell videos, but did not have the budget to film the videos that they did. Instead, Ternasky and Magnusson agreed to edit the videos at home and sign some of the era's most innovative skaters to the team. Names like Ron Allen, Matt Hensley, and a fourteen year old Danny Way
Danny Way
Danny Way is a professional skateboarder.-Awards and achievements:* 1986: Won the first contest he entered at age 11* 1989: Won his first vert contest in Michigan...
.
His company would shoot some of the most popular skateboarding videos in the 1980s. "Shackle Me Not" was considered to be a turning point as to how skateboarding videos were made, and the 1989 release of "Hokus Pokus" featured new team members Brian Lotti, Colby Carter, and Sal Barbier. Magnusson would go on to release five different videos under the H-Street name.
Magnusson was also an innovator on board design. He would design a concept called the "Hell Concave", which is a deep concave that extended from the nose of the board to the tail.
H-Street would eventually disband, and co-founder Mike Ternasky would later die in a fatal car accident in 1993. After years of discussion, Magnusson, along with George Hamad, would resurrect the H-Street brand in 2008.
Other ventures
Magnusson was also one of several people who founded Osiris ShoesOsiris Shoes
Osiris Shoes is a skate shoe company that was founded in 1996 by Tony Chen, Tony Magnusson, Brian Reid, Doug Weston and Laura Kim. They created the company when they saw a void in the skateboard industry for pro designed and endorsed footwear. -History:...
. Osiris was founded in 1996, and continues to produce technical footwear that is worn by several professional skateboarders.