The Godfather of street skating is also a prolific poet and painter

Art · Published 20 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Mark Gonzales didn't just invent modern street skateboarding; he transformed the act of movement into a multi-disciplinary art form. From pioneering the first boardslides to creating over 145 zines and exhibiting in international galleries, Gonzales treats the pavement as a canvas and the skateboard as a brush.

Born in 1968, Gonzales is widely regarded as a pioneer of street skating. Alongside Natas Kaupas, he is credited with the first known boardslides on a handrail. His influence was so profound that Transworld Skateboarding magazine named him the 'Most Influential Skateboarder of All Time' in 2011, ranking him above icons like Tony Hawk and Rodney Mullen. He famously popularized locations like San Francisco's Embarcadero Plaza by performing the 'Gonz Gap' in 1986. Beyond the physical feats, Gonzales has been an artist for nearly as long as he has been skating. He is an internationally exhibited painter whose work has appeared in galleries in Tokyo, New York, and Germany. He is also a prolific poet and author of works like 'High Tech Poetry' and 'Broken Dreams.' One of his most personal creative outlets is the 'zine'—a format he calls 'blogging but on paper.' He has produced over 145 of these self-published works, including 'Non Stop Poetry' and 'Dream Wheels Poems.'

His career is marked by a constant tension between commercial success and creative independence.

He co-founded Blind Skateboards in 1989—a name chosen as a slight against his former employer—and later launched Krooked Skateboards in 2002. Despite his commercial reach, including designs for global brands like Supreme and adidas, his work remains rooted in the 'free' expression of street culture, bridging the gap between high-art gallery spaces and the raw energy of the sidewalk.

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