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Guys, I want to share this with you guys. I do realize that it has nothing to do with Basketball, but it has a lot to do with life in general.
As a skater when I was young I have watched this kid growup and I have followed his career until he went in prison.
I have seen his rise and I have finally seen his fall.
His story (Testimony) is amazing and what he went through and where his at is one of the most inspiring true stories that you will ever read, see or hear about.
This guy was and is the inovator of skateboarding and as his fame and glory took him to the top, at the same time it was his downfall.
Now in certain cases something like this is called a documentory but its not, what this guy went through and as a born again Christian........... This is his Testimony.
I promise you, take the time and watch his Testimony/documentary on showtime or rent it and you will understand that life is worth so much more than anything that money can buy or bring to you, your friends the hope of success and his honestly some of the things he went through I know I went through and maybe you went through as well.
I watched his Testimony/documentory over and over again and what this guy went through and what he did for the sport is beyond anyone can ever imagine. We know about athletes like M.J, and Tiger Woods, Pele etc but this kid and what he borught was so much more deeper and where he is now is just a blessing and an insperation to anyone.
Even if your not a skater or never set your foot on a skateboard, his life experience and his accomplishments are beyond anyone imagination.
His Testimony/documentary is called Rising Son: The Legend of Skateboarder Christian Hosoi

Here's a preview on youtube.............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zYdPqZN ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCdxNkXnjpA

Take care........... and please guys as a friend, and a brother, take the time and watch it.
You wont regret it.

I've actually watched a few things on Christian and you're right Tony, he has an amazing story.

People can argue all day about religion but God flat out saved Hosoi. No doubt in my mind. He should be dead by now.

And on a total side note, this guy is an unreal athlete.

I'll have to check that out a little later, but thanks for posting. I don't particularly care about the religion aspect as I hate all things dealing with organized religion, but I don't mind reading a success story here and there whether it be inspired by religion or not.

I too grew up skateboarding (back in the 80's, early 90's) and managed to pick up a sponsorship by Geo Truck Co. before breaking my arm several times and being forced to quit. Anyway, Hosoi was best known for his "Christ Air" which is something that I perfected on a launch ramp/quarter pipe, only I would do a 360 on top of it. He was definitely an inspiration to us back in the day, as were all the other early OG skaters that made the sport take off.

semi-sentient wrote:I'll have to check that out a little later, but thanks for posting. I don't particularly care about the religion aspect as I hate all things dealing with organized religion, but I don't mind reading a success story here and there whether it be inspired by religion or not.

I too grew up skateboarding (back in the 80's, early 90's) and managed to pick up a sponsorship by Geo Truck Co. before breaking my arm several times and being forced to quit. Anyway, Hosoi was best known for his "Christ Air" which is something that I perfected on a launch ramp/quarter pipe, only I would do a 360 on top of it. He was definitely an inspiration to us back in the day, as were all the other early OG skaters that made the sport take off.

Honestly I know I have some bad things about myself and just like Christian I too have my testemony about my life and the way I found GOD in my life.
I am a man of GOD and I do fall, but as far as this thread, its not about religion, its about someone that was on the bottom of the barrel and his GOD givin talent that raised him to the top and it was his stardom and the way he excepted and delt with his GOD givin talent.
Realistically he was gifted and when he did fall the only thing was there to catch him was his faith and to him and to others such as myself that faith led me as it did himto GOD that basically gave him life again and he was born again.
I understand your post S.S and Im not posting this in a sense of a religious thread, but lets be honest every man women or a human being will find his way to GOD, whether they like it or not, wether its true or not.
This is one person that can actually sit there and share something so deep and so real, and Im sorry to say........... Its started with GOD and it ended with GOD.
Thats all.

Like SS, I'm not really down with organized religion, or religion in general, but I saw this show and was very much engrossed by it. I thought it was fascinating and very well-made.

Christian seemed like an innately good person who just got swept up in a lifestyle he couldn't control, so it was good to see that he learned from his mistakes and turned himself around. If that's what he needed to save himself -- and I totally agree that it was -- then good for him.

Even beyond all that, it was pretty interesting to take a trip back to the 80s. I was never into skating at all, but I had many friends who were so that was a real blast from the past. It would have been intresting just to watch the divergent paths that he and Tony Hawk took.

Hosoi was unbelievable on a skateboard. I always though that he was clearly better than Tony Hawk. It would have been nice to see what he could have done if he could have stayed away from the drug problems, particularly in the early x-games. Still, its' great to see him turn his life around.

Don Ford wrote:Hosoi was unbelievable on a skateboard. I always though that he was clearly better than Tony Hawk. It would have been nice to see what he could have done if he could have stayed away from the drug problems, particularly in the early x-games. Still, its' great to see him turn his life around.

I think there were quite a few skaters back in the day that were better than Hawk, but he made his name in a time where there weren't many others who were famed half-pipe skaters. I personally thought Mike McGill (the guy who invented the McTwist) was better back then as I can't seem to recall what made Hawk so special outside of him being known for catching more air.

semi-sentient wrote:

Don Ford wrote:Hosoi was unbelievable on a skateboard. I always though that he was clearly better than Tony Hawk. It would have been nice to see what he could have done if he could have stayed away from the drug problems, particularly in the early x-games. Still, its' great to see him turn his life around.

I think there were quite a few skaters back in the day that were better than Hawk, but he made his name in a time where there weren't many others who were famed half-pipe skaters. I personally thought Mike McGill (the guy who invented the McTwist) was better back then as I can't seem to recall what made Hawk so special outside of him being known for catching more air.

Marketing............. Tony Hawk had the name and he stood out since he was this tall skinny kid that couldnt really do the same tricks as other smaller skaters could.
So that led to Tony having to bring out his own style and his own tricks.
His lenghty body and his tricks he would pull was very unique and rare in this sport.
With the right people around him he was marketed correctly and he had Christian to thank since he was good friends with Christian and he was always next to Christian and as Chirstians popularity grew so did Tonys.
But Christian didnt like half pipes and ramps and so when the time came, Tony stood alone and their was noone there to give him any competition.