Christian Hosoi was born October 5, 1967 and grew up in Los Angeles and Hawaii. He developed his skills at Marina Skatepark alongside Jay Adams and...
Christian Hosoi was born October 5, 1967 and grew up in Los Angeles and Hawaii. He developed his skills at Marina Skatepark alongside Jay Adams and Shogo Kubo, influenced by Tony Alva and Stacy Peralta. He turned professional at 14 with Sims Skateboards after early sponsorship from Dogtown and Powell Peralta.
During the 1980s, Hosoi became a leading vert skater and a rival to Tony Hawk. He invented tricks including the Christ air and rocket air and founded Hosoi Skates. In the early 1990s, as street skating grew, he faced financial and legal problems tied to substance abuse. In 2000, he was sentenced to prison for drug trafficking and served four years.
After his release, Hosoi returned to skateboarding and later rode for Vans, Quiksilver, Independent, Pro Tec, and Spitfire.