TransWorld Magazine Releases List of the 30 Most Influential Skaters of All Time: A Fan’s Reaction

The week of December 20, 2011, TransWorld magazine released its list of the 30 Most Influential Skaters of All Time. Here's a quick mention of a few skaters that got the nod and my thoughts on the matter:

Who Made It

Pro skater Mark Gonzales tops TransWorld's list and P-Rod rolls in at number 30. Of course the names of all those in between the two read like a who's who of skate royalty. Tony Hawk is mentioned and so are Rodney Mullen and Geoff Rowley. You can scope out the entire list for yourself online. There are a few names, however, that were conspicuously absent.

My Thoughts

For starters, where are the ladies of skate? All the pioneering women are missing from the list. I can't believe that no love was shown for at least Cara Beth Burnside or Lynz-Adams Hawkins Pastrana. Burnside fought to level the playing field for the ladies when it came to prize purses. She's also an Olympian for Pete's sake. One would think that would deserve a mention. Let's not forget the new Mrs. Travis Pastrana. She was the first member of the fairer sex to master a McTwist and shred the life out of a MegaRamp. There are other ladies who influenced the sport as well like Patty McGee. How can you have a list of most influential skaters without the world's first Betty? Aside from no love for the ladies, there are a few men missing as well.

I'd at least like to make an argument for Bob Burnquist, Stacy Peralta and Rob Dyrdek. Burnquist created insane tricks like the Burntwist and the one-footed smith grind. He also tackled a loop ramp, a Mega Ramp and BASE jumped the Grand Canyon. His influence extends outside the skate world as well. Farmer Bob, as I like to call him, has been spreading the word about healthy eating and sustainability long before it was chic to do so. He founded the Action Sports Environmental Coalition and the Bob Burnquist Foundation to help in that process. That ought to count for something. Stacy Peralta influenced skating by helping to document the sport in his later years and bring it to the masses. He also formed the venerable Bones Brigade. As for Rob Dyrdek, he has brought attention to the sport through his media prowess, built an impressive array of skateparks across the country and founded the Street League Series. Enough said.

My children are skaters and I have a history of following the sport.

More from this contributor:

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