The graying of the skateboard market: A look at skateboarders age 35 and Older

According to figures previously released by Board Trac, 17% of the over nine million skateboarders in the United States are 25 years old or older. Of that 17%, 8.9% are 35 years of age of older. This change in the sport's demographics has understandably made things a bit more complicated for those on the business side of things, especially since the sport was once considered solely for the young. Let's take a closer look at some of the older skateboarders behind the trend.

Skateboarders age 35 and older

Skateboarders 35 years of age and older tend to be a legendary lot. Among them are Colin McKay, Steve Caballero, Elissa Steamer, Ben Schroeder, Rodney Mullen, Patty McGee, Cara Beth Burnside, Ron Allen, Steve Alba, Tony Hawk, Chris Miller, Lance Mountain, Mark Gonzales, Christian Hosoi, Jeff Grosso, Torger Johnson, Bruce Logan, Ty Page, Larry Stevenson, Rusty Henderson, Stacy Peralta and Eric Koston.

Older skateboarders who own companies

Despite their legendary status, life has not always been kind to some of skateboarding's icons. Take for instance Bruce Logan and Christian Hosoi, each who battled addiction and won. For Logan the vice was alcohol and for Hosoi it was crystal meth. Both men are still active in the business end of the sport. Hosoi owns his own skateboard company and Logan creates skateboards for the likes of Gravity. In addition to Logan and Hosoi, skateboarders Tony Hawk and Stacy Peralta are also more focused on business ventures nowadays.

Older skateboarders who still compete

Others like Lance Mountain, Steve Alba and Steve Caballero continue to actively compete, proving repeatedly that they still have what it takes to be on top. Mountain took home 5^th place in the 2010 X Games Park Legends discipline and 3^rd at the Pro Tec Pool Party that same year. He is also up for Transworld magazine's 2011 Best Transition award and the odds on him winning are good. Alba, on the other hand, took home 10^th place in the 2010 X Games Park Legends discipline and 5^th at the 2009 Pro Tec Pool Party. Caballero had an equally impressive 2010, placing 3^rd at the X Games Park Legends discipline and 1^st at the Pro Tec Pool Party.

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

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