Bob Burnquist is a legendary skateboarder, an extraordinary innovator and an inspiring human being. His career as an athlete has taken him around the world, built a skateboarding paradise on his own property and inducted him into the Skateboard Hall of Fame.
WCS 30th Anniversary – Bob Burnquist Interview
November 20, 2024 / By yann
Interestingly, a pivotal moment in his life came at one of the WCS competitions in Vancouver in 1995. In this series of interviews to mark the organization’s 30th anniversary, the Brazilian looks back on the beginnings of his career, his memories with his Anti Hero buddies and the various highlights of the events he produced in collaboration with WCS.
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It all began at Slam City Jam
If you have read the interview with Danielle Bostick, you’ll know that Bob Burnquist’s surprise victory at the Slam City Jam ’95 competition in Vancouver was a landmark for many. For the young Brazilian, it was as unexpected as it was significant. He tells us how it happened: “I hadn’t planned to take part in this competition at all. A few weeks earlier, Jake Phelps and Joey Tershay from Thrasher with Julian Stranger and John Cardiel from Antihero were visiting Brazil and we skated together. We kept in touch and shortly afterwards, they invited me to come skate with them in San Francisco. The Slam City Jam took place shortly afterwards and I was invited too, despite my slim experience in professional contests.”
So it was partly thanks to Phelps and Stranger that Bob was invited to take part in Slam City Jam.
However, it was his talent, determination and a performance that took everyone by surprise that established the Brazilian as a generational talent. The stars aligned that day, and it made a lasting impression on the young prodigy. After that, he stood on the podium very often for many years. 1995 victory clip
Bringing international competition to Brazil
When Burnquist talks about his relationship with skateboard contests it may come as a surprise to hear him say that he doesn’t particularly enjoy competing. However, he does like to push himself, and the competitive context is ideal for putting positive pressure on. If he skates for the love of the discipline, as a professional he’s expected to perform at the highest level.
While he has benefited from being surrounded by some of the world’s best skateboarder, such as Danny Way, Max Schaaf and Mike Frazier, he eventually wanted to bring them all to his homeland. If you’ve been following our series of articles, you’ll be aware of the strong link between WCS and the X-Games.
So it was with the expertise of Bostick and the X-Games trademark that Bob collaborated to organize the first world-class competition in Brazil with live television broadcast. While the notoriety of local talent can help open doors with broadcasters and sponsors, it takes know-how and prestige, which the Bostick’s and WCS brought to the table.
Once again, the stars were aligned, and since then, skateboarding competitions in Brazil have been drawing crowds, and some of the world’s best skaters hail from this part of the world. If you’ve ever been to Jackalope, you’ll know that Brazilians are always fierce competitors. This is thanks in part to the work of Bob Burnquist and the Bostick family.
Setting up special events at home, Dreamland
Bob Burnquist is a unique athlete. If he’s the only skateboarder in the world to have grinded a rail equipped with a parachute before plummeting into the Grand Canyon, It’s because he has ideas and likes to push the limits of what’s possible.
In the same spirit, on his property in California, he built a mega ramp and a huge concrete bowl. This unique place is now called Dreamland and is visited by skaters from all over the world. With such extraordinary facilities, an unusual competition format has emerged.
Burnquist and WCS collaborated once again to hold events that would be filmed and recorded beforehand rather than broadcast live. A format inspired by the many different videos skaters produce when they’re not competing. He points out that, with the arrival of the Olympics, Dreamland events in a completely different format appear even more marginal and complementary. He points out that one of his inspirations remains the atmosphere of competitions such as Slam City Jam 1995, with performances by bands and other elements linked to skate culture.
Video: Bob’s part : Dreamland
Inspired by the past, focused on the future
While he has an impressive track record and countless youthful anecdotes with his colleagues at Antihero, The Firm and Flip, Burnquist has his sights set on the future. He has many plans to continue innovating skateboarding events. When asked if he had a particular story that came to mind, he replied that he has hundreds, and that they have the following in common: camaraderie and overcoming obstacles.
His career on the competition network reminds him of the moments of chaos on the road with Jake Phelps and Andy Roy, but also of the unexpected performances resulting from the inevitable pressure of competition. While competing around the world, he met some of the most important people on the skate scene, not only those at the forefront like Danny Way, Colin McKay, Tony Hawk, Jake Phelps and Dave Duncan, but also those doing the crucial work of organizing, like Danielle and Don Bostick. So it’s with the intention of keeping the flame burning and with the people that inspired him since the very beginning of his career that Bob Burnquist continues to be involved in the international events scene.
See you soon, Bob!
Ever since he has headlined the 2019 edition of JACKALOPE, Bob Burnquist will always be a welcome member of the Jackalope family. If he’s got plans and so do we so it is quite possible we’ll meet up again at a high-caliber skate event. We’re not sure when we’ll meet up again, but we’ll see you there.