Lonnie Toft

Lonnie Toft, born in May 1958, is a 1970s-era American professional skateboarder and snowboarder from Southern California who has also been extensively involved with surfing, wakeboarding and standup paddleboarding. He was one of the first skateboarders to ride broader, almost shoe-width boards of 20 to 25 centimetres, is the inventor of the eight-wheeled skateboard and, along with Gordy Lienemann, created the G-turn maneuver. He is also the co-creator of the snowboard and was one of the first professional skateboarders to embrace and promote snowboarding. He was originally sponsored by Pepsi in the early 1970s, performing at skateboarding exhibitions across the United States, and in 1976 became a team rider for the California action sports company SIMS.