Shogo Kubo

Shogo Kubo, born on 19 September 1959 and died on 24 June 2014, was a Japanese-American skateboarding pioneer and one of the original members of the Z-Boys, formed in Venice, California, in 1975. He was born in Kagoshima, Japan, and began skateboarding at six. After he moved to the United States he took an interest in surfing and became friends with Jay Adams after responding to a newspaper ad about a surfboard Adams was selling, and Kubo used Adams's skateboard, which led to his passion for skateboarding and his joining the Z-Boys. His style was widely respected by his peers, and he influenced future pro skateboarders such as Christian Hosoi.