Kevin Harris
Encyclopedia
Kevin Harris is a professional skateboarder from Vancouver, Canada. He specializes in "freestyle
" skateboarding. Harris is known for his fluid style, which incorporated complex manual variations with exceptional footwork. Stacy Peralta
has called him "the most natural skater I knew." He was most active in competitions during the 1980s but is still involved with the skate scene. He owns and operates Canada's largest skateboard distribution center and continues to perform demonstrations.
. He began skateboarding at 13 years old and like most skaters of the 1970s, he started on a mass-produced, plastic “banana” board. At first he rode all types of terrain and built what most local skaters agreed on as the best half-pipe
in the Vancouver area. Even with a ramp in his backyard, he eventually focused on flatland freestyle.
Harris was first sponsored in 1977 by Nippon Cycles, a Vancouver bike and skate shop. Sponsorship meant more than discounted merchandise—wearing a Nippon team shirt was like walking around with an Olympic medal hanging off your neck. He began skating demonstrations with the "Ripping Squad," a group of Canadian skaters that rode a portable half-pipe painted with the Yin/Yang logo.
In 1982 Harris competed in the freestyle competition in Del Mar, California as a sponsored amateur. There weren't enough amateur contestants so he skated against the pros and finished in third place. Stacy Peralta, Harris' idol stopped him in the parking lot and asked him to ride for the Bones Brigade, Powell Peralta
's skate team. The Brigade quickly became the most dominant team in skateboarding and Harris found himself teammates with Tony Hawk
, Lance Mountain
, and Rodney Mullen
among others.
Harris enjoyed his greatest success as a professional during this period. Skateboarding was also becoming popular again and by 1984 a legitimate subculture had begun. In 1985, Harris placed first in Venice, CA and second at Del Mar. During the preliminary round of the Del Mar competition Harris actually scored higher than Rodney Mullen, one of only two skaters to exceed Mullen's score during a contest. ("Of course, Rodney killed me in the finals," Harris said with a laugh later.) His consistently high contest results ranked him second in the world during this year.
In 1986 Powell•Peralta issued Harris’ first professional skateboard model. The deck’s design featured iconic Canadian graphics: a skeletal Mountie, in front of a backdrop of maple leaves, holding a beaver by the tail. It is still considered a classic today, and original pressings are quite collectible.
In 1986 Harris took possession of the half-pipe built for the world championships held in Vancouver for Expo 86
and used it as an anchor for the Richmond Skate Ranch, an indoor skateboard facility featuring multiple ramps and wooden park features, including the "mini Chin", a complex multi-ramp structure designed by Lance Mountain. This provided Vancouver skateboarders a safe haven from the winter rains and nurtured a handful of skaters (Colin McKay
, Rob Sluggo Boyce
and Rick Howard
among others) that continue to impact the skateboard industry. The Ranch closed in 1993 but Harris joined forces with Colin McKay and opened the RDS
indoor park in 2003.
Harris' pro model was re-issued from Powell Skateboards. He lives in Ladner, British Columbia, Canada and is married and has two children Aaron and Kolby. He paid a concrete company almost $40,000 to create his ideal skating surface in his backyard and continues to skate daily with his son Kolby.
In 2007, Kevin stepped back into the competitive scene, and entered the WFSA world freestyle skateboard championships, (being held in Vancouver Canada). His natural flow, and style had not faded over the years, and after being 'retired' for over a decade, Kevin placed 1st, claiming his very first world championship crown.
Freestyle skateboarding
Freestyle skateboarding , perhaps the oldest style of skateboarding, is a type of skating that was popular intermittently from the 1960s until the early 1990s, when the last large scale professional competition was held; it would be 8 years until the next . The emphasis in freestyle is technical...
" skateboarding. Harris is known for his fluid style, which incorporated complex manual variations with exceptional footwork. Stacy Peralta
Stacy Peralta
Stacy Peralta is an American director and entrepreneur. Peralta was previously a professional skateboarder and surfer with the professional skateboarding group, the Z-Boys.-Early life:...
has called him "the most natural skater I knew." He was most active in competitions during the 1980s but is still involved with the skate scene. He owns and operates Canada's largest skateboard distribution center and continues to perform demonstrations.
Early career
Harris was born in Richmond, British ColumbiaRichmond, British Columbia
Richmond is a coastal city, incorporated in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Part of Metro Vancouver, its neighbouring communities are Vancouver and Burnaby to the north, New Westminster to the east, and Delta to the south, while the Strait of Georgia forms its western border...
. He began skateboarding at 13 years old and like most skaters of the 1970s, he started on a mass-produced, plastic “banana” board. At first he rode all types of terrain and built what most local skaters agreed on as the best half-pipe
Half-pipe
A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, and inline skating. The structure is wood, concrete, metal, earth, or snow. It resembles a cross section of a swimming pool, essentially two concave ramps , topped by copings and...
in the Vancouver area. Even with a ramp in his backyard, he eventually focused on flatland freestyle.
Harris was first sponsored in 1977 by Nippon Cycles, a Vancouver bike and skate shop. Sponsorship meant more than discounted merchandise—wearing a Nippon team shirt was like walking around with an Olympic medal hanging off your neck. He began skating demonstrations with the "Ripping Squad," a group of Canadian skaters that rode a portable half-pipe painted with the Yin/Yang logo.
Mid career
By 1979 Harris’ skills caught the eye of Steve Cathey, a professional skater from California. Cathey, who represented the Gordon & Smith skateboard company, offered Harris amateur sponsorship. This was particularly ironic because Harris would eventually crush Cathey's world-record for two-board “daffy” 360s. Cathey managed to rotate almost 400 times while Harris stopped spinning from exhaustion after twenty minutes and 1,032 spins later.Underground scene and the rise to popularity
In the early 1980s skateboarding was destitute, viewed as an embarrassing fad by non-participants. The Canadian contest circuit dried up and Harris often drove over 24 hours to California just to remain involved in competitions.In 1982 Harris competed in the freestyle competition in Del Mar, California as a sponsored amateur. There weren't enough amateur contestants so he skated against the pros and finished in third place. Stacy Peralta, Harris' idol stopped him in the parking lot and asked him to ride for the Bones Brigade, Powell Peralta
Powell Peralta
Powell Peralta is an American skateboard company founded by George Powell and Stacy Peralta in 1978. The company rose to prominence in the 1980s as skateboarding began maturing as a sport. The company featured the Bones Brigade, a team of the era's top competitors...
's skate team. The Brigade quickly became the most dominant team in skateboarding and Harris found himself teammates with Tony Hawk
Tony Hawk
Anthony Frank "Tony" Hawk , nicknamed "The Birdman" is an American retired professional skateboarder and actor. Hawk gained significant fame for completing the first 900 as well as his licensed video game titles distributed by Activision...
, Lance Mountain
Lance Mountain
Robert Lance Mountain was one of the more popular skateboarders throughout much of the 1980s, and one of the five most legendary members of the Bones Brigade, as featured in the 1987 classic The Search For Animal Chin .Mountain was born in Pasadena, California...
, and Rodney Mullen
Rodney Mullen
John Rodney Mullen is a professional freestyle and street skateboarder. He is widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative and influential street skaters in the history of skateboarding...
among others.
Harris enjoyed his greatest success as a professional during this period. Skateboarding was also becoming popular again and by 1984 a legitimate subculture had begun. In 1985, Harris placed first in Venice, CA and second at Del Mar. During the preliminary round of the Del Mar competition Harris actually scored higher than Rodney Mullen, one of only two skaters to exceed Mullen's score during a contest. ("Of course, Rodney killed me in the finals," Harris said with a laugh later.) His consistently high contest results ranked him second in the world during this year.
In 1986 Powell•Peralta issued Harris’ first professional skateboard model. The deck’s design featured iconic Canadian graphics: a skeletal Mountie, in front of a backdrop of maple leaves, holding a beaver by the tail. It is still considered a classic today, and original pressings are quite collectible.
Later career
In 1985 Harris began distributing Powell Peralta skateboard products in Canada and quickly grew Ultimate Skateboards into Canada's largest skateboard distributorship. Today he co-owns Ultimate with his wife Audrey. Harris has never needed to venture outside of the skateboard industry to make a living.In 1986 Harris took possession of the half-pipe built for the world championships held in Vancouver for Expo 86
Expo 86
The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo '86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from Friday, May 2 until Monday, October 13, 1986...
and used it as an anchor for the Richmond Skate Ranch, an indoor skateboard facility featuring multiple ramps and wooden park features, including the "mini Chin", a complex multi-ramp structure designed by Lance Mountain. This provided Vancouver skateboarders a safe haven from the winter rains and nurtured a handful of skaters (Colin McKay
Colin McKay
Colin McKay is a professional skateboarder from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.- Biography :McKay graduated from Handsworth Secondary School in 1992....
, Rob Sluggo Boyce
Sluggo Boyce
Robert Doucet Boyce , better known as Sluggo, is a professional skateboarder, snowboarder, break-dancer, gymnast, stuntman, and businessman from Vancouver, British Columbia. Sluggo is best known for his skateboarding and is most famous for being the first to land a back flip on a skateboard which...
and Rick Howard
Rick Howard
Rick Howard is a Canada-born skateboarder who now resides in California. He is considered to been credited with helping to advance switch skateboarding to new levels in the 1990s....
among others) that continue to impact the skateboard industry. The Ranch closed in 1993 but Harris joined forces with Colin McKay and opened the RDS
RDS
RDS may refer to:*Amazon Relational Database Service, Amazon's cloud-based Relational Database Service*Radio Data System*Radio Dimensione Suono, an Italian radio station*Random dot stereogram, a form of 3-D image*SAP Rapid Deployment Solutions, from SAP AG...
indoor park in 2003.
Harris' pro model was re-issued from Powell Skateboards. He lives in Ladner, British Columbia, Canada and is married and has two children Aaron and Kolby. He paid a concrete company almost $40,000 to create his ideal skating surface in his backyard and continues to skate daily with his son Kolby.
In 2007, Kevin stepped back into the competitive scene, and entered the WFSA world freestyle skateboard championships, (being held in Vancouver Canada). His natural flow, and style had not faded over the years, and after being 'retired' for over a decade, Kevin placed 1st, claiming his very first world championship crown.