Thrasher Magazine

ANTIHERO

Tony Trujillo
Follow on instagram @antihero_wakebladez

aka: TNT

Age: 30

Hometown: San Francisco

Status:  Pro

Sponsors: Antihero, Indy, Spitfire, Vans, Four Star

KOTR experience: 3X KOTR participant, 2003 KOTR winner

Strengths: SOTY 2002, ATV, badditude

Weaknesses: Pee drinking

Verdict: Make or break

Andrew Allen

aka: Pork Chop

Age:  26

Hometown: San Juan Capistrano

Status:  Pro

Sponsors: Antihero, Indy, Sptifire, Vans, Vans Apparel

KOTR experience: None

Strengths: Switch rail pioneer, switch hill bombs

Weaknesses: Aches and pains

Verdict: As tech as AH gets

Frank Gerwer 

aka: Frank

Age: 35

Hometown: San Francisco

Status: Pro

Sponsors: Antihero, Thunder, Spitfire, C1rca Combat

KOTR experience: Built the downhill karts

Strengths: Switch hardflips, front boards, downward dog

Weaknesses: Multiple personalities

Verdict: the Great Gonzo

Robbie Russo 

aka: Lil' Robbie

Age:  20

Hometown: San Pedro

Status: Am

Sponsors: Antihero, Indy, Spitfire, Converse, Dickies

KOTR experience: None

Strengths: Tight tranny, doesn't take up too much space

Weaknesses: Emotional drinker, first love, manuals

Verdict: Slash and burn

Chris Pfanner 

aka: Pfanner

Age: 27

Hometown: Nuremburg, Germany

Status: Pro

Sponsors: Antihero, Indy, Spitfire, Vans, Volcom, Nixon

KOTR experience: None

Strengths: Biggest 180 in the biz, multilingual, silent P

Weaknesses: New dad far from home

Verdict: Blitzkrieg!

Andy Roy
Team Manager

aka: Snuggle Bandit

Age: 40

Hometown: Santa Cruz

Status: Pro

KOTR experience: None

Strengths: High energy, psychological torture, experience working with kids

Weaknesses: Cop bait

Verdict: Look out

Preston Maigetter
Videographer
Follow on instagram @PStonebru

aka: P-Stone

Age: 40

Hometown: San Francisco

Status: Lifer

KOTR experience: 2005 with Element, 2007 with Black Label

Strengths: Ultimate road dog, PMA, bluntslides

Weaknesses: Parkour

Verdict: "I got it!"


Xeno Tsarnas
Photographer 

aka: Xeno

Age: 33

Hometown: Boston

Status: Rookie

KOTR experience: None

Strengths: Unknown quantity

Weaknesses: First time with a tough crew

Verdict: Sink or swim

CREATURE

David Gravette

aka: Baby Lamb

Hometown: Portland, OR

Age:  24

Status:  Pro

Sponsors: Creature, indy, C1rca, Volcom, bones, bones swiss, blackstar beer

KOTR experience: 2nd place in 2010 with C1rca

Strengths: Rails, tranny, got the KOTR face tatt

Weaknesses: Complaining, broken arm

Verdict: Get it or quit it!

Taylor Bingaman
Follow on instagram @Taylor_Bingaman

aka: Biggs

Age:  23

Hometown: San Diego

Status:  Pro

Sponsors: Creature, indy, bones, bones swiss, Osiris, Brixton

KOTR experience: none

Strengths: Overcrooks and over vert

Weaknesses: Slam dunks

Verdict: Secret weapon

Ryan Reyes
Follow on instagram @Ryrey

aka: Ryrey

Age: 21

Hometown: Tempe, AZ

Status: Am

Sponsors: Creature, Indy

KOTR experience: None

Strengths: ATV shredder

Weaknesses: Rookie status

Verdict: What you got?

Sean Conover
Follow on [email protected]

aka: Gary Busey

Age: 22

Hometown: Encinitas, CA

Status: Am

Sponsors: Creature, indy, OJ, Huf shoes, Ambig

KOTR experience: none

Strengths: Rails, hubbas, ginger rage

Weaknesses: Thin lips, the sun

Verdict: To bigspin out

Darren Navarette 

aka: The Vertical Vampire

Age: 35

Hometown: Ocean Beach, CA

Status: Pro

Sponsors: Creature, indy, spitfire

KOTR experience: Mystery Guest for Girl in 2004

Strengths: Vert, handplants, history

Weaknesses: Garlic, ledges

Verdict: Elguerial Andrecht revert

Al Partanen
Team Manager
Follow on instagram @Parts

aka: Parts

Age: 40

Hometown: Portland, OR

Status:  Pro

KOTR experience: None

Strengths: PMA, wig piece, road doggin'

Weaknesses: Skinny jeans

Verdict: Belle E Buttons

aka: Lee Dawg

Age: 35

Hometown:Encinitas, CA

Status:  ESP

KOTR experience: 2010 with C1rca

Strengths: Charm, 20+ years behind the lens, violence

Weaknesses: Diet Coors

Verdict: Watch the eyes!


Chris Rooney
Photographer
Follow on instagram @Rtbftr78

aka: Rhino

Age: Younger then Phelps

Hometown: San Diego, CA

Status: Indy TM

KOTR experience: 2007 with Black Label, 2010 with Nike (winner), 2011 with Nike

Strengths: Size, the wagon, experience

Weaknesses: Trackers

Verdict: Cheeseburger in paradise

ALIEN WORKSHOP

Grant Taylor
Follow on instagram @DownSouthInHell

aka: GT

Age: 20

Hometown: Atlanta,GA

Status:  Pro

Sponsors: Alien, volcom, nike, indy, spitfire, stratosphere, modus, shake junt

KOTR experience: 2010 - winner with Nike, 2011

Strengths: SOTY 2011, ATV destroyer

Weaknesses: Blowing shit up

Verdict: "Skate hard, retard!"

Gilbert Crockett

aka: The Body

Age: 23

Hometown: Richmond, VA

Status: Pro

Sponsors: Alien, indy, vans, vans apparel, venue

KOTR experience: MVP 2011 with Vans (still hasn't gotten the check)

Strengths: That tech shit, grasshopper pop

Weaknesses: Residual PTSD from Black Box program

Verdict: Switch, bitch!

Jake Johnson

aka: Jaaaaake

Age: 24

Hometown: Pittsburg, PA

Status: Pro

Sponsors: Alien, gravis, autumn skateshop, oj wheels, bottoms up

KOTR experience: None

Strengths: Wallrides, rough ground, weird spots

Weaknesses: The invisible voices

Verdict: Meet you on the astral plain

John Fitzgerald
Follow on instagram @JohnnyFitzgerald

aka: Big John

Age: 22

Hometown: West Covina, CA

Status: Am

Sponsors: Alien, Vans, Spitfire, Pawnshop

KOTR experience: None

Strengths: Stick-to-it-iveness

Weaknesses: The heavy foot

Verdict: MVP

Omar Salazar
Follow on instagram @OmarSalazar

aka: Ozar

Age: 28

Hometown: Sacramento, CA

Status: Pro

Sponsors: Alien, nike, indy, spitfire, powell swiss, huf skateshop

KOTR experience: None

Strengths: Hills, walls, collabs

Weaknesses: The emotional rollercoaster

Verdict: Whoo-hoo!

Chad Bowers
Team Manager 

aka: Bowers

Age: 29

Hometown: Cincinatti

Status:  From Ohio

KOTR experience: None

Strengths: Highly organized, second angle

Weaknesses: Vert, Mega, Mini-Mega

Verdict: Transferred to Irvine

Benny Maglinao
Videographer 

aka: Benny

Age: 26

Hometown: Tucson, AZ

Status:  Best and brightest

KOTR experience: 2010 with Etnies

Strengths: Secret genius

Weaknesses: Introverted

aka: Fat Back

Age: 40

Hometown: San Francisco, CA

Status:  Road dog

KOTR experience: Winner in 2011 with Lakai

Strengths: PMA, the Edge

Weaknesses: Hernia, vert

Verdict: Cover contender

TOY MACHINE

Leo Romero
Follow on instagram @Cuates

aka: Leo

Age:  25

Hometown: Long Beach, CA

Status:  Pro

Sponsors: Toy machine, indy, neff, eswic, emerica, pig, powell swiss, bro style, pharmacy

KOTR experience: Mystery Guest for Nike in 2011

Strengths: Skater of the Year 2010, nihilism, rails

Weaknesses: Flan, old timey music

Verdict: Either first or Last

Daniel Lutheran
Follow on instagram @RaisedByCoyotes

aka: Dan Lu

Age: 22

Hometown: Long Beach, CA

Status: Am

Sponsors: Toy machine, indy, vans and vans apparel, pig, ashbury, beach zone, bro style

KOTR experience: 2011 with Vans

Strengths: Rails, Roger Daltrey looks, beaver pictures

Weaknesses: Early mornings, the devil's lettuce

Verdict: Lip Lock

Collin Provost
Follow on instagram @Bakedmophead

aka: Spider

Age: 21

Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA

Status: Pro

Sponsors: Toy machine, emerica, spitfire, thunder, volcom, bro style, active

KOTR experience: None

Strengths: ATV shredder, milf bait

Weaknesses: Carcass tossing

Verdict: All the tranny tricks in one session

Jeremy Leabres 

aka: Lee - Ahh - Bres

Age: 18

Hometown: Corona, CA

Status: Flow

Sponsors: Toy machine, Pig, Fallen, Active, LRG

KOTR experience: none

Strengths: Fresh legs

Weaknesses: Never been out of California, or his Mom's house

Verdict: Smoke or choke

Blake Carpenter
Follow on instagram @BlakeCarpenter

aka: Who?

Age: 20

Hometown: Flagler Beach, FL

Status: Flow

Sponsors: Toy machine, dekline, pig, thunder, rip n dip, bro style

KOTR experience: None

Strengths: Hella hungry

Weaknesses: Rookie moves

Verdict: Secret weapon?

Mike Sinclair
Team manager
Follow on instagram @Carmelcreeper

aka: Pig Pink

Age: 40

Hometown: Encinitas, CA

Status: Ex-street pro for Zorlac, road dog

KOTR experience: 2011 with Dekline (last place)

Strengths: PMA, multi-tasking

Weaknesses: Empty carbs, shitty AC, never ate an orange

Verdict: "We got this!"

Jared Lucas
Videographer 

aka: Luke Duke

Age: 29

Hometown: Oceanside, CA

Status: Bones TM out on loan

KOTR experience: 2011 with Dekline

Strengths: Killer smile

Weaknesses: Bad Tats and prank calls

Verdict: Won't get fooled again

Dan Zaslavsky
Photographer
Follow on instagram @FuckIfYouCare

aka: Dan Z

Age: 29

Hometown: Couch surfing

Status: Go getter

KOTR experience: 2011 with Dekline

Strengths: Tenacity, Photoshop

Weaknesses: Too intense for some

Verdict: Make it or naked