Neil Blender (born 1963) is an American former professional

skateboarder Skateboarding is an action sport that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. Originating in the United Stat ...

, skate company owner, and artist. His pro career began during his senior year of high school in 1981. He is

regular-footed In human biology, footedness is the natural preference of one's left or right foot for various purposes. It is the foot equivalent of handedness. While purposes vary, such as applying the greatest force in a certain foot to complete the action of ...

. By 1986, Blender invented at least two tricks, the Wooly Mammoth and the Gay Twist. Neil is also credited with naming and conceptualizing several tricks.

Skateboarding

Early life

Blender skated for Powerflex for three years in his mid-teens. Brad Jackman introduced Blender to Gail Webb, team manager of Powerflex who signed Neil. After Powerflex went out of business, Blender skated a contest at the Big 'O' Skatepark in Orange, placing first. Steve Cathey from the G&S amateur skateboarding team appreciated Blender's skating and signed him to G&S. In January 1981, Blender appeared on national television on the 'World of People' television program, which featured footage from a skate contest in San Francisco.

Professional career

In 1990 Chris Carter, Mike Hill, and Blender decided to form

Alien Workshop Alien Workshop (AWS) is an independent American skateboarding company that was founded in 1990 by Chris Carter, Mike Hill, and Neil Blender in Dayton, Ohio. Following periods under the ownership of the Burton Snowboards, Burton snowboard company a ...

, a company based in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

, at a time when the skateboard industry's core was located in California. Throughout his career, Blender often made cameos in other companies

skate video A skate video is a movie of or about skateboarding typically showing new Skate tricks, tricks and a series of skateboarders in a Montage (filmmaking), montage set to music. History Released in 1965, the short film ''Skaterdater'' is credited a ...

s. In 2015, Blender was inducted into the

Skateboarding Hall of Fame Skateboarding Hall of Fame (or SHoF), founded in 1997, is a museum and hall of fame located in Simi Valley, California, United States. The museum documents the history of skateboarding and the skateboarders, photographers, and other notable figu ...

. In the 30th Anniversary edition of ''

Transworld Skateboarding ''Transworld Skateboarding'' (''TWS'') is an international magazine on skateboarding that was based in Carlsbad, California, United States. The publication also ran an accompanying website and video production company. In February 2019, the pub ...

'', published on December 20, 2011, Blender was number 19 of the 30 most influential skaters of all time.

Skate video appearances

* 1985 - Summer Sessions - Sure-Grip International *1985-87 - NSA contest videos: Del Mar, Houston, Chicago *1988 - The Vision Pro Skate Escape *1988 -

Thrasher Thrashers are a New World group of passerine birds related to mockingbirds and New World catbirds. Like these, they are in the family Mimidae. There are 15 species in one large and 4 monotypic genera. These do not form a clade but are a phe ...

- Savannah Slamma *1988 - Ohio Skateout *1989 - Santa Cruz - Speed Freaks *1989 - Goin' Off! *1990
Gordon & Smith
Footage * 2004
Destroy Everything Now - 88 Footwear

Art

In his teenage years, Blender enjoyed drawing cartoons and photography. Blender was one of the first skaters to design his own board graphics.

References

External links

Classic Neil Blender board art - Thrasher Magazine

Collection of photos of Neil Blender

Neil Blender - 2015 Skateboarding Hall of Fame Inductee
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blender, Neil American skateboarders Artist skateboarders 1963 births Living people