Chris Joslin’s Journey from Element Rookie to Street Skate Icon

Every skateboarder dreams of that one moment — the part, the trick, or the clip that changes everything. For Chris Joslin, that moment came in 2014 with the release of Plan B’s legendary video True. Up until then, Joslin had been an underground powerhouse, stacking footage and building quiet hype through sponsor-me tapes, The Berrics clips, and his stint as an Element rookie. But when Plan B — one of the most respected teams in skate history — handed him a spot alongside icons like Danny Way, Ryan Sheckler, and Torey Pudwill, the world got its first real glimpse of what he could do.

What followed was pure chaos in the best way possible. Joslin’s part in True wasn’t just impressive; it was era-defining. Trick after trick, spot after spot, he unleashed a level of consistency and commitment few had ever seen. From double sets and 15-stairs to massive handrails and gaps, Chris didn’t just skate them — he destroyed them. The part’s crown jewel was his 360 flip down the UC Davis gap, a colossal leap that instantly went down as one of the gnarliest tricks ever done on film. The impact, the flick, the catch — it was skateboarding perfection. For many skaters watching, it was the moment they realized Joslin wasn’t just good; he was on a different level entirely.

Even industry legends took notice. Danny Way, the godfather of Plan B and one of skateboarding’s most respected voices, called it early — predicting that Chris would become “ the most talked-about skateboarder ” once True hit the streets. He was right. Practically overnight, Joslin went from a promising am to a global sensation. Skaters worldwide were rewatching his part, frame by frame, trying to process what they’d just seen. It wasn’t just the scale of the tricks, but the fearlessness and precision that separated him from everyone else. Joslin had turned raw power and relentless drive into something poetic — the perfect balance between control and chaos.

On the back of that breakout performance, Plan B made it official. In September 2015, Chris Joslin was turned pro, joining the elite ranks of the brand’s professional team. His first signature Plan B deck dropped soon after, marking a huge milestone not just for him, but for the new generation of street skaters he inspired. With his pro status came a wave of new sponsors — Etnies, who would later give him his own pro model shoe; Independent Trucks; Bones Wheels; and Grizzly Griptape — all lining up to support one of the hardest-working skaters alive.

But Joslin didn’t slow down after going pro — if anything, he doubled down. The years that followed saw a nonstop stream of new footage: endless parts, mind-bending hammers, and some of the most technical big-gap skating ever filmed. Every release was bigger, cleaner, and heavier than the last. What set him apart wasn’t just his ability to land tricks; it was his willingness to throw himself at anything, no matter how brutal the fall. Each clip carried the same message: progression doesn’t come easy, but Joslin made it look inevitable.

By the end of 2015, Chris Joslin wasn’t just a name in the skate scene — he was a force of nature. From a kid skating the curbs of Hawaiian Gardens to the world’s biggest stages, his True part didn’t just open doors — it kicked them down. This was more than a breakthrough; it was the birth of a modern street skate prodigy, and the rest of the world was just trying to keep up.

Some skateboarders build their legacy through video parts alone — perfectly filmed, precisely edited moments that immortalize their best tricks. But Chris Joslin? He’s built to perform under pressure. Straight off his meteoric rise with Plan B’s True, Joslin didn’t just rest on his footage fame — he wanted to prove that he could back it up live, in front of the world’s toughest judges and loudest crowds. The transition from street parts to the global competition circuit is one of the hardest in skateboarding, but Joslin handled it like he handles every stair set: head-on, full send, no hesitation.

In 2016, Joslin entered Street League Skateboarding (SLS) — the most competitive street contest in the world — as a rookie among giants. The SLS format demands perfection: skaters only get a few runs and single trick attempts to land something massive, and the scores are public, instant, and unforgiving. Yet Joslin thrived under the pressure. During the SLS Super Crown World Championship, he made history by becoming the first skater ever to land back-to-back 9 Club tricks (scores of 9.0 or higher) in a final. It was a goosebump moment — one that left fans, judges, and fellow pros stunned. This was the same skater they’d seen destroy schoolyard handrails and bomb gaps in video parts — now doing it live, flawlessly. It wasn’t just confirmation of his ability; it was a statement. Joslin wasn’t there to participate — he was there to dominate.

That same year, he took his creativity and power to the X Games Real Street contest — a unique hybrid competition that celebrates raw street footage instead of stadium runs. Joslin’s entry was pure destruction: huge gaps, impossible flicks, and an effortless control that made the hardest tricks look second nature. The result? Gold in 2016, cementing his place as one of the most versatile skaters in the world. And he didn’t stop there. Over the next few years, he continued stacking podium finishes — Bronze in 2018, Silver in 2019 — proving his consistency and hunger to stay at the top. While other skaters came and went in competition cycles, Joslin remained a constant threat — a reminder that true street energy could still win on the biggest stage.

Recognition soon followed. In 2018, Thrasher Magazine — the authority on skateboarding culture — named Joslin a Skater of the Year finalist, an honor reserved for the most influential and hard-hitting riders on the planet. To be in that conversation only a few years after turning pro spoke volumes about how quickly he’d become a defining figure in modern skateboarding. Joslin wasn’t just producing content — he was shaping the future of what skateboarding could look like: powerful, fearless, and unapologetically authentic.

As skateboarding evolved, so did the stages it occupied. With the sport’s debut at the Olympic Games, Joslin’s journey came full circle. He earned a spot representing Team USA in street skateboarding, competing against the best from every continent. Though injuries kept him from medaling — missing finals in both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 — his presence alone carried symbolic weight. The same kid who once skated cracked driveways in Hawaiian Gardens was now skating for his country on the biggest platform the sport had ever seen.

Through it all, Joslin has never lost sight of where he came from. Whether it’s a live contest packed with thousands or a quiet handrail mission with a filmer, he approaches every session the same way — fearless, focused, and with that unmistakable fire. In an era when some skaters chase fame or clout, Chris Joslin continues to chase progression. From the streets to the world stage, he’s proven that true skateboarding doesn’t need a filter — just heart, grit, and a willingness to go bigger than anyone else.

For most people, Chris Joslin is the guy who fearlessly hurls himself down twenty-stair monsters and lands flips that don’t even seem humanly possible. But behind the clips, beneath the slams, there’s a deeper story — one about discipline, humility, and a mindset built on never backing down. Joslin’s skateboarding has always embodied that raw “go big or go home” energy. He’s not afraid of pain, and he’s never satisfied with average. Every session feels like he’s testing the limits of what’s physically possible on a skateboard, and that fearlessness has become his signature. When people talk about skaters who “send it,” Chris Joslin is the blueprint.

His “My War” episode with Thrasher Magazine perfectly sums it up. The challenge: a kickflip down the infamous El Toro 20-stair — a spot that has ended careers and broken bones. The battle that followed wasn’t pretty. Over and over, Chris slammed, limped away, and reset. You could see it in his face — pain, frustration, obsession. But quitting wasn’t an option. He kept getting up until he stuck it clean, rolling away to disbelief and respect from every skater watching. That clip didn’t just show his talent — it showed his relentless mindset. Where others saw a death-defying gap, Joslin saw a problem to be solved, one that required pain, precision, and pure mental toughness. Years later, when he returned to El Toro to land a tre flip, it felt like a full-circle moment — proof that even the gnarliest challenges can’t keep him down.

Yet behind all that aggression and impact lies a skater who couldn’t be more grounded. Off the board, Joslin’s not chasing fame or flexing for cameras — he’s humble, soft-spoken, and deeply family-focused. He’s open about the fact that skateboarding saved his life, but his family keeps him centered. Now a father of two young daughters, Chris often shares small glimpses of his home life — his kids learning to push on mini boards, or him just being a dad outside the chaos of contest travel. It’s a rare thing in professional skateboarding: someone who’s as dedicated to his family as he is to progression. And that balance adds an entirely new layer to his story.

Of course, the road hasn’t been smooth. Joslin has fought through major injuries, including ligament tears and knee issues that could’ve easily sidelined his career. But like every battle before, he treated recovery the same way he treats a stair set — head down, all in, no excuses. Every comeback seems to sharpen his focus. When he’s off the board, he’s rehabbing, visualizing tricks, and planning the next mission. When he’s back on it, he’s stronger — physically and mentally.

That duality — the reckless powerhouse on the board and the calm, grateful human off it — is what makes Chris Joslin stand apart. He’s the embodiment of progression through pain, the reminder that skateboarding isn’t just about landing tricks; it’s about who you become while chasing them. For young skaters, Joslin is more than a pro — he’s proof that you can come from nothing, stay humble, love your family, and still go down in history as one of the gnarliest to ever do it.

By his late twenties, Chris Joslin had already built a résumé that most pros could only dream of — multiple X Games medals, countless iconic clips, and a reputation for going bigger than anyone else in the game. But if there’s one thing that defines Joslin, it’s that he never stops pushing forward. Resting on past achievements has never been his style. Even after years of video parts, contest podiums, and global recognition, Joslin keeps raising the bar — both for himself and for the sport.

One of the biggest moves in his career came when he announced his new partnership with Lakai Footwear, a core skater-owned brand with deep roots in authentic street culture. After a long run with Etnies, this switch signaled a fresh chapter — and Joslin wasted no time proving it was the right call. In his first week riding for Lakai, he claimed victory at an SLS contest at Santa Monica Pier, showing that the same power and precision that built his reputation hadn’t faded one bit. But contests were only the beginning. What truly etched this new era into skateboarding history was the tre flip heard around the world — Joslin’s 360 flip down the infamous El Toro 20-stair. The spot had been a mythical beast in skateboarding for decades, with countless pros dreaming of sticking that exact trick. Chris didn’t just dream it — he did it. The clip spread like wildfire, and the photo of him frozen mid-tre flip earned him the cover of Thrasher Magazine — an image instantly recognized as one of the defining moments of modern street skating. It wasn’t just another trick; it was the culmination of years of obsession, pain, and progression.

But perhaps Joslin’s biggest contribution isn’t any single trick or contest win — it’s the influence he’s had on the next generation. You can see it at skateparks around the world: kids launching themselves down stair sets, trying to capture a fraction of that fearless Joslin energy. His approach — all heart, all commitment — has redefined what it means to skate big. He’s inspired a global wave of skaters to dream higher, fall harder, and keep getting back up, proving that greatness doesn’t come from avoiding pain, but from embracing it. That influence stretches far beyond the footage; it’s in the mindset he’s passed on to the culture.

Joslin’s story also stands as a testament to defying the odds. From his humble beginnings in Hawaiian Gardens to representing Team USA on the world stage, his path wasn’t paved with privilege or sponsorship deals — it was carved through grit, late nights, and an unbreakable connection to his board. Every slammed attempt, every injury, every comeback forms part of a legacy built on resilience.

And the story’s still far from over. In 2023, Joslin dropped his “UNSTOPPABLE” part — a title that couldn’t describe him more accurately. The part showcased the same intensity that defined his early days, but now backed by maturity, experience, and purpose. Whether it’s filming new video parts, inventing fresh ways to destroy familiar spots, or balancing his roles as both professional skater and father, Joslin continues to evolve without losing the edge that made him who he is.

Chris Joslin isn’t just one of the greats — he’s a living blueprint for what skateboarding stands for: fearlessness, perseverance, and love for the craft. From the cracked curbs of Hawaiian Gardens to the cover of Thrasher, he’s shown that true icons aren’t born; they’re built — one slam, one trick, one moment at a time. And as long as he’s rolling, you can bet Joslin’s story — and his legacy — will keep growing, just like the impact he’s already left on skateboarding’s history.