Neil Blender (born 1963) is an American former professional

skateboarder Skateboarding is an action sport originating in the United States 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. S ...

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

regular-footed 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 kick as opposed t ...

. By age 1986, Blender invented at least two tricks, the Wooly Mammoth and the Gay Twist.

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 snowboard company and original team ...

, a company based in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

, United States (U.S.), 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 tricks and a series of skateboarders in a montage set to music. History Released in 1965, the short film ''Skaterdater'' is credited as the first film to depict skateboa ...

s. In 2015, Blender was inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame. In the 30th Anniversary edition of ''

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

'', 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 perching bird, passerine birds related to mockingbirds and New World catbirds. Like these, they are in the family (biology), family Mimidae. There are 15 species in one large and 4 monotypic genus, genera. T ...

- 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
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blender, Neil American skateboarders Artist skateboarders 1963 births Living people