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Chris Joslin never met his father. He was shot and killed by police officers during a methamphetamine-fueled encounter in 2004. Joslin was seven years old then. His mother was also battling with addiction, living in a rehab center in Long Beach, California. The state prison system was home to his older brother who, before his residence behind bars, introduced Joslin to skateboarding. But a turbulent family history only fueled his engine and steered him toward realizing his dreams. And at a mere 19 years old, Joslin is well on his way to becoming one of the greats.


Raised by his grandmother in Hawaiian Gardens, California, Joslin spent the better part of his childhood in skate parks, where he developed his talents while his grandmother would sit nearby and write letters to Joslin's brother in prison. It was these formative years that he cherishes most. "It was a rough time in my brother's life," Joslin recalls, "but for my grandma, it was a special time when she could watch me skate and also think of my brother. She was really spending time with both of us."



Over the next decade, the young Padawan took to skate parks and the streets. He won contests, filmed video parts and gained sponsors at an exponential rate. Then, in 2014, Joslin not only earned a spot on Plan B's skateboard team, but was introduced to the world in their long-anticipated film, TRUE, where he thrilled audiences with a big spin down Barcelona's MACBA gap, an inward heelflip at the Lincoln set in San Francisco and a 360 flip down the UC Davis gap. Joslin didn't just throw down the gauntlet – he chucked the whole damn suit of armor. And he filmed his entire part on an injured ACL.


Joslin's feats earned him The Skateboard Mag's Am of the Year in 2014 and a nomination for Thrasher Magazine's Skater of the Year. And he hasn't slowed down in 2015: With the year only half-finished, the young prodigy has already dropped several video parts and became the first Am Skateboarder to film a Battle Commander for The Berrics.

Chris Joslin

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