Bucky Lasek - Biography

Biography

Lasek started skateboarding at the age of twelve, shortly after his bike was stolen. After entering amateur contests, he was quickly noticed by Powell Peralta talent scouts in 1987. Powell sponsored Lasek, and he made his video debut in the 4th Bones Brigade video, Public Domain (1988).

Lasek turned pro for Powell in 1990—but by this time, skateboarding and vert skating particularly began to lose popularity, and Lasek's career waned. When ESPN took vert skating under its wing as part of the X Games in the mid 1990s, Lasek's career made a comeback and he soon became one of the most recognizable skateboarders.

Today, Lasek is regarded as one of the most consistent vert skateboarders in the sport. He frequently masters tricks that are considered too gimmicky and technical by most riders to do in a contest, and lands them with stunning regularity. Some of his signature contest tricks include the Heelflip Frontside Twist and Switch Frontside 540. He is one of only two skaters to flip his board in to an invert (Heelflip Frontside Invert), and the only one to do a 720 on the vert and land backwards (forward-to-fakie Indy 720, known as a "MacKenzie").

As of 2006, Bucky Lasek has won ten medals at the X Games, including six gold medals. He currently has the highest score in X Games Skateboarding Vert history with a 98.50. He has also earned 2004 titles in the Vans Triple Crown, Gravity Games, and the Slam City Jam.

Lasek made a cameo in the low-budget 2003 movie Haggard, in which he gave a skateboard to Bam Margera while he was running from the villain Hellboy. He has also made an appearance in MTV's Viva La Bam. Lasek also appears in P!nk's music video for her single "Raise Your Glass".

As of May 2009, Bucky, through the generous backing of his various sponsors and design team, completed the construction of one of the world's most unique backyard concrete bowls in his own backyard. Bucky refers to it as "Heaven".

In May of 2012, Lasek was one of three drivers selected by Subaru Rally Team USA to compete in the 2012 Global RallyCross Championship.

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