Hosoi: My Life as a Skateboarder Junkie Inmate Pastor - Hardcover

Christian Hosoi

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062024302 ISBN 13: 9780062024305

Publisher: HarperOne, 2012

Synopsis

A mix of Tony Hawk and Brian Welch comes together in skateboarding legend Christian Hosoi, who reveals everything about his rise, fall, and redemption, in this amazing tell-all—from being named the greatest skater of all time to bottoming out on drugs to finally finding redemption through God.

Fans of Slater Kelly’s Pipe Dreams and Brian Welch’s Save Me From Myself, and followers of Tony Alva, Jay Adams, and Steve Caballero, will be captivated by this extraordinary, star-studded story, a gripping read that ranges from the heart of the 1980s skateboarding scene to the inside of a prison, from Hollywood parties to intense prayer sessions.

Hosoi: My Life as a Skateboarder Junkie Inmate Pastor takes readers to the heart of one little-known world after another—and he portrays them in all their gore and glory for all the world to see.

About this title

From the Back Cover

Raised at the legendary Marina Del Rey Skatepark—where his father was the manager and the Dogtown and Z-Boys crew were his mentors—Christian Hosoi never questioned that he would become a full-time skateboarder. But no one could have predicted his meteoric rise to the apex of a burgeoning sport—or the spectacular way he would crash and then create himself anew.

A professional skater by thirteen, known for his rock-star flair and dramatic aerials, Hosoi was at the top of the world before he was twenty, engaged in the rivalry that would shape years of skating: Christian Hosoi vs. Tony Hawk. At the height of his celebrity in the late 1980s and early '90s, Hosoi was the highest-paid skateboarder in the world and made the most of his celebrity status, counting Hollywood's elite as his friends. But the kid who first got stoned at age eight later found himself smoking meth full-time. And as Hawk walked away with every accolade, Hosoi went underground.

In January 2000, he was convicted for trafficking $65,000's worth of methamphetamine across state lines. In this gripping memoir, Hosoi recounts the crushing reality of his prison sentence and the day he made the phone call that would save him—to his now-wife, Jennifer. She guided Hosoi toward Christianity, to the faith that sustained him in prison, welcoming him into a new life when he was released nearly five years later.

In the summer of 2009, Hosoi won the gold medal in the X Games Legends Competition. He won gold again in 2010. And now Hosoi's classic skateboard designs are flying off the shelves once again.

Packed with interviews from skateboarding stars past and present, Hosoi is not only a tell-all about fame, fortune, and failure—it's also a strong testimony to the power of faith and the gift of change.

About the Author

Christian Hosoi is widely recognized as one of the greatest skateboarders of all time. A professional by thirteen, he went on to become an industry icon. After serving time in prison for drug trafficking, he devoted his life to Christianity. Since then, he has risen to prominence in the skateboarding world once again and was the subject of a full-length documentary narrated by Dennis Hopper, Rising Son. Hosoi is an outreach pastor at the Sanctuary, "the raddest church" in Huntington Beach, and lives in Southern California with his wife, Jennifer, and four sons.

Chris Ahrens has worked as a full-time writer for nearly thirty years, with four popular books on surfing to his credit and bylines in publications that include the Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, Outside, Family Circle, Skateboarder, Surfer, Surfing, and The Surfer's Journal. He wrote and directed the award-winning skateboarding documentary D.O.P.E. (Death or Prison Eventually), and served as editor-in-chief of Risen magazine from its inception in 2002 until May 2010.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperOne
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0062024302
• ISBN 13: 9780062024305
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336