Bob Burnquist
A visionary Brazilian skateboarding pioneer who redefined vert ramp possibilities with his technical innovation and death-defying mega-ramp creations.
Born 1976 (age 50)·Brazilian-American professional skateboarder·Birthday: October 10·Generation X
Biography
Bob Burnquist didn't just ride a skateboard; he engineered new ways for it to fly. Born in Brazil and moving to the U.S. as a teen, he brought a fluid, fearless style to vert skating in the 1990s. While others pushed trick difficulty, Burnquist thought in grander architectural terms. His legacy is built on two pillars: flawless switch-stance mastery and the mega-ramp. He became famous for skating entire vert runs 'fakie' (backwards), forcing him to relearn every trick from a mirrored perspective. This led to his historic fakie 900. But his true canvas was the colossal mega-ramp, a structure he helped popularize. At his private 'Dreamland' compound in California, he designed impossible gaps over houses and loops, performing tricks like the 'one-footed Smith grind' over 70-foot chasms. More than a contest champion—though he won dozens—Burnquist was a skateboarding inventor, using his engineering mind to expand the sport's physical vocabulary and visual spectacle, all while maintaining a famously positive, family-oriented demeanor in a scene known for its edge.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Bob was born in 1976, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Could drive
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1994Could vote
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Turned 21
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2006Turned 30
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 40
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 50
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- First skateboarder to land a 'fakie 900' (two and a half spins from a backwards takeoff) in 2010.
- Won the X Games Vert Best Trick gold medal a record five times between 1999 and 2003.
- Holds the record for most X Games medals in vert and Big Air disciplines, with over 30 total.
- Designed and landed the first 'loop' trick on a mega-ramp, a full vertical circle, in 2001.
Did You Know?
He is a natural vegetarian and has been an advocate for organic farming; he even has a farm at his home.
He holds dual citizenship in Brazil and the United States but has always competed for Brazil in events.
His custom-built skatepark 'Dreamland' on his property features a full-size vert ramp, a mega-ramp, and gaps over his house and swimming pool.
He performed a skateboard grind over the Great Wall of China for a promotional stunt in 2005.
“Skateboarding is my art, my canvas is the ramp and the air.”
