Ron Allen (skateboarder) facts for kids

Ron Allen was born on December 31, 1962. He is an American skateboarder from Visalia, California. Ron is known for his unique "goofy-footed" style, which means he rides with his right foot forward. He lives and works in Oakland, California.

Ron Allen is a famous skateboarder who excels in both street skating (skating on everyday obstacles like stairs and rails) and vert skating (skating on tall ramps). He appeared in popular H-Street skateboarding videos like Shackle Me Not and Hokus Pokus.

Ron Allen's Skateboarding Journey

Ron Allen made history as one of the first Black professional skateboarders in the United States. He was also one of the first to get a big sponsorship from a company.

Early Sponsors and Success

Ron's first sponsor was Gullwing Trucks. After he placed third in an amateur contest in Santa Barbara, a company called Vision Street Wear started sponsoring him. In 1989, Ron left Vision to join a new company called H-Street. He joined many other talented skaters there, including Tony Magnusson and Danny Way.

Starting His Own Companies

After his time at H-Street, Ron Allen decided to start his own skateboarding company. He teamed up with Mike Ternasky to create a company called Life. The name was inspired by a song called Living In a Fulltime Era. Soon after, another famous skater, Sean Sheffey, joined the Life team.

Two years later, Mike Ternasky left Life to start Plan B Skateboards. Ron and the other skaters at Life wanted to try something new, so they moved to Deluxe and renamed their company Fun Skateboards. The team included skaters like Jesse Niehaus and Keith Hufnagel.

After Fun, Ron Allen started another company called American Dream Inc. He founded this company with an artist named Alyasha Moore in 1996. Moore designed a special skateboard deck for Ron. In 1999, Ron launched his new company, Energy, which focused on making skateboards from bamboo. The name Energy stood for "Enough Nonsense Every Rider Get Yours."

Later Career and Recognition

In 2007, H-Street re-released Ron Allen's classic "Ben Outlook" skateboard deck. In 2008, when he was 44 years old, Ron joined Creation Skateboards. He also worked as a team manager for High Grade Distribution, the company that distributes Creation skateboards. However, he later decided to focus on being a professional skater again.

Ron Allen was featured in a 2016 documentary film called “The Blackboard”. This film explored how African Americans see their identity through skateboarding.

In 2024, Ron Allen received a great honor: he was inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame.

Ron's Unique Skateboarding Style

Ron Allen is known for his special way of doing the Ollie North trick. He also has a very unique style where he often leans back on his rear leg while skating.