EA Games and Full Circle’s Skate is set to revive the beloved skateboarding franchise when it launches in Early Access soon. The series is known for many things, with one of its most notable features being its playable roster of pro skaters. Rivaling the likes of the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series, each entry of Skate saw appearances from some of the best pros at the time. Skaters like Mike Carroll, Jerry Hsu, Jason Dill, Mark Gonzalez, Danny Way, and many, many more all found their way into one or more of the games. Heck, each game had a live-action intro starring all of the skaters featured in the game.
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As such, one has to wonder which skaters could we possibly see shredding around Skate‘s San Vansterdam? I’ve compiled a list of pros I believe should be in EA and Full Circle’s free-to-play skateboarding game. Like the skaters featured in previous titles, the ones below have some sort of cultural relevance for skateboarding and are currently active. Whether it’s because they’re one of the best competitors on the planet, or they know how to conquer the most insane street spots around the world, all these skaters and their respective sponsors deserve to appear in Skate.
Jamie Foy
Hailing from Deerfield Beach, Florida, Jamie Foy is arguably one of the gnarliest rail skaters of all time. The two-time SOTY (Skater of the Year) does some of the most insane tricks you will see in skateboarding today. His gap to back 50-50 and ender in the recent New Balance Intervals video are tricks I still think about because they’re just absurd. If not considered already, Foy will go down as one of the most influential skaters in history.
Sponsors: Deathwish, Thunder Trucks, Spitfire Wheels, Bronson Speed Co., Shake Junt, New Balance Numeric, Dickies, Red Bull, CCS
Andrew Reynolds
His nickname is “The Boss” for a reason. Andrew Reynolds is one of the most respected pro skaters in skateboarding history. His parts in Baker 2G, Baker 3, and This Is Skateboarding are some of the most influential of all time. To this day, he is taking it to the streets at 46 years of age and killing it. It goes without saying Reynolds is a legend. Additionally, he is the only one on this list who has been featured in the Skate franchise before, so there is some connective tissue already.
Sponsors: Baker, Independent Trucks, Spitfire Wheels, Shake Junt, New Balance, RVCA, Stance, Pharmacy
Alexis Sablone
Alexis Sablone is one of the most influential women skaters in history. From their breakout part in PJ Ladd’s Wonderful Horrible Life to their success in contest skating, Sablone has paved the way for tons of skaters today. Her impact and skill got her a signature shoe with Converse and was part of the inaugural USA skate team during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. If there is theoretically going to be a men’s skateboarding legend like Reynolds in Skate, then I think a women’s legend like Sablone should also be included.
Sponsors: Converse, Thunder Trucks, Dialtone Wheels
Franky Villani
This entry is more of a selfish pick as I’m a big fan of Franky Villani. But just because this is a selfish pick, that doesn’t mean his inclusion in a new Skate game is undeserved. Villani has a varied trick selection that he uses in creative ways. Two of my favorite tricks he’s done I think kind of exemplify this notion are the 50-50 hippie kickflip that opens the video above, and the Barley grind done at that corner curb in the Dickies Honeymoon video. I love his skating and I hope he gets some sort of cameo in the next Skate game.
Sponsors: Primitive, Spitfire Wheels, Thunder Trucks, Leftover Hardware, Bones Swiss, Mob Grip, New Balance, Dickies, Bumbag, Loosey, Garage Skateshop
Jimmy Wilkins
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I’m not going to lie, vert skating in any skateboarding simulation video game never feels quite right. Yes, this is a blanket statement for all games like Skate, Session, or Skater XL. Regardless, it is still part of the game, and we need to get someone to represent that type of skateboarding. So, while there are a handful of pros I’d love to include, I think Jimmy Wilkins is the pick here.
Simply put, Wilkins is one of the best vert skaters in the industry today. Not only does he have a good bag of tricks, but has great style as well. Wilkins would be such a solid choice as the skater to introduce vert skating to players.
Sponsors: Real Skateboards, Thunder Trucks, Spitfire Wheels, Mob Grip, Triple Eight, Rockstar
Tom Karangelov
Tom Karangelov is arguably the most creative skater in skateboarding right now as some of the spots he picks are seemingly unskateable. Even with the more recognizable spots he skates, he always unlocks way more potential ways to skate in these areas. Skate is known for its park editor, allowing players to create DIY spots. Tom K would be a perfect choice to introduce players to those mechanics.
Sponsors: WKND Skateboards, Thunder Trucks, Spitfire Wheels, Bones Swiss, Mob Grip, New Balance
Louie Lopez
Here is the part where I get to rant about how Louie Lopez was snubbed for SOTY a couple of times. There were multiple years where Lopez was putting out a crazy amount of footage and all of it was incredible. Those particular SOTY runs may be debatable, but there is no argument that Lopez is one of the most versatile skaters, and continues to be an absolute powerhouse on the board.
Sponsors: FA World Entertainment, Independent Trucks, Spitfire Wheels, SKF Bearings, Hardies, Mob Grip, Converse, Skull Candy, Noah
T-Funk
Speaking of powerhouses, Tristan Funkhouser (a.k.a. T-Funk) has arguably the most powerful style in skateboarding today. The best way I can describe his skating is controlled chaos. He’s just hitting crazy spots at insane speeds in ways not many could tackle. Check out his absolutely ridiculous ollie at the China Banks in San Francisco to see what I mean.
Sponsors: Baker, Thunder Trucks, Spitfire Wheels, Shake Junt, Val Surf
Yuto Horigome
Similarly to Foy, although very different stylistically, it feels like Yuto Horigome is skating on a whole other plane of existence than a lot of pros. Although he’s probably most widely known as a contest skater considering he’s a two-time gold medalist at the Olympics for Men’s Street Skateboarding, he is no stranger to street skating. He’s put out multiple street parts throughout his career and they are pretty nuts. The nollie big heel lipslide (please correct me in the comments if I’m wrong in naming that) at the end of the video above is wild. Horigome is one of the best to do it right now and definitely deserves a spot in the new Skate game.
Sponsors: April, Venture, Spitfire Wheels, Hardies Hardware, Nike SB, Seiko, Mixi, Murasaki, Rakuten, Lipovitan, Louis Vuitton, Supreme (brand), Delta Air Lines
Ariana Spencer
Another selfish pick, but again, one that is deserved. If I were even remotely good at skateboarding, I’d want to skate like Ariana Spencer. I really like the spots and tricks she chose in her Converse Evergreen part. Specifically, I’m a big fan of the beanplant and the frontside 50-50 going down into the bank of a highway bridge. I cannot count how many times I’ve seen a spot like that in Illinois and thought about doing it. Anyway, I like the idea of having a brand-new pro featured in the next Skate and Spencer fits that perfectly.
Sponsors: Foundation, Converse, Pig Wheels, Bronson Speed Co., Jessup, RVCA
Truthfully, there are way more than 10 pro skaters I’d love to skate around with in San Vansterdam. Skaters like Guy Mariano, Akwasi Owusu, Vincent Alvarez, Nora Vasconcellos, Nicole Hause, Pedro Delfino, Tiago Lemos, Ishod Wair, TJ Rogers, Roman Pabich… the list can go on and on. This also still assumes there will be real pros in Skate. I guess we will just have to wait and see when the game launches in early access for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC soon.
What do you think of this list of skaters? Do you think I missed anyone? Let me know which pros you would like to see in the next Skate game in the comments below.
