When core skate boarders consider the autumn season, their minds could go to a few issues: 1) Winter climate is coming! (apparent bummer) or 2) SOTY season is right here. What’s SOTY season, you would possibly ask? SOTY is an accepted acronym for Skater of the Yr, made well-known by the now largest American skateboard journal, Thrasher Journal. Because the identify would suggest, it refers back to the top-performing skateboarder of that 12 months, within the eyes of the choice makers at Thrasher.
Since 1990, Thrasher has been awarding a trophy, together with all of its accolades and bragging rights to its personal SOTY, every year. Knowledgeable skateboarder’s sponsors will normally reward mentioned skater with monetary incentives and bonuses, however the glory of the award is what actually incentivizes the trendy skateboarder to try to win. If the primary aim of any skateboarder is to turn into “skilled” (have signature merchandise with their identify on it due to their proven talent), the subsequent step of their profession could be to probably win the coveted SOTY trophy. Some even say that their sponsors (in more moderen years) play a job in how attainable SOTY is for them of their profession. Perhaps a skater’s sponsors spend cash in promoting with the journal; perhaps they’ve a shoe launch or a number of movies come out that 12 months. The fashionable-day SOTY comes via a method, however the primary ingredient has all the time been the identical: the high quality of skateboarding that they do.
The blessing of Thrasher SOTY has turn into a cultural staple inside skateboarding (particularly in America). It has additionally grown and advanced, together with skateboarding itself. Over the past ten years, we’ve seen just a few unprecedented feats because it pertains to Thrasher Journal’s Skater of the Yr (SOTY) Award. The trophy went to its oldest ever skater (Anthony Van Engelen [37 years old at the time]), first New Yorker (Tyshawn Jones [TWICE!]), and even first college-educated skater (Mark Suciu).
So who would possibly or not it’s this 12 months?! What do you suppose? In a world of skateboarding that’s always increasing, turning into extra inclusive and pushing boundaries of all kinds… Will or not it’s Jamie Foy for the 2nd time? May or not it’s Tiago Lemos, the South American powerhouse? May or not it’s fan favourite Rayssa Leal? And even her two-time Olympic medalist counterpart, Yuto Horigome? In actuality, it might be anybody that “drops” an impactful video anytime within the subsequent six weeks and represents the Thrasher mentality.
And that’s actually the joy of all of it. It might be anybody standing on that stage at the Skater of the Yr occasion in San Francisco. Anybody may make their mark on Thrasher Journal’s checklist of heroes and turn into an inspiration for much more skate boarders in our world household.
Thank You Skateboarding.
