Ryan Sheckler

Ryan Allen Sheckler, born December 30, 1989, is an American professional skateboarder and entrepreneur. Recognized in Fox Weekly's list of the "15 Most Influential Skateboarders of All-Time," Sheckler gained widespread prominence through his competitive success and as the star of the MTV reality television series Life of Ryan.

Sheckler was raised alongside his two younger brothers, Shane and Kane. He was introduced to skateboarding at two years old after discovering his father's skateboard, and he later developed his skills at the San Clemente skate park with his best friend, Jered Marburger. By age seven, Sheckler had secured early corporate backing from Oakley, Inc. and the skate shoe company Etnies. In 1999, he was featured on the cover of Big Brother magazine's "Kids Issue."

In 2003, Sheckler became a founding team member of Almost, a skateboard company established by professional skateboarders Rodney Mullen and Daewon Song. He turned professional during his time with Almost and appeared in the company's debut video, Almost: Round Three. In 2007, Sheckler departed Almost to join the relaunched Plan B Skateboards team. While with Plan B, he cleared a 55-foot gap on Bob Burnquist's Mega Ramp in April 2008 and successfully performed a notable trick over the "Costco gap" for the promotional video Superfuture, which earned him a cover feature on The Skateboard Mag.

Alongside his athletic career, Sheckler expanded into television and media. In August 2007, MTV launched the reality show Life of Ryan, which followed Sheckler's life and career alongside his family and friends. Sheckler chose to end the series in 2009 after three seasons to prevent it from interfering with his professional skateboarding. From 2012 to 2013, he starred in four seasons of the Red Bull TV series Sheckler Sessions. Sheckler was also featured as a playable video game character in Tony Hawk's Underground 2, Tony Hawk's American Wasteland, Tony Hawk's Project 8, and Tony Hawk's Proving Ground.

Throughout his competitive career, Sheckler achieved notable victories across major events. In 2003, he placed first in street at the Gravity Games and Slam City Jam, first in park at the X Games, and first overall in the Vans Triple Crown and World Cup of Skateboarding. He went on to win overall park titles on the AST Dew Tour in 2005 and 2006, street gold at the X Games in 2008 and 2010, and three consecutive Dew Tour Streetstyle contests from 2012 to 2014.

In 2008, Sheckler established the Sheckler Foundation, a charitable organization supporting children and recovering athletes through events like Skate For A Cause and a celebrity golf tournament. He launched the RS clothing line in 2009, rejoined clothing sponsor Volcom in 2014, and formally departed Plan B in January 2022 after 16 years. A born-again Christian, Sheckler entered rehab for alcoholism in 2017. He married Abigail Baloun in March 2022, and the couple has two daughters, Olive Oleta and Lilah Fox.