As a child growing up in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Bob Burnquist started skating at age eleven. By fourteen, Bob had already turned pro. At the Slam City Jam in 1995, Bob showed up and entered. Practically an unknown, Bob’s skating floored the crowd and judges and earned him a first-place finish. The rest, as they say, is history.
Bob’s switch-stance ability and creative lines set him apart from the rest. However, he’s no one-trick pony. Some of Bob’s other accomplishments include skating the “loop" switch (with a gap at the top of the loop!), being a pioneer and continuing innovator of mega ramp skateboarding, carrying the Olympic torch, skydiving, piloting airplanes and overseeing his own organic farm. Bob’s also got a Vert Bowl halfpipe, Cork Screw, Loop, and Mega ramp in his backyard. Go ahead and wipe the drool from your chin.
Bob’s continuing progression and innovation have earned him a much deserved spot at the top of the skateboard pyramid. Hell, Tony Hawk names Bob as his favorite skater. Bob also has a passion for living a healthy, human lifestyle and is always helping others do the same.However, being a father to his 2 daughters is what he considers to be his top accomplishments.
Brasil
1995 - 1st Place Slam City Jam Vancouver, Canada - Vert
1996 - 1st Place Grand Prix Lausanne,Switzerland - Vert
1996 - Bronze Medal X Games - Vert
1997 - 1st Place Best Trick Northampton, England - Vert
1997 - Thrasher Magazine Skater of the Year
1998 - 1st Place - Grand Prix Lausanne, Swiitzerland - Vert
1998 - 1st Place Vans Triple Crown Hollywood,CA - Vert
1998 - Bronze Medal X Games Vert Doubles
1999 - 1st Place Mystic Cup Best Trick Prague - Vert
1999 - 1st Place Best Trick Dortmund,Germany - Vert
1999 - Bronze Medal X Games Best Trick - Vert
1999 - Gold Medal Gravity Games, Providence, RI - Vert
1999 - TWS Awards Rider's Choice Best Overall Skater
1999 - TWS Awards Rider's Choice Best Vert Skater
2000 - 1st Place B3, Havasu AZ, Vert
2000 - 1st Place B3, Louisville KY, Vert
2000 - 1st Place Slam City Jam Vancouver,Canada
Vert & Vert Best Trick
2000 - 1st Place Vans Triple Crown Cleveland,OH
Vert & Best Trick Vert
2000 - Gold Medal X Games, Vert Best Trick
2000 - Silver Medal Gravity Games, Vert
2000 - WCS -World Ranked 1st - Vert
2001 - 1st Place Red Bull Skate Pro Brazil, Vert
2001 - 1st Place Vans Triple Crown, Vert
2001 - Bronze Medal X Games, Vert Best Trick
2001 - Gold Medal Gravity Games, Vert Best Trick
2001 - Gold Medal X Games Philadelphia - Vert
2001 - NEA Awards Skater of the Year Munich, Germany
2001 - TWS Awards Rider's Choice Best Vert Skater
2002 - 1st Place Vans Triple Crown, Vert
2002 - Laureus Awards Alternative Sportsman of the Year
2002 - Silver Medal Gravity Games, Vert
2002 - Silver Medal X Games - Vert
2002 - Silver Medal X Games Vert Doubles (w/Bucky Lasek)
2002 - TWS Rider's Choice Best Vert Skater
2002 - Voted OP "King of Skate"
2003 - 1st Place - Vans Triple Crown, Vert
2003 - Gold Medal X Games, Vert Doubles (w/Bucky Lasek)
2003 - 1st place - Oceanside Triple Crown Finals - Vert
2004 - Silver Medal Latin X Games Rio de Janeiro - Vert
2004 - 2nd place Triple Crown Finals Huntington,CA - Vert
2005 - 1st place Rio Skate Jam Rio de Janeiro,Brazil - Vert
2005 - Cork Screw is born and conquered - Cork Screw
2006 - Grand Canyon Mega Grind - Megaramp/B.A.S.E.
2006 - 1st place AST Dew Tour Louisville,KY - Vert
2006 - Silver Medal X Games - Vert
2006 - Bronze Medal X Games - Vert Best Trick
2006 - Bronze Medal X Games - Big Air (MEGARAMP)
2007 - 2nd place AST Dew Tour Baltimore,MD - Vert
2007 - 3rd place AST Dew Tour Cleveland,OH - Vert
2007 - 4th place Overall Ranking AST Dew Tour - Vert
2007 - TWS Vert/Mega Skater of the Year - World
2007 - Outsider of the Year - Outside Magazine Brasil
2008 - 1st place Rio Vert Jam Rio de Janeiro, Brasil - Vert
2008 - Gold Medal X Games Brasil , Sao Paulo - Vert
2008 - 4th place Pro-Tec Pool Party at Combi California - Pool
2008 - 3rd place AST Dew Tour Baltimore,MD - Vert
2008 - 4th place AST Dew Tour Cleveland,OH - Vert
2008 - Gold Medal X Games Big Air (MEGARAMP)
2008 - 1st place AST Dew Tour Portland, OR - Vert
2008 - 3rd place AST Dew Tour Salt Lake City, UT
2008 - 3rd place Overall Ranking AST Dew Tour - Vert
2008 - 1st place Best Trick 50' Gap Sao Paulo,Brasil - Mega
2008 - 1st place Best Trick 1/4 pipe Sao Paulo,Brasil - Mega
2008 - 1st place Oi Megarampa Sao Paulo - Mega
2008 - WCS World Ranked 1st - Vert
2009 - 2nd place Eco Cup Santa Rosa, CA - Mini Mega
2009 - 3rd place Maloof Money Cup OC,CA - Vert
2010 - Gold Medal Rio Vert Jam Best Trick Brasil - Vert
2010 - Gold Medal X Games Big Air (Megaramp) Rail Jam
2010 - Silver Medal X Games Big Air (Megaramp)
2010 - Bronze Medal X Games Best trick Vert
2010 - Silver Cup - Maloof Money Cup Vert-MiniMega Complex
2010 - Sept 4th Landed the first 900 on the Megaramp (first Fakie to Fakie 900)
2010 - Nov Documentary Vida Sobre Rodas is out
2011 - 4th place Oakley Bowlarama Bondi Beach, Australia
2011 - 2nd Place Rio Vert Jam Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
2011 - Silver Medal Asian X Games (Mini Mega) Shanghai, China
2011 - Bronze Medal Asian X Games (Vert) Shanghai , China
2011 - Nitro Circus demo landed the first Christ Air Backflip (Bob Flip Christ Air)
2011 - 1st place Megaramp Woodward West Tehachapi , CA
2011 - 1st place Megarampa Sambodromo Sao Paulo, SP Brasil
2011 - Gold Medal X Games Big Air (Megaramp)
2011 - Silver Cup - Maloof Money Cup - Combined scores event - 1st place Mini Mega + 3rd place Vert
2011 - 1st place Dreamland Invitational (Megaramp) Backyard in Vista, CA
2011 - Megaramp World Champion MRE Ranked 1
2012 - 1st place Vert Rio Vert Jam Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brasil
2012 - Silver Medal Asian X Games (Mini Mega) Shanghai, China
2012 - Gold Medal X Games Big Air (Megaramp)
2012 - 3rd place Mini Mega (Mega 2.0) Dew Tour Ocean City, MD
2012 - 1st place Megarampa Sambodromo Sapucai Rio De Janeiro, RJ Brasil
I was born just outside of Copacabana in Rio. My dad had an Agronomy Degree from Berkley and ended up in Brazil. My mom was cruising around doing her thing and they met. I grew up with two sisters, Milena and Rebecca. I was a mama’s boy, and I started giving her headaches early on. I got my first cast before I could even walk
Eu Nasci perto de Copacabana no Rio. Meu Pai foi formado em Agronomia em Berkeley e acabou indo para o Brasil e conheceu minha Mae. Eu cresci com duas irmas, Milena e Rebecca. Eu era filhinho da Mamae e começei a dar trabalho logo cedo. Ganhei meu primeiro gesso antes mesmo de saber andar.
My dad had a job opportunity in the U.S. and he convinced my mom to give it a try. So we moved to Pleasanton, CA where I went to kindergarten. A year later my mom was over it and we moved back to Porto Alegre, in the south of Brazil. The story of my life was moving from city to city, school to school. I did not like it much.
Meu Pai teve uma oportunidade de trabalho nos EUA e convenceu minha Mãe de se mudar. Entao nos mudamos para Pleasanton, CA onde eu fiz o Jardim da Infancia. Um ano depois minha Mae se cansou e nos mudamos de volta ao Brasil, dessa vez, para Porto Alegre. A historia da minha vida foi de ficar se mudando de cidade em cidade, de escola em escola. Coisa que eu nao gostava muito.
My friend had borrowed my soccer ball and lost it. So he gave me his little fiberglass skateboard instead. I remember skating it in the living room. That’s what first got me into it. Then when skating started to get big my dad got me a legit setup for my 11th birthday. I was still into a million different things, like baseball and soccer, but I had asthma so I could never run or do anything for long. Once I really started skating it just grew on me more and more.
Meu amigo pegou minha bola de futbol de salao e perdeu. Entao, ele me deu um skate antigo de fibra de vidro. Eu lembro de ficar andando de skate na sala. Foi assim que eu começei. E quando skate começou a crescer,meu Pai me deu um skate profissional no meu aniversario de 11 anos. Eu ainda tinha muitos outros interesses como beisebol e futbol, mais eu tinha asma e nao podia correr muito ou fazer atividades por muito tempo. Uma vez que eu realmente começei andar de skate ,a vontade foi crescendo mais e mais.
Ultra Skatepark opened three blocks from my house. It had the only wooden ramp in Brazil. I tried to drop in the first day and went straight to my face, twice. I was there every day after that.
A Ultra Skatepark abriu apenas 3 quadras da minha casa. Era a unica rampa de Vertical de madeira no Brasil. Eu tentei dropar no primeiro dia e cai de cara, duas vezes seguidas. Eu fui todos os dias para pista depois disso.
I won my first ever contest as an amateur, then my second contest I had an asthma attack and got second to last. I was devastated. But it gave me a balanced perspective. Then I skated the Urgh Vert War an open pro event, and I qualified first. I thought I was the man until the finals where I ended up in seventh and then I hated myself.
Eu ganhei meu primeiro campeonato como amador, e no segundo campeonato eu tive um ataque de asma e fiquei em penultimo. Lembro ter ficado arrasado. Mas tive uma perspectiva equilibrada. Ai eu corri o URGH! Vert War, um evento open e passei em primeiro pra final. Me achei o cara e quando chegou na final eu errei e acabei em sétimo e me senti horrivel.
It was my first trip to Europe, and I broke my ankle on the first trick I tried. But I stayed, and four days later cut the cast off. It hurt so bad. A week later was the Belgium contest and I went after Tony Hawk. My goal was to do a backside noseblunt revert and I did it. People were stoked on it and it made my whole trip.
Era minha primeira viagem para Europa, e eu quebrei meu pé na primeira manobra que eu tentei. Mas eu fiquei, e quatro dias depois eu tirei o gesso. Doeu muito. Uma semana depois, no campeonato da Belgica, eu desci depois do Tony Hawk. Meu objetivo era de dar um backside noseblunt reverse e eu consegui. Fui elogiado e valeu a pena a viagem.
Jake, John, Julien, and Joey came down to Brazil. I spoke English and Portuguese so I helped them out. Jake was like “You gotta come to the U.S.!” and by July I was in SF. I spent a month up there and was the happiest guy on earth. I got hooked up by Deluxe and went back to am for Real.
Jake, John, Julien and Joey fizeram uma visita ao Brasil. Eu falo Ingles e Portugues entao eu queria ajudar. O Jake me falou que eu tinha que fazer uma visita para os EUA, e em Julho eu estava em Sao Francisco. Passei um mes la e eu me senti o skatista mais feliz do Mundo. Arrumei patrocinio da Deluxe e voltei pro amador pela Real.
At the time I was just trying to get through high school so I wasn’t even going to go to Slam City Jam, but Deluxe bought me a ticket. I went and was just enjoying the experience and not putting any real pressure on myself. So winning it was a trip.
Na epoca, eu estava acabando o Colegial e eu nem ia para o campeonato do Slam City Jam, mas a Deluxe pagou minha passagem. Eu fui e estava me divertindo com a experiencia e nao me pressionando de forma alguma. Entao ter Ganho foi inesperado.
When Jake Phelps told me I was Thrasher's Skater of the Year in 1997 i was like, “Are you kidding me?” I felt proud to be the first Brazilian to win it.
Quando o Jake Phelps me falou que fui eleito Skatista do ano em 1997 pela Thrasher eu nao acreditei. Me senti orgulhoso de ser o único Brasileiro a receber a honra.
I was just cruising, not really planning on it, and then all of a sudden I’m a dad. When Lotus was born I decided to do the best I possibly could to provide for her. So I went on a contest mission. It was a good opportunity to earn money. At the same the time it’s the best job in the world. I also bought a house and started building my backyard ramp complex.
Eu estava passeando pela vida, sem planejamento, e de repente virei Pai pela Primeira vez. Quando a Lotus nasceu eu decidi fazer o melhor que eu podia pra poder cuidar dela. Ao mesmo tempo, é o melhor emprego do mundo. Eu comprei uma casa e começei a construir meu complexo de rampas.
My parents had separated when I was growing up, and in 2002 I was in Brazil, doing an interview on national TV, and they said, “Did you know you have a brother?” And they brought him out. When I looked at him I saw my dad. He’s a super cool kid.
Meus pais se separaram quando era ainda criança e em 2002, estava no Brasil fazendo uma entevista em canal aberto e me falaram:"Voce sabia que vc tem um irmao?" e ai eles me apresentaram ele. Quando eu vi o Jean pela primeira vez eu vi o meu Pai. O rapaz é gente boa...
I always wanted to fly, and since I wasn’t going to college, my intellectual challenge was to learn how to fly, and in ‘03 I got my pilots license and also started skydiving. I was stoked.
Eu sempre quis aprender a voar, e como eu nao iria fazer faculdade, meu desafio intelectual seria tirar me breve de piloto de monomotor. Em 2003 eu terminei o curso e tambem começei a saltar de paraquedas.
My view is that the Olympics are a cool sporting event, not that I want skateboarding to be in it. I said I’d only do the relay if I could do it on my skateboard and they said “Sure.” It was a really cool experience.
Minha perspectiva sobre as Olimpiadas é de um evento de Esportes que faz bem, nao que eu queira o skate como esporte Olimpico. I falei que so conduziria a tocha Olimpica se fosse de skate e eles aceitaram. Foi uma experiencia especial.
My backyard started with the vert/bowl ramp and over vert section in 2000. Then the loop, the open loop, the full pipe loop and the corkscrew. At that point I felt like it couldn’t go anywhere else. But once I skated the Point X mega ramp I said, “I have to have one.” When my neighbors lot became available I bought it and with Danny Way’s help built the mega.
Meu quiintal começou com a rampa de vert/bowl e a seção de Over Vert em 2000. Depois veio o loop, o Tubo e o Parafuso. Até então eu achei que nao tinha pra onde crescer. Mais quando dei meu primero role na Mega Rampa do Danny Way em Point X eu queria ter uma. Comprei o terreno do vizinho e com a ajuda do Danny, montei a Mega Rampa.
This was the year Jake Brown Slammed on Mega, and I had my second child, a beautiful baby girl named Jasmyn. So much going on all around and my family makes me stronger.
Esse foi o ano do tombo do Jake Brown na Mega, e eu tive minha segunda filha, uma linda menina chamada Jasmyn. Tanta coisa acontecendo e minha familia me faz mais forte.
I started filming when I got on Flip in ‘06. From the first year forward I felt like I was on a deadline every day so I was always pushing myself.
Comecei a filmar para o video da Flip quando entrei pra marca em 2006. Desde o primeiro ano eu me sentia na pressao de acabar o video todos os dias entao eu estava sempre tentando evoluir.
I’m always trying to do something more. I’m rebuilding my mega and we’re trying to get a bunch of mega events going all over the world. I’m just going to be skating and looking for a different project. I can’t really stand still. I’ll be busy building and creating for sure.
Eu estou sempre tentando fazer algo mais. A Mega em reparos e estamos trabalhando em eventos de Mega rampa por todo o Mundo. Vou continuar andando de skate e procurando novos projetos. Eu nao consigo ficar parado. Estarei sempre ocupado construindo e criando com certeza.
