The Rafu Shimpo - L.A. Japanese Daily News

New DVD Chronicles Skateboarder’s Wild Life
By ELLEN ENDO
Rafu Managing Editor
Saturday, July 29, 2006

Christian Hosoi’s documentary is due out Nov. 14

Hosoi
Courtesy of www.quiksilver.com/risingson
Christian Hosoi demonstrates his celebrated style. Hosoi’s career as a skateboarder is chronicled in a new DVD documentary, “Rising Son: The Legend of Skateboarder Christian Hosoi,” being released on Nov. 14.

In the skateboarding subculture, Christian Hosoi is a legend–a flamboyant athlete whose good looks, flamboyant style, and gravity-defying skill turned him into a teenage phenomenon and helped elevate the sport throughout the world.

Hosoi’s astounding albeit stormy career as a skateboarder in the 1980s and ‘90s is chronicled in a straight-to-DVD documentary, “Rising Son: The Legend of Skateboarder Christian Hosoi,” being released on Nov. 14 by Quincy Jones III’s QD3 Entertainment. Oscar-nominated actor Dennis Hopper narrates the film that consists primarily of interviews with Hosoi’s family and friends along with skateboarding giants like Tony Hawk, Tony Alva, and Hosoi’s mentor, Dogtown pioneer Shogo Kubo.

Hosoi’s career began as a preteen when his natural ability emerged. His father, Ivan Hosoi, a Japanese-Hawaiian artist, moved to Los Angeles to study at the Chouinard Art Institute but soon realized that Christian’s talent was extraordinary. Ivan decided to devote his time to Christian’s skateboard career, taking him to competitions at what was then considered the birthplace of skateboarding, Del Mar.

Former skateboarding rivals Tony Hawk, left, and Hosoi.

By age 13, Christian had established himself as serious competitor. His father allowed him to drop out of school.

During the 1990s, Hawk and Hosoi rose to fame simultaneously, competing professionally and dominating the sport. Hosoi, buoyed by his crowd-pleasing style and charisma, was able to secure endorsements and soon was receiving the kind of attention and press coverage usually accorded to rock stars.

Kubo and Hosoi
Photo Courtesy of Shogo Kubo
Hosoi, left, and dogtown legend and Hosoi’s mentor, Shogo Kubo.

Before long, he had a clothing line and was designing and distributing Hosoi-branded skateboards through his own company. He made the cover of Rolling Stone and was written and talked about beyond the skateboard milieu. Proud of his Japanese/Caucasian mixed heritage, Hosoi even put together his own skateboard team, made up of “hapa” youths like himself.

By the mid-1990s, the skateboard craze was waning. Hosoi’s wild lifestyle and drug experimentation left him broke and unfocused. He began a downward spiral that led to his arrest in 2000 at Honolulu Airport while carrying a large cache of meth-amphetamines.

He was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for drug trafficking.

“I had to keep telling myself, ‘This is really happening,’” Hosoi says of his first few days in prison.

As the shock set in, Hosoi, who had never practiced any type of religion, began to pray. A cellmate gave him a Bible and, according to Hosoi, the passages he read ultimately changed his life.

When Hosoi became eligible for parole, his wife, Jennifer Lee, approached friends to build a defense fund and write letters of support. Hawk was among those who wrote to the judge. The campaign worked, and Hosoi was released in 2004, having served less than half of his original sentence.

Today, Hosoi is boardriding again and recently completed an eight-city tour, promoting “Rising Sun...” under the auspices of the world’s leading skateboard brand, Quiksilver. It marked the first time since 1999 that fans were able to see Hosoi in action.

Cesario “Block” Montano’s direction is standard fare but includes rare footage of Hosoi’s early days and many of Hosoi’s most spectacular feats. Interviews are mostly straight on and recorded in static locations. Fortunately, Hosoi’s story stands on its own and becomes a powerful cautionary tale for young people. His life would also make a compelling dramatic feature film.

Complementing the visuals is the rock soundtrack, featuring music by Gnarls Barkley, Queens of the Stone Age, System of a Down, Dave Grohl, Fishbone, and others.

Producer is Jared Freedman. Information on the DVD and the soundtrack may be obtained at www.quiksilver.com/risingson

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