{"id":9960,"date":"2026-05-28T04:04:33","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T04:04:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=9960"},"modified":"2026-05-28T04:04:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T04:04:33","slug":"skateboarding-icon-marc-johnson-dies-at-49-a-genius-and-a-tortured-soul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=9960","title":{"rendered":"Skateboarding icon Marc Johnson dies at 49: \u2018A genius and a tortured soul\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>SAN JOSE, Calif. \u2014\u00a0Marc Johnson, a legendary figure in San Francisco Bay Area skateboard history, died on May 26, according to skateboarding magazine Thrasher.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=9958\">Queen Mary celebrates 90th anniversary of maiden voyage<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Johnson, a professional skateboarder who had many notable sponsorship deals over his career, was 49.<\/p>\n<p>No cause of death was mentioned, and there was no word as of Wednesday morning of any memorial services being planned.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson, who was most directly connected to San Jose\u2019s celebrated skateboard scene, will be remembered as one of the most influential street skaters of recent years.<\/p>\n<p>He inspired countless thousands of young and old riders to try out new tricks and methods, and generated interest from skaters and non-slaters alike, with his awe-inspiring skateboarding YouTube videos.<\/p>\n<p><span><iframe allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"youtube-player\" height=\"360\" loading=\"lazy\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/n3f3BQLpnwU?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;fs=1&amp;hl=en-US&amp;autohide=2&amp;wmode=transparent\" style=\"border:0;\" width=\"640\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Word of Johnson\u2019s passing was originally made public via social media posts from Thrasher Magazine, which were attributed to fellow San Jose skateboard icon Louie Barletta, who turned pro in 2003.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs I write this, the reality still hasn\u2019t fully set in. It was less than a month ago that Marc came to San Jose to hang out,\u201d Barletta wrote in the post. \u201cHe was sober, healthy, and full of life. We had a blast reminiscing about the old days. He seemed genuinely excited about the future. He even extended his ticket by a couple of days so he could explore some of the old haunts around San Jose.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cWhen it came time to drop him off at the airport, he handed me an envelope. I waited until I got home to open it. Inside was a three-page list of his hopes and dreams for the future. Never in a million years did I imagine that less than a month later, he would be gone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span><iframe allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"youtube-player\" height=\"360\" loading=\"lazy\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DlDP6p_7CBY?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;fs=1&amp;hl=en-US&amp;autohide=2&amp;wmode=transparent\" style=\"border:0;\" width=\"640\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Barletta goes on to describe Johnson as \u201ca genius and a tortured soul who \u201cwanted to be remembered for his skateboarding, not for his failures or shortcomings.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=9941\">Laguna Beach \u2018Sea Castle\u2019 with deeded sand area aims for $14M<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Johnson was born Jan. 6, 1977, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and, as Barletta noted, \u201cgrew up in a trailer at the end of a dirt road.\u201d<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cYet he made it out, traveled the world and touched so many lives,\u201d Barletta added. \u201cHe will live on through the video parts that nobody can re-create. He gave opportunities to people who might never have had a chance otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Johnson had relocated from North Carolina to San Jose by the early \u201990s (if not before), which is where and when he helped form Tiltmode Army, a now legendary skateboarding collective that featured a number of now-well-known names (including Barletta, Matt Eversole and Jerry Hsu). They ruled the streets and, later, TV screens, as their videos made their way through multiple VHS players and more people learned about their casual, cool San Jose street riding adventures.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, even in a league of great talents, Johnson stood out \u2014 thanks to his seemingly effortless and fearless creativity. He would eventually be recognized as an all-time great street skateboarder. Indeed, he won Thrasher Magazine\u2019s Skater of the Year award in 2007. It was the same year when he dazzled skating fans with his segment in a now-famous video titled \u201cFully Flared,\u201d created by Lakai Footwear.<\/p>\n<p><span><iframe allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"youtube-player\" height=\"360\" loading=\"lazy\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YD-_HeCZRl0?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;fs=1&amp;hl=en-US&amp;autohide=2&amp;wmode=transparent\" style=\"border:0;\" width=\"640\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWithout a shadow of a doubt, Marc Johnson was the single most influential person in my life,\u201d Barletta reflects. \u201cEverything he did was art. He was endlessly creative and always tried to elevate his friends and everyone around him. He opened doors for guys like me and Jerry, and single-handedly put San Jose back on the map. Marc had the golden touch\u2014whether it was on a skateboard, creating brands, or developing ad campaigns.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was one of the most talented and creative people to ever step on or off a skateboard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was not immediately known where Johnson resided at the time of his death. Besides San Jose, he lived for a time in Crestline, a rural area in San Bernadino County. He was reportedly a founder or member of two skateboard-related companies, Business &amp; Company, and Enjoi.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=9932\">Congress members say conditions dire at NJ detention center facing protests, reported hunger strike<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>This story is being updated, please check back.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;He seemed genuinely excited about the future,&#8221; a friend wrote after a recent visit with Marc Johnson.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9959,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-based-on-facts-either-observed-and-verified-directly-by-the-reporter-or-reported-and-verified-from-knowledgeable-sources","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - 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