Steve Caballero

Steve Caballero (born November 8, 1964) is an American professional skateboarder.

He is known for the difficult tricks and air variations he invented for vertical skating and for setting the long-standing record for the highest air achieved on a halfpipe.

He began skating in 1976 at the age of 12 and started his career at age 14.

His first sponsor was Campbell Skate Park.

In 1979, Caballero entered a national skate contest in Escondido.

After finishing fifth place, he was approached by Stacy Peralta who offered him sponsorship with Powell Peralta.

• 2nd in 1979 Winchester Open, San Jose.

He turned pro in 1980 during the Gold Cup series at the Oasis Skatepark, Southern California.

By this time, Caballero had invented the 'Caballerial' (also known as 'Cab'), a skateboarding trick also known as the fakie 360 aerial.

Caballero is also credited with inventing the frontside boardslide.

During the first half of the 1980s, Caballero was arguably the best professional skater and featured on the cover of Thrasher Magazine several times.

He also features as a character in five of the Tony Hawk video games, from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 to Tony Hawk's Underground, and as a downloadable skater in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD.

Caballero's most recent video game appearance was in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, a remake of the first two games in the Tony Hawk series.

In the 1980s, Caballero published a skate zine entitled 'SPEED ZINE,' which replaced 'Skate Punk,' an earlier zine that he discontinued, in part, because he "didn't like the name anymore."

Caballero also paints, collects toys and comic books, rides motocross, and is a hot rod enthusiast.

Caballero started a new punk band called Urethane, who has signed to the Cyber Tracks record label.

Their debut album, ‘Chasing Horizons’, was released on September 24, 2021.

Caballero is of Japanese and Mexican descent, and is a Christian.

• 1st in 1980 Gold Cup Contest at Upland Skatepark: Pool

• 3rd in 1980 Gold Cup Series Overall Results: Pools and Bowls

• 1st in 1980 Lakewood Half Pipe Contest: Vert

• 2nd in 1981 Skate City, Whittier Contest: Pool

• 1st in 1981 The Ranch Spring Nationals Contest, Doubles (with Eric Grisham): Pool

• 1st in 1981 Kona/Variflex Summer Nationals Contest: Vert

• 2nd in 1981 Pro Contest at Del Mar: Pool

• 2nd in 1981 Lakewood Contest: Pool

He also had an acting role as Juan in the 1984 Jimmy McNichol action movie Escape from El Diablo, together with fellow skateboarder Mike McGill.

In 1987, Caballero won both street and vert titles at the World Championships in Münster, Germany.

The same year, on September 7, 1987, he set the world record for highest air achieved on a half-pipe by successfully executing an eleven-foot backside air at the Raging Waters Ramp in San Jose, California.

Caballero's record was later beaten by Danny Way in 1997.

In 1999, Thrasher Magazine named Caballero the "Skater of the Century".

Caballero was born with scoliosis, a condition which causes a curvature of the spine, although he has stated that the condition "really hasn't affected me too much."

In 1999, Caballero set another record for the longest board slide on a 44 step handrail.

Caballero is a member of the Bones Brigade, and has appeared in many of their videos, including The Search for Animal Chin.

His current sponsors include Powell Peralta, Bones Bearings, Independent Truck Company, Bones Wheels, Vans Skate Shoes, 187 killer pads, Merge4 socks, and Protec Helmets.

His past sponsors included Tracker Trucks, Standard Trucks, and Red Dragon Apparel.

Caballero was raised Catholic but now attends a non-denominational Christian church in Carlsbad, California named Daybreak since 2005.

Caballero featured in Stacy Peralta's 2012 documentary film, Bones Brigade: An Autobiography, which chronicles the life stories of members of the Bones Brigade skate team such as Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain and Tommy Guerrero.

He has been a member of several punk bands including The Faction, Odd Man Out, Shovelhead, and Soda, and released a compilation CD of the various bands he has appeared in, titled Bandology, through Sessions Records.

The Faction's song "Skate And Destroy" featured on the soundtrack of Powell Peralta's eponymous Bones Brigade Video Show.