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Help Allen Losi Skate Again

When skateboarding nearly disappeared in the early 1980s, Allen Losi was one of the young pros who stuck with it. He pushed the technical limits and helped reinvent skateboarding for a new generation. The Friends Of Losi have now come together to help Al. 

It was on a foundation of technical vert skating pioneered by Al, his Variflex teammate Eddie Elguera, Tony Hawk, and others that skateboarding re-emerged and was re-invented in the ’80s. Throughout the decade, Al was at the forefront of the scene, continuing to push skateboarding’s limits and promote it around the world. Al’s on-board exploits were well documented in the pages and on the covers of Thrasher and TransWorld Skateboarding, and, in 2018, earned him an induction to the Skateboarding Hall Of Fame.  

Allen Losi. Photo by J. Grant Brittain

This pioneer, who was once among the best skaters in the world, has been debilitated by CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome), a progressive disease of the Autonomic Nervous System that has him fighting to manage intense chronic pain. While CRPS is usually limited to one’s limbs, Al has full body Type-2 CRPS, so every cell in his body is affected. 

After being accepted for a new experimental treatment, Al’s doctors believe that he is on the verge of a technological and medical breakthrough. A new treatment has shown extreme promise in cases just like Al’s. With this highly specialized therapy, and his complete commitment, he may be able to find a better quality of life, but maintaining his insurance and facing thousands of dollars in costs for these therapies and other uncovered medications have proven too much for Al to do alone. 

Since 2012, Al’s so far spent over $350,000 on just medical bills, liquidating everything he owned, including his life insurance policy.

With the specter of gaining control of his condition, he is determined to improve to a degree that allows him to resume regular work and even get back on his skateboard, to relish the sensation of rolling and flowing—perhaps not as he once did, but enough to experience the stoke once again. 

The skateboarding we love and enjoy today has its roots in the innovations that Al and his generation contributed.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to accept donations for Al and show gratitude for Al’s contributions to skateboarding and help him return to a thriving and sustained quality of life. Please donate and share.

Allen Losi. Photo by MoFo

Join the Friends Of Losi in supporting Al by doing one or more of the following:

  • Contribute to the Friends Of Losi GoFundMe campaign. All proceeds go straight to Al, and this is an opportunity to show our gratitude for his contributions to skateboarding and the rich experience it’s been for all of us. Give and help him return to a thriving and sustained quality of life. 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-allen-losi-skate-again

  • Share the links to both the Limited Edition Losi decks and the Friends Of Losi GoFundMe campaign with your Friends and Followers, and let them know you bought a deck or contributed to the campaign—or both!

Learn more about how you can help Al at https://helplosi.com

“Growing up, I always had skateboard mag shots all over my wall and I always wondered what it would be like to meet the skaters in the photos. When I first met big Al and got to skate with him, he was so cool, relaxed, laid back and always had a big smile on his face! I was blown away by Al’s friendly personality and 20-foot locked in smith grinds (aka Losi grinds) that he would lay down around any pool or contest halfpipe. From Del Mar to Cedar Crest, Losi always was and continues to be an inspiration. – Words by Jim Murphy

Read more about Allen Losi in his Juice Magazine interview by Jim Murphy at https://juicemagazine.com/home/allen-losi/ and please donate to help Al.

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One Response

  1. As Jeff Grosso said Allen Losi invented the Smith Grind and Team Variflex skater Eric Grisham waited till Losi took his run to get only denied by one Frank Hawk. He took another run still and conquer let’s keep Losi’s legacy alive and get him back skateboarding. -Joaquin Sahagun-

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