A California Bay Area native, Corey Duffel grew up in Thrasher country – ground zero for the street skating counterculture of the 1990s. He began skating at 10 years old. Only three years later, he attracted his first sponsors and embarked on a demo tour. Around the same time, he also appeared in his first skate video, Dedication by Think Skateboards.

By 15 years of age, he was considered a prodigy in the scene. Even so, life in the spotlight is difficult for a teenager. But with the support of a few key players (the legendary Lance Mountain among them) and lessons learned, Duffel weathered the storm and became one of the sport’s most influential athletes.

While other skaters chased gold medals at annual events and jockeyed for reality show appearances during the 2000s, Duffel stayed true to his punk rock roots as a street skater. During the digital revolution of skate videos, he became a mainstay, doing parts for Thrasher, Foundation, Osiris, Transworld, and many others. He was also a playable character in the Tony Hawk: Shred video game.

While skateboarding has been good to Duffey, you won’t find him kicking around an oversized mansion built to impress the Jones’. Today, he resides in his hometown of Walnut Creek, CA, where he continues to skate, amasses an incredible collection of music on vinyl, and cares for his dog, Blixa.