Pro-skateboarder and Maple Ridge export Jordan Hoff Hoffart was recently chosen to compete to join the most elite roster in professional skateboarding: The Street League.
While he was not picked for one of the five vacancies in the 2012 Street League tour season, after competing for votes online against the likes of Tom Asta, Ishod Wair and seven other up-and-coming pros to make the cut, word is officially spreading about the likable Canadian.
The Street League is the 2010 brainchild of Rob Dyrdek and award-winning TV website The Berrics. The league features 24 of the worlds best pros competing for the largest prize purse in industry history inside world-class arenas (with June 15 in Ontario being the only Canadian date).
Hoffart says the four-stop tour works as a bit of a chess game, with strategy being more important than awe factor. And its extremely exclusive.
Created to ensure that rising stars have an opportunity to win their way in and compete with the worlds best, The Selection was the first time in Street League history that new skaters were invited to join. The videos of never-before seen footage were released on The Berrics in the first week of April and are still up for viewing. These short clips went through a three-pronged voting process with equal weight being given to the voting fans, Street League judges, and current Street League pros.
While honoured to have been in the running, the down-to-earth athlete with the contagious grin was naturally disappointed that neither he nor fellow Canadian Ryan Decenzo made the cut.
The competition was pretty tough; its hard to be more popular than a fellow American, in an American contest. Not that its necessarily a popularity contest, but since the US has a larger fan base, Im sure kids want to see or vote for someone they can relate to. Canada still creates imagery of polar bears and igloos to most south of the border, he shrugged with a laugh.
After skateboarding for more than three quarters of his life, the 27-year-old still loves a sport that has proved a constant in his life and would compete again if given the opportunity.
Its who I am. Skateboarding is family; family is forever.
In fact, it was family who introduced Hoffart to the thrill. He picked up his first skateboard at age six, when he and his sister Caitanna got matching NASH boards for Christmas. After a visiting uncle showed him how to ride and carve, he rapidly excelled, getting sponsored by local shops and competing abroad. At the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Hoffart helped invite the world to Vancouver in the closing ceremonies. In 2009, he moved to California and gave pro-skateboarding a serious go.
When asked what his career highlight is to date though, the habitual charmer replied, Getting an interview in the WE. Mum and pop will be so proud, he added with a chuckle.
Aside from this, Id say being able to move to California, buy my house and build my own skate utopia and provide for my family and friends all from getting good at playing with a toy. Pretty unreal; blessed for sure.
There will be no rest for Hoffart now that he knows the results of the month-long contest.
Well now that I know Im not in Street League, I can participate in DewTour and Maloof Money Cup, which are equally as rad contests. So Im hyped. Ill also be working on three video parts with Bones Wheels, Powell Peralta skateboards and my own project which is a independent film based on the construction of the concrete park I am building around my house.
Hoffarts fans can keep up with his progress at JordanHoffart.com.
You can follow Kelsey Klassen on Twitter @kelseyklassen.
