Thrasher Magazine

My friend Roger Mark Hubbard died June 8, 2018. Talk about skateboard legends, this dude saw his destiny, went out, built it, made it, skated it and moved on to the next. This video is from the day we gave Kyle Walker Skater of the Year. We ran out of gas, we were in two car accidents, we drove all the way up from LA then went out and bombed Dolores all night. Marty was a true skateboard pioneer. Talk about doing it yourself, this dude did it all. He’s gone but his legend will live forever. Whenever there’s somebody building something, I think of Marty cause he was just that good. We flipped a car together in Australia 2004, but we were always resilient. I miss him, and there ain’t nobody like him. Survived by wife Jenny and children Kaya, Leona, and Odin. Once again, rest in peace. Roger Mark Hubbard 1970-2018. –Jake Phelps

 

 

Mark “Monk” Hubbard died yesterday. Mark was a loving, compassionate and extraordinary man, father, husband, artist, dreamer, skater, musician and spirit. The family wishes to share their gratitude for the love and support they are receiving from all those blessed to have him in their lives. —Grindline Skateparks

 

For those of us lucky enough to have known Mark, his contributions to this world need no further punctuation. But if his name doesn’t ring a bell, his work has profoundly impacted you as skateboarder. Mark was a craftsman of the highest order, and the concrete he formed across the globe with his company, Grindline Skateparks, completely transformed the possibilities of what can be done on the stuntwood. Most importantly though, he was a kind soul, who leaves behind a family he loved more than anything. As the sun sets on another one of our soldiers, think about Mark Hubbard the next time you crunch through some coping. RIP in Peace. —Tony Vitello

 

 
What a wild ride this life brings! With the heaviest of hearts we need to announce the passing of Roger Mark Hubbard. Mank, Monk, Marty, Conch Cranium, The General, The Eagle, The leader of the Skate Army! The wizard of highest order! He put more into the things he loved than anyone, bar none! Family, skateboarding, art, music. Everything he put energy into exploded into manifest destiny! —Shaggy

 

 

"Skateparks are an asset to the community, where kids can go and families can go and watch people roll around on the earth. It's always been a spiritual thing." - Mark Hubbard

 

 

My favorite dude in the world! Hubbard lives forever in our hearts. Nothing can change that! —Jimmy Moore

 

 

Truly like no other. Monk’s passion, dedication and contributions will be felt by generations of skateboarders and thrill seekers for decades to come. Rest easy and tear it up in the sky Marty. —Bryce Kanights

 

 

Made it happen for all skateboarding at a very critical time. Thank you. —Lance Mountain

 

 

You will be greatly missed Mark, thank you for being a skateboarder! —Rhino

 

 

He had the biggest heart ever! He was always helping us knuckleheads our give us a jobs so we could survive he would do anything for his friends. He was a amazing father to his kids he was all bout his family his kids are so sweet and his love of his life Jenny he would always tell me had lucky he was to have her! Hubbard was just a solid dude he will be deeply missed my heart goes to his family! I love you Mark there will not be a day that goes by that I will be thinking of you and believe this we will all keep skateboarding down the road for you!!! Love you Mark I’m gonna miss you brother!!! RIP MARK MONK HUBBARD! —Andy Roy

 

 

Grindline Skateparks founder, Mark Hubbard has passed. He was one of the most influential people in the progression of skatepark building and designs! He was also one of the most awesome talented skaters, musician and park engineers who left us with a huge heart. He will be missed and his family and parks will be cherished. Not too long ago Phelps and Monk came to my house and I filmed them both getting grinds over the death box and they were so hyped. I’ll never forget the smiles on there faces. —Omar Hassan

 

 

Hell no! Before Burnside; Red, Monk, Cicconi and I making a Yakimah go. Drive 3 hours or so just to ride a indoor vert ramp. Had '74 Jailbreak cassette on repeat. RIDE ON Marty. Beautiful beast. —Danny Sargent

 

 

RIP RIDE in Paradise ⚡️⚡️⚡️ Pour a bag of concrete or catch a grind for Monk. —Joe Brook

 

 

Rip legend thanks for everything you have done along the ride. A true boarder and skating won't be the same without you. This man is the truth. —Collin Provost

 

 

The soles of his skate shoes would see more then they were intended to. No seatbelts, no holdin' back. —Sean Gutierrez

 

 

Your legend will ride on forever. Rest easy Hubbs. —Grant Taylor

 

 

RIP HUBBARD-all terrain breakin barriers, fuckin hell! You’ve done more than you know. —Figgy

 

 

Hubbs was a true individual, unlike anyone I've ever met. His accomplishments are incomparable to most humans and his story is written in concrete across the world. I feel lucky to have known him. Thank you Mark. Love you brother. As above, so below. Build. Destroy. Repeat. —Pat McLain

 

 

Monk .. trully one of the most original humans to ever exist... rip Mark Hubbard the world and skateboarding is and will forever be in your debt.... —Chris Senn

 

 

Mahalos for all the stoke you brought to skateboarding over the years. You changed the landscape forever for better! You will be truly missed. My condolences to Mark and his family & friends . #RIP —Arto Saari

 

 

RIP in Paradise to Mark Hubbard. Jack of all trades, Master of reality. Get some action on the ground, some action in the air, rock it sock it tail block it. Thanks for building all the sickest skateparks and just being a true original badass human. —Don 'Nuge' Nguyen

 

 

Soul of Souls. May the great winds take you on the journey of eternity. May you now travel to the ends of no ends.. side by side with the creators and gods.. May your soul continue on as it always has.. as a true soul of souls. Always and forever in our thoughts and in our hearts. —Darren Navarette

 

 

Mark Hubbard, a visionary creator of amazing things. Empowered skateboarders to do for themselves. Was funny, generous and tough. I feel lucky to have known him a little bit. —MIchael Burnett

 

Love you Marty. —Peabody

 

 

In a world with way too many sheep, they keep taking the shepherds. Hubbs, I'll always value the words and times we shared. You will continue to inspire us. Your parks and music will always keep us connected and your words will continue to be anthems in helping us deal with whatever roadblocks are thrown in our paths. No doubt this one is gonna hurt for a long time. Big love to family and friends out there that are bummin'. Orcas, here we come! —Schmitty

 

 

Rip in peace Monk Hubbard. He changed my little world for sure. Heaven will definitely have shit to skate now. —Robby O'Connell

 

 

 

Sometimes things do not hit me until I’ve had time to think about them or talk to a friend who’s going through a similar situation. The world lost another amazing skateboarder and human. Mark “Monk” Hubbard was the essence of skateboarding and the do it yourself attitude that helped build the first real public skateparks by skateboarders. Monk and his friends illegally built Burnside park in Portland, Oregon under a bridge filled with junkies. This place was not meant for the weak and when you rolled up to it they reminded you that they built this place with their own money, blood, sweat and tears.
I remember rolling up to it for the first time in the 90’s and thinking these guys are going to try and punk me, but my love for skateboarding wouldn’t resist the urge to jump on top of that concrete wall to skate. I was never a real hardcore bowl skater but I did grow up skating pools in Arizona and started to shred with the locals. To my surprise they showed me nothing but love and a friendship with many of those locals began that day. Just recently Monk hit me up to tell me he was hyped on my concrete work and wanted to do a collaboration. I was so honored. We starting talking about ideas and I originally wanted him to be a part of my last show I just did, but since it was only up for three days it wasn’t the right place to pour our concrete vision. I was planning on hitting him up next week to figure out the place to do it. I can’t stand that we will never be able to make this collaboration come together so I must make it in his spirit and honor. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and everyone else who he helped influence and inspire. —Chad Muska

 

 

Hearing about Mark Hubbard's death today has been totally devastating. I've been a friend of Mark's since 1998, and I co-founded the grindline.com web site with him almost 20 years ago. I ran his online operations until about 2003. He was a larger than life figure for many people. He always treated people with respect and took people as they were. I worked him for a few years on various commercial enterprises, some of which did well and others that didn't pan out into anything. I am beyond upset and confused upon hearing of this situation right now. He was one of the best friends I had in Seattle. —Chris Hanis

 

 

If there ever was an apropriate time to use the term “fearless leader” it would be describing Monk.  Fearless in that he wasn’t scared of anything.  From pouring the first bags at a DIY spot to bombing Genesse street in West Seattle.  Leader in that he could make anything happen with any crew.  He could grab any two random skaters give one a guitar and the other some drums and form a band, that rocked!  He gave so many skaters jobs working for Grindline.  Many were probably “not suitable for work” when hired, but with his guidance and direction these guys became career park builders.  That’s what makes skateboarding great.  We all look out for each other no matter what the circumstances and Monk was a shining example.  Skateboarding is a family not a job and Hubbs knew that.  Because when you take the good with the bad we all rise to the top.  Love conquers all.  —Joe Hammeke

 

 

 

I met Mark in the mid-1980s. In Seattle, we had a pretty tight crew that skated vert virtually every day we could, as well as pools, pipes, ponds, banks, curbs, whatever we could find. Mark stood out for following his own path, doing sass plants, rolling into pools that had 1-2 feet of water, riding boards like uncut Z-Blanks, and wearing motocross shorts. One time we were skating a kid’s vert ramp. The kid who said we could wasn’t home, but his little brother was. He tried to stop us from skating, but we kept dropping in. He called the cops, and in the back of the cop car when the cop asked us our names I swear Hubbard said, “Mink Mank.” “How do you spell that?” asked the cop, clueless. He eventually settled on Monk, and one summer at Mike Ranquet’s ramp he found his pump and started blasting 4-5’ indy and frontside airs. And then he started jumping off of ladders into vert ramps. In 1990, Burnside was born. All of us from Seattle made our pilgrimages from the start, but Mark teamed up with Red and his love for ‘crete was born. Back in Seattle, he was a ringleader in the Schmitz Park project, a bowl under a bridge, that got busted before it got poured, but that led to the West Seattle Bowl. The whole time Hubbard insisted his dream of paving the world for people to skate would come true, and he worked his ass off to make it happen. He also spearheaded an indoor vert ramp, for when it was wet. When we found out the guy who lived at the bowl house was renting and he took off one day, we encountered the homeowner who told us to get out. He talked the owner into selling him the house, and we got our bowl back. Hubbard made pilgrimages to skate, for a few years hopping trains and heading to places like the Turf. I went to Stone Edge in Florida in 1990, and told the guys how rad it was when I got back. Hubbard hopped a train there the next day, used my name, got in and skated, but got kicked out for not wearing wrist guards. He snuck in the next day, got caught, and got 86ed. I went the following year, and they weren’t going to let me skate until the guy who actually kicked out Monk realized I wasn’t that guy. I texted Mark a photo the day before he died because I couldn’t remember where I took it. I didn’t hear back, but I put it together, and the morning after he died I posted it. Total coincidence, I hadn’t heard the devastating news yet, but Mark would probably agree that there was something cosmic there, more than a coincidence. Mark grew from our local wild hair to our local hero to pretty much everyone who skates’ hero. He was a leader in perhaps the most important paradigm shift in skateboarding – the DIY revolution and the subsequent cement park boom. A visionary, a joker, a tough guy, a road and rail warrior, a son, husband and father, a creative force like no other, a spiritualist, and my friend – and a friend an inspiration to all skaters. My heart is broken yet again, and my condolences go out to Jenny and the kids – I can’t imagine. —Wez Lundry

 

 

Hubbs was the man! Still is! Pure raw skateboarder. The true meaning of get out there and do it your fuckin' self! If they don't like it who cares, we're skateboarders. You can't tell us what to do or what to ride. Listen to the lyrics, this is real shit! You want a piece of the Hubbs? Go out there and get it. The parks are still there! —Neckface

 

 

Munk was a true original. Prophet, Mason, General, Poet, Family Man, Astronaut and Skateboarder. His passion affected us like very few. Thank you for all did for us in Montana and Pine Ridge, and the whole planet. We shared some of the best that life can offer, and I couldn’t be more grateful for your passion and deep love. Rest easy, Mark. #truenorth —Jeff Ament

 

 

I have been friends with Mark for 31 years. My heart goes out to his wife Jenny and kids Kaya, Oden, and Leona. Along with a huge list of friends. He will be missed deeply by many! I have many positive memories and stories about Mark, to share when the time is right. For now, Rest In Peace my friend! A true dreamer, leader, good father, musician, artist, skateboarder, comedian and one of the best story tellers in the world! Much Love! I miss you!  —Mark Scott

 

 

Been tryin to write something up all day and can't even keep it together... Life ain't fair, never has been never will be, but damn this one hurts bad. Rest easy Hubbs. Give Preston a big ol' cheers up there. My heart goes out to you Jenny, & the kids. We are all here for you. —Raven Tershy

 

 

Have a burning life question? Listen to Grindline. Marty's lyrics apeak louder then any I've ever heard. All the answers lie within. —Tony Trujillo

 

 

“You know Jupiter protects 50,000 astroids a day from hitting the earth. Travels around in orbit like a shield for the earth and just always happens to be right in the way. The reason we're still here is because of Jupiter the giant protector.” —Mark Hubbard

 

 

"I don't build skateparks for safety. They're not built to be safe. It's not a playground, it's a skatepark. You can't expect to drop your kid off every day and expect him to come home walking." — Mark Hubbard