Chris Cole made Partner in Zero Skateboards

Two-time Thrasher magazine Skater of the Year Chris Cole and his longtime boss/teammate Jamie Thomas announced that Cole was being brought on as a partner in Zero skateboards, the brand that Thomas owned and founded and that Cole has been sponsored by for nearly 10 years.

On Jan. 14, just five days prior to the Zero announcement, Cole had announced that he would be riding for DC shoes. Inside of skateboarding, the news surprised few in the know, but the move to DC still sparked debate on what would happen to Cole's relationship with Thomas and the Zero brand.

Prior to DC, Cole had ridden for Thomas' company, Fallen footwear, for several years, and helped raise the brand's profile around the world. Since Fallen and Zero are both owned by Thomas and distributed by Black Box Distribution, many wondered if Cole's decision to leave Fallen for DC would adversely affect his role on the Zero team. That turned out not to be the case.

"Zero is the only company I wanna ride for," said Cole. "It is also the only company that fits me. They nail it over there. Whether it's graphics, videos, team -- they kill it, and always have. Being more integrated in this company is something I've been working into forever. And to be a shareholder is a dream. I'll be directly affecting the brand positively, from the skating to the planning. That's perfect for me."

In an interview with Mark Whitely on the Black Box website, Thomas clarified the decision to bring Cole in on the ownership side:

"Throughout the discussions about Fallen he kept telling me, 'I want to stay on Zero,' but it was obvious that whatever he was involved in he should get paid through the roof or have a stake in the company. So with that in mind, I suggested that we pay him really well and give him a stake, and Cole was down."

As a tremendous skateboarder who appeals to both the core audience and contest fans alike (Cole is a four-time X Games gold medalist, and has won three Maloof Money Cup events which earned him $100,000 per win), Cole's value to any brand is astronomical. With Zero being one of the best selling hard goods brands in skateboarding, Cole's shareholder status is one effective way of making his continued involvement with the brand financially worthwhile for him.

Since Cole and Thomas are close friends who have together been the two leading influences behind Zero for nearly a decade, the direction of the brand, and Cole's influence on it, will likely stay the course.

DC Announces Chris Cole to the Team

DC is proud to announce it has signed legendary skateboarder Chris Cole to its elite Skate team. Recognized as one of the best and most influential skaters of his generation, Chris is only the second skater to ever become Thrasher’s “Skater of the Year” twice (after DC’s Danny Way) once in 2005, and again in 2009. In that same year, he was also honored with TransWorld SKATEboarding’s Readers Choice Award.

To welcome him, DC is launching its latest Initials Commercial featuring Chris, in which he debuts a never before done trick– a FS 360 to front board. Check it out now at http://www.dcskateboarding.tv/cole. The mini-site also features a new interview, photo gallery and bio on Chris.

“DC is a huge force in skateboarding- pushing new technology and styling into skate footwear,” said Chris. “I’ve always admired that, and when I had the opportunity to be a part of their team I jumped at it. They have already made me an even bigger fan with the way they do things, how I’ve been treated, and the things I’ve been shown.”

“Our heritage and also our future is in skateboarding, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Chris to the family,” said Anton Nistl, DC’s President. “DC is known for having athletes that exemplify raw talent, natural leadership, ambition and fearlessness, and we really feel that Chris embodies all of these traits and more. This is a great way for us to kick off 2011. Our future is looking bright with Chris in it.”



Hailing from Langhorne, PA, Chris has spent the majority of his life on a skateboard and his powerful and precise skating style shows just that. He is an innovator of tricks such as a cab front blunt on a handrail, FS 360 to front board and he’s made his mark at famous spots such as the Carlsbad Gap and Wallenberg High School. His raw talent and un-matched ability has been showcased with parts in almost 20 skate videos including TransWorld’s In Bloom and Zero’s Strange World.

In 2004 Chris won his first contest, Best Trick at the Tampa Pro and he hasn’t slowed down since. He’s won practically every contest out there including back-to-back Gold Medals at X Games (in 2006 and 2007), the Maloof Money Cup three times (once in 2009 and twice in 2010), Dew Tour (in 2009), Battle At The Berrics 2 (in 2009). Most recently he competed in the first Street League Skateboarding™ DC Pro Tour taking 2nd place at the Las Vegas event stop.

Chris’ 2011 is already a busy one as he is working on finishing a film part for Zero’s Cold War and working on developing signature products with DC. For more information on DC, its athletes and products visit http://www.dcshoes.com and on DC’s Facebook and Twitter pages (http://www.facebook.com/DC.Shoes and http://twitter.com/dcshoes)