Sidewalk Skateboarding

Dan Cates has been with Death Skateboards since the very beginning and, since becoming the company’s first pro, he has appeared in countless Death video parts. Highlights include 2004’s Squadrophenia, which he made with Mark Nicolson, Escape From Boredom (2005), and the full-length Better Than Life (2007). His 10-year anniversary for the company was celebrated in 2011 with a hand-signed and numbered board on a custom old-skool shape.

Dan also rides for Dephect Clothing, Circa Footwear, Destructo Trucks, Mob Grip, Rush Bearings, Victory Hardware and Motel-6 skateshop. Over the years, he has travelled all over the world, not only skating, but also judging contests, putting on demos, organising tours and writing magazine articles, and he also featured in Strange Notes’ Wish You Were Here from 2009 and documentaries for Vans and Channel 4 among many others.

Dan was born in the town of Ware in Hertfordshire, and has been skating since the boom in the sport in the late 1980s. He developed his skills on makeshift ramps, skateparks and the streets, and made a name for himself in the mid 90s contest circuit where he got picked up by his first official sponsor, Vans.

Today, Dan is still at the top of his game after 25 years in the business, a fact proven by his part in Death’s 2013 release Ordinary Madness. Riding with a goofy stance, he is a true skateboarding veteran with tons of imagination and a massive bag of tricks.