| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | Redwood City, California |
| Sport | |
| Country | U.S. |
Phil Shao (December 28, 1973 - August 22, 1998) was a goofy-footed professional skateboarder from Redwood City, California.[1][2]
Shao was featured in many skate magazines including Thrasher Magazine, Skateboarder Magazine, TransWorld Skateboarding.[3] Shao graced the July 1996 cover of Thrasher magazine with a smith grind on the top rail at Fort Miley. Shao was known as a master of many different styles of skating.[4][5]
Shao appeared in many skateboarding videos in his career.[6] Phil's last video was "Dedications" from Think Skateboards, released shortly before his death.
In addition to skating, Shao also worked at Thrasher Magazine. Shortly before his untimely death, Phil Shao was named Editor of Thrasher Magazine.[8]
On August 22, 1998, Phil Shao died in a car accident in Arcata, California.[2]
In the summer of 2003, Redwood City collaborated with Phil's friends and family to build a skatepark dedicated to Phil called the Phil Shao Memorial Skate Park. The park is a 13,000 skatepark with 5 bowls, rails, and ledges.[9]
Shao had an English degree from the University of California at Berkeley.[10][8]