Zero Skateboards: The Darkest and Most Radical Side of Skateboarding

Zero Skateboards was founded in 1996 by the legendary Jamie Thomas, one of the skaters who most profoundly changed the concept of modern street skateboarding. At a time when many brands were slowly beginning to transform skateboarding into something more commercial and polished, Jamie Thomas decided instead to create a completely different company: rawer, heavier, darker, and above all, more authentic.

Zero initially started as a small clothing line within the historic Black Box Distribution, but it took only a few years for the project to become one of the most influential brands in the global skateboarding scene. From the very beginning, the brand developed a powerful identity built on skulls, horror vibes, mind-blowing videos, and uncompromising skateboarding.

Zero’s famous skull logo quickly became one of the most iconic symbols of the ’90s and 2000s. It wasn’t just aggressive graphics; it represented an entire mindset: skating massive spots, constantly taking risks, getting back up after every slam, and living skateboarding as a total way of life.

Zero Skateboards never tried to please everyone. And it is precisely this authenticity that has made the brand immortal in skate culture.

Jamie Thomas and the Birth of a Street Legend

When talking about Zero Skateboards, you have to understand who Jamie Thomas really is to the global skateboarding scene. Nicknamed “The Chief,” Jamie Thomas was one of the most influential riders in the history of hardcore street skating.

In the ’90s and 2000s, Thomas revolutionized the way people skated rails, gaps, and massive spots thanks to a powerful, technical, and incredibly determined style. Even today, his name is associated with some of the most iconic tricks ever landed in modern street skateboarding.

Alongside his career as a pro skater, Jamie also managed to build one of the most respected companies of all time. And this is where Zero shifted into high gear. The brand’s videos began to become true touchstones for entire generations of skaters.

Productions like Thrill of It All, Misled Youth, and above all Dying to Live are still considered today to be authentic masterpieces of hardcore skateboarding. It wasn’t just about technical tricks. Within those videos were attitude, personality, music, sacrifice, and a visual style completely different from the rest of the scene.

Zero thus managed to create a unique aesthetic that continues to influence brands, filmmakers, and skaters around the world to this day.

The Zero Skateboards Team: A Devastating Squad

One of the reasons Zero became one of the most important companies in skateboarding was undoubtedly its team. Over the years, the brand has had some truly incredible riders, many of whom have become true icons of the global street skate scene.

Among the historic names are legendary skaters like Chris Cole, Tom Asta, Jim Greco, Adrian Lopez, John Rattray, and many other riders who helped build the brand’s hardcore reputation.

Especially during the 2000s, the Zero team’s level was simply off the charts. Every new video part became instantly legendary, and the brand continually raised the bar for professional street skateboarding.

What’s impressive is that Zero has never truly lost its identity. Even today, it continues to support riders who still embody that original spirit of powerful, technical, and unfiltered skateboarding.

In a landscape where many historic brands have lost their way by chasing commercial trends, Zero continues to maintain enormous credibility within the real skate scene.

Zero Skateboards today: one of the most authentic brands in skateboarding

After nearly thirty years of history, Zero Skateboards remains one of the most respected brands in the global skateboarding world. The brand has achieved something very few companies can claim: evolving without losing its soul.

Zero boards continue to be loved for their quality, pop, durability, and extremely direct street feel. At the same time, the brand still maintains that dark, aggressive aesthetic that made it famous from the very beginning.

Horror-inspired graphics, iconic skulls, raw videos, and hardcore skateboarding are still part of the company’s DNA. And that’s exactly what sets Zero apart from so many other historic brands.

Zero doesn’t feel like a brand built on nostalgia.

It still feels like a vibrant, credible company deeply rooted in authentic skateboarding. And that’s likely why new generations of skaters continue to gravitate toward the brand even nearly three decades after its founding.

Zero Skateboards at Pleasures Milano

At Pleasures Milano, Zero Skateboards perfectly embodies everything we love about hardcore skateboarding: real street attitude, technical boards, legendary videos, and a skate culture built on perseverance and personal style.

In our skate shop, we curate Zero decks, complete boards, and products designed for those seeking authentic, powerful, and uncompromising skateboarding. Because Zero isn’t just a historic skateboard brand.

Zero is one of those brands that have written a fundamental chapter in the history of global street skateboarding.