Shogo Kubo Dead At 54 Following Surfboarding Accident In Hawaii
Shogo died while paddle-boarding by himself. Witnesses noticed that Shogo was having difficulty paddling, Honolulu PD told TMZ, and so several of them swam out to bring him back to shore. “Emergency personnel tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead on the beach.”
A cause of death is yet to be determined by an autopsy; however, Honolulu PD have told TMZ that, so far, there is nothing suspicious about Shogo’s death. Shogo’s longtime friend and founder of Dogtown Skateboard told the outlet that “He was a friend and a brother and he passed away doing what he loved.” So sad.
‘Dogtown And Z-Boys’ Inspired By Shogo Kubo’s Skate Team, Zephyr
Shogo was born in Kagshima, Japan, in 1959, and moved to Southern California in 1975, where he became one of 12 members of the original Zephyr skate team. His high-flying approach to skateboarding and his unique tricks inspired a whole new generation of skateboarders. While Shogo was not the leader of Zephyr, he was certainly a standout, dubbed the King Of Style.
Shogo’s contribution to Zephyr in the 1970s was so impactful that the 2001 documentary Dogtown And Z-Boys, narrated by Sean Penn and directed by Stacy Peralta, featured archive footage of Shogo and the rest of the Zephyr team, coupled with more recent interviews, to highlight their influence on skateboarding culture.
UPDATE: Another former member of the Z-Boys, Jay Adams, also passed away this summer. The legendary skateboarder died of an apparent heart attack while vacationing in Mexico on Aug. 13.
Our thoughts go out to Shogo’s family and friends during this difficult time.
— Amanda Mitchell
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