Boarder back from the brink

It only took one week in federal prison for Christian Hosoi to realize his life was on the wrong path.

He had invented the “Christ Air” trick in skateboarding, had been deemed the rock star of the sport and rivaled Tony Hawk in every competition in the years before drug addiction led to his arrest in 2000 on charges of drug trafficking.

In prison, Hosoi had a lot of time on his hands. He filled that time reading the Bible, and during his first days in lock-up he decided only one thing would save him, in or out of prison.

Jesus Christ.

It was also during this time that Hosoi’s wife Jennifer Lee started discussing with him the idea of a documentary film.

“My wife said I should tell my story,” Hosoi said. “The director and I knew the same people, and they got all the archive footage, not knowing when I would be released.”

Hosoi had more time to focus on telling his story in a film after being released from prison in 2004.

The film, “Rising Son: The Legend of Skateboarder Christian Hosoi,” premiered last Thursday at the Quiksilver headquarters in Huntington Beach to a crowd of thousands of fans, past and present.

The film — which includes interviews with Tony Alva, Jay Adams, Jason Lee, Hosoi’s parents, son, wife and friends, home video footage, clips from prison and competitions — covers the rise of the style-setting skateboarder, Hosoi’s fall into drugs and his redemption behind bars.

Professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, who was also interviewed in the film, attended the film’s send-off, the first of an eight-city tour, featuring the film and skate demos by Hosoi, Arto Saari, Stefan Janoski, Omar Hassan, Reese Forbes, Kyle Leeper, Dylan Reider, Omar Salazar, Eric Fletcher and more of the Quiksilver team.

Hawk and Hosoi were often pitted against each other as rivals during their teen years. Now all that could be heard in Hawk’s voice was esteem for a fellow athlete.

“I think it’s exciting, a long time in the making,” Hawk said. “If anyone’s story deserves to be told, it’s Christian’s. “It’s a great story for the young generation today, about choices and redemption.”

Hawk spent most of the evening signing autographs and taking photos with fans. But this night was all about Hosoi, who didn’t miss a beat at the closing of the film to begin to share his faith with those who attended.

Some were caught off guard by his message.

“I heard Christian on the mic[rophone] talking about God for like 15 minutes. Not my cup of green tea, but whatever,” Robert Brink wrote in a Web blog about the premiere. “Y’all should be checkin’ this flick out.”

The film closes with Hosoi’s being released from prison, and “there’s way more to come,” he said.

Hosoi again influences those around him, but now he does it with a Bible rather than his bravado.

“I believe God has given me a second chance to live for him and not myself,” Hosoi said.

He has used that second chance to tell his story on film and as a speaker at the Sanctuary church in Huntington Beach.

Friend and fellow skateboarder Eddie Reategui, also part of the film, began attending church with Hosoi on an invitation from his friend.

“It hit me how happy he was,” Reategui said. “I was blown away. I personally decided I wanted some of that.”

Now the two journey to Santa Ana on the weekends, teaching underprivileged kids how to skate.

“Everything I’ve done has happened for a reason,” he said. “I can talk to people about drug problems, fame, skating, being a husband, a father, an evangelist and a preacher.”