Thrasher Magazine

As you know, the people's champ is now 2017's Skater of the Year. We've interviewed Jamie Foy a half dozen times over the past year, so we thought we'd get his friends and family to weigh in. From stealing decks to collecting checks, Jamie's journey has only just begun.

"He’s a swell kid and he’s got a heart the size of Texas. He’s been skateboarding like crazy and not that I didn’t think he could make a living off it, but he’s doing really well. If you try your best and stick to it, it’ll pay off one day. I’m immensely proud of him. And I’m not just saying that to make him look good either!" —Jim Foy (Jamie’s dad)

"My boy Foy is the real McCoy! One-hundred-percent skateboarder, doing it for nothing but the love. Every so often a skater comes out of nowhere, blows our mind and pushes the limits of progression and perception. Jamie is one of those guys! The handrail god." —Chad Muska

Not only is his heart the size of Texas, so are the rails he skates! Frontside bluntslide on a big-boy bar     Photo: Atiba

"He’s the kid who used to wear the pink shirt. If you know Jamie from back in the day, at every contest he would rock this pink Island Water Sports shirt—every time." —Dakota Hunt

"One time at Woodward we played SKATE. He won the roshambo and did three gnarly tricks in a row. I quit and he was, like, ‘You wanted to play.’ I called him a dick." —Kader Sylla

Muska-approved backside 50-50 shove it. All hail the handrail god     Photo: Karpinski


"Filming Jamie for The Flat Earth has been eye-opening to say the least. The level of confidence he has is incredible. Sometimes I think I’m more scared filming him than he is when he’s skating big shit. He calls his back his Bowser shell. He says he just rolls off his Bowser shell when he slams and it’s his protection." —Ty Evans

Jamie snatched this kickflip like his sister’s Christmas ’board. Sorry, sis     Photo: Karpinski



Deck and shirt color-combo game on lock. And those kickflip frontside feebles? Loaded, man!     Sequence: Atiba

"We were always close. He’s super stubborn and argumentative sometimes, but he’s the best brother I could’ve ever hoped for. If I needed to vent, he was all ears. If I needed to teach him a life lesson, he took in whatever was useful. We all did numerous sports, but skateboarding was always his thing, ever since he was one year old and jacked my Christmas present. I’m very proud of the positive, humble, hard-working, intelligent young man he has become." —Chelsea Foy (Jamie’s sister)

Chomping a fakie 5-0 like an unchained Rottweiler. Nothin’ but good times for this dog     Photo: Strand

"I’ve heard him say that the secret to frontside crooked grinds is to just, ‘throw the gut over.’ Works for him."
—Jake Hayes

"When I met him, I think he only cared about doing fucked-up tricks, homies doing fucked-up tricks, Bobby Shmurda and KFC—obviously the perfect combo for success." —John Note

Not just an ollie—Jamie takes the rallie to new heights with this phenomenal fence bash     Photo: Zaslavsky

"He’s had experience in both types of hurricanes and he’s a good kid who can front crook for miles. The brute from the South." —Dee Ostrander


He doesn’t even like his spots to be green! Boardslide pop over to fakie over a brown gap     Photo: Strand

"I love watching Jamie Foy. He’s so entertaining and inspiring, like a fearless fuckin’ Rottweiler. He looks like he’s having a good time, too, which you gotta love!"
—Pat Duffy

"Jamie Foy is brute! He eats huge handrails for breakfast. The only thing he will not eat is anything that is green!" —Neen Williams

Grate and poles be damned! Backside nosegrind shove it by the eternal optimist     Photo: Strand


Photo: Strand

"I constantly criticized Jamie for neglecting school and exalting at skateboarding. Most of the family did. They didn’t hold back. By doing exactly what made him happy, he found his community. By being true to himself, he has become successful. His success is apparent in how genuine of a person he is. The Jamie you all see is the Jamie he has always been. Thanks for being you, lil’ bro. Love you!" —Brittany Foy (Jamie’s sister)

"Wendy’s chicken nugget dipped in the Frosty like whoa!" —Beagle

The whitest Cuban in ’boarding goes switch backside overcrooks above this red-and-yellow fellow     Photo: Strand

"Jamie came home during the hurricane to skate. I called him to reschedule because there was a category-five hurricane but he came anyway to stay with me. He’s so optimistic. When I thought the roof was gonna get blown off, he reassured me that it wasn’t. When things were looking bad and I was thinking about a plan B, he wouldn’t give up on plan A. The electricity went off and he told me it was going to come back on that same day. It took six days! But he kept reassuring me it was going to come back on soon. No one could be more proud of their son than I am of Jamie." —Nancy Foy (Jamie’s mom)

Jamie “Big Pinch” Foy detonates modern rail skating with a backside 50-50, sex change, to switch 50-50 down a triple kink most would be ecstatic to grind. The future is fat!     Sequence: Strand

You don’t usually find mountains and palm trees in the same region. Jamie backside 50-50s a geographic anomaly. Flat Earth? Looks pretty hilly to us     Photo: Denning

"Jamie Foy is the type to be trying one trick and end up doing five others. It’s not fair." —Zion Wright

"There has never been such a young husky this ripping. He’s gonna go as hard as he can until the carbs clog." —Mike Sinclair

"Jamie Foy is the people’s champ." —Erik Ellington

Mess with the bull, get the cover. Jamie Foy pinches a front crook down El Toro while avoiding the greenery     Photo: Atiba