Well-known skateboarder Robbie McKinley recently passed away at the age of 43. His close friend and former roommate Mackenzie Eisenhour paid tribute to him on Instagram by posting a picture of him sitting in an outdoor location. The caption stated:
"One of the best humans I had the privilege of knowing. Probably my favorite skate style of all time at his peak. Groomsman at my wedding, stand up roommate, and the first person outside of the hospital to meet my daughter Luca when we got home. I'm going to miss you so much Bob. Crooksy forever. #riprobbiemckinley #oneofakind."
Robbie's cause of death remains unknown for now, and further details on the same are yet to be revealed.
Friends and admirers of Robbie McKinley pay tribute to the late skateboarder on Twitter
Robbie McKinley gained recognition for being a flawless skateboarder. His close friends and colleagues who have known him for a long time expressed their grief on different social media platforms.
One of his friends, Jimmy Pelletier, shared a group picture on Facebook and wrote that he met McKinley in 1998 during the Blind Skateboards tour. Speaking about Robbie's skateboarding skills, Jimmy mentioned:
"You rocked your gear so well. I will never forget the demo we did with you in the hockey arena. We had to hold the crowd off for hours until you all arrived. We ran out of tricks in the meantime. Love and Prayers to you & your family Robbie McKinley. Ride On… …"
While the news of his demise went viral, Twitter was flooded with a lineup of tributes.
Robbie McKinley started skating in the fifth grade, after which he developed an active interest in the sport
Robbie McKinley was a popular face in the world of skateboarding in 2000. His technical abilities and innovative style with the sport had always been praised. Moreover, he was also one of the founders of the Grind King skate team.
McKinley was featured in various skateboarding videos, such as the Harsh Euro Barge and Rodney Mulken vs Daewon Song series. In an interview with Bobshirt in 2010, McKinley said that he started skating in the fifth grade with his brother and developed more interest in it when he was in sixth grade. He added:
"Went thru a few groups of friends but I would say the Chaffrey crew was like where I really begin to get pretty good and knew I wanted to get sponsored and all that stuff. Crew consisted of Richard Mulder, Sam, Thomas, Schmitt, Graber, Phelps, Marcus, Fred and a bunch of other heads, probably like 15 total."
He said that his first proper setup was a Powell Peralta Steve caballero metallic dragon board with white rails, Indy trucks, and black Lester Kasai wheels. McKinley further added that he used to rent skate videos with his mother from the video store. The skateboarder also mentioned that he was influenced by Koston and continued:
"He's the best now and I think he always will be, he's like Michael Jordan of skateboarding you know? Just can't be touched. Skill, style, innovation and just an overall good dude. I admire that dude a lot."
Detailed information about Robbie McKinley's family members, career, educational background, and net worth is yet to be disclosed.