Everything you need to know about Silas Baxter Neal, the 2008 Skater of the Year

Everything you need to know about Silas Baxter Neal, the 2008 Skater of the Year

Ciku Njuguna
February 17, 2024 at 11:00 AM

Silas Baxter Neal is an American professional skateboarder. The X-Games contender has spent decades perfecting his technical skating abilities and is a pro at wall rides, rails, ledges, and transitions. Discover details of the Portland-based Pro's life, including his childhood, career trajectory, and achievements.

Silas Baxter Neal pictured at various skating events
Silas Baxter Neal pictured at various skating events. Photo by Adidas-skateboarding (modified by the author)
Source: Facebook

From the age of eleven, Silas Baxter Neal has traversed the globe, competing and perfecting his skills and becoming one of the most prolific skateboarders. This article is a deep dive into the 2008 Thrasher Magazine's Skater of the Year’s professional career and life story.

Silas Baxter Neal's profile summary

Full name

Silas Baxter Neal

Age

40

Place of birth

Eugene, Oregon, United States of America

Nationality

American

Ethnicity

White

Parents

Unnamed

Siblings

1

Relationship status

Married

Spouse

Yuri Baxter Neal

Children

2

Profession

Professional skateboarder

Sponsors

Habitat, Adidas, Spitfire, Thunder Trucks, Bones Swiss, Tactics Boardshop, Jessup

Stance

Goofy

Net worth

$700,000

Social media pages

Instagram, YouTube

Silas Baxter Neal's brief biography

Details of Silas’ birth date have not been revealed to the public. However, publications such as Boardr and Boardriding suggest that Silas Baxter Neal‘s age is 40 years as of February 2024.

Baxter was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, south of Portland. Details of his childhood largely remain unknown. However, he credits his brother for inspiring his career choice. At 18 or 19 years, he moved away from home.

Biography facts about Silas Baxter Neal
Silas Baxter Neal pictured during a skating event. Photo by addidas-skateboarding.
Source: Instagram

From Oregon, he relocated to San Francisco, California, then to Denver, Colorado, before moving back to California and later to Chicago. As a family man, he moved back to his home country in Portland. In addition to living with family, he spoke to Free Skateboard, and he gave reasons for his return, saying,

“I have always liked it there, and a lot of friends I grew up with moved there. It felt comfortable because that is where I am from. When my wife got pregnant, we moved to Portland to start a family life. My parents are closer, and we have more of a community there.”

Who is Silas Baxter Neal’s wife?

Baxter is married to a Japanese lady known only as Yuri. The couple has two children.

In February 2020, an Instagram post announced that Yuri Baxter-Neal was ailing. According to the post, she had been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and had begun Chemotherapy treatment.

A GoFundMe account created in February 2020 disclosed that the couple received the diagnosis in January during a routine comprehensive physical test in a hospital in Japan. Further tests confirmed the diagnosis, prompting the family to return to Portland for treatment. Through various efforts to gather donations, the couple raised $49,444 to pay for induction chemotherapy and intensive consolidation chemotherapy treatment.

Silas Baxter Neal was pictured skating
Silas Baxter Neal pictured skating. Photo by @silasbaxterneal
Source: Getty Images

Career

Eugene, Silas' hometown, is a heavy spot for skating. He became interested in the sport at the age of 7. He was also heavily influenced by his elder brother and his friends. At 19, he went on his first skate trip to Texas with the Powell team.

Videos

Over the years, Silas has skated in video parts for various companies, including Thrasher, Rocket Science, and Seasons. Here are some of his most popular video parts:

  • Perpetual Motion
  • Fully Flared
  • Adidas - Reverb
  • Adidas - Japan Tour
  • Adidas - Broadway Bullet
  • Adidas - Away Days
  • AWS / Habitat - Control Room
  • Foundation - Mike Rusczyk, The Retirement Party
  • First fLick
  • Elwood - Dressin' For Recession East Coast
  • Doukrez
  • Antihero - Fantastic Voyage
  • Habitat - Search The Horizon
  • Habitat - Regal Road
  • Habitat - Origin
  • Habitat - Inhabitants
  • Habitat - Highway Habitual
  • Habitat - Silas Baxter-Neal's "Burrow”
  • Habitat - Search The Horizon
  • Habitat Skateboards - XXIV
  • Jenkem x Adidas - SHABEATS
  • Krux - Feelin' It
  • San Francisco Seasons #2
  • Portland Public Skating 3
  • Project Hardware - Deconstruction
  • Riding The Long White Cloud
Silas Baxter Neal pictured jumping
Silas Baxter Neal catches big air. Photo by @silasbaxterneal.
Source: Instagram

Tricks

Among all the tricks he often wows fans with, he is known for impeccably executed wall-to-wall rides. Other tricks he is well known for are the front blunt-to-gap, the Gonzo Grind, and the bank-to-wall side rock-n-roll.

Awards

According to Boardr, the skate master who takes a goofy stance is ranked 4,512th on the overall all-time global ranking and 3,232nd on the street ranking. Silas Baxter Neal won the Skater of the Year award in 2008 and was Transworld SKATEboarding’s best rookie of the same year.

Frequently asked questions

Baxter is one of the most famous male skateboarders with decades of experience. Here is a collection of facts about him.

1. How much is Silas Baxter Neal's net worth?

Details of Silas' net worth have yet to be revealed to the public. However, publications such as Net Worth Post suggest that the 2008 SOTY’s cumulative wealth is approximately $700,000. Publications reveal that the salary of professional skateboarders such as Silas is about $10,000.

2. What happened to Silas Baxter Neal's Adidas deal?

Silas is one of the select few pro skateboarders currently sponsored by Adidas. The partnership began in September 2008 and earned Silas Baxter Neal multiple signature Adidas shoes.

Silas Baxter Neal's signature Adidas shoes
Silas Baxter Neal's classic black Adidas shoe. Photo by @silasbaxterneal
Source: Instagram

3. Is Silas Baxter Neal on Instagram?

The famous skateboarder has an active presence on Instagram and YouTube. His Instagram account had 46,000 followers at the time of writing. As of February 2024, his YouTube channel was created in March 2023 with 298 subscribers and over 15,000 views.

Final word

Silas Baxter Neal is one of the most influential skateboarders of all time. Fans and up-and-coming amateur skaters in the sport have much to gain from his contribution to the sport through video parts, photos, and interviews.

READ ALSO: Shaun White's net worth: How much is the former professional snowboarder worth right now?

Sports Brief has published an article about two-time Olympic gold medalist Shaun Roger White. The report contains comprehensive details of his business ventures, prize money, endorsements, and sponsorships. Click on the link above for everything you need to know about the professional skateboarder, snowboarder, and entrepreneur.

Authors
Ciku Njuguna photo
Ciku Njuguna
Ciku Njuguna is a journalist with 3 year’s experience in content creation based in Kenya. She currently covers sports personnel as well as team biographies.
Tags
Skateboarding