Tony Alva was born in 1957, in Santa Monica California. In 1968, Alva got his first surfboard and skateboard and developed a passion for surfing, skateboarding and rock-n-roll. In 1972, he joined the legendary Z-Boys skateboard team along with Jay Adams and Stacy Peralta. Alva later went on to win the Men's World Overall Professional Skateboard Championship in 1977. n the 1980s, Tony formed the infamous "Alva Posse" and sponsors innovative skaters including: Christian Hosoi, Ray Barbee, Mark Gonzalez, Dave Duncan, Eddie Reategui, Chris Cook, John Thomas, Jeff Hartsel, Craig Johnson, John Gibson, Bill Danforth, Fred Smith III, and Jim Murphy.
n 1999, he was presented the X Games Life Time Achievement Award from Tony Hawk, and in 2000, he received the Legend Award from Transworld Skateboard Magazine.

Recently he was featured in the Sundance and Independent Spirit award-winning documentary "Dogtown and Z-Boys" (2002). Tony Alva was an authenticity consultant and stunt coordinator on the upcoming Sony feature film, "Lords Of Dogtown" (2005), based on his life with the Z-Boys.

The first skateboarder to successfully market himself as a brand name, Tony Alva continues to own and operate the innovative Alva Skateboard Company in Oceanside, California. Considered the originator of vertical skateboarding, Alva continues to develop new technology to advance the sport he loves. Staying true to his roots, Tony Alva surfs and skates pools almost everyday.

1977 - World Overall Professional Skateboard Champion
1977 - Skateboarder of The Year
1977 - Sets World Record In The Barrel Jump
1999 - X Games Life Time Achievement Award Presented By Tony Hawk
2002 - Transworld Magazine Legend Award
2003 - I-D Magazine 100 Most Influential People In Fashion