Photo: Joey Shigeo
Chris Cole - focused on more than skating.Skateboarder Chris Cole's win at the Maloof Money Cup in NYC two weeks ago was special. Not because it was his second Maloof title or that he walked with $100,000. Rather it was the presence of loved ones, some of whom had never seen him compete before.

It was a big event for me because it was on the east coast where we're from," says Cole who currently resides in San Diego. "My brother was there, my brother-in-law, a bunch of family members and all my friends. It was really cool."

Photo: Joey Shigeo
Chris Cole - grape fruit grind.

The timing appears perfect for Cole. He's won countless competitions including X Games and a Dew Tour championship. He s appeared in multiple video games and skateboarding films and even owns a skateboard shop.

Cole accepts these achievements with mature modesty, preferring to focus on the love of skating. "I am really proud about the things I've accomplished, but the driving force is just skateboarding. I can't imagine doing anything else."

Photo: MMC.com
Chris Cole at Maloof Money Cup

One thing he has done is grown up. At 28 Cole, with a wife and young son, finds himself wrangling life's new realities. "I identify with adults a lot more than I used to," he says. "There are days where I don't skate because I have business meetings or we go to the playground with our son. Then I have errands to run, like going to Target."

Photo: MMC.com
100K buys a lot of tacos!

Despite steps towards settling down, Cole has not sold out. Among his fans and peers Cole embodies skateboarding's core spirit. Last year he won a Readers Choice award and just two nights ago was voted Best Street Skater by fellow pros at the 14th Annual Transworld Skateboarding Awards.

"Cole can win whenever he feels like it," says fellow X Games champ Paul "P-Rod" Rodriguez. "He's the most talented skater I've ever seen."