We welcome Al Boglio to the Slam Hall of Fame – presented by Converse Cons.
Originally from New Caledonia, Al Boglio and his family relocated to the Gold Coast when he was in his teens and knocked around with the likes of Andrew Currie, Christian West and Seb Steele. His talent and buttery style was quickly recognised by Bartie’s Deck Head skate shop.
Moving to Melbourne in ’93, Al landed a spot on the Hardcore and Snake Pit teams, respectively, but his big break came when he went to The States in ’94. Kris Markovich put Al on his company, Prime, where he filmed a smooth-styling part in the video Fight Fire With Fire.
Noseslide, Gold Coast Art Centre, Issue 28, 1995. Photo by Mike O’Meally.
Al returned to Australia at the end of ’94, landing his first cover, Slam Issue 28. “I had just returned from LA sponsored by Prime and hyped,” he explained in our 25th Anniversary Edition in 2013. “It was the first time I stepped up to rails. My best skateboard years were when Cuzza and Mike were running the shop with Slam, that’s for sure.”
Instead of pursuing a professional career with Prime, Al quit what was becoming one of the biggest brands of the era and launched Time Skateboards with his old pal Christian West. Time became one of Australia’s top brands throughout the ’90s, sponsoring many influential skaters like Michael Davidson, Greg Stewart, Ben Harriss, Ryan Denereaz, Trent Bonham, Sid Tapia, and Andrew Currie.
After releasing some of the best Aussie skate flicks we’d ever seen – see Al's part in Money – it was during the filming for Tempo that Al decimated his knee. Unfortunately, the Time clock stopped, and Al turned to his heritage and moved to France in 2001. He joined Cliché, where he and Jeremie Daclin ran the company until 2016.
Since then, Al has worked in global comms and marketing for adidas Skateboarding based in France, and he relaunched Time in 2018. He has supported countless skateboarders over the years in following the path of professional skateboarding. Al continues to skate today with that same smooth style he was always renowned for.
Frontside bluntslide, Chifley Plaza, 1996. Photo by Mike O’Meally.
The Slam Hall of Fame celebrates the legendary skateboarders who had the potential to win Australia’s SOTY in their prime with coverage in Slam and abroad, or have made a long-term impact on Australian skateboarding.
Hall of Fame Inductees:
2012 – Dustin Dollin
2013 – Matt Mumford
2014 – Andrew Currie
2015 – Tas Pappas
2016 – Anthony Mapstone
2017 – Morgan Campbell
2018 – Tim ‘Dorfus’ McDougall
2019 – Andrew Mapstone
2020 – Chad Bartie
2021 – Jake Brown
2022 – Trent Riley
2023 – Shane Azar
2024 – Al Boglio
