Luan Oliveira is a Brazilian Skateboarder who has impressed the world with his talent after a showcase for Flip Skateboards and being the first to win Skatepark of Tampa's Tampa Am contest twice in a row.

Luan was born and raised in the Favelas of Porto Alegre. After birth his parents gave him up leaving his grandmother to raise him. He took to skateboarding at the age of nine after receiving a small plastic board as a gift - he began using after seeing another person skateboarding. He turned to skateboarding as opposed to a life of crime. He began to extend his inventory of tricks and soon had a following of his own family of skateboarders.

Oliveira convinced his local skateshop to pay for his bus ticket and entry fee to compete in a street contest.

He took second place in the competition, then sold his product prizes in order to pay for more bus tickets, contest fees and food.

Oliveira's skate life continued like this for several years.

After each competition, he and his friends would skate all night at bus stations until the first bus arrived to take them back to Porto Alegre.

In 2005, tragedy struck twice.

Oliveira's grandmother and his father passed away in the same week.

Skateboarding became his one true family.

Oliveira continued to skate unremittingly in parks, plazas, contests and bus stops until one day a YouTube clip of his exploits found its way to Ben Powell from Sidewalk who sent it on to legendary skateboarder, Geoff Rowley, of Flip Skateboards.

In 2007, Oliveira moved to the United States, where he gained worldwide attention by winning back-to-back Tampa Am contests in 2008 and 2009, and knocking out a mind-blowing video part in Flip's Extremely Sorry. In 2010, Flip turned Oliveira pro. Since then, he's won the Tampa Pro, took four medals at the X Games and joined Street League Skateboarding.

Flip Skateboards, Nike SB, Spitfire Wheels, Matriz Skate Shop, Independent, MOB Grip, Medlyn 13, Diamond Supply Co., Oakley Hometown: Porto Alegre, Brazil, Stance: Regular, Age: 26, Status: Pro

0 Gold

2 Silver

2 Bronze