The world of skateboarding has always been obsessed with the "edge." If something is taboo, offensive, or downright illegal, you can bet a skater has put it on the bottom of a deck. But even in a culture built on defiance, there are things that make people do a double-take.
Take the Osama Bin Laden skate deck.
It sounds like a dark internet myth or a fever dream from the early 2000s. But it’s real. Several companies, most notably Zero Skateboards, actually manufactured boards featuring the face of the world's most wanted man.
Honestly, it wasn't about supporting terrorism. Far from it. In the early 2000s, skateboarding was leaning hard into "shock" graphics to push back against a world that was becoming increasingly sanitized.
The Infamous Zero Adrian Lopez Deck
The most famous—or infamous—example is the Zero Adrian Lopez Bin Laden deck. Released shortly after the 9/11 attacks, this board became an instant lightning rod for controversy.
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Zero, founded by Jamie Thomas, was known for a "death and destruction" aesthetic. Their logo is a skull, after all. Putting Bin Laden on a board alongside imagery of religious figures and skulls was their way of reflecting the chaotic, dark energy of the news cycle.
You have to remember the context.
Back then, the image of Bin Laden was everywhere. He was the face of "evil" in every newspaper and news broadcast. For a brand like Zero, using that face was a way to stick a middle finger up at the "safety" of mainstream society.
It wasn't just Zero, either. The brand FUCT released a deck featuring Bin Laden in a "War on Drugs" theme, surrounded by poppies. It was a commentary on the complex geopolitical mess of the era, wrapped in the cynical, "I don't care" attitude that defined the 90s and early 2000s street skate scene.
Did He Actually Skate? (The Weird Myths)
There’s a weird corner of the internet that asks: Did he actually skate?
No. Basically, no.
There is zero evidence that Osama Bin Laden ever stepped on a skateboard. The myth likely comes from a bizarre toy found in Morocco called the "Path Cra 911" (likely a typo of Path Car). This toy featured a battery-powered George W. Bush in a tank chasing a Bin Laden on a skateboard.
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It’s one of those "only in the 2000s" artifacts that feels like a glitch in the simulation.
Another source of the confusion is the Abbottabad compound raid. When the CIA released the files found on Bin Laden’s hard drives in 2017, the internet went wild. They found Tom and Jerry, Charlie at the Chocolate Factory, and various viral YouTube videos.
While the "treasure trove" included thousands of videos, there was never any "Osama Bin Laden skate video" featuring the man himself. He was watching the world, but he wasn't practicing his kickflips.
Why Do People Still Buy These?
If you go on eBay today, you might see these decks listed for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars. They’ve become "forbidden" artifacts.
- Rarity: Many shops refused to stock them. Some distributors pulled them. That makes the survivors extremely valuable to collectors.
- Cultural Snapshot: They represent a specific, raw era of skateboarding before it became an Olympic sport.
- The "Shock" Factor: Some people just want the most offensive thing they can hang on their wall.
Skateboarding has always been about taking the things society fears and turning them into a piece of wood you're going to grind into dust. The Osama Bin Laden skate decks were the peak of that philosophy.
What You Should Know Before Buying One
If you're hunting for one of these, be careful. The "Osama Bin Laden skate" market is full of reprints and fakes.
Check the wood grain. Look for the specific "Zero" or "FUCT" stamps. Most of the original 2002-era boards will have a specific "distressed" look to the graphic even if they are "New Old Stock."
Honestly, these aren't for everyone. They’re dark. They’re provocative. But they are a real part of skate history that shows just how far the industry was willing to go to stay "core."
Next Steps for Enthusiasts:
If you're interested in controversial skate history, look into the "Cee-Lo" or "Napping Negro" decks from World Industries. They share that same era of "anything goes" graphics that pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in public. Just be prepared—the history of skate graphics is much darker than the bright colors of a modern skate shop might suggest.