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Jon Comer death: Tributes pour in after pro skateboarder passes away

Jon Comer posing for a selfie
Jon Comer was the first professional skateboarder with a prosthetic leg. Pic credit: @Jon_Comer /Instagram

Jon Comer, a professional skateboarder from Dallas, Texas, died yesterday. Tributes have been flooding in for the 43-year-old who overcame great adversity to reach the heights of skateboarding prowess and inspire generations.

The multi-award-winning skateboarder was the first to turn professional with a prosthetic limb. At the age of four, a car hit him and ran over his foot three times. Doctors admitted there was nothing they could do to save it, so his leg was amputated.

Jon didn’t let that stop him and began skateboarding when he was 12, turning professional at 21.

Soon, he earned the attention and respect of skateboarding greats such as Tony Hawk, Mike Vallely, and Steve Caballero. The three legends all appeared in his award-winning 2004 documentary Never Been Done.

Predictably, tributes began pouring in following the news of his death.

Teresa Waters, in a Facebook post on the ATX Skaters page, stated that “a legend has passed” and that “he was humble, laid back and an incredible skater.” She continued to say that Comer had “encouraged me to realize how to skate bowls.”

Waters then spoke of a tutorial Comer had given her where she learned to unlock “so much skill in my skating.” She finished by stating, “what a loss to society.”

Text of Facebook statemnt
A Jon Comer tribute on Facebook. Pic credit: Teresa Waters /Facebook

Chip Wright, also penning a tribute on Facebook, said Comer was “a Huge inspiration, great skater and always a true friend.” He went on to say he “thought for sure he would pull through,” perhaps indicating that Comer was battling an illness. Wright finished by saying, “Rip in Peace, my friend.”

Folks on Twitter were quick to express their condolences with most people focusing on how Comer was the “nicest guy” and how he inspired the whole skateboarding community. Many shared their personal stories of touching interactions with Comer.

In an interview with Canada’s Faze, he stated how he was never one for wallowing in self-pity, and he gave the advice: “crap happens; get over it.”

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