Brian Lotti is an American professional skateboarder.
Lotti rose to fame in the skateboarding world in the late 1980s while riding for the now-defunct skateboard company H-Street. He is known for his fluid skateboard tricks.
As one of the originators of today's technical street-skating, Lotti brought several tricks to the forefront of skateboarding such as the frontside bluntside. He also invented the backside tailslide flip out and the Big Spin. The Big Spin was done by skateboarders before Lotti but the catchy name caught on. The name was derived from a Californian lottery at the time with the name Big Spin. The person who named the trick the Big Spin saw Lotti do one and chose the name because his last name sounds like the word lottery.[1]
Lotti's popularity peaked in the early 1990s while he was sponsored by skateboard company Planet Earth and appeared in the 1991 Planet Earth video Now N' Later. After moving on to ride for Blind Skateboards, Lotti left the world of professional skateboarding and moved to Honolulu, Hawaii. He became an attendant for Roshi Robert Aiken at the Palolo Valley sangha. There he studied Buddhism and went on to further his education at the University of Hawaii. Lotti then moved back to the mainland and began going to California State University at San Francisco where he graduated with a degree in art. He then moved to Northern California and concentrated on his artistic career. After a few years of living on the San Juan Ridge, he moved to Los Angeles.[2]
Lotti's most recent appearance in the skateboarding world has been as the director of a film called "1st and Hope" about a day devoted to skateboarding in the streets of downtown Los Angeles. The film was praised by those inside and outside of the skating industry. His follow-up film "Free Pegasus" - about skating through the streets of Barcelona, Spain - was released in 2008.[3] He recently completed filming a part in the 2007 Santa Cruz Skateboards "Legends" video. Lotti has created board graphics for Cartel, Cliche, Listen, Stereo, and Death Skateboards, as well as a limited edition shoe for Adio.
As of fall, 2009, Telegraph Skateboards has been established. Boards are being sold at discriminating skate board shops. Each board is made in the U.S.A. All are original design work by Lotti and associates. He has made "little" videos of various skaters and himself. There are many new things on the horizon for Lotti as he continues to remain an important part of the skate world.