Sandro Dias is a part of a very unusual club: one that doesn’t have meetings, membership dues, official functions, or even t-shirts for that matter. Still, a spot on its roster could be considered one of the most desired things in vertical skateboarding. It’s called the 900 Club, and Sandro is the third of only four distinguished members. Tony Hawk is another one.
Hailing from Santo Andre, Brazil, Sandro’s compact build and ferocious assault on anything that leads to vertical inspired skateboarding’s official MC Dave Duncan to nickname him The Pit Bull on Wheels. And despite enjoying a great deal of success on the televised competition circuit, including a 2006 X-Games gold and a win at the Dew Tour’s Vans Invitational that same year, watching him skate on the small screen just doesn’t quite do it. To put it simply, Sandro goes higher and further on every wall than anyone in the business. And forget the 900 for a minute; have you seen his alley oop 540’s? Holy Moses.
With skateboarding now the second most popular sport in Brazil after soccer [er, futbol?] Sandro is a bona fide celebrity in his home country. Which is cool because off the ramp, he’s the friendliest guy you’d ever want to meet, low key, soft spoken, always smiling. Probably the exact opposite of what you’d expect. In addition to his pro career on the board, Sandro is something of a businessman, running an amateur contest series back home in Brazil where he’s helping to cultivate the Sandros of tomorrow. If there is such a thing.
