🏆 Soldier of the Year: Antonio Durao
I'm doin' what you do in your dreams
We had a long list of candidates for our inaugural Soldier of the Year, from the king of the NBA Tunnel to outstanding clothiers the populace of a whole damn country. In the end, it only makes sense that The Only SOTY That Matters comes from the wide assortment of 2025’s Stunting Skateboarders. The choice was crystal clear and we’re not moved by advertising money or viral tricks. Congrats to Antonio Durao, the 2025 Soldier of the Year!
2025 SOLDIER OF THE YEAR
Antonio Durao
This could be misconstrued as low-hanging fruit following Tony D’s snub for SOTY, but trust this pick is firmly grounded in everything that makes a Soldier a Soldier. First and foremost, Antonio Durao is always fitted the fuck up. He consistently shows off the proper silhouette, baggy without being ridiculous, in pants that fit just right and an assortment of garms from Hardbody and Dancer. It’s generally a muted combination of tee and pants, but he’s not afraid to spice things up with a fresh button-up or smart sweater from time to time.
The footwork is a genuine marvel in today’s age of wearing whatever shows up in the box, and Zach Harris put together an excellent recap of his year in footwear for Sole Retriever. We said it before and we’ll say it again: nobody makes Jordans look cooler on a skateboard. Even Team Jordans! This guy had us considering a pair of the re-issued P-Rod 1, a shoe we skated in the original release that hurt the Shit out of our feet. But we were thinking about copping! And after years of wondering How The Fuck The Youths Are Skating In Air Force Ones, Durao has us counting the days til the SB-ified AF1s drop sometime in 2026.
Community is critical for a Real Soldier, and Antonio makes sure to surround himself with the top of the top. After languishing in board sponsor purgatory following the demise of Numbers, he chose to link up with fellow style icon Hjalte Halberg on Emilio Culian’s Hardbody Skateboards. The move has given us exquisitely tasteful video footage in the form of OD, NEVER ENUFF III, INTERLUDE, and most recently HJALTE, ROSS & ANTONIO. That’s Real Soldier Shit from both parties - Antonio for not giving a Fuck and KT for encouraging him to! Another 2025 video appearance was the instant classic Johnny’s Spitfire Vid, surrounded by the heaviest hitters in the game like Karim Callendar, Max Palmer, Andrew Wilson, Cyrus Bennett, and so many others. He’s had switch god Kevin Tierney following him around with the iPhone all year, who actually had to tell the man he wasn’t gonna film him on an iPhone anymore because he wasn’t thinking about The Business of filming and parts and Playing The Game!
Nobody does it for the love better than Antonio, driving that sick-ass Bimmer across the country to throw a crazy one down Wallenberg. He’s capable of just about any trick on a skateboard, regular or switch, and he doesn’t actually care if you or anyone else knows it. For every galaxy-brain one-foot he gives us, he grinds a ledge as tall as his shoulders or flies down a stair set with ease. He did everything possible at The Banks this year and casually hit it straight to The Gram.
A Soldier is Tapped In on the current state of the world. Antonio may seem aloof and unaware, but naming a part “Immigration” is a statement in light of current events in the United States of America. On the global tip, he hooked up the Uganda Skate Society with Hardbody boards and garms to support their sustained march toward World Skateboarding Dominance. He may not give a shit about winning SOTY, but he certainly KWTFGO.
We could go on, and on and on and on, about everything that makes Antonio Durao the absolute embodiment of a Real Soldier, but we’ll save you any further reading. Suffice it to say Thrasher chose the wrong Skater of the Year, but we never miss. Congrats to our inaugural Soldier of the Year. Salute The Real!
You’re now up to speed on the latest from the battlefield. Use this intel wisely and pass it on to others who may need our guidance. We can’t win the war unless we’re in it together.