Ozzy Osbourne has led tributes to pro skateboarder Dylan Rieder, who died on Wednesday (12Oct16) aged 28.
The young star, who was known for his work in the skateboarding industry, he owned New York store The Hunt as well as making a name for himself as a model, had been battling leukemia.
On Wednesday, Rieder’s manager confirmed his sad passing to Jenkem magazine, saying in a statement: “Today, October 12th, 2016, surrounded by family and friends, Dylan Joseph Rieder passed away due to complications with Leukemia.
“His passion for life, art, music, fashion and skateboarding has always been contagious. Dylan will be remembered by all as a loving son, brother and friend. In lieu of sending flowers, the family requests donations be made in Dylan’s memory to Dr. Stephen Forman.”
Dr. Forman was Rieder’s doctor and is also an international expert in hematology and oncology at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in California.
Among those paying tribute to Rieder was Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy, who shared a picture of himself with the young sportsman, alongside a touching caption.
“Dylan Rieder. One of the most talented and brave men,” he wrote. “I feel blessed to have known you. Rest in peace Dylan. My love and condolences to his family.”
Rieder’s passing was also strongly felt in the skateboarding world, with Tony Hawk tweeting: “Thank you for making skateboarding so much better while you were here, Dylan.” Fellow skateboarder Paul Rodriguez wrote on his Twitter: “Rest easy Dylan.”
Rieder began skateboarding aged nine, and first started causing a stir when he won the Damn Am contest in 2001 when he was just 13. His success spiraled from there, and he partnered with brands including Quicksilver, Birdhouse and Alien Workshop during his career, which came to a competitive end in February (16).
He also enjoyed modeling success, featuring in a Vogue spread for Alexander Wang in 2013 as well as a DKNY advertising campaign alongside Cara Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn in 2014.
