Steve Osborne, better known as Black Ninja, is a pioneer among YouTube content creators who ventured into skateboarding through daily vlogs, trick tutorials, skits, and other unique content. For many young skateboarders, YouTube serves as their initial exposure to the sport, and while seasoned skaters might recommend classic videos like Baker 3, they’re more likely to discover someone like Black Ninja first.
If you stumble upon any of his 2,000+ videos, you’ll encounter a loud, goofy, and opinionated skateboarder, often sporting clothing reminiscent of the mid-2000s. While it might not seem like it now, Black Ninja was a huge name in the early days of skate YouTube, amassing millions of views monthly and creating memorable moments like rapping over his own skate parts.
Driven by nostalgia for the early skate YouTube era, we sat down with the OG himself. What followed was a captivating conversation covering his most iconic moments, the challenge of staying relevant, and how he’s adapted his comedic style over the years.
Black Ninja, also known as Steve Osborne, a skateboarding YouTube content creator.
You started your channel in 2011. Was it an immediate success, or did it take time to build your audience?
Before my Ninja Lifestyle channel, I was part of Vegas Skating, which had already established a presence. In fact, that channel may even be the origin of the “Pop Shuvit Late Flip,” which was a viral video back then. So, when I started my own channel, I was lucky to get a boost from my old one. It wasn’t a slow climb for me; it took off pretty quickly.
What motivated you to start posting videos? Did you have a goal of becoming a prominent figure in skateboarding?
I had ambitious goals. Before me, skateboarding was largely about video parts – you’d work for six months, release your part, and that was it. I wanted more of a day-in-the-life approach, and I was among the first on YouTube to commit to daily uploads.
I was inspired by gaming channels, especially Call of Duty, where creators were posting daily, and YouTube was actively supporting them. These guys were becoming celebrities just for playing Call of Duty. I thought skateboarding could benefit from a similar approach. I also recognized a void for a comedic “bad guy” in skating, so I tried to fill that role for a while. Although, I’m not truly a jerk all the time, and many people don’t get to see that side of me.
How much of your on-screen persona is an act, and how much is authentic?
It’s all comedy, right? I don’t wake up every day thinking about how much I dislike Nyjah. I could talk about my true passions, but it would get repetitive. I’m 36 now, I can’t skate handrails like I used to, but I can still get under people’s skin online, and that’s a skill that never loses its value.
Who would win in a “hate-off” and who would win in a game of skate? You or Gifted Hater?
Gifted and I have very different skateboarding and commentary styles. The outcome would probably depend on who’s making the call.
Have you ever met someone in person that you’ve made fun of online?
I met Chaz Ortiz at the X Games years ago. I even visited his place in Chicago. He recognized me from a video where I spent ten minutes talking trash about him. He was really cool about it, saying my video was hilarious. I was relieved that he got the joke. When I was younger, teasing was an easy way to make friends. You’d make fun of someone’s gear at the skatepark, they’d tease you back, and a friendship would start. I think that’s lost now, either because I’m too good at being sarcastic, or people just prefer being angry. I could put on a clown nose and do balloon animals, and people would still think I’m serious if I mention Ryan Sheckler.
Was that your only experience meeting someone you had clowned online?
I was never an industry insider, but I’ve gotten along well with Revive, Braille, and other YouTube skate personalities, probably because I’ve been around so long. It’s almost impossible to do a skate show without making fun of those guys, but they don’t seem to mind. I think it’s because they’ve met me in real life. But I’ve never had a negative experience meeting people I’ve joked about.
“I could put on a clown nose and make balloon animals and people would still think I’m dead serious if I mention Ryan Sheckler.”
Given that your content now includes gaming and cooking, how many viewers are still primarily interested in your skateboarding videos?
I have this theory that I’m being shadow-banned by YouTube. It could also be that the world is against me. I don’t know if it’s because I posted videos of me shooting guns, or because my language was a little more explicit years ago, but it doesn’t make sense that only 1% of my audience is still engaging with my videos. YouTube has been screwing me over. Many people assume I’ve stopped uploading. I still get comments like, “Why did you quit?” I’ve been posting three videos daily for the past nine years. I know I’m not the only one complaining about YouTube, but I also question if I’ve truly fallen off, or if people just don’t find me funny anymore. But that can’t be true [laughs].
I’m experiencing a bit of a resurgence as the “hating skateboarder,” which leads to new viewers saying, “I bet this four-eyed nerd can’t even skate.” I’m like, “BRO, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I’VE DONE! I’ve been doing this longer than you’ve been alive, and I was good at it too.” I’m always sharing links, “HERE’S ME IN 2005, BITCH!”
You seem a bit frustrated with YouTube. What motivates you to keep posting regularly?
I know many people would give up, but it doesn’t take much effort for me. Some YouTubers invest a ton of effort into daily 20-minute vlogs, merchandise, board sales, and running a company. I just review some kid’s pressure flip fail, and then land one flat ground trick per week. It’s easy for me to balance that with my other projects. It doesn’t take a lot of energy to get up and yell at some kid who sent me their video on Instagram.
Steve Osborne with his phone.
Have you considered a complete rebrand into a completely different genre or topic?
I’d have to branch out into something I can truly expand on. I launched my second channel, Steve Hates Skating, because if I’m going to believe YouTube is working against me, I wanted to prove it with a fresh start. I put up one video about T-Funk, and it got more views than my channel with 250,000 subscribers. Even though it’s not profitable, I want to get the attention back. I want to make people laugh and think I’m cool again.
I used to be confident, like no one could tell me I couldn’t skate because I was damn good. Now, I have to rely on my personality and evolve. Honestly, seeing how well Gifted Hater is doing, I can’t figure out what his “it factor” is. It’s difficult to figure out what’s going to be popular.
What do you think that “it factor” is?
I hear him talk, and he’ll say, “This guy rides for this company, and this guy just quit that company.” I’m like, “How does anyone keep up with all this?” There’s just too much. He’s really knowledgeable. Maybe that’s what I’m lacking.
People come at me, “You haven’t heard of this guy?” I’m like, “What the fuck? I could name someone from the 90s that you don’t know, either. That doesn’t make you special.” I don’t use TikTok, asshole. I don’t watch that dumb crap. I get it; he put his foot down and wore a goofy hat. Oh, amazing.
“I could name somebody from the 90s that you don’t know either. That doesn’t make you any more special.”
One of your most popular videos features Andy Schrock’s son dancing. Do you have any idea what makes a video go viral?
If I post something outside of my usual stuff, it might blow up for a day or two. Yes, I have a video of Andy Schrock’s five-year-old son dancing. That video got millions of views, but I can’t just keep making videos of my friend’s son without being weird. And after he’s done dancing, you’re back to skateboarding. I think those one-off videos just blow up for no reason, and they don’t help that much in the long run, but I could be wrong. I’m not an analyst.
Did you ever consider pursuing skateboarding professionally through the traditional route?
Yeah, I used to be really good. I even have my 2006 sponsor tape on YouTube somewhere. I ended up going to college, but I wish I had skipped it because I think I had a real chance. I rode for a lot of different companies over the years, like Zoo York for a bit, and Circa, éS, and DVS at different times. I even rode for World Industries shoes at one point. I also rode for every local skate shop in Las Vegas, which wasn’t as big of a skate city back then. The scene has changed quite a bit. If I had really wanted it, I should have moved to California and tried, but I didn’t.
Do you think doing tricks like late flips and roly-poly’s pulled you away from the core skate scene and towards YouTube?
I think I always did goofy tricks for fun, but once YouTube decided they were memorable, I felt obligated to keep doing them. The pop shuvit late flip had been done before, but I posted a pop shuvit late flip video and it got a hundred thousand views. I guess I’ll be doing pop shuvit late flips in every video for the rest of my life.
Black Ninja skating in Las Vegas.
I know you repair slot machines. How much time do you spend at casinos, and do you gamble?
People forget you can gamble everywhere here – gas stations, grocery stores, liquor stores, even the airport. I throw in about $20 every week or so. My biggest win was $1,400, but hopefully we’ll beat that this year! I gamble a bit more when my internet skater friends are visiting.
Reflecting on the peak of your YouTube career, were you making a lot of money?
Oh yeah, I was rich, man. I was making about $9,000 a month.
Wow, that’s a lot of money.
Yeah, it was great. Now I’m probably making around $400 a month off my YouTube channel. It’s complete garbage. Luckily, I have other side projects to fall back on, but yeah, the “glory days” is the perfect way to describe it.
“Now I’m probably going to make $400 this month off my YouTube channel. Complete garbage.”
How long did the $9,000 a month last?
Maybe a year. It’s one of those things where it gets lower and lower and I’m always optimistic. It goes down to $4,000, then $2,000, and I keep telling myself, “Don’t worry, next quarter it’ll pick up. It’ll pick up around Christmas.” Then when it doesn’t, you’re like, “Oh well, fuck, here I am.”
I had never had that kind of money before. You think it’s never going to end. I’m glad I didn’t make any extravagant purchases, but I had so many plans. I wanted to buy a skate shop and turn it into my Ninja Lifestyle offices, complete with a mini ramp and a green room.
Did you make any impulsive purchases?
I used to upgrade my camera more often, but that’s it. I still drive a Corolla. I’m frugal, so when I was making good money on YouTube, I wanted to reinvest it into the channel. That’s how I’ve always been with everything. I’m still that way on Twitch where I destroy furniture. It’s a popular bit. If you donate enough, I’ll jump through a table I bought from the store. I’ve broken around 40 tables, but that money goes straight into new software or a new webcam.
Close-up of Black Ninja's white skate shoe.
One of your signature features is the white shoes with puffy green laces. How did that start?
I rode for a skate shop called Area 702, and their logo was green. Everything was green, and I think that’s where it started. I wanted to be on brand with them. I don’t think I was the first branded skateboarder, but it was rare back then. Nowadays, you get people who only wear one style of shirt, one style of pants, like Nyjah. You could give me a silhouette of Nyjah, and I’d know who it is without even seeing his face. I know it’s some Nyjah outfit. So, I’m not going to say I started it, but I definitely benefited from it. People would say, “I wasn’t sure if it was you, but then I saw the laces.”
When did you get your Vegas chest piece and the “Shred and Destroy” tattoo, and do you have any regrets about them?
I got the Las Vegas tattoo about eight years ago. It was done by Cleen Rock One, winner of the TV show Inkmaster. He and his kids all skate. The other tattoos were done by Dave Deluna, who’s a big name in pool skating and DIY spots in Las Vegas. They’re good tattoos, done by good people.
Considering you’ve had an online presence for about 15 years, are there any parts of your life you’ve intentionally kept off-camera?
I pretty much share everything – the good and the bad. Last week, I even did a whole episode about thinking I had bed bugs. Most people wouldn’t share that kind of weird, gross info. It turns out I didn’t have them.
I think it gives me more power. Nothing makes me laugh more than someone talking trash without even using a real profile picture, like their profile is SpongeBob or something. I put my whole life out there because I’m not afraid of you guys making fun of me. That’s part of the deal. That’s what a “content creator” should be.
Black Ninja skateboarding in Las Vegas
Have you ever been bothered by online hate or comments?
I almost made my channel subscribers-only because I was so annoyed once.
I did a fundraiser for a GoPro, which cost about $250, and another YouTuber, Josh Katz, paid for most of it. He basically bought me the GoPro. I made my video, and I got tons of comments saying, “You better make vlogs all the time since we paid for this.” I’m like, “WE? WHO THE FUCK IS WE? ONE PERSON PAID FOR THIS, AND IT’S NONE OF YOU. Collectively, all hundred thousand of you put in $15. I don’t owe you anything for this.” I got so mad because I kept reading that comment over and over, “We got him this. He wouldn’t even have the GoPro if it wasn’t for us.”
If someone calls me fat or four-eyes, that’s great. I love those. They never bother me. It’s the comments where people make it about them and act like they know everything.
“If somebody calls me fat or four eyes that’s great.”
Where did the idea to rap over your video parts come from?
I have no idea. I’m not musically inclined, and I’ve never rapped. There was no grand plan, and I don’t even like watching many of those videos. I think they’re lame. The music is lame, and the editing is kind of stupid. People call me out all the time because I have this series where I talk to people about filming and editing, and then you look at my old videos. I break all those rules, but guess what? I didn’t film or edit those videos. I don’t like them either.
Also, for the record, I have the one and only rapping trick tip where I rap the instructions for how to do the trick while I’m teaching you the trick. That’s never been done. Someone has to appreciate me at some point.
Do you think your comedy style has aged well?
No, man. I think a lot of my videos did well back in the day, but I’ve changed. I don’t even like watching my old videos because they’re mostly just dick jokes and me being obnoxious. Everything you see on TikTok now, the yelling, the pranks, the being a jerk to people, I did it all back then, and it was really successful. But now, when I compare that to something like my podcast, I know my jokes and timing have gotten better. I’m not just yelling about a big dick anymore.
I like to think I’ve evolved into something more mature. But, it’s not for me to say. As far as YouTube goes, the audience decides if you’re good, not you.
Interview by: Ben Komins
Photos by: Brian Ambs
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