Ray Barbee

Ray Barbee is an American skateboarder from San Jose, California and along with Ron Allen and Steve Steadham one of the first famous African-American skaters. He started skateboarding in 1984, when he was in seventh grade. Barbee was on the cutting edge of skateboarding in the late '80s, being a leading pioneer of applying freestyle/flatland tricks to street, technical ollie combinations and numerous no comply variations.

He had memorable video parts in the Powell Peralta videos "Public Domain" and "Ban This". In 1991, he left Powell Peralta for The Firm, headed by another Powell veteran, Lance Mountain.

A music writer and multi-instrumentalist, Barbee released in 2003 his debut EP on Galaxia records, Triumphant Procession, a collection of jazz-influenced instrumental tracks which Barbee produced and engineered at home. His 2005 release, In Full View, also on Galaxia, featured guests appearances by drummers Doug Scharin (of HiM and June of 44) and Carlos de la Garza (formerly of Reel Big Fish). Barbee plays guitar, bass guitar, drums, and xylophone.

He has a signature shoe with Vans.