Skateboarding legend Marc Johnson passed away on May 26, 2026, according to San Francisco-based skate magazine Thrasher. The North Carolina shredder, who lived out of a trailer as a child, became a Bay Area icon for his board prowess. He helped establish the Tiltmode Army and launched the Enjoi brand in 2000. Johnson was also one of the minds behind The Back Forty creative project, which aimed to give creative and monetary control to skateboarders from outside investors.
Fans of the artist/skateboarder were stunned to hear of his passing, and queries began pouring in online about his cause of death.
What was Marc Johnson’s cause of death?
Louie Barletta of Thrasher penned an emotional tribute to Johnson on X. In it, he details the shock he had learning of the skateboarder’s passing, writing that the last time he met Johnson, he didn’t exhibit any signs of being unwell.
“As I write this, the reality still hasn’t fully set in. It was less than a month ago that Marc came to San Jose to hang out. He was sober, healthy, and full of life. We had a blast reminiscing about the old days. He seemed genuinely excited about the future,” Barletta wrote…