Professional skateboarder James Hardy shaved his head and eyebrows in 2010 to support his friend Ryan Ezell, who was diagnosed with Lymphoma cancer.
Many people were wondering why all of a sudden he became bald without eyebrows, and skaters think he lost a bet.
When Ezell started chemo, Hardy told him, "If you lose your hair and eyebrows because of chemo, I'll shave mine off."
"So, around the very end of December, he lost his eyebrows and his hair, so I shaved mine off," Hardy explained. "I kept it bald as long as he was bald. Just recently, his chemo was up and his hair started growing back in, so I let mine grow back in."
RELATED: Pro Skateboarders & Skate Magazines Paid Tribute to The Legend James Hardy
With a kind soul, Hardy didn't hesitate to do whatever it took to support a friend and didn't want it to be about him.
On Friday, March 29, 2024, The 35-year-old posted a baby photo of himself on his official Instagram account and said, "Happy Friday."
But no one knows what's happening since nobody mentioned anything about his situation, and fellow pros respected Hardy's privacy.
Pro skaters, friends, and family have cheered for him, especially his mother, Shirley Hardy, who praised him as "❤️ my favorite 😍 little guy." James replied, "I love you, Mom."
Skate Bible's editor-in-chief, Michael Burnett, posted Hardy's Thrasher cover with the emojis of eagles flying and a black heart.
Tum Yeto team manager Mike Sinclair bid farewell to Hardy, with pro skaters Chris Cole, Alex Willms, and others paying tribute.
Skaters were confused by the support and heart emojis until fellow pro skateboarder and close friend Dee Ostrander confirmed Hardy's death, saying, "We lost one of the best."
Then, Real Skateboards has acknowledged Hardy's passing, and all the skaters mourned with heavy hearts.
His gnarly parts such as Faith Bonus, Straigth to The Web, Since Day One, Homecoming and Ride The Sky have made waves in the skateboarding world.
Our hearts go out to Hardy's fans, friends and family, and we wish to extend our deepest sympathies during this difficult time.
From the bottom of our hearts at ShreddER, thank you for everything James Hardy.