An 'Avatar' Fan Gifted Gordon Cormier His Very Own Appa Skateboard

TV & Film

Mar 14

In the universe of Avatar: The Last Airbender, it is tradition for young Air Nomads to choose a sky bison as a lifelong companion. Gordon Cormier, who plays Aang in Netflix’s reboot of the series, was recently presented with his own sky bison. The young actor explained how he took up skateboarding during the pandemic. Cormier compared skateboarding to therapy and called it his safe space. During an interview with the Netflix After Dark YouTube channel, Cormier described his ideal skateboard, “For me, I would have an 8.25 deck with 8.38 trucks, so it's a little bit bigger. For wheels, I would go 56 millimeter, 58, a plain urethane color like this. For hardware, I'd have a little blue bolt, just one on the front. A blue finish on the top of the deck, and then a graphic Appa on the bottom, 100%.”

After the interview, Netflix hired the influencer Ten Hundred to make the skateboard a reality. Two weeks later, an interviewer reminded Cormier of his custom board and presented him with a blue board with an Appa graphic. Cormier was overjoyed to receive the board and showed his gratitude, but the story didn’t end there.

The actor was putting his new skateboard to good use when a fan spotted him in Times Square and asked to do a photoshoot. The actor did a few tricks on the board. Then, the fan took the footage and added in waterbending and firebending graphics. While Aang must master all four elements before he takes on the Fire Lord, it seems Cormier has dedicated himself to learning the art of the board. With seasons two and three of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender confirmed, Cormier may have a chance to incorporate some of his newfound skills into the Four Nations. To see the actor’s reaction to the custom board and the fan’s photoshoot, check out the videos below.