Steve Alba at a Glance
- Net Worth (2025): $2 million
- Birthdate: January 26, 1963
- Birthplace: Montclair, California
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Professional Skateboarder, Musician
Table of Contents
What is Steve Alba’s Net Worth?
Steve Alba has a net worth of $2 million. A foundational figure in professional skateboarding, Alba built his fortune through a career spanning more than four decades as one of the sport’s most enduring and recognizable pioneers.
His wealth is derived from his decades-long professional status, which includes continuous, long-term sponsorships from industry giants like Santa Cruz Skateboards, Independent Trucks, Spitfire Wheels, and Vans. Alba, known by the nickname “Salba,” was one of the sport’s first superstars. His first signature pro model, released by Kryptonics in the late 1970s, was one of the best-selling boards of its era.
Beyond his direct skateboarding income, Alba’s fortune is supplemented by other ventures. He is a musician who has played guitar in several punk bands, including PowerFlex 5. He also lends his iconic name to his own brand of skate-specific lacquer, “Salba Sauce,” a product used to make concrete curbs and ledges slideable.
Early Life
Steven Jerry Alba was born in Montclair, California, on January 26, 1963. He began skateboarding during the third grade, around 1975, just as the sport was evolving with new urethane wheel technology. Growing up in the Inland Empire, he and his brother, Mickie Alba, were part of the first generation of skaters to explore the empty swimming pools and concrete drainage ditches that defined California’s “Badlands” skate scene.
Career
Steve Alba’s professional career began in 1978 when he turned pro at just 15 years old. That same year, he won the first-ever major pool skating contest at the Spring Valley stop of the Hester Series, cementing his status as a top competitor. His consistent, powerful, and aggressive style in vertical terrain earned him the nickname “Le Machine” for his high-ranking finishes in competitions.
After an early, successful pro model with Kryptonics, Alba joined the Santa Cruz Skateboards team. Alongside other legends like Steve Olson and Duane Peters, he helped usher in a new, aggressive punk rock aesthetic and attitude to skateboarding, challenging the clean-cut image of the sport. In 1979, his “Salba Bevel” model for Santa Cruz revolutionized skateboard design by introducing deep side-to-side concave and an upturned nose, features that became standard.
Alba became synonymous with pool and vert skating, mastering legendary and dangerous spots like the Upland Pipeline skatepark and the Mt. Baldy full pipe. His influence was captured in iconic skate videos of the 1980s, including Wheels of Fire and Streets on Fire. He has also been a key rider for Independent Trucks for most of his career, one of the longest-running sponsorships in the sport.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Alba never stopped. He maintained his professional status and “cult status” through the 1990s and 2000s, even as the sport’s focus shifted to street skating. He continues to compete in “Legends” and “Masters” divisions, representing Santa Cruz and Vans as an elder statesman of the sport. His contributions were formally recognized with his induction into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame.
