I didn't talk to anyone during the time we all played skate 1, but there was one person I definitely looked up too during the time.
IM006;
He always found the craziest gaps that I saw no one else attempt to do, mainly because he would do the glitch to get on roofs, but do them on practically every skyscraper in the downtown area just to find anything skatable.
I started talking to folks around four months after skate 2 was released. I was all about getting 'sponsered' and joining a team and ChasmJ was kind enough to let me be on his team and shortly after I joined henchman, these were the ones I usually talked too.
Alenah
Dizifrog1318
tech9cian4life
A while after that, I started talking to the 5150 crew and eventually joined them and this is my main 'crew,' so to speak, that I talk too from then til now.
illmatickAK47
pairsprowlin666
Papasmoak
I sever heads
P.S.
I was browsing my favorites to see if I missed anyone from the 'looked up too' era by favoriting one of their solos, but didn't find any. I did find this however.