10 Curiosities About Tony Hawk: Skateboarding At Its Finest

If we talk about skateboard, it is impossible not to mention Tony Hawk, the American-born skater who rose to fame, and who at only 16 years old was already considered the best skater in the world. Supported by his brother, Hawk has a very interesting personal and professional history that makes him one of the most admirable figures in the world.

Icon of a sport and idol of several generations, this skater has managed to become a legend who, after many decades, continues to transmit the passion for skateboarding. If you are interested in knowing a little more about this skating star, keep reading because here we leave you a list of 10 things you should know about Tony Hawk if you are a lover of the world of skateboarding.

1. When and where was Tony Hawk born?

Anthony Frank Hawk, better known as Tony Hawk, was born on May 12, 1968 in San Diego, California, the city where he has always lived. He is the third of three brothers with whom he maintains a very close relationship as with his parents.

2. Did you know that during his childhood, Hawk had to deal with a hyperactivity problem?

As the skater himself has defined himself, Tony Hawk was a very complicated child, because he suffered from hyperactivity and had a very high level of self-demand. There came a time when his parents, desperate for the situation, decided to take their son to a psychologist to try to understand the situation they were experiencing. During these visits, the psychologist revealed to Hawk's parents that the child had a mentality ahead of his age, that of an adult.

Tony's success is due to the fact that since he was eight years old with that skate he did not stop practicing in the skateparks closest to his house. The skills of these skaters were so great that at the age of 12 he already had his own representative, at 14 he was already a professional and at 16 the best skater in the world. A real skater!

Together with his brother, he founded the California Amateur League and the National Skateboard Association.

3. Who was the person that pushed Hawk to start skating?

Tony Hawk started skating thanks to his brother Dany who gave him his first skate in 1977 with the intention of trying to improve the hyperactivity situation that Tony was experiencing. It was with that skate that from that moment he began to practice this sport to the point of dedicating himself fully to it.

4. What have been the tricks that Tony Hawk has invented?

In his long career, this skater obtained numerous achievements that few leave indifferent. In 2004, Hawk already had more than 10 victories on his resume and several tricks of his own invention such as the 'Madonna', 'Benihana', 'Stalefish' and variations of the famous 'Airwalk'. On the other hand, he has also stood out for being, at just 17 years old, the first to achieve a '720' (two laps). In 1999, at the age of 43, he did a '900' (two and a half laps), which he practiced tirelessly... For 10 years!

5. Do you know what was the worst injury Tony Hawk suffered during his career?

When any sport is practiced, but especially one like skateboarding in which jumps and pirouettes are the order of the day, it is normal for athletes to suffer injuries. Hawk is no exception, and it is that despite the fact that there have been numerous falls that the skater has experienced, without a doubt, the worst was the one that left him without the possibility of participating in competitions for a year due to a broken leg. pelvis, a broken thumb, and a fractured skull.

Another of the problems for the skateboarder came in the early 90s as he did not know how to manage his expenses and squandered most of the millions he had earned skating until he had to survive on only 5 dollars a day. Luckily, with the founding of Birdhouse and the release of video games, he managed to recover his economy. In addition, he created Hawk Clothing, a skate clothing and shoe company that would end up buying the Quiksilver brand.

6. Do you know what other hobby Hawk took up for a few years?

During his childhood, Tony Hawk combined his skate training with his violin classes, an instrument in which he also excelled. However, as his teacher, who saw great talent in him, wanted to take him to concerts during the weekends, a young Hawk had to opt for one thing or the other, since he did not have enough time to fully dedicate himself to both.

7. He is the protagonist of several video games

In 1999 the skater signed a contract with the Activision company and created Tony hawk's Pro Skater , his first video game in which he is the protagonist. Thanks to this new contract and the income it was bringing him, Hawk left the world of competition as a way to earn a living. Also, according to the skater himself, he always chooses himself as a character when he plays his video games, as he says that he knows his movements very well and that this guarantees him to get better results in his games. Currently, this skate star has more than 10 video games about him, although as Hawk himself has admitted, his children prefer to play others like 'Call of Duty' or 'Halo'.

8. How many times has Tony Hawk been on TV?

This famous athlete has appeared on television more than 20 times. One of the first times he did it was in the movie 'Loca Academia de Policias 4' in which he played a skater. In addition, he has also been seen in scenes from the 'Jackass' series and movies, as well as in other more dramatic productions such as 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation' or dubbing the voice for productions such as 'Phineas and Ferb'.

he has also achieved some personal recognition, especially in 2009 when Barack Obama invited him to the White House itself, allowing him to skate inside it. On the other hand, Transworld Skateboarding magazine named him the second most notable skateboarder in history and for Fox Weekly he was one of the best skaters in the world

9. Do you know the foundation that the renowned skater created?

In 2002, the skater created the 'Tony Hawk Foundation' whose main objective has always been to promote this sport, especially in the most disadvantaged areas of the United States. This foundation has created and financed more than 900 public skateparks for which a sum of more than three million dollars has been used.

10. Do you know what is the craziest thing that the skater admits to having committed?

According to Tony Hawk himself, the craziest thing he has ever done was to skate between two seven-story buildings in the city of Los Angeles for a program on MTV.

Talent has nothing to do with age and Tony Hawk has always wanted to make it very clear that despite the fact that he was already a professional at 14 and the best skater in the world at 16, he never settled and kept trying things new ones with the aim of improving himself. He made a '900' at the age of 43 for the first time and at 48 he decided that he wanted to perfect it and of course he did.

Hawk is a benchmark of success, improvement and above all perseverance, which according to him, has led him to become the unbeatable athlete who, after so many decades, continues to be the idol of more than one generation.