9 Curiosities About Tony Hawk

Tony Hawk was one of the most influential skateboarders of all time. Don’t forget he was a Goofy skater, and it is no coincidence the nickname he earned for his cool tricks that made the whole world perceive that Tony flew like a bird because ''The Birdman'' from a very young age showed that he was going to be a legend in skateboarding world. At the age of 16, he was already considered the best skateboarder in the world, and at 17 years old he was the first to achieve a '720' (two turns).

This iconic skateboarder has inspired several generations after many decades dedicated to Skateboarding and today continues to transmit his great passion for this sport. He has gone through great moments, and his talent has led him to the pinnacle of the skateboarding world, performing in the best spots in the world, becoming, for many experts, the best skateboarder in history, something from another world!

But despite this, Hawk has also gone through some not-so-good times; he has had several injuries, stories, tricks that cost him to train for more than 10 years, and countless other curiosities that make his story even more valuable. If you love the world of skateboarding, today we leave a list of 9 interesting things you should know about Tony Hawk.

1. During his childhood he had a hyperactivity problem: As the skateboarder has defined himself, Tony Hawk was a very complicated child because he suffered from hyperactivity and had a very high level of self-demanding. There came a time when his parents, desperate about the situation, decided to take their son to a psychologist to try to understand what they were going through. During these visits, the psychologist revealed to Hawk's parents that the boy had a mentality ahead of his age, that of an adult. Now in the present, he and his brother founded the California Amateur League and the National Skateboard Association.
   
   
   
   
2. The person who inspired Tony to start skateboarding: Tony Hawk started skateboarding thanks to his brother Dany who, in 1977, gave him his first board to try to improve the situation of hyperactivity that Tony was living. It was with that board that from that moment on he began to practice this sport to the point of dedicating himself fully to it.
   
   Tony's success is because since he was eight years old with that board he didn't stop practicing in the skateparks closest to his house. The skills of this skateboarder 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 skateboarder in the world. A real skate crack!
   
   
   
   
3. Tricks invented by Tony Hawk: In his long career, this skateboarder achieved numerous accomplishments. In 2004, Hawk already had more than 10 victories and several tricks of his 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 turns). In 1999, at the age of 43, he did a '900' (two and a half laps), which he practiced without rest for 10 years!
   
   
   
   Below, you can see in detail how Tony Hawk lands a 720 at the age of 50 and the difficulty of this trick. It's out of this world to ride a skateboard like that and get up like that at his age.
   
   Also, this 50+-year-old skateboarder has invented over 50 tricks. Sounds incredible!
   
   Here are 50 tricks that Tony Hawk invented:
   
   
   
   
4. The worst injury Tony Hawk suffered in his career: When practicing any sport it is normal that athletes can suffer injuries and more in one like skateboarding where jumps and spins are the order of the day. Hawk is no exception, although there have been several falls that the skateboarder has experienced, undoubtedly the worst was the one that left him a year without the possibility of participating in competitions due to a broken pelvis, a broken thumb, and a fractured skull.
   
   
5. He was bankrupt: Another problem 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 with only 5 dollars a day. Luckily, with the founding of Birdhouse and the release of video games he managed to get his finances back on track. In addition, he created Hawk Clothing, a skate clothing, and footwear company that would end up buying the Quiksilver brand.
   
   
   
   
6. He is the protagonist of several video games: In 1999 the skater signed a contract with Activision and created Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, the 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 make a living. In addition, according to the skater himself, he always chooses himself as the character when he plays his video games, as he says he knows his moves very well and that this guarantees him better results in his games. Currently, this skateboarding star has more than 10 video games on him, although, by Hawk's own admission, his children prefer to play others such as 'Call of Duty or 'Halo'.
   
   
   
   
7. He could have been a violinist: During his childhood, Tony Hawk divided his time between his skateboarding training and his violin lessons, 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, the young Hawk had to decide on one or the other, since he didn't have enough time to dedicate himself completely to both.
   
   
   
   
8. The craziest thing he's ever done: According to Tony Hawk himself, the craziest thing he's ever done was skateboarding between two seven-story buildings in Los Angeles for an MTV show.
   
   
   
   
9. He appeared in The Simpsons: Although he is the only skateboarder with graphic proof that he has skated in the White House, as a highlight of his life, he prefers the appearance in The Simpsons. They dedicated an episode to him: in which Bart is living alone and in the same building he meets Tony Hawk. Homer, looking to recover his son, generates a skate fight with the famous skateboarder:
   
   

Talent has nothing to do with age and that has always wanted to make very clear to Tony Hawk that even though at 14 years old he was already a professional and at 16 the best skateboarder in the world, he was never satisfied and kept trying new things to surpass himself. He did a '900' for the first time at the age of 43, and at 48 he decided he wanted to perfect it, and of course, he did it.

Hawk is a benchmark of success, self-improvement, and above all perseverance, which according to him, has led him to become the unsurpassed athlete who after so many decades continues to be the idol of more than one generation, not only in his sport but with his vision, as he has several brands such as Birdhouse, a company that also manufactures skateboards, among which stand outboards like the Birdhouse Tony Hawk Pterodactyl. He has also appeared in several TV shows, foundations, and video games, making him a skateboarding legend. To learn more about skateboarding or longboarding visit our Longboards USA page, where you will find Birdhouse boards and thousands of other products that will help you take this sport to another level.