Tony Hawk: An American Icon At 40

Pop- Rock Candy Mountain

Michael Jordan. Muhammad Ali. Jerry Rice. Tom Brady. Tiger Woods. These men represent some of the greatest athletes the world has known. Another name that deserves to be grouped with the “greatest of their game” is Tony Hawk.

Tony Hawk is a father, husband, video game, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Tony Hawk is also a skateboarder.
To say that Tony Hawk is just a skateboarder is like saying that The Beatles are just a band. No one in the world of extreme sports has had the impact on both American culture and the sport itself as Tony Hawk.

From his bio at TonyHawk.com: “By twelve, Tony was sponsored by Dogtown skateboards, by fourteen he was pro, and by age sixteen Tony Hawk was the best skateboarder in the world. In the ensuing 17 years, Hawk has entered an estimated 103 pro contests. He won 73 of them, and placed second in 19. By far the best record in skateboarding’s history.”

His impact on popular culture can be seen on MTV’s Jackass, through his books, skateboards, bikes, roller coasters, his website –shredordie.com, his Boom Boom HuckJam Tour and in many other ways. But at the end of the day, Tony Hawk is still a skateboarder.

On May 12, Tony Hawk will turn 40-years old. Pop-Rock Candy Mountain recently spoke with the Greatest about life, being a father and skating the Boom Boom Huck Jam.

Pop-Rock Candy Mountain (PRMC): Skateboarding made you a household name, but you made yourself a brand name. How did you make that transition?
Tony Hawk (TH): By carefully picking products and companies to be associated with, and by keeping control of anything bearing my image or likeness. The underlying goal of any promotion I choose is to promote skateboarding as a whole.

PRCM: At what point did you realize that Tony Hawk could be athletic gear, roller coasters, etc.?
TH: My best answer is that I only realize the possibilities as the offers come in. And then I decide if they feel right, if they will be fun, and if I am genuinely enthused about taking part. I can’t fake it. I can attribute much of the initial “mainstream” recognition to the success of our videogame series. That was a huge launching pad for other opportunities.

PRCM: What kind of internet presence do you hope to make with Shred or Die?
TH: We expect to become the main hub for action sports video content, and to create a community for enthusiasts to share their own videos. Aligning with the top athletes of our sports also allows us to create original video clips available only to shredordie visitors.

PRCM: What led to its inception?
TH: The original idea was to create a site where I could post interviews that I have been collecting with various celebrities over the last few years. I found myself in many situations (in green rooms, on red carpets, during world travels, etc) where I could turn on a camera and create an interesting web-video piece. As we started developing a website to host this content, we decided it would be much better to allow users to create their own as well, building a community around action sports enthusiasts. My interviews are now a featured part of shredordie called DissentTV, but the bulk of the site is created by the members themselves.

PRCM: How did the Drillbit Taylor skit come about?
TH: The movie studio wanted to advertise on our site, and then came up with the idea of doing an actual skit that was based on the movie. Very rarely do I get a script that I think is good or relevant to skateboarding, but this one was funny upon first read. I agreed to do it and we had it shot and edited in less than a week.

PRCM: Do you feel that skateboarding is at a steady point in regards to its popularity?
TH: Absolutely, especially considering the amount of public skate parks that are being built these days.

PRCM: How much actual skateboarding do you do these days?
TH: I’m either on my BBHJ ramp or skating my backyard almost every day.

PRCM: How did you stay above the pratfalls of fame and celebrity?
TH: I never set out to be rich or famous from skateboarding, so it’s still
strange to be publicly recognized for it. You also won’t find me in
the L.A. clubs until 3a.m. — that would make it very difficult to get my
kids off to school in the morning. Kids, by the way, are the best to
keep you grounded in reality. Changing diapers and quelling brotherly
spats are not glamorous, and I don’t plan to exploit my family via a
reality show.

PRCM: Are you, for the most part, able to live a quiet life with your wife and children?
TH: Yes, when we are home. Extensive traveling is a necessary part of what I do, so time at home is more like a vacation.

PRCM: Is it hard for you to accept the fact that you are regarded as an icon?
TH: Yes, it is very strange. But my biggest priority is to be a role model for my children.

PRCM:What made you decide to start The Tony Hawk Foundation?
TH: I saw many cities and communities trying to get parks in their areas, but not finding the proper support or resources to do so. I also saw the cities that needed them most (low-income areas, or places with many at-risk youth) getting the least attention.

PRCM: Has the increase in personal injury lawsuits changed the skate park industry?
TH: Actually, the laws of “high risk activities” has changed skateparks
for the better. States that recognize skateboarding as an at-your-own-
risk sport have better options for providing public skateparks.

PRCM: How does it feel to be looking back at your life at (almost) 40? What’s next for you in 2008?
TH: I am incredibly thankful to keep doing what I love for a living,
especially at an age that the general public considers elderly for
such an activity. More tours, more video games, and more videos for
2008 and beyond… or until I suck at it.

“ Best wishes from everyone at Powell Peralta. Thank you for your contributions to skateboarding.”

Shred or Die

Tony Hawk Official Site

Boom Boom HuckJam

Tony Hawk’s Boom Boom HuckJam Tour 2008
DATE CITY VENUE
Fri • Jul 18 San Antonio, TX Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Sat • Jul 19 Corpus Christi, TX Concrete Street Amphitheatre
Sun • Jul 20 Houston, TX Sam Houston Race Track
Wed • Jul 23 Birmingham, AL Verizon Wireless Music Center
Thu • Jul 24 Atlanta, GA Lakewood Amphitheatre
Sat • Jul 26 Harrington, DE Delaware State Fair
Sun • Jul 27 Boston, MA Great Woods Amphitheater
Wed • Jul 30 Moline, IL I Wireless Center
Thu • Jul 31 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
Tue • Aug 05 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Wed • Aug 06 Washington, DC Nissan Pavilion
Thu • Aug 07 Long Island , NY Nikon at Jones Beach
Mon • Aug 11 East Rutherford, NJ TBA
Wed • Aug 13 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
Thu • Aug 14 St Louis, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Fri • Aug 15 Kansas City, MO Kemper Arena
Sat • Aug 16 Denver, CO Fiddlers Amphitheater
Mon • Aug 18 Boise, ID Idaho Center Amphitheater
Tue • Aug 19 Seattle, WA White River Amphitheatre
Wed • Aug 20 Spokane, WA Spokane Fairgrounds
Fri • Aug 22 San Jose, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
Sat • Aug 23 San Diego, CA Qualcomm Stadium
Sun • Aug 24 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

Tony Hawk Portrait Courtesy Sarah Hall Productions/Greg Gorman
Tony Hawk Action Shots Courtesy Sarah Hall Productions/Jody Morris.