The Tony Hawk Sighting

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September 26, 2010 Category: Albino Bowler No Comments »

So who is this Tony Hawk character…the guy from the video game, right? He is indeed, but he is much more than that. I remember the first skateboard video I owned-The Search For Animal Chin. It was one of the first of the Powell Peralta “Bones Brigade” team videos and featured a lanky, blonde haired kid named Tony who was ripping it, especially on the vert ramp. Since then he has been a non-stop revolutionary in the world of skateboarding, pioneering many tricks such as the 540 McTwist, Frontside Hurricane, Backside Varial, Frontside 540 Rodeo Flip, and even the first 900 (that’s 2 and a half full rotations) in the 1999 X Games, which earned him first place. In fact, he’s taken home sixteen medals in nine different X-Games between 1995 and 2003.

Tony Hawk is still ripping it at the age of 42. He currently runs his own skateboard company named Birdhouse, which he founded in 1992. Tonight he and his crew showed us how it’s done at the Knoxville Skatepark as a stop on his “Birdhouse World Tour” promotion. I was lucky enough to get to hang in some good spots as Tony and his team ripped it for the people. Maybe this will inspire me to grab my board out of the garage, dust it off, and drop in. It’s been a while and I’m not as young as I used to be, but Tony is ten years older than me and still tearing it up, so age is no excuse. Tonight brought back a lot of skating memories from when I was a teenager, a part of me that I had almost forgotten. It was good to go back to that place for a while.

Thanks for dropping in, Tony.

– Jay Norris