My daughter overcoming her fear in real time (wait for it). I might have been more nervous than she was.
👧🏼🛹⬇️
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Tony Hawk
@tonyhawk
Pro skater, father, husband, videogame character, CEO, philanthropist & public skatepark advocate. Old AF and still skating.
Tony Hawk’s Tweets
at a Covid testing site (wearing masks), handing over paperwork for me & two of my kids:
woman looking over papers: "okay... Anthony, Keegan and Kadence... Hawk? Are you guys related to Tony Hawk?"
me: yes
her: "Are you pulling my leg?"
me: no, we are all directly related to him
Cashier #1: “Can I help you?”
Me: How long would it take to get a turkey burger to go?
Cashier #1: “About 5 minutes”
Cashier #2: “Are you Tony Hawk?”
Me: yes
Cashier #1: “Do you want a turkey burger then?”
Me: yes please, and an iced tea
Cashier #1: “Can I get a name?”
At rental car agency, can’t find my name on the monitor to find my car, go inside & wait in line. Finally get to the front, agent sees me & says “you really are Tony Hawk”
Me: um, yes. I was looking for my name outside on the list
Him: “I deleted it because I thought it was fake”
I’ve been sick lately (not “sick AF” just sick) with symptoms other than COVID-19. But I know two friends in the U.S. with coronavirus symptoms, and they can’t get tested because they they don’t “appear sick enough.” This means there are MANY more cases in USA than being reported
This just happened, and maybe this is where it all ends:
Got an elevator with 3 people.
One guy (with his wife), sarcastically: “anyone ever tell you you…” and stops.
Me (amused): yes, but you’re the first today.
His wife: “I’m sorry, I tried to stop him from doing the joke”
Kid at skatepark (as I arrive): “you a good skater?
me: sometimes
him: you ever been here?
me: no
him: you travel a lot?
me: yes, perhaps too much
him: are you a YouTuber?
me: no, I’m just a skater and a dad
him: wanna see me do a jump?
me: absolutely
..and I then shot this pic
One of the few positive effects of these scary times is the increased interest in skateboarding. It’s been uplifting to see so many learning to skate in their “downtime.” I believe they’re in pursuit of the same feeling this Ukrainian girl got when she landed her first kickflip.
My mom died peacefully this afternoon after a decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s / Dementia. Instead of dwelling on the disease that took her away, I would rather acknowledge the successes in her life (see screenshot)
And please support and/or
At coffee shop this morning:
Girl behind counter: (not joking) “has anyone told you that you look like Tony Hawk?”
Me: yes, so much that I sometimes write about it.
Her: haha, here’s your coffee
Other girl by exit: (leans toward me as I walk out): “you really do look like him”
I recently made a 720 and it was a battle. The last one I made before this was over three years ago, and it’s much harder now all things considered: recently dislocated fingers hinder my grab, my spin is slower so I need to go higher for full rotation and...
I’m really old.
Already on it! I'm sending him my current skateboard in return.
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Can we get @tonyhawk on the phone please??? A boy named Cooper is a big big fan.
1:01
Woman at concert: “Are you Tony Hawk?”
me: I am today (Spicoli reference)
her: “I took a picture with you years ago”
me: where?
her: “In Vegas. It was the first time my son thought I met someone cool.”
me: wow thanks
her: “he took the print, cut me out of it & put it on his wall”
Flight attendant: Is there a Dr. on this flight?
Dad: that should've been you
Me: Not now Dad
Dad: Maybe you can flippy Mctwisty him back to health
Me: Dad, there’s an emergency
Dad: use your “always special” cheat code
Me: But we’re in first class and I paid for our flight
To the hundreds (thousands?) of people that yelled “do a kickflip” today: my apologies; it was hard enough skating through the whole parade on my misaligned femur. Surgery is scheduled for next week to put it back in place 🤞🏽
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Professional skateboarder Tony Hawk out at Detroit’s Thanksgiving Parade
0:48
I think they asked me to wear the helmet to be more familiar / recognizable to a mainstream audience. I wasn’t going to argue considering the level of talent they picked.
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Alex Rodriguez.
Tony Hawk.
Michael Phelps.
Kobe Bryant.
The Guitar Hero commercial you didn’t realize you needed to be reminded of to start your weekend.
0:30
(elevator stops, couple exits to their floor)
Other guy: “what’s the joke?”
Me: I get mistaken identity a lot
Him: “mistaken for who?”
Me: Tony Hawk
Him: “haha you do look like him!”
Elevator stops again, he exits on his floor. I am left alone, heading upwards & feeling perplexed
At will call: I have 2 tickets for Hawk
agent: “Can I see your ID?”
me: I forgot it but I have a credit card
other agent: “He’s Tony Hawk”
agent: “he doesn’t have ID”
guy behind me: “that’s him”
agent: “I can’t find your name”
me: there is no E on the end
agent: “here you go”
TSA agent (staring intently): I’m trying to figure out who you look like before checking your ID.
Me: ok
TSA: that cyclist Armstrong!
Nearby agent: that ain’t Lance Armstrong
Me: he’s right
TSA: oh you look like that skateboarder (checks ID). Same last name too! Crazy!
Me: crazy
Kid at skatepark:
“Are you Tony Hawk?”
Yes
“Will you still be here?”
I’m not sure what that means but I really hope so.
“If I go get my phone from over there, will you still be here to take a picture with me?”
I will still be here, and I hope to stick around as long as possible.
San Diego staying classy:
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Guy approaches me while standing in line at coffee shop in Cancún.
Him: my friend says you are a famous person. Is that true?
Me: that depends on your definition of fame
Him: will you show up on Google if I search your name?
Me: yes
Him (typing into phone): you are Tony Stark?
You mean I was at an airport and you recognized me? Can’t be real.
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I don't know anything about this but it's awesome: a fairytale heelflip in Brazil by #RayssaLeal (via @oliverbarton)
I did my first kickflip today since breaking my femur 7 months ago.
It was difficult.
It was painful.
It was sloppy.
It was [possibly] payback for me harassing strangers to do the same.
But it was gratifying beyond words.
Find your metaphorical kickflip and don’t quit on it.
Waiting in line at passport control (Europe travel is chaos right now fyi)
Guy in next lane: “Hey, I live right by you in Maryland”
Me: I live in San Diego
Him: “Oh I thought you were that motocross guy Travis Pastrana”
Me: I’m a skateboarder, my name is Tony.
Him: “I was close”
Saw this legend at the airport today who I’ve looked up to - literally and figuratively - for most of my life. I’m 6’3” btw.
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Congrats @tonyhawk on your @nbcsnl gig last night. It was great bumping into you at the airport!!
I was a skater man,
she said “see you later, man”
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I just posted my first @tiktok_us with the legendary @tonyhawk… go check it out!
vm.tiktok.com/ZMdDNKxRe/
At store, wandering aisles, employee approaches.
him: “Can I help you?”
me: I’m looking for lightbulbs
him: “They’re in this aisle. Hey you look like Tony Hawk!”
me: I’ve heard that
him: “That’s CRAZY”
(get lightbulbs)
him: “Wait, are you Tony Hawk?”
me: yes
him: “That’s CRAZIER”
In waiting room of my wife’s neurologist (because migraines)
Nurse: you look familiar
Me: that’s cool
Nurse: your voice is familiar too. Is it bad if I ask you to lower your mask?
Me: I guess not since you’re the nurse
Nurse: you’re Tony Hawk! I got into skating from playing THPS
Woman on plane: “Are you Tony Hawk?”
me: yes
her: “my son knows all about you”
me: I’m honored
her: “do you sign autographs, or is that too 80’s?
me: it is a tradition that endures
her: “please sign this”
me: ok
her: “not sure what he’ll do with it”
me: I can’t imagine
Bucket list item: looping the waterslide in Palm Springs earlier this year. Having done a few loops before, I thought it would be relatively easy. But I had the wrong approach first try & remembered why I quit looping 10+yrs ago. Seeing my son Keegan do it right after was awesome
Approaching ticket counter, agent looks up and exclaims “I know you... you’re a famous... person... or sports guy... skateboarder! And your name is...” (glances at my ticket)
“Anthony Hawkins!”
me: close enough
her: my son would love a picture with you
me: Is he here?
her: no
#THPS is back! Original maps, original skaters, and songs from the original soundtrack… plus new features. Thanks to all the fans of our series for keeping this dream alive.
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#THPS is back! Break skateboarding boundaries with the fully-remastered Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 collection. Available September 4, 2020 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Pre-Order Now.
1:29
Surfing in Hawaii, paddling out to the lineup. Guy paddling next to me: “anyone tell you that you look like Tony Hawk”
Me (thinking he knows the meme): “yes, but you’re the first today”
Him: “you should tell people you are and then sign his name, haha”
His friend: “he’s real one”
At with my daughter, waiting for her by dressing room, mask on.
Guy folding clothes nearby: “Anyone tell you that you look like Tony Hawk?”
me (looking over, expecting sarcasm but realizing he’s serious): you have no idea
him: That’s cool, he’s cool
me: thanks!
him: huh?
THPS was released 20 years ago today. It was an unexpected phenomenon and brought a new audience to the skateboarding world. My friends at are finishing a documentary about the series vimeo.com/356757805
Meanwhile, here I am this morning skating the warehouse ➡️➡️⭕️
Went to a convenience store on my way to skate, approaching counter with water & Advil (I’m old), clerk sees me: “you look like someone”
me: oh yeah?
him: “what’s your name?”
me: Tony
him: “last name?”
me: Hawk
him: “you are him?”
me: yes
him: “no charge, but you owe me a selfie”
Congratulations to on the first-ever 1260. I’m speechless. 🛹🌀🌀🌀🔥
🎥:
Inspired by , I tried to do a bunch of basic skate tricks without spilling to little success. So I tried this as a joke... and it worked (yes, it’s real). Got McTwist?
#gotmilkchallenge #gotmilk #ad
I don’t usually share these interactions, but this is one of my favs... changing my title from “pro skater” to “skateboard man” ASAP
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@tonyhawk The man (center) is a friend & a pastor in Uganda, where Im distributing water filters to people who dont have safe drinking water. He was wearing a Tony Hawk shirt. I asked if he knew who that was, and he said "of course, he is the greatest skate board man of all time"
in 2003, I was requested to meet with Warner Brothers about doing a film tentatively titled “Skate Jam.” They were bringing back Looney Tunes with “Back In Action” & then wanted to start on my project immediately. A week later Back In Action bombed & Skate Jam was shelved forever
Sometimes people ask me what advantages or perks come with having some level of fame. Here is one of the most unique and unexpected: sneaking in to skate an empty pool with your kids and instead of getting kicked out or arrested, we were cheered on by the tenants of the building.
I’ve refrained from sharing “mistaken identity” stories lately because people think I’m fabricating them (not true, but I get it), but this just happened:
TSA (checking my ticket & ID): “pull down your mask”
Me: (pulls down mask)
TSA: (checks ID again): “haha, good one!”
Me: 🤷🏼♂️
Just learned this today and I’m not sure what to call it but I appreciate the appreciation... 👴🏼🛹
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It’s the least I could do.
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At a convenience store, waiting in line, wearing a face mask. Guy walks by and does a double-take:
“You look like Tony Hawk”
haha cool
“But are you him for real?”
I am
“Can I get a photo?”
for sure
So we took a selfie. Neither one of us took off our masks. The new normal sucks.
Older woman at restaurant (I’m old, but she was older): “I know you, you’re a skateboarder.”
me: I am!
her: I saw you in an commercial. It was cool!
me: thanks
her: I love that you’re not 15 anymore but still doing it
me: I haven’t grown out of it yet
her: please don’t
At physical therapy, answering questions about my fingers:
therapist: have you ever had serious injuries prior to this?
me, deadpan (assuming she's joking): yes
her: how many times?
me, realizing she is not joking: many times
her: in the last 10 years?
me: in the last 40 years