Tony Hawk Biography

He's won hundreds of skate competitions, had a video game named after him and made enough money to build a skatepark in his backyard. Here's a closer look at Tony Hawk - the planet's greatest skateboarder.

Tony Hawk Bio - Tony's Start

Tony Hawk first jumped on a board when he was nine years old. It was a blue fiberglass banana board given to him by his older brother, Steve. Two years later, Tony decided to quit playing Little League baseball and devote himself to skating. Skateboarding would never be the same.

Tony Hawk Bio - Terrible Tony

Before Tony Hawk started skateboarding, he was a bit of a spaz who got frustrated with himself quite a bit. After striking out in a baseball game, Tony was so mad at himself that he ran away and hid in a ravine and had to be coaxed out by his dad. His parents had a psychologist at Tony's school examine him. The results showed Tony Hawk was "gifted" and had a 12 year-old mind trapped in an eight year-old body. Tony started channeling his "gifted" abilities into skateboarding. Tony Hawk turned pro at the age of 14 and by 16 he was winning just about every skateboard contest he entered.

Tony Hawk Bio - Tony's House

Tony Hawk had enough money from winning competitions, making skateboard videos and getting sponsorships that he was able to buy a house by the time he was 17. He later had to sell the house when the skateboard industry went downhill. Tony is now back in the money thanks to the massive popularity of his skateboarding company, sales of all those Tony Hawk video games (Underground, Pro Skater and the new American Wasteland) you keep buying and his dozens of other sponsorship deals. Tony Hawk now owns a house in California which has skate ramps outside and special floors so he can skate inside the house.

Tony Hawk - The Next Generation

Tony Hawk has three sons - Riley, Spencer and Keegan. Keegan began skating on a mini-skateboard when he was just one year old. Look out for him in the half-pipe at the 2015 X Games.

Tony Hawk Bio - Tony's Tricks

Tony Hawk rarely skateboards in competitions anymore - but he still skates almost every day and is always trying out new tricks. He's invented dozens of tricks in his years of skateboarding and he landed the first ever 900 (two and a half mid-air turns) at the 1999 X Games..

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