Legendary Skateboarder; Entrepreneur; Founder of The Tony Hawk Foundation
The most recognized action sports figure in the world, Tony Hawk was just nine-years old when his brother changed his life by giving him a blue fiberglass Bahne skateboard. By fourteen he’d turned pro, and by sixteen he was widely considered the best skateboarder on earth. In 1999, he became the first skater to ever complete a 900, the holy grail of vert skating. Shortly thereafter, he teamed up with Activision to launch Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, now a billion dollar video game franchise. He has created a Tony Hawk brand that includes Birdhouse Skateboards, Hawk Clothing, and the Tony Hawk Signature Series sporting goods and toys. Tony authored a New York Times bestseller and oversees his films, television and commercial production company, 900 Films,. He founded the Tony Hawk Foundation, which has given away over $10 million to over 600 skatepark projects throughout the United States that serve over six million visitors a year.
Choose Progress Over Perfection | Impact Theory
Full Q&A at The Oxford Union
Skating, Life and Success
What happens when your financial success reaches heights you never thought possible from a sport like skateboarding? You give back to the people and the sport while making the world a better place. Listen to legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk discuss how his success on four wheels and his early life as a young skateboarder finding his place in the world became the impetus for the Tony Hawk Foundation and their mission around the world.
Tony Hawk has always been known as a gadget geek, a social media pioneer, and an early adopter of technology. Some people still think he’s just a video game character. Find out how this legendary skateboarder embraced social media early on to great success and used the newest technology to take his brands and his charity work to new places.
In the world of skateboarding, nothing is held in higher esteem than authenticity. So, how does the sport’s most famous face walk the fine line between authenticity and “selling out?” Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk walks the walk every day as he continues to be the face of the sport he loves, while managing his successful business empire and award winning charitable foundation.
Tony Hawk was nine-years old when his brother changed his life by giving him a blue fiberglass
Bahne skateboard. By fourteen he’d turned pro, and by sixteen he was widely considered the best
skateboarder on earth. World Champion for 12 years in a row, Hawk continues to skate demos and exhibitions internationally, making him the most recognized action-sports figure in the world. In 1999, he teamed up with Activision to create the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game. His life would never be the same. In a stroke of good timing, at the X Games that same year, Tony became the first skateboarder to ever land a 900, the holy grail of vert skateboarding.
Today, his business skills have helped create a Tony Hawk brand that includes a billion-dollar video game franchise, Hawk Clothing apparel company, Birdhouse Skateboards and the Tony Hawk Signature Series sporting goods and toys. His speaking engagements draw huge crowds, inspiring everyone from media savvy millennials to corporate veterans. An intuitive marketer with social networking, Tony’s fan base numbers in the millions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Tony regularly appears on television and in films, and hosted a show on Sirius XM radio’s Faction channel for 14 years. His autobiography, HAWK—Occupation: Skateboarder, was a New York Times bestseller, and his book How Did I Get Here? The Ascent of an Unlikely CEO, covers the business side of his career. Tony’s production company, 900 Films, continues its work in television, film and commercial video, and content production.
Tony is a role model for fans of all ages. He founded the Tony Hawk Foundation which has given away over $10 million to over 600 skatepark projects throughout the world. The foundation helps provide safe places to skate through the finance of public skateparks in low-income areas.
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