Keynote
Tony Hawk
Legendary Skateboarder and Entrepreneur
Founder, The Skatepark Project
Born in the Golden State of California on May 12, 1968, Tony Hawk received his first skateboard, a blue fibreglass Bahne, from his brother at the age of nine. By the age of 11, Hawk began entering local skateboarding competitions, and in 1982, at just 14 years old, he officially became a professional skater. He signed with the Powell Peralta professional team and starred in the famous Bones Brigade videos, marking the beginning of his illustrious sporting career.
The subsequent 23 years, saw Hawk win 73 competitive titles, including being named the ‘National Skateboard Association (NSA) Vert Champion’ for 12 consecutive years and earning 16 “X Games” medals. Hawk further cemented himself as an innovator of the sport by inventing more than 80 unique skateboarding tricks. Among these tricks are the ollie-to-Indy, the gymnast plant, the frontside 540-rodeo flip, and the Saran wrap.
In one of skateboarding’s defining moments, Hawk executed a 900 twist (2 1/2 turns) at the 1999 X Games, a feat that had never been performed before. In 2003, Tony officially retired from competitive skating.
Away from the deck, Hawk continued to grow the sport with a variety of successful partnerships and branding deals. In 1992, Tony founded Birdhouse Skateboards (originally Birdhouse Projects) with ex-Powell Peralta professional skateboarder Per Welinder. In 1998, Hawk and his family created Hawk Clothing, a line of children’s skate apparel, and in 1999, he founded the media company 900 Films. In 2002, he established The Skatepark Project (formerly the Tony Hawk Foundation), a nonprofit skateboarding organisation that helps communities build public skate parks for youth in underserved communities.
Tony Hawk’s most successful partnership came in 1999 when he teamed up with global gaming giant Activision to release Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Activision went on to release 16 more video games under the ‘Tony Hawk’ name and reported a staggering $1 billion in sales, making it one of the most successful video game franchises of all time.