biography of tony hawk

Who Is Tony Hawk?

Tony Hawk was one of the top skateboarders in the world by the time he was 16, and in his 17-year career, he won more than 70 skateboarding contests. Hawk started his own skateboarding company, Birdhouse , and also has a successful line of video games and skateboarding videos. Through the Tony Hawk Foundation , he provides grants and technical assistance for new parks, especially in low-income areas.

Hawk was born on May 12, 1968, in San Diego, California. As a kid, Hawk was intelligent, high-strung, and hyperactive — a combination his mother once described as "challenging." When he was nine, he received a skateboard from his older brother. That gift changed his life and gave him an outlet for all of his energy.

It didn't take long for Hawk to excel at skateboarding. By age 12, he got his first sponsor, Dogtown skateboards. Two years later, he became a professional skateboarder. Hawk was considered one of the top skateboarders in the world by the time he was 16 years old.

Birdhouse Skateboards

However, all of his talent and success could not prevent Hawk from experiencing some rough times in the early 1990s. At this time, the popularity of skateboarding was waning, as were his earnings. He had already spent much of his early winnings and almost went bankrupt. As a result, in 1992, he co-founded a skateboarding company, Birdhouse, with fellow pro Per Welinder.

X Games Star and Historic '900'

Their company struggled until the rise of extreme sports generated new interest in skateboarding. Hawk competed in the first Extreme Games — later simply called the X Games — in 1995. He landed back in the spotlight and became one of the best-known skateboarders in the world.

His ability to perform impressive stunts fueled Hawk's popularity. He has created amazing tricks, including the "900." This trick calls for the skater to rotate 900 degrees —about two and a half turns — in mid-air. Hawk was the first to successfully complete this move in competition at the 1999 X Games.

In his 17-year professional career, he won more than 70 skateboarding contests, including gold medals at the 1995 and 1997 X Games.

Video Games, Tour and Screen Appearances

Besides his skateboarding business, Hawk launched a successful line of video games, skateboarding videos and an extreme sports tour called Tony Hawk's Boom Boom HuckJam, which he started in 2002. Although the tour petered out by the end of the decade, Hawk announced he was reviving the Boom Boom HuckJam in 2019.

Hawk also began hosting his long-running Demolition Radio show on SiriusXM in 2004 and launched the RIDE Channel on YouTube in 2011.

Over the years, the skateboarding icon has appeared in movies like XXX (2002) and Lords of Dogtown (2005), as well as in TV programs like CSI: Miami and the reality competition series The Masked Singer . In 2019, he became a broadcaster for the Vans Park Series skateboarding tour.

In addition to running his various business ventures, Hawk has worked to help young people by creating more public skateboard parks through the Tony Hawk Foundation. Since 2002, the foundation has provided grants and technical assistance for new parks in all 50 states, especially in low-income areas.

Personal Life

Hawk was married to Cindy Dunbar from 1990 to 1993. They had a son, Riley, in 1992, who followed in his father's footsteps and became a professional skateboarder. Hawk then married Erin Lee in 1996 and had two more sons, Spencer (b. 1999) and Keegan (b. 2001).

After Hawk and Lee divorced in 2004, he married Lhotse Merriam in 2006 and welcomed a daughter, Kadence, in 2008. Following his divorce from Merriam in 2011, Hawk married Catherine Goodman in 2015.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Tony Hawk
• Birth Year: 1968
• Birth date: May 12, 1968
• Birth State: California
• Birth City: San Diego
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Tony Hawk rose to fame as a pro skateboarder before launching his own skateboarding company and a popular video game series.
• Astrological Sign: Taurus

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Tony Hawk Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/tony-hawk
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: May 13, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

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Tony Hawk – The Legendary Skateboarder Who Pushed the Limits

• by history tools
• November 19, 2023

As a long-time fan, Tony Hawk is easily one of the biggest names in skateboarding history. The lanky, sandy-haired kid from San Diego possessed raw talent and fearlessness that reshaped vert skating. Hawk‘s aerial skills, technical trick innovations, and success across competitions, business, and media made him an icon of skate culture.

Early Life & Introduction to Skating

Tony Hawk was born in San Diego in 1968. As a child, Hawk was hyperactive so his parents got him into skating at age 9. Hawk dove into mastering tricks, practicing at local skateparks for hours a day. By 12, he could already land advanced maneuvers like 360 ollies.

Hawk turned pro in 1982 at just 14, then won major competitions like the NSA Amateur Overall Championship. I loved watching the skinny, young Hawk dominate older pros with his fluid, gravity-defying style.

Dominating the Vert Scene through the 1980s & 90s

In the 1980s, Hawk cemented his reputation as one of the top vert skaters through technical trick innovation. He invented moves like the 540 caballerial and stale fish. No obstacle was too high for Hawk to ollie over either. His favored vert ramps let him show off his unparalleled aerial skills.

Mainstream Superstardom

Tony Hawk brought skating into the mainstream in the late 90s and 2000s. He built a lucrative video game franchise and became the face of skate culture in movies, commercials, and TV. As skating‘s first true superstar, Hawk inspired countless kids like me to step on a board.

Even after retiring from competition, Hawk continues to impact skating through charity work, trick innovations, and mentoring young skaters. His unmatched passion for skating at 53 is amazing to witness as a long-time fan.

Legacy & Impact

Tony Hawk‘s contributions to skating cannot be overstated.

• First to land the 900, 720 and many other tricks
• Built 500+ public skateparks through his foundation
• Responsible for skating‘s rise in popularity through video games and appearances
• Continues to evolve vert skating into his 50s through constant innovation

Hawk‘s fearless style, pioneering tricks, and generosity toward the skating community make him a true icon. There‘s no one else quite like the "Birdman".

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Tony Hawk’s Greatest Trick? Becoming a Middle-Aged Skateboard Star

By David Marchese May 24, 2021

• Share full article

Tony Hawk’s Greatest Trick? Becoming a Middle-aged Skateboard Star.

“I’m so thankful that people still think I’m relevant, that they want to see what I do.”

By David Marchese

For a long time, the skateboarding icon Tony Hawk’s career appeared to have followed the trajectory of one of his tricks: He built up momentum during the 1980s and early 1990s, launched into an airborne peak in the late 1990s and early 2000s (thanks to his success in the newly televised X Games competitions and the popularity of the Tony Hawk Pro Skater video games) and then made a somewhat jarring return to Earth, pulled down by age and diminished cool. But improbably, Hawk has defied the laws of pop-culture gravity. Over the last few years, aided by his charmingly self-deprecating social media presence and inspiring ability to maintain his still-formidable vert-ramp skills, Hawk has attained near-folk-hero status by proving that it’s possible to have a viable career as a 53-year-old professional skateboarder. “I’m doing it against all odds, in terms of Father Time,” Hawk says. “But I still have that drive. I still have the skill. So why not?”

The big criticism you used to get from skateboarding purists was for being a sellout. But the idea of selling out doesn’t meaningfully exist in today’s culture — people just accept that there’s no real way to avoid working with corporations and big-name brands. Is that a good thing? I see it as much more accepting. It’s like, “Hey, good for you that you got that Subway commercial.” There will always be people who have this other sense of morality, and they’re like, “You’re working for the man” and “globalization” or whatever else they’re coming up with, but that’s their view. It’s impossible to please everyone, and it’s even harder to stay super core because at some point you’ve got to provide for your family. I was always transparent about endorsing things. Like, I ate at McDonald’s. I still eat McDonald’s. I got a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit two days ago. So it wasn’t like I was changing my value system to get paid. It’s that my value system differs from others’.

Is it right that your business card used to list your title as “media whore”? [Laughs.] Yeah.

So where was the line for what you would or wouldn’t endorse? If I felt that it was disconnected from skating and was just trying to utilize skating’s cool factor to sell a product that had no business being there — I mean, there were times when I got offered to do a cologne. I felt like, I don’t think people are associating me with high fashion. Another one was gummy vitamins shaped like skateboards. That felt forced.

Not like Bagel Bites? Well, Bagel Bites — I have kids who love them. And they were going to pay me to do a commercial? Awesome. I genuinely was a consumer.

But now all those old criticisms have really faded away, and I think a lot of that has to do with your social media. Especially how every once in a while you’ll get a viral tweet out of sharing a story about someone not recognizing you at a skate park or wondering if you’re the “real” Tony Hawk. And the responses to those tweets show such affection. What accounts for that? Is it Gen X nostalgia? Just to clear up that whole meme: Generally when I’m out and about, people will recognize me: “Hey, are you Tony Hawk?” “Yeah.” “Oh, let me get a selfie.” “OK, cool.” That’s the interaction. But often I get the mistaken identity, or they’ll see my ID and it says Anthony Hawk and they somehow can’t make that connection. Those are the ones I share, because I think they’re funny. I don’t expect people to recognize me. It’s fine if they don’t; I’ll play along with it. It drives my daughter crazy. We were at a coronavirus testing place, and this woman said: “Kady Hawk? Anthony Hawk? Are you guys related to Tony Hawk?” And I said: “Yes. Directly related.” “Oh, that’s so cool.” Then off we went, and my daughter was like, “Why didn’t you tell her?” I’m not going to pretentiously be like, “Well, actually , that is me." I know that people think somehow I’m making them all up. I saw a couple of people who were like, “Oh, yeah, he’s got a video game coming out; now he’s doing all this P.R. and making up stories.” That’s the internet. You can’t win.

But I guess what I’m really trying to get at is your perception of a shift in feeling about you. For example — forget about the sellout thing — in old issues of Thrasher magazine, there would be times when aficionados would even criticize your skateboarding style. Now that negativity is gone. Do you feel that difference? Oh, yeah, absolutely. I persevered through a lot of ridicule and critique. Especially when I was successful as a competitor, because people thought these big companies don’t belong in skateboarding: “How could you be sponsored by a Club Med or Hot Wheels or McDonald’s?” I took it in stride because when I first started getting successful at skating, my style was ridiculed — so I had already been through all this flak. I was scrawny, I was skinny, I didn’t look cool. I didn’t flow the way the old-school guys did. I wasn’t a Dogtown guy. So they were like, “Who’s this little robot kid doing circus tricks with a skateboard?” I’d finally found in skateboarding the one thing that speaks to me — which already set me apart from my peers, because it’s an outcast activity — and then I was an outcast in that . It was so crushing. But skateboarding gave me much more happiness, so I was prepared to deal with that disappointment. So, yeah, the years of becoming the king sellout, according to the hard-core skaters — I didn’t care. I learned to be resilient early in life. Now, absolutely, I can’t believe the positive feedback I get. I’m so thankful that people still think I’m relevant, that they want to see what I do. I mean, the thing that I did a couple of months ago — my last Ollie 540 — I did that because I thought it was fun. I wasn’t trying to make some viral moment. And it blew up! I remember when I first learned to Ollie 540, it was on a backyard ramp with two people watching. That’s a big change.

You were bullied as a kid. Did that experience color things for you later on? I always carry a little of it — always wondering if people think I’m awkward. But over the last 10 years, I’ve come to terms with how people — not how people see me, but with my confidence levels. I used to come off as arrogant because I didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin. Kids would come up to me looking for some acknowledgment, and I didn’t even know how to talk. So they would be like: “He’s stuck up.” “He won’t talk to me.” I’ve learned to break out of that discomfort. It’s much more fun now. I love meeting kids who skate, and I think the thing a lot of them take away from it is that I’m a skate rat at heart, too.

Your son Riley is a pro skater. Have you learned things about the industry from his career? Because it’s very different than when you started. Now it’s all about making social media content rather than competing or getting sponsorships. Well, I knew it was possible to make a career as a skateboarder without having to compete, just by making sure that you are providing content. The more surprising element is that he has figured out how to maintain a public persona. I’m proud that he was able to come out from what was probably a very difficult shadow of mine. There were some years when he got discouraged from skating, and I think it was largely because of the attention he got from being my son. He actually kind of quit skating for a year or so when he was about 14.

Did you care? I understood it. He was trying to figure out what he wanted to do. He wanted to ride Motocross. And he was OK, but he wasn’t a phenom. I remember one day we were driving home from the track, and he was talking about how he was trying to get sponsored for Motocross. I told him: “Riley, I know you love doing this, but I think that if you want to choose a career and you want to get sponsored, skateboarding is probably the best option, because you’re really good for your age. And I’m not saying that because I’m your dad. You are a phenomenal skater. And in Motocross, you’re having fun, but you’re not going to races, you’re not doing tricks. And so, I don’t want to discourage you from that but — ” I think he listened to me.

Did you have any concerns from a physical standpoint about your kid following in your footsteps? I mean, how many bones have you broken? I did. But I feel like my kids are all aware of their limitations. I’ve only officially broken two bones.

“Officially”? Yeah. I fractured my pelvis. I fractured my skull, fractured my thumb, broke my elbow. I had plenty of sprains and scrapes. And I’ve had concussions through the years. For sure I’m concerned for my own kids. But how could I possibly discourage them from doing the thing that brought me the most joy besides them?

What is your physical state these days? There are tricks that I don’t want to attempt any more because the risk far outweighs the reward. They’re tricks that I used to take for granted, and it’s like, I’m not really going to get a lot out of doing it again unless I decide, all right, I’m going to put my mind to it and make this the last one. But so many of those tricks — I know the cost of one tiny mistake. It could be devastating. So that doesn’t interest me. But the state of my body? I feel healthy. My neck is super stiff. That’s probably the one ongoing issue, and not getting any better. You know when you call out to someone, and they turn to look? When I turn, you’d be like, “Oh, what’s wrong with your neck?”

Personally, I decided to stop skateboarding after I did a 720 kick-flip. Because it was perfect, or because you got hurt?

Obviously I did it perfectly. That’s unfortunate then. You really could have gone somewhere with skateboarding. I’ve only ever seen a 720 heel-flip, by the way. So if you did that trick, you would have an N.B.D.

I’ve never actually ever been on a skateboard, but thank you for humoring me. Whether it’s in skating or business, what are you most excited to try next? We’re emerging from this strange year: I have my first public appearance coming up in June. I’m speaking at a Bitcoin conference. I’ve been investing in Bitcoin for almost 10 years. I can’t say that I got mega-rich, but I can’t complain either.

“I can’t say that I got mega-rich.” What does that mean? You made millions? Ah, close to. Not quite. I don’t know how to answer that correctly. I cashed out a bit a few years ago when Bitcoin was on its other tear. That came at a time when, honestly, my career seemed to be dwindling. About three years ago, four years ago, it was hard to get sponsorships. I understood. I’m definitely one of the oldest skaters trying to make it as a pro. But at the same time, I was like, I’m still out there, I’m still relevant — why can’t I land things? Also, the idea of endorsements was morphing. Everything had become social media. It wasn’t like you’re getting a three-year contract with an automobile manufacturer. It was more like here is a five-month promotion with a restaurant or a franchise. All of that was shifting, and I wasn’t really getting it. I’m digressing, but suddenly my fun project of Bitcoin was blowing up, and I was like, Oh, we can pull out money for Christmas gifts. That is literally what happened.

I don’t know anything about buying Bitcoin. What’s some advice? Buy the dip.

You know, I read the tour-diary book that you wrote years ago, which honestly seemed kind of sanitized. Are there rowdier stories that didn’t make it into print? Oh, yeah, sure. But I feel I’ve come a long way in terms of personal growth. I’m trying to stay on the straight and narrow. The kind of stories maybe you’re talking about are more, like, rock-star type of stuff when we were in our teens and 20s. And a lot of it was careless or even disrespectful in some ways, and I don’t like to celebrate that, especially as a father. It seems distasteful to be like, Yeah, we did this and that and chicks, you know? I’m a grown-ass man with a family.

Has the culture of skateboarding as far as gender equality changed since you were young? Society changed, and skateboarding has evolved with society. Back in the day, it was considered this sort of guys’ sport. Female skaters were few and far between. The last five to 10 years has changed dramatically in terms of the diversity and the acceptance, the compassion and the understanding that skateboarding can be anyone’s identity. The irony in the early days was that skateboarding set you apart; you chose it because it was a different culture, a different attitude, different music, but at the same time, it wasn’t accepting of so many different types of people in terms of gender or sexual orientation. Now it’s much more welcoming and progressive. That’s so exciting. I can’t believe that at my age, I’m still able to participate.

Think you’ll ever stop? If my skills are truly fading and I’m just going through the motions, I wouldn’t be doing it in public. I won’t be on display. But I’ll still be skating.

Opening illustration: Source photograph by JB Lacroix/WireImage, via Getty Images.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity from two conversations.

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Eight things you need to know about skateboard pioneer Tony Hawk

American skateboarder famous for more than just helping his daughter drop-in to a halfpipe for the first time.

Tony Hawk is universally recognised as one of the true pioneers of skateboarding .

But he's just won thousands of new fans on social media, thanks to a video of him and his daughter.

On Sunday, the California native posted to Instagram the moment he helped his nervous 10-year-old Kadence drop down a vert ramp for the very first time.

View this post on Instagram My daughter overcoming her fear in real time (wait for it). I might have been more nervous than she was. #vaderdrop (this inspired @alec_beck to do an NBD on the vert ramp 5 minutes later) A post shared by Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) on Feb 23, 2019 at 2:18pm PST

Hawk undoubtedly cut a more worried figure as a teacher than he did on the board, but the result was, predictably, perfect.

More than anyone, he helped spread skateboarding around the world with the sport due to make its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020.

But what else do you need to know about Tony Hawk ?

• Tony Hawk - Pro Skater At 14

Born in San Diego on 12th May 1968, Anthony Frank Hawk was a bundle of energy as a child, with his parents encouraging his love of skateboarding as an outlet.

Good decision from them.

Skateboarding was very much a niche activity in 1970s and 80s America, but Hawk - despite being picked on by classmates - was able to develop his skills rapidly.

With an IQ of 144 and good grades, Hawk was the opposite of the stereotypical high school drop-out.

And he continued his studies after turning professional at 14 .

Hawk’s dad even convinced him to invest in buying his first house while he was still at high school, at the age of 17.

There were plenty more houses to come too with Hawk the standout performer on the National Skateboard Association (NSA) Tour , winning multiple titles.

From the mid-1980s onward, he was the world's premier skateboarder .

In 1995, Hawk won his first of 10 X Games titles at the inaugural event in Rhode Island .

And in 1999, came his defining moment.

• Hawk Achieved The First '900' In History, 17 Years Before His Last

Hawk had been trying for years to perform a '900' (two and a half mid-air revolutions) in competition.

At X Games 5 in San Francisco 1999, it finally happened.

His desire to achieve the trick bordered on the obsessional, with his fellow competitors stepping aside to let him have the halfpipe to himself.

And on the 12th attempt , he made it.

Hawk was still winning events into his mid-30s before age dulled his competitive edge.

As he entered retirement from major events he became more of a mentor to younger skaters as well as an ambassador for the sport.

But Hawk could still perform tricks and managed to pull off 900s for several years.

And exactly 17 years after that first 900 , aged 48, he repeated the feat for the final time.

His second son, Spencer, was just three months old when Hawk performed his first.

And he was there to see his last.

• Hawk And Other Action Sports Superstars Can Sing!

Hawk is good friends with three-time Olympic snowboard halfpipe gold medallist Shaun White , and 11-time surfing world champion Kelly Slater .

And the trio got together for some Carpool Karaoke !

View this post on Instagram Watch @shaunwhite @kellyslater & me talk about our early days, injuries and sounding like Eddie Vedder while attempting our biggest challenge... to sing in key, on the latest @carpoolkaraoke (free on @itunes). Link in bio. Thanks @sarahhallprinc! 🏂🏄🏼‍♂️🛹🎤 A post shared by Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) on Feb 15, 2019 at 4:04pm PST

While Slater will quit professional surfing before his sport makes its debut at Tokyo 2020, White has been working on his skateboarding with an eye on a switch for Japan.

It’s not such a far-fetched idea either, as 'The Flying Tomato' has two X Games gold medals on the vert.

Is there anything these guys can’t do?

• Hawk Was The First Skater In The White House

For years, skateboarding was seen as a counter-culture activity with its young participants not always welcome in towns.

But Hawk almost single-handedly raised its profile, signing major sponsorship deals and bringing the activity to the mainstream.

He was among the first intake of inductees into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame in 2009.

Also that year, Hawk was doing heel-flips at the White House.

President Barack Obama invited the skater to his June Fathers Day celebration with Hawk skating in the hallways of the nearby Old Executive Office Building on the White House grounds.

When Obama's second term ended in January 2017, Hawk showed his gratitude.

Hawk continues to take skateboarding to pastures new.

In 2012, he led the first ever Vert demonstration in India with Hawk and fellow skateboarders also visiting the house of late civil rights activist Mahatma Gandhi .

• Tony Hawk is a Skateboarding Philanthropist

The Tony Hawk Foundation , created in 2002, helps build skateparks in underprivileged communities in the United States and around the world.

It has also supported the Skateistan programme in Afghanistan , Cambodia and South Africa .

Hawk is delighted at skateboarding becoming an Olympic sport , and hopes it will assist further growth of the sport in developing nations.

"It’s a validation that’s been a long time coming. I think that skateboarding has been a valid competition sport for… ever since I started, for 40 years. So for it to finally be accepted into Tokyo, to me it seems like it’s long overdue, especially with the inclusion of snowboarding so long ago in the Winter Games.

"It’s going to be widely recognised internationally in places where they’ve never seen skateboarding, and they’re going to appreciate it even more.

"We’re going to see prolific skaters from the most unlikely countries, like Ethiopia, like Cambodia, even Afghanistan. There are already strong skate scenes there and people are starting to develop new skillsets.

"I feel like the sky’s the limit in terms of transcending borders and cultures and skateboarding will be a very eclectic mix of people from all over the world."

And he's always keen to share tips with younger skateboarders.

• Tony Hawk Is A Video Game Superstar

Hawk has appeared in several movies as an actor, but he's better known for putting his name to a [series of hugely successful video games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Hawk%27s_(series), starting with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater in 1999.

The following year, THPS spawned a sequel - Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 - which was named Video Game of the Year 2000 by Electronic Gaming Monthly and remains one of the best-reviewed ever.

According to Guinness World Records , it became the best-selling extreme sports video game of all time with over two million units were sold in the United States alone.

Over the years, the gameplay and titles changed with Tony Hawk's Underground (THUG) in 2003 adopting a more story-based approach, while Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam focused on racing opponents.

The last of the original Tony Hawk's series published by Activision was in 2015 - Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 - featuring top boarders including Nyjah Huston and Leticia Bufoni .

But fans have kept the brand alive with Tony Hawk's Underground 2 becoming the template for an online multiplayer game known as THUG Pro .

After the end of the Activision deal, Hawk said he wanted to be part of a new game.

And December last year saw the release of Tony Hawk's Skate Jam for mobile phones.

• People Know Who Tony Hawk Is... Some Of The Time

Hawk is one of the most recognisable skateboarders on the planet.

But he does lack distinguishing features, such as an outlandish hairstyle or obvious tattoos, leading to people sometimes not realising quite who he is.

And Hawk has taken to detailing those (usually air travel-based) encounters on social media.

And even when the interactions are not quite so pleasant, Hawk tends to have the last laugh .

View this post on Instagram Woman seated in front of me rudely cut me off while boarding because she assumed I wasn't in first class. Then she watched me in Parental Guidance. #paybacksbitchy A post shared by Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) on Apr 14, 2013 at 6:00pm PDT

• Tony Hawk Gave Up A Musical Instrument To Focus On Skateboarding... And Tells A Good Dad Joke

We finish where we began, with Tony Hawk's role as a parent... not just as the father of skateboarding, but also of his own children.

The American revealed to Olympic Channel that he tells a great dad-joke.

He came clean live on air at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games, and also revealed the musical instrument he gave up to focus on skateboarding.

Check it out - The Hawk interview starts after 12'00 of the show, and as well as jokes and secrets, he told us how far skateboarding has come in its journey to Olympic inclusion for Tokyo 2020.

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Tony Hawk Biography

Tony Hawk is a renowned American professional skateboarder, entrepreneur, and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse. He completed the first documented “900” skateboarding trick in 1999. In addition, he licensed a skateboarding video game series named after him published by Activision that same year. He later retired from competing professionally in 2003 and is regarded as one of the most influential skateboarders of all time.

A pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding, Hawk has been involved in various philanthropic activities throughout his career and is the founder and C.E.O of the Tony Hawk Foundation. His foundation helps to build skateparks in underprivileged areas around the world.

Tony Hawk Age

How old is Tony Hawk? Hawk is 55 years old as of 2023. He was born on May 12, 1968 , in San Diego, California, the United States of America. In addition, he celebrates his birthday on May 12th every year.

Tony Hawk Family, Parents

Hawks was born and raised by his parents Frank and Nancy Hawk . As a child, Tony was known to be a troublemaker, disturbing his babysitters, teachers, and even his parents. He was first introduced to skating by his elder brother Steve at the age of eight when he brought him home a used fiberglass skateboard.

Tony Hawks Wife

Hawks is currently married to his loving wife Catherine Goodman. However, he has been married and divorced several times. In 1990, Tony married Cindy Dunbar and soon had a son named Riley, a renowned professional skateboarder. Later in 1996, he remarried Erin Lee and had two sons; Spencer and Keegan, eventually divorcing eight years later.

In 2004, Hawk married Lhotse Merriam in Fiji and divorced in 2011 before his marriage to Catherine on June 27, 2015. Tony and Merriam had a daughter named Kadence Clover Hawk born in 2008.

Tony Hawk’s Height, Weight

Hawk stands at an approximate height of 6 feet 3 inches and weighs 171 lbs (77.56 Kg).

Tony Hawk Skateboarding Career

Tony is one of the greatest skateboarders in the world, winning almost every competition he contested. He further became more significant in the sport by inventing new tricks, developing video games, and even starting the Tony Hawk Foundation.

Hawk started skating at the age of eight and later became a professional skater at the age of fourteen. As a young energetic man, Tony spent every coin he made to the fullest. He co-founded a skateboarding company called Birdhouse to bring him extra money to support his bills.

In 2002, Hawk founded an extreme sports tour called Boom Boom HuckJam which entailed motorcycle riders, skateboarders, and other stunt performers. Throughout his life, Tony has appeared in many films including Lords of Dogtown and CSI Miami.

Although Hawk retired from skateboarding in 1999, his brands have kept his name alive. Tony Hawk Foundation also lives and works.

Tony Hawk’s Net Worth

Hawk has an estimated net worth of $140 million . His income is mainly from his successful career as a professional skateboarder, actor, and businessman.

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