Tony Hawk
Pro-Skater
Tony Hawk is the most influential figure in the history of professional skateboarding and an all-round, inspiring, creative icon. Tony will be speaking with long-time friend and collaborator, Corbin Harris about creating and developing the Hawk brand into one of the most succesful in the skate and gaming worlds: building the brand into an integral part of the history of skateboarding and action sports.
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. According to some marketing surveys, Tony is the most recognizable athlete of any kind in the United States. 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, successful businesses such as Birdhouse Skateboards, Hawk Clothing, Hawk Shoes and the Tony Hawk Signature Series sporting goods and toys.
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. According to some marketing surveys, Tony is the most recognizable athlete of any kind in the United States. 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, successful businesses such as Birdhouse Skateboards, Hawk Clothing, Hawk Shoes and the Tony Hawk Signature Series sporting goods and toys.
Tony regularly appears on television and in films, and he hosts a weekly show on Sirius XM radio’s Faction channel. His autobiography, HAWK—Occupation: Skateboarder, was a New York Times bestseller, and in 2010 Wiley Publishing released How Did I Get Here? The Ascent of an Unlikely CEO. During 2012, in partnership with Google, Inc. Tony’s film production company, 900 Films, launched RIDE Channel on YouTube, the world’s most popular video site. A savvy marketer with social networking, his fan base numbers in the millions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Tony’s annual Twitter Hunts engage his followers on a global game of hide and seek to find huge packages filled with swag provided by numerous sponsors.
Tony is a role model for fans of all ages. His Tony Hawk Foundation has given away over $4 million to more than 500 skatepark projects throughout the United States. Tony’s foundation helps finance public skateparks in low-income areas in all 50 states, providing a safe place to skate, and helping to build the self-confidence of youths from Marathon, Florida to Sitka, Alaska. Skateparks that received financial assistance from the Tony Hawk Foundation currently serve over 3-million kids annually.
In 2014 Tony was joined on stage by his good friend Corbin Harris.
Tony is a role model for fans of all ages. His Tony Hawk Foundation has given away over $4 million to more than 500 skatepark projects throughout the United States. Tony’s foundation helps finance public skateparks in low-income areas in all 50 states, providing a safe place to skate, and helping to build the self-confidence of youths from Marathon, Florida to Sitka, Alaska. Skateparks that received financial assistance from the Tony Hawk Foundation currently serve over 3-million kids annually.
In 2014 Tony was joined on stage by his good friend Corbin Harris.