Tony Hawk

By Richard Diaz
Love of Sports Correspondent

Can you imagine where sports would be without its iconic figures?

Think about it. How hard is it to imagine the PGA without Tiger Woods, or the NBA without Michael Jordan?

Could the NBA have reached this level of global popularity without his “Airness?”

Would golfers be scoring such humongous pay-days if “El Tigre” had never picked up a golf club?

In all likelihood, the answer to both of those questions is a resounding NO.

However, it’s safe to assume both sports would’ve survived and perhaps eventually flourished under the guidance of a different star. I mean who knows how good Phil Mickelson could’ve been if Tiger didn’t totally destroy every iota of mental toughness he ever had?

There’s one sport in particular that might’ve perished without its eventual savior. Think back to 1994.

Florida State beat Nebraska to win the NCAA football title. Nancy Kerrigan was clubbed in her right knee at the Olympics. Bill Clinton delivered his first State of the Union Address. O.J. Simpson and Al Cowlings fled from the LAPD in a white Ford Bronco. MLB went on strike and Tony Hawk rescued the skateboarding industry.

Wait, what was that last one?

Ah yes, Tony Hawk. I’m giving a shout out to the legendary skateboarder, old school style.

Unbeknownst to many of the kids who’ve taken skateboarding to a level we ‘80s babies could never have imagined, there was a time in the not-so-distant past where the skateboarding fad nearly died. This near-death experience came in the face of waning sales and interest, which was partially due to the popularity of street skating.

Enter Tony Hawk, who, with the help of Per Welinder, formed Birdhouse Projects, which is now known as Birdhouse Skateboards. The stars seemingly aligned for Hawk from that point forward. As his star power rose to unparalleled levels, so to did the world of skateboarding as a legitimate action sport.

Hawk, as you may know, is credited with the invention of many aerial tricks, which include the Stalefish, Madonna and over 80 others. In addition to that, he was the second person to land a McTwist, which is named after Mike McGill of the Bones Brigade.

His most famous feat came during the 1999 X Games, where he became the first skater to land the “900.” For those who have no clue what that is, the trick consists of two-and-a-half rotations (900˚) in the air before landing back on the half pipe. Even though he’d already established a name for himself in the land of Extreme sports, it’s widely believed this televised trick is what paved the way for Hawk becoming the conglomerate he is today.

Since that moment, he’s established a TV production company known as 900 Films, a clothing line known as Hawk Clothing, and there’s Tony Boom Boom Huckjam Tour, which is easily the most successful action sports tour ever.

As if all that weren’t enough, he’s also been teaming with Activision since 1999 and has consistently produced the best action sports video game the industry has to offer.

Simply put, Hawk’s the original action sports hero. Who else could turn a fad from Back to the Future into a multi-million dollar empire?

Who else could go from being a profession skateboarder to being a founding member of “Athletes for Hope?”

While today’s kids simply go on skateboarding as if it’s always been around, I can’t help but give up some Old School Love for Tony Hawk, who is, without a doubt, the man who single-handedly saved the sport of skateboarding from its deathbed, making it possible for those after him to make a living from it.