TURNED INTO AN UPHILL BATTLE BECAUSE OF WHAT’S GOING ON NEARBY. IF YOU ASK TONY HAWK
SKATEBOARDING IS AN ART FORM.
IT’S A LIFESTYLE AND A SPORT AND
HE WANTS TO MAKE SURE ALL KIDS
GET A CHANCE TO TRY IT. AND IT
WAS NEVER LOST ON ME THAT I HAD
A PLACE TO GO. SKATEBOARDING
LEGEND HOPES IF HE BUILDS YOU A
PLACE YOU’LL SKATE IN DETROIT.
YEAH TONY HAWK IS KNOWN AROUND
THE WORLD NOT JUST FOR WHAT HE
CAN DO WITH THE SKATEBOARD BUT
FOR HIS SKATEBOARD PROJECT
THAT’S GIVEN MORE THAN $10
MILLION TO 600 SKATEPARK
PROJECTS, INCLUDING RIGHT HERE
IN DETROIT. VICTOR WILLIAMS IS A
SKATEBOARD ENTHUSIAST HIMSELF.
HE HAS SHOWN HER HIS TRICKS AT A
FEW TIMES IN A LIVE SHOT GETTING
THE PRO SKATEBOARDERS ATTENTION
LAST YEAR. WELL THE TWO RECENTLY
MET UP FACE TO FACE AT CHANDLER
PARK SKATEPARK. WELL YOU CAN
TELL BY MY PERSONAL COLLECTION
OF TONY HAWK VIDEO GAMES THAT HE
IS AN ICON THAT HAS CREATED A
LEGACY THAT CAN BE ENJOYED ON
MANY DIFFERENT COUNCILS. BUT
RIGHT HERE IN THE PHYSICAL REALM
, HE’S ALSO HELPING MAKE SURE
THAT THERE PLENTY OF SKATE PARKS
FOR PEOPLE TO ENJOY. ESPECIALLY
IN THE TRUCK. REASON I EVEN
STARTED. OUR FOUNDATION IS
BECAUSE I GOT VERY LUCKY THAT I
LIVE NEAR ONE OF THE LAST
REMAINING SKATE PARKS IN THE US,
AND IT WAS NEVER LOST ON ME THAT
I HAD A PLACE TO GO. I HAD A
SENSE OF COMMUNITY. I HAD A
PLACE TO DEVELOP MY STYLE AND MY
IDENTITY. I MEAN, NOT JUST IN
SKATING, BUT JUST AS A PERSON
SKATEBOARDING LEGEND TONY HAWK
ONCE SKATEBOARDERS ALL OVER THE
WORLD TO HAVE PLACES TO FIND
THEMSELVES. THAT’S WHY HE’S
DROPPING IN EVERY NOW AND THEN
TO THE MOTOR CITY SPECIFICALLY
ON THE EAST SIDE, AND THIS IS
ONE OF THE EXAMPLES OF THE PARKS
WERE DOING. IT REALLY HAS HELPED
US TO EXPEDITE THE PROCESS
BECAUSE OUR WORK IS NATIONWIDE.
CHANDLER SKATEPARK WAS CONCEIVED
WITH A BIG PART BEING THANKS TO
HIS ORGANIZATION, THE SKATE PARK
PROJECT, AMONG MANY OTHERS HAVE
BEEN PARTNERED WITH BUILT TO
PLAY THANKS TO RALPH C. WILSON
JR FOUNDATION, AND THE FOCUS IS
ON SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. UNKNOWN
TO MOST SKATEBOARDING IS A
LIFETIME ACTIVITY WITH THE
RANGING PARTICIPANTS FROM
COUNTLESS BACKGROUNDS. BUT, AS
TONY EXPLAINS, WHILE RECOVERING
FROM A BROKEN FEMUR, GETTING
OLDER ALSO HAS ITS LIMITATIONS
THAT CREATE THE NEED TO ADAPT
FUN. IT’S KIND OF BEEN
LIBERATING TO REFOCUS MY STYLE
ON MORE TECHNICAL STUFF AND
STUFF THAT MOSTLY SKATERS WOULD
APPRECIATE AND NOT, YOU KNOW,
IT’S NOT MOVING NEEDLE WITH THE
GENERAL PUBLIC OR ANYTHING, BUT
I DON’T REALLY CARE SO I LOVE IT
LIKE I LOVE MY LITTLE COPING
DANCES THAT’S LIKE THAT’S MY
THAT’S MY FOCUS NOW AND IT KEEPS
ME FIRED UP. AND THAT’S
SOMETHING I’M SEEING MYSELF
FIRST HAND WITH THE KNEE INJURY.
AH CERTAIN TRICKS. JUST TAKE A
LOT MORE WORK TO LAND. GET THE
SAME FEELING LANDING SOMETHING
ON OF THAT NATURE THAT I DID
WHEN I WAS A KID TRYING TO LEARN
A NEW TRICK. YOU KNOW, THAT’S
LIKE IT’S LIKE THE DRAGON. I’VE
BEEN CHASING THE WHOLE TIME
EITHER WAY, MEETING AND SKATING
WITH THE BIRDMAN IN PERSON WAS
SOMETHING I ALWAYS DREAMED OF.
OTHERS WERE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE
THAT SAME FEELING. IT’S REALLY
COOL JUST TO BE ABLE TO MEET
YOUR IDOL AND HIM LIVE UP TO
EVERY EXPECTATION. YOU KNOW. HE
WAS SUPER SWEET, SIGNED MY BOARD
TONY HAWK FIELD. GOOD GUY LEGEND
WHATSOEVER TO HAVE HIM HERE IN
DETROIT. CHANDLER, SKATEPARK AND
EVEN RIVERSIDE SKATE PARK
DOWNTOWN. TONY’S ENCOURAGING THE
YOUTH TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT
WHILE THEY’RE ABLE TO WHEN I HAD
SOME CHANCE TO AFFECT CHANGE,
THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT THE BEST
BEST THING I COULD DO IS TO
ACTUALLY PROVIDE MORE OF THOSE
FACILITIES TO KIDS WHO FEEL
DISENFRANCHISED AND DON’T FEEL
LIKE THEY BELONG IN GROUPS
SPORTS, AND I MEAN THAT’S MY
PROUDEST WORK AND ALSO,
SELFISHLY I GOT MORE PLACES TO
SKATE WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF
YET ANOTHER LOCATION IN THE
WORKS, IT SEEMS LIKE THESE SKATE
PARKS WILL BE POPPING UP. ALL
ACROSS THE CITY OF DETROIT. SO
IT’S A GREAT WAY TO STAY ACTIVE
. YOU SHOULD TRY IT, TOO. AT THE
END OF THE DAY, YOU DON’T KNOW
WHO MIGHT ROLL THROUGH. VICTOR
WILLIAMS LOCAL FORM. HE TAPED
THAT ONE. BUT THAT WAS STILL
PRETTY AWESOME. HAWKS SKATEPARK
PROJECT HAS DONATED MONEY TO
HELP BUILD 25 SKATE PARKS IN
MICHIGAN. IT’S JUST ALWAYS