Years after the peak of his visibility, Tony Hawk is still around.
At 50, one might think he's slowing down a bit, easing into a quiet retirement perhaps.
In fact, Hawk is as busy as ever with philanthropy, conquering the fashion world, and much more.
For a huge swath of kids, teenagers, and savvy adults at the dawn of the new millennium,
Tony Hawk defined what it meant to be awesome.
"What I want people to think of me?
I guess I want them to think I'm just like them.
Which I basically am."
But today, the man behind the board is as much into his family as he is into the half-pipe.
His son Riley Hawk was born of his first marriage in 1992.
"I think at first people thought it was kind of strange that I was kind of doing the skate
thing too."
Two more boys, Spencer and Keegan, were born of his second marriage, and his first daughter,
Kadence Clover, was born in 2008.
Tony Hawk married once again in 2015 and now lives comfortably in California.
Hawk might be older now, but his love of skating pervades his home life.
His eldest son Riley has become a celebrated skateboarder in his own right on his 21st
birthday, Riley went pro and won the Best Am award within minutes.
Today, he's sponsored by Baker Skateboards and has become respected as a street-style
skater, in contrast to his father, one of the most celebrated vert-style skaters of
all time.
Kadence also pops up regularly on Hawk's Twitter and Instagram channels, learning the basics
from the world's most accomplished teacher.
Tony Hawk has become increasingly involved in charitable work over the years.
In 2002, he created the Tony Hawk Foundation, an organization that facilitates the building
of public skateparks across the United States.
Focusing specifically on the needs of low-income and otherwise disenfranchised areas, the foundation
has awarded $7.9 million dollars in funds to date.
The breadth of the mission is startling.
Every part of the country has been marked by Hawk's quest to make skating accessible,
respected, and safe in all communities.
Recently, Hawk spearheaded a campaign to take the foundation global with a $50,000 grant
to Skateistan, an organization that works to bring skating to Cambodia, Afghanistan,
and South Africa.
In 2015, Hawk told ABC 10 News:
"Skateboarding's empowering women in Afghanistan,”
“more than probably any other sport, to be honest."
In 2007, Hawk helped found Athletes for Hope, which fosters connections between the world
of elite sports and young hopefuls.
More than ten years later, they're still going strong.
Hawk has been a hot commodity in the entertainment world for decades.
Over the years, he's played himself on The Simpsons, appeared in kiddie fare like Rocket
Power, and taken bit roles in action flicks like Deck Dogz.
Oh, and don't forget his cameo in the 2005 film Lords of Dogtown, where he played an
astronaut who wipes out on his skateboard.
More recently, Hawk popped up on the popular YouTube hit Epic Meal Time and he even made
an appearance on Sesame Street back in 2008:
"How many wheels on a skateboard?"
"Four wheels on a skateboard."
"Can you count 'em for me?"
Also, we would be remiss to mention his star turn in The Aquabats!
Super Show!
"Aquabats, what was it like being thrown into outer space?"
"We were in outer space?"
Skate culture has been influencing the fashion world for a long time.
From Avril Lavigne's stylings in the early 2000s to the classic Vans Off The Wall sneakers,
skating and fashion have always seemed to go hand in hand.
It was only a matter of time before an actual skater took that relationship to the next
level.
Tony Hawk did this with the Tony Hawk Signature Line, a collection he debuted at Paris Fashion
Week.
The line is an upscale take on skater style, as envisioned by one of the skating subculture's
most legendary heroes.
Talking to Vogue, Hawk weighed in on the success of streetwear brands like Palace and Supreme,
noting how they're now being
"... recognized and embraced by a much bigger crowd.
People who want to have that look but who don't necessarily skate."
In 2019, he told Highsnobiety:
"If we've reached that level, I want to join in, too, 'cuz I feel like I have enough to
offer and I have enough history."
Hawk's career coincided with the rise of the internet, so it makes sense that he would
jump head-first into the world of original video content.
"This is my first skateboard ever and we are sending it today to the Smithsonian.
And I thought I would give it one last try."
Enter the RIDE channel, Hawk's own little corner of YouTube, which he launched in 2011.
Here, you can immerse yourself in all things skating and skate culture.
As Hawk says in the welcome video:
"We're super excited.
This is something that we've always wanted to do and it's finally a reality and it's
here on YouTube and you should go subscribe right now."
RIDE has a dizzying lineup of programs.
There's Concrete Dreams, a documentary web-series about the challenges of skatepark advocacy.
And there's lots of nitty-gritty reviews for the latest skating gear.
"If you prefer, like, a slimmer shoe that you don't have to hold like this, then you
probably shouldn't get these."
What makes the channel so great?
It's not about the cool factor; it's about the reality of the sport.
"We're gonna learn some stuff here and check out the session and then I'm gonna kick everyone
out."
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