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Watch the Emotional Moment 52-Year-Old Tony Hawk Landed His Final Ollie 540

By Yael Meshulam
Tony Hawk lands his final ollie 540
(Instagram/tonyhawk)

The end of an era is often a hard reality to contend with, but it allows us to stew in the nostalgia of previous chapters of life while looking forward to whatever comes next. Skateboard legend Tony Hawk kickflipped his way into our hearts several decades ago, officially going pro in 1982 when skating was just finding its footing in the world of professional sports. Hawk set records, invented tricks, and paved the way for pro-skating as we know it today.

Now a 52-year-old dad, the skateboarding icon is quietly celebrating the end of a very special era by performing some of his most famous tricks for the last time. “In 1989 I started trying ollie 540’s as a joke, since it seemed there was no way to keep a skateboard on your feet throughout 1 1/2 spins in the air,” Hawk shared on Instagram. “But at some point I started scooping the tail with my back toe, which kept my feet in place for most of the spin.”

By some miracle, Tony Hawk managed to land the seemingly impossible trick for the first time while shooting a segment for Ban This. “It was the first of many that I’ve made over the last 32 years, and my technique improved as time went on. But they’ve gotten scarier in recent years, as the landing commitment can be risky if your feet aren’t in the right places. And my willingness to slam unexpectedly into the flat bottom has waned greatly over the last decade.”

In Hawk’s post, he shares the footage of his very first ollie 540, a clip filled with promise anticipation of all the firsts yet to come. Following the first clip is a second more somber one, Tony Hawk’s very last ollie.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk)

“So today I decided to do it one more time… and never again,” he explains.

In the final video, Hawk lands a flawless ollie – his last flawless ollie, before putting his head and his hands, dropping to his knees, and fully absorbing the weight of the moment.

“I’m a little sad,” he says quietly.

Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end – but this is far from the end of Tony Hawk’s story. While it may be the last page of his time on the ramp, it’s the beginning of whatever adventure he chooses to chase next. An adventure, perhaps, that’s a little easier on the knees.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2 Remake Announced for Nintendo Switch

By Nigel Jones
(Activision/Vicarious Visions)

While Tony Hawk fails to be recognized in public on a regular basis, at least his video games are still well known and loved.

Activision announced today that the fantastic Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2 remake that released last September on PS4, Xbox One & PC, will be making its way over to Nintendo Switch later this year.  Unfortunately, no release date has been set for the Switch version, but we do know that there will be a next-gen upgrade available on March 26th, 2021 for PS5 and Xbox Series X players that already own the game.

This upgrade includes access to the secret skater Ripper (a.k.a. the infamous Powell-Peralta mascot), retro gear for Create-A-Skater mode, and retro skins for Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, and Rodney Mullen.  Performance-wise, this next-gen upgrade features the option to play in 1080p at 120 FPS or in native 4K at 60 FPS.

If you currently own the Standard Digital Edition, you’ll be able to upgrade to the Cross-Gen Deluxe bundle for an additional $10.  For those who already own the Digital Deluxe Edtion, it’ll be a free next-gen upgrade.  It’s kind of a bummer since these next-gen upgrades have typically just been completely free for most games, but it’s a small price to pay to shred as ‘The Birdman’ with some sick new visuals, and technically you’re getting some new content as well.

Developed by Vicarious Visions, this remake of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2 features everything you loved about the originals, but with some nice quality of life improvements.  Being able to manual (introduced in THPS 2) and revert (introduced in THPS 3) in both THPS1 & 2 to keep our million point combos going is a wonderful edition.  Also, the soundtrack is still as awesome as it was back in 1999.  If you’re a Nintendo Switch player and have been waiting patiently for this release, you’ve got lots to look forward to.

Go Back to Back to the Future II With This Working Hoverboard Engineers Invented

By Mark Chalifoux
Hoverboard
(YouTube/Hacksmith Industries)

Sure, it took longer than we thought after watching Back to the Future II, but science has finally given us an honest-to-god hoverboard. Does it come with conditions? Of course. But it’s still a very cool (albeit completely pointless) invention, as it is an actual, working HOVERBOARD.

When it comes to science, we have all sorts of cool things these days we would’ve loved years ago, but we still lack some of the big inventions that feel imminent (self-driving cars everywhere) and some that we won’t probably see (flying cars). But a hoverboard once was thought to be only the province of Michael J. Fox in his prime.

And now the people behind the popular YouTube HackSmith Industries have created an actual working hoverboard. Does it catch on fire? Yes, quite frequently during testing. But they fine-tuned it, and actually made a hoverboard that works.

The tech behind it is very limiting, of course, as it’s powered by a bunch of super-powerful magnets, and it only works over a sheet of metal, so it’s not exactly road-ready. It was a mechanical engineering student who came up with the right specs to make it work, and the prototype is still very cool if you’re into engineering, sciency stuff, or just fun things in general.

So you might not be able to see one at Target, but it’s fun to see a group of people trying to make working prototypes of stuff we only see in movies (like lightsabers!).

 

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A post shared by the Hacksmith (@thehacksmith)

52-Yr-Old Father of 6 Painfully Pulls off 720 (Ok, It’s Tony Hawk, But Still!)

By Mike Julianelle
Tony Hawk Pulls off 720
(Twitter/tonyhawk)

A lot of stuff gets harder as you age. Especially physical stuff, even if you’re a legend of the sport. Sure, Tom Brady is somehow still kicking down in Florida, but he’s the exception that proves the rule. (Drew Brees is the rule.)

Age comes for all of us, and it will for Brady too (hopefully at the Super Bowl!) Just as it will for skateboarding, X Games legend, and friend of The Dad Tony Hawk. But not yet!

Hawk is clearly determined to keep old age at bay, at least judging by a tweet he shared the other day, in which he posted a video of himself attempting to pull off a 720-degree jump on a half pipe.

To his credit, he didn’t pretend it was easy. He didn’t only share the successful attempt, no, he shared an entire video edited together showing a bunch of failures, sometimes painful failures, before ending it with footage of him pulling it off.

It takes until his 7th try, with plenty of breathers in between, to seal the deal, and when lets out a triumphant “yeah!” and tosses his board aside, his sense of accomplishment is palpable.

In his tweet he explained that he hadn’t made one in over three years, and that the challenge was due to a combination of slowness, injuries, and old age!

“I recently made a 720 and it was a battle. The last one I made before this was over three years ago, and it’s much harder now all things considered: recently dislocated fingers hinder my grab, my spin is slower so I need to go higher for full rotation and… I’m really old.”

Ever the warrior, hawk stopped short of saying he was retiring from 720s.

“I can’t say for certain that this is the last one I’ll ever do, but I can’t imagine doing many more.” He also announced that he was going to donate the board for a raffle that would be used to make land the trick to raise money for public skateparks.”

Skateboard Legend Tony Hawk Fails to Get Recognized In Public, Yet Again

By Yael Meshulam
Tony Hawk Again Not Recognized in public
(Instagram/tonyhawk, Twitter/tonyhawk)

Depending on how you look at it, Tony Hawk either has a recurring problem or a superpower. The dude is an icon, and he’s a household name even for people who have never in their lives touched a skateboard. But despite several decades of fame, the pro-skater is frequently not recognized by people who clearly know who he is, and the stories he shares on social media will never stop being funny.

On New Year’s Eve, Hawk shared the latest installment in his life-long series of incredible public encounters. In case you didn’t know (or in case you ever run into him), legally, Tony’s name is actually Anthony. With such a recognizable last name, people frequently make a half-connection in their brains but fail to make it the rest of the way. Like, for example, the lovely woman who recently encountered the Hawk family at a COVID-19 testing site.

Hawk described the encounter in a tweet, explaining that something clicked when the woman read their last name. After asking the family if they were related to Tony Hawk, the X-Gaming legend had the absolute perfect response.

This is far from the first time Hawk has experienced this type of interaction, and incredibly, most of these people will only ever find out the truth if they use social media.

There was that one glorious time with a TSA agent

Ok, two glorious times

You know what, we’ll just give them a whole chapter when this becomes a book

These kids who will never know how lucky they were

And on that same day, those kids became legends

This was a great day for everyone

This guy gets a 90%

Fortunately, Tony Hawk himself loves it as much as we do.

Viral Fleetwood Mac Skater Celebrates Lakers Win, Looks to Buy House

By Mike Julianelle
Nathan Apodaca celebrating Lakers
(Twitter/FollowThroughLA)

Nathan Apodaca is having a heck of a month.

You may not know his name but you’ve probably seen the viral video of him skateboarding while lip-syncing to Fleetwood Mac and slamming some Ocean Spray. His TikTok video has blown up, garnering over 41 million views and catching the eye of both Mick Fleetwood (who made his own version of the video) and Ocean Spray, who delivered a new truck to Nathan, packed full of the Cran-Raspberry drink he loves.

On top of that, Nathan is apparently a Lakers fan and was caught celebrating his team’s 17th title Sunday night with another skating video on TikTok. This time Nathan is sporting a Lakers jersey, blasting an appropriate Queen song, and sipping something decidedly different from cranberry juice.

Much like Lebron, Nathan’s run is not yet over. On top of the fame, and the truck, and the Ocean Spray, and the championship, Nathan is also taking advantage of some of the donations he’s received from fans, he’s planning on buying a house.

Speaking to Insider he said, “I can pay my phone bill on time, and with the donations I was blessed with, that’s helping me get a down payment for a house and my lady has a savings that she’s been saving for over 20 years, so she’s throwing that in too. Hopefully I’ll be getting into a house pretty soon. It’s just been a little bit better, you know what I mean?”

Pretty amazing what a little lip-syncing can do, eh?

Viral Feetwood Mac Skateboarder Gifted New Truck From Ocean Spray

By Mike Julianelle
Viral Skater Gets Truck
(Instagram/TikTok/doggface208)

Social media has been giving people their 15 minutes of fame for years now, and often it’s not for noble reasons. Recently, however, a new star has been minted, and the man doesn’t even speak a word.

Nathan Apodaca got a dose of viral fame when a video of him gliding along on a skateboard while lip-syncing to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” and sipping some Ocean Spray Cranberry juice caught fire online.

If you haven’t seen it yet, sit back and let the chill vibe wash over you:

The video received over 6 million views on Instagram and inspired the “Dreams” challenge, in which others made their own versions of Apodaca’s video, which can only be described as “a mood.”

Countless versions of it have been floating around social media, but the craze reached its peak when Fleetwood Mac legend Mick Fleetwood, one of the architects of the song Apodaca vibes too, got in on the action with his own TikTok take.

Now Ocean Spray is recognizing Apodaca for the brand ambassador he has become. They shared a video of Apodaca being surprised by Ocean Spray’s gift of a brand new truck, complete with a bed full of cranberry juice.

“Thanks for keeping it positive,” the Ocean Spray rep says as he hands Apodaca the keys. I guess “Dreams” do come true!

Check it out:

Tony Hawk Helps 12-Yr-Old Skater Return From Injury and Conquer Mega Ramp

By Mike Julianelle
Hawk Helps Sky Brown
(Instagram/skybrown Twitter/barstoolsports)

Tony Hawk is the most famous skateboarder of all time. A pioneer in the sport, an X-Games legend, and the man behind some of the most popular video games of all time doesn’t have anything left to prove, and yet he keeps proving that he’s a great guy.

Hawk is older now, obviously, and has moved into the “dad” phase of his life, even becoming a friend of The Dad as we share countless stories of his generosity, general good-naturedness, and continued ambassadorship of skateboarding.

The skater is often in the news, and for every story of a burrito being named after him, there’s one of him doing something like changing the name of an old trick to honor the deaf skateboarder who invented it.

Now a video is going around of Hawk helping a young girl overcome her nerves and conquer an intimidating 100-foot skate ramp.

Sky Brown is a 12-year-old skateboarding phenom (Hawk called her “a unicorn”), who’s ascent in the sport was slowed when she had a bad fall at a Tony Hawk skate park. She fractured her skull and injured her wrist, among other things, and spent two months recovering.

Now she’s making her way back, and she has some jitters, understandably. So Tony Hawk, the legend, stood by her side to help her get back on the horse.

In this case, the horse is the HUGE Mega Ramp. Just looking at it makes me nervous! But with Tony’s encouragement, Sky makes it look easy.

A unicorn? More like a pegasus!

Watch the full video of Sky’s jumps:

Tony Hawk Changes Name of Skating Trick to Honor Deaf Skater

By Mike Julianelle
Tony Hawk Renames Move
(Instagram/tonyhawk)

Tony Hawk is more than just a skateboarding legend, legendary X-gamer, and video game pioneer. He’s also a dad, and a friend of The Dad, and, most importantly, a great guy who gets a kick out of being recognized and is always happy to celebrate young skaters.

Recently, Hawk was in the news for a promotional tie-in with Chipotle, where a burrito was named after him and gamers were given early access to his new video game. That game is called Pro Skater 1 and 2, and Hawk took to his popular Instagram account to announce that he’d renamed one of the classic tricks players can perform.

The trick is – or was – called the mute grab, and involved the skater grabbing the board in between the feet, with one hand, during a jump. It’s been around since 1981 and was first performed by a skater named Chris Weddle. According to Hawk, Weddle was a prominent amateur skater who didn’t talk much, hence the name “mute grab.”

Hawk explains that while Weddle has always been gracious about the name of the trick, despite the fact that he is actually deaf and not mute, it’s clear that the skater would be more well-known if the trick mentioned his name instead. So Hawk decided to change it.

He explained on IG:

“For nearly 40 years, we’ve shamelessly referred to this trick as the “mute” air/grab. Here is the backstory: around 1981, a deaf skater and Colton skatepark local named Chris Weddle was a prominent amateur on the competition circuit. The “Indy” air had just been created & named so somebody proposed that grabbing with the front hand should be known as the “Tracker” air. Others countered that Chris was the first to do, so it should be named after him. They referred to him as the “quiet, mute guy.” So it became known as the mute air, and we all went along with it in our naive youth. In recent years a few people have reached out to Chris (who still skates) about this trick and the name it was given. He has been very gracious in his response but it is obvious that a different name would have honored his legacy, as he is deaf but not lacking speech. I asked him last year as I was diving into trick origins and he said he would have rather named it the “deaf” or “Weddle” grab if given the choice. His exact quote to me was “I am deaf, not mute.” So as we embark on the upcoming @tonyhawkthegame demo release, some of you might notice a trick name change: The Weddle Grab. It’s going to be challenging to break the habit of saying the old name but I think Chris deserves the recognition. Thanks to @darrick_delao for being a great advocate to the deaf community in action sports, and for being the catalyst in this renaming process. I told Chris tecently [sp] and his reply was “I’m so stoked!” And then he shot this photo in celebration yesterday.”

 

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For nearly 40 years, we’ve shamelessly referred to this trick as the “mute” air/grab. Here is the backstory: around 1981, a deaf skater and Colton skatepark local named Chris Weddle was a prominent amateur on the competition circuit. The “Indy” air had just been created & named so somebody proposed that grabbing with the front hand should be known as the “Tracker” air. Others countered that Chris was the first to do, so it should be named after him. They referred to him as the “quiet, mute guy.” So it became known as the mute air, and we all went along with it in our naive youth. In recent years a few people have reached out to Chris (who still skates) about this trick and the name it was given. He has been very gracious in his response but it is obvious that a different name would have honored his legacy, as he is deaf but not lacking speech. I asked him last year as I was diving into trick origins and he said he would have rather named it the “deaf” or “Weddle” grab if given the choice. His exact quote to me was “I am deaf, not mute.” So as we embark on the upcoming @tonyhawkthegame demo release, some of you might notice a trick name change: The Weddle Grab. It’s going to be challenging to break the habit of saying the old name but I think Chris deserves the recognition. Thanks to @darrick_delao for being a great advocate to the deaf community in action sports, and for being the catalyst in this renaming process. I told Chris tecently and his reply was “I’m so stoked!” And then he shot this photo in celebration yesterday. 📷: @yousta_storytellers_club

A post shared by Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) on

Hawk’s post has over 71,000 likes and nearly 1000 comments, with people praising Weddle for creating the trick and Hawk for righting history and giving the deaf skater the recognition he deserves.

Order a “Tony Hawk Burrito” and Get Early Access to Pro Skater 1+2

By Mark Chalifoux
Tony Hawk Burrito
(Chipotle/PlayStation)

There’s not a ton of great news these days, so when Tony Hawk gets his own burrito at Chipotle and gives us a chance to get it for free, yeah, we’re gonna be on board. In a big way. Like, as big as a 2,000 calorie burrito for lunch way.

It’s tough to undersell this collab, as we are big Tony Hawk fans here (and the feeling is mutual), and everyone loves Chipotle. The two announced a special promotion where the first 2,000 people to order the “Tony Hawk burrito” before August 14th would get a code to access the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 warehouse demo for PS4, Xbox One or PC.

So, not only do you get a burrito, but you also get access to one of the most highly anticipated games. What is the Tony Hawk burrito? Good question. The recipe is as follows: brown rice, black beans, chicken, tomatillo-red chili salsa, cheese, and guac. It’s nothing revolutionary, but Hawk said it’s his go-to order to “refuel after long skate sessions.”

For those of you who like the idea of the burrito, but don’t like the idea of paying for the burrito, there’s something for you too. Chipotle’s Twitch page is being taken over this Friday, August 14, at 11 a.m. EST by Hawk, Jagger Eaton, and Finn Wolfhard, who will be playing the THPS 1 and 2 Warehouse Demo. During the stream, they are giving away 5,000 vouchers for a free burrito.

Pro Skater 1 and 2 are now nearly two decades old, and the new release is a re-master and those and the first new title in the PS franchise in more than five years. Hawk is a big Chipotle fan, and you would be too if, like Hawk, you had one of the celeb VIP cards that entitles him to free Chipotle and free catering. He said he’s all on board with the partnership.

“It’s a blast to see the enthusiasm for Chipotle, skating and video games continue to grow and inspire a new generation,” he said. “Whether you’re a veteran THPS player or new to the game, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 has something for everyone.”

Skateboarding Man In Suit Lives in Shelter, Teaches Low-Income Kids to Skate

By Yael Meshulam
Skateboarding Man In Suit Lives in Shelter, Teaches Low-Income Kids to Skate
(Twitter/beautifuldaddi)

Watching Tony Hawk tear up skate parks for decades has conditioned us to be more or less obsessed with all things skating. Between the thrill of watching someone seemingly defy gravity with ease and fantasizing about one day doing it yourself (please don’t try), the art of skateboarding is exhilarating. Earlier this week, a viral video of a man skateboarding in a full suit kick-flipped its way into our hearts. Little did we know, his skateboarding skills weren’t even the coolest thing about this mystery man.

Fortunately for us, Jenkem Magazine managed to track him down – his name is Avery Baxter, and his story is worlds away from what anyone expected. When you see a man in a suit, you probably assume that he’s off to work (skateboards would definitely be cheaper than Uber). However, Baxter is currently homeless – he lives in transitional housing. He lost his house several months ago, and as a result, had to separate from his children and fiancé. According to the update to the viral video, Baxter wears a suit wherever he goes. His adoptive dad always said that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. After his dad passed away, the suits became a staple in Baxter’s wardrobe. Not only was it a great way to honor the memory of his late father, but the suit was the tool to ensure he was always ready to meet someone who may be important to him later down the line.

Baxter’s dad is undoubtedly smiling down on him now, vindicated that the trusty suit helped catapult his son into the public eye. The video, taken on Mother’s Day, shows Baxter on his way to surprise his adoptive mom. While passing a group of skaters, he decided to stop, ask them to borrow a skateboard, and attempt a trick he had never actually tried before. As you can see, he absolutely nailed it.

Baxter has always loved skating – he’s been doing it since he was little, and even taught his kids to skate. “I also teach kids skating from age three to 11, since they’re easier to work with,” Baxter told Jenkem Magazine. “They don’t think they know everything. I work with low income or Section 8 families. It’s more important for their kids to do something positive.”

Baxter has had far from an easy time in life. He was homeless, in foster care, horribly abused – he has seen more hardship in 38 years than most people would see in the course of 10 lifetimes. Even through all of it, he maintained a positive attitude. He continues to try his best to support his children, teach kids on the street to skateboard (and channels his own anxiety into skateboarding), and perhaps most importantly of all, he never forgets his suit.

FedEx Driver Helps Boy Exchange Skateboards With His Hero, Tony Hawk

By Nick Ciavarella
Boy Exchanges Skateboards with Hawk
(TikTok/tonyhawk/fresh2deaf)

Well, it turns out that TikTok does have something positive to offer this world. Personally, I was under the impression that its sole purpose was so youths could film themselves doing synchronized dances (like The Electric Slide or whatever) in 15-second intervals. But apparently, there is some pretty heartwarming content out there. So here’s a nice, new TikTok heartwarmer to warm your lil’ ol’ heart.

User fresh2deaf (but we’ll call him Mikail because that’s his name) is a FedEx delivery driver who was on his normal route when a kid named Cooper started running after him and flagging him down. The kid hands him a skateboard and asks him to mail it to pro-skater, and friend to The Dad, Tony Hawk.
Here’s the story:

@fresh2deaf

@tonyhawk #fedex #fedexlife #fedexdriver

♬ original sound – fresh2deaf

The kid doesn’t yet know how the mail works (you need a box and, like, money) as well as the fact that his skateboard has no wheels. It’s the thought, especially at such a young age, that counts. And good on this driver for getting the word out. Because apparently it worked! Tony Hawk responded:

@tonyhawk

♬ original sound – tonyhawk

How cool is that? Tony Hawk is just hanging out doing Tony Hawk stuff at what looks to be his private skate park and decides to give this kid the board he’s actually using. So it looks like Cooper is getting his trash of a skateboard replaced with an actual board with wheels. Mikail posted an update:

@fresh2deaf

#fedex #fedexdriver #fedexlife @tonyhawk Part 2!

♬ original sound – fresh2deaf

Ahhhhh goodness does exist. Thank you to these 2 grown-ups for making this kid and his brother happy during a terrible time. And to prove that he is a man true to his word, here is Tony Hawk following up with his promise:

@tonyhawk

@fresh2deaf

♬ Cyco Vision – Suicidal Tendencies

Alright TikTok you win this round. Consider my heart full.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2 Coming To PlayStation, Xbox, and PC on September 4

By Joel Willis
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 2
(PlayStation)

What were you up to 20 years ago? My memory is a little hazy but if I had to guess I was slamming Bagel Bites, listening to Eminem, and playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater… all while putting off studying for my AP Calc exam. On September 4 I may just take a trip down memory lane (sans the AP Calc), since Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2 are being remastered and re-released for PlayStation 4, PS4 Pro, Xbox One, Xbox One X, and PC via the Epic Games Store.

The Birdman (who also happens to be a fan of The Dad) himself dropped the news on his Instagram.

Returning for this hotly anticipated remaster is everything you loved about the original games. The S-K-A-T-E challenges:

(Activision)

All your favorite signature tricks, from Kareem Campbell’s Casper Slide to Bucky Lasek’s Fingerflip Airwalk to Tony Hawk’s elusive 900:

Despite a few licensing issues, a “vast majority” of history’s greatest video game soundtracks will be back for your kickflipping pleasure. As long as “Cyco Vision” by Suicidal Tendencies and Primus’ “Jerry Was A Race Car Driver” made the cut, we’re good. Also, “Superman” by Goldfinger. Chances are you remember every word to that and don’t even realize it.


And for the first time ever, THPS 1 & 2 will feature online capabilities, including various multiplayer modes and the option to share and download custom skate parks. It’s a dream come true for anyone who knew the sense of gratification that came with unlocking Roswell.

(Activision)

And if that wasn’t enough, today is Tony Hawk’s birthday! A very happy 52nd to the world’s oldest kid. To celebrate, enjoy this video of him driving around and commanding teen skaters to perform kickflips.

Did you know The Dad has a gaming community with leagues, events, and tournaments in 9 different games? It’s true. Pick up the sticks, squad up, and join the gaming club.