Tony Hawk
He transformed skateboarding from a rebellious street activity into a mainstream, gravity-defying sport watched by millions.
Born 1968 (age 58)·American professional skateboarder·Birthday: May 12·Generation X
Biography
Tony Hawk was a scrawny, hyperactive kid who found his language on a skateboard. Turning professional at fourteen, he dominated the vert ramp throughout the 80s with a technical, fluid style that seemed to defy physics. His career arc mirrored the boom, bust, and rebirth of skateboarding itself. When public interest waned, he bet on himself, founding the Birdhouse company to keep the sport alive. His defining moment came in 1999 at the X Games: after numerous painful attempts, he landed the first documented 900—two and a half mid-air rotations—a trick that became a cultural landmark. That same year, the launch of the 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater' video game franchise introduced his world to a global audience, making skateboarding accessible and aspirational for a generation and cementing his status as its most recognizable ambassador.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Tony was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tony Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Tony's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Successfully landed the first documented 900 (two-and-a-half mid-air rotations) in competition at the 1999 X Games.
- Created the bestselling 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater' video game franchise, which debuted in 1999 and revolutionized sports gaming.
- Won 73 professional skateboarding competitions, including 16 X Games medals (10 gold) over his competitive career.
- Founded Birdhouse Projects, a seminal skateboard company that helped sustain the industry during a downturn in the early 1990s.
Did You Know?
He was nicknamed 'Birdman' early in his career due to his last name and thin, lanky physique.
He performed a skateboarding stunt for the opening sequence of 'The Simpsons' episode 'Bart's Inner Child.'
He established the Tony Hawk Foundation (now The Skatepark Project), which has funded over 600 public skateparks in low-income communities.
“I don't consider myself an artist. I consider myself a skateboarder. I just happen to use a skateboard as my medium.”
