Latest news with #TonyHawk'sProSkater
Business Insider
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
How Tony Hawk spends his 5-9: From playing with his grandson to taking creatine
There are two versions of Tony Hawk, but you wouldn't know it by looking at his home office. The shelves behind him on our video call are stacked with various knickknacks befitting of the icon of youth culture, like a coffee table book about the iconic '80s British punk band The Clash. And there's a sky blue skateboard propped up beside the wooden office door. For those who watched Hawk make his name (and tens of millions of dollars) as the first truly famous skateboarder, he is crystallized as forever young in their memories. Creating one of the most successful and best-loved video game series of all time, "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater," solidified that. ("Pro Skater 3+4," a remake of the 2001-2002 games where your character wheels around various skate spots, completing tricks and missions, drops Friday). The fact that he's pushing 60 is such a strange concept that it's an inside joke between him and fans who pretend not to recognize him. How could Tony Hawk — the kid at the skatepark who was imaginative, dogged, and dumb enough to pull off the types of tricks that helped skating go mainstream in the '80s and '90s — get old? The 2022 documentary "Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off" explores this tension. His friends say they hope he'll soon slow down over footage of him repeatedly smashing to the ground as he tries to recreate what's known as the 900. In 1999, Hawk landed the trick — which involves spinning 900 degrees midair — after trying for a decade. Before that, skaters had only dreamed of it. But when he recalls seriously breaking his leg in 2022 during our call, it's clear there are two Tonys: pre-and post-break Tony. He's no stranger to injuries, but snapping your femur in half at 53 is as bad as it sounds, and it took him 12 months to recover. Becoming a grandad was another profound change. (His son, Riley Hawk, and Frances Bean Cobain have a 10-month-old son. Yes, that Frances Bean Cobain). Now, for the first time ever, Hawk works out daily, diligently takes supplements, and, without a sliver of regret in his voice, tells me he is at peace with retiring skating moves that he pioneered — including the 900. All this, he says, means he can still skate at the iconic action sports competition, the X Games, starting that evening. I get the sense that now, at 57 years old, he applies the same blinkered focus that made his career to a new passion: aging well and having fun. For the latest installment of Business Insider's 5-9 series, Hawk shared how the post-break Tony spends his free time, as part of his partnership with CarGurus' "Big Deal" campaign, which celebrates life's biggest moments behind the wheel and beyond. Skating and supplements If I'm at home, we're up pretty early, usually by 6 or 6:30 a.m. Our daughter is turning 17 soon, and we make sure she gets out the door. I work for at least an hour and try to find time to skate, usually around 11 a.m. I have a ramp in my office that's about a 15-minute drive from here, so that's my happy place. Then just taking whatever comes — we are grandparents now, so maybe half the days he's here for a little while, and I try to work around that. It's just been so much fun having him. As soon as he comes into our door, he knows that it's all about him. You mentioned skating. Considering all the injuries you've had, how much do you think about longevity and aging? Do you set yourself up for the day by taking supplements, for instance? I do. I take some supplements including CoQ 10, a statin, multivitamins, and creatine, stuff like that. Honestly, a workout routine is something new to me. That's something I never did because I kind of prided myself on not being an athlete, so to speak. But at my age, I need something else to stay fit, to stay loose, to stay in motion. That's the one thing that has kept me at this level at my age. I'm literally flying to X Games in a couple hours, and I'll be on the ramp this evening. So that's kind of the state of things, and I love it. It's a blast. That's incredible. I watched the 2022 documentary "Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off," and your friend said that you are not slowing down, just doing more gnarly stuff. Is that how you approach aging? I have definitely slowed down since then. I broke my leg three years ago, after that documentary, and that changed everything for me in terms of assessing risk, my approach, my carelessness. My cavalier attitude to skating definitely changed in that recovery process. And for the better: I have a healthier relationship with skateboarding and risk. Would you say your attitude has also changed since you've had a grandchild? That helped to reiterate why I need to take it a little easier. I'm not breaking new ground necessarily, and I've let some techniques go. It's just more fun now. I value it more because of the injury and the recovery I went through. Every opportunity is a gift. Every ollie [a fundamental move where the skater and the board become airborne] is a thing to be cherished. That's how I feel now. Testing 'Pro Skater' and takeouts with the kids I love that. Tell me about what part of the day you come up with your best ideas, like creating " Pro Skater" or the insane feats you do, like skating over a Mini Cooper? It's usually when I'm falling asleep. Sometimes I have to wake up and write things down. When your brain is finally slowing down, I imagine. When it comes to the evenings, is dinner time family time for you? Yeah, we eat at home for the most part. If the kids are home for the weekend or whatever, we'll try to make sure that we do something at home. Generally, I'm ordering food if it's a big crew. If they're home, that means they're with their friends, and so it kind of keeps growing. One of our sons drove home late last night and got in at like 2 a.m. So they come and go, and we try to capture those moments. What's your go-to order? Oh, that's opening a can of worms. It's controversial? There's a really good Peruvian place here in Encinitas. That's one of our favorites. We're all over the place though. You name it: Mexican, Thai, Japanese. You have a very unique family: Kurt Cobain was your daughter-in-law's father. When you go out as a family, do people recognize you and talk to you? They're mostly respectful and friendly, or they're confused. They see my face and they'd know it from somewhere, or they didn't imagine that I could have grown old. And so there's a lot of confusion in that. It happens all the time. But I never aspired to fame. To have it is strange, but I've learned to live with it, and it's amazing. I mean, just the fact that people will tell me that a video game changed their interests and their musical tastes. I'm hugely proud of those kinds of things. In the evening are you on the go, even before bed? I just can't imagine you taking a day off. It's pretty rare, but they do happen. And when they happen, we're usually planning stuff with our kids. How often do you have a day off where you just do nothing? Well, I could tell you right now, I'm looking at my calendar. There were four this month. OK. Wow, that's pretty intense. Do you play "Pro Skater" to wind down? [laughs] Yes and no. I usually find time to play that during the day. That still is kind of a job in terms of R and D, but it's close to release, so it's not like we're making any changes. My job is kind of done there. My wife and I just try to unwind and watch something, catch up on a show or a documentary, something like that.
Scoop
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Devilskin Release New Single 'Half-Life Of Dreams' Ahead Of Nationwide Re-Evolution NZ Tour
'Half-life of Dreams' is focused, bold, motivated and driven. It immediately states its intent with a seductive riff evolving into an inescapable spiral of groove. Vocalist Jennie Skulander's flawless delivery is mesmerising and hooks jump out of this song from start to finish. 'Half-life of Dreams' is undeniably classy and emotionally raw. Musically, 'Half-life of Dreams' was composed within three hours and urges a refreshed take on Devilskin's hard-hitting sound, while retaining the nostalgia of a 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater' video game soundtrack. Frontwoman Jennie Skulander delivers a soaring yet honest exploration into her struggles with insomnia and sleep medications. 'My sole intention behind composing 'Half-life of Dreams' was to write a 'fun banger' that is both reminiscent of Devilskin's decorated past, yet brings a refined and modern perspective to our sound', says drummer Nic Martin. 'I vividly recall Jennie's response to the demo: 'F*#@ yes. I'm so excited for this album'; when she's locked in, there's no stopping her.' Martin continues: 'I'm really proud to create a song that she felt like she could be a little more vulnerable with, while still ensuring it's an absolute earworm that's sure to captivate rock listeners around the world.' The stellar production, courtesy of Dave Rhodes is vivid and touchingly highlights the profound despair in the lyrics – the tale of someone haunted by insomnia, searching for a remedy that ultimately comes with the weight of addiction. The honesty is palpable, and the band sound even more confident as the re-evolution of Devilskin continues. At the end of this month, make sure to catch them live this winter when they hit the road nationwide with very special guests Villainy and Midwave Breaks. Renowned for their A-game live shows, Devilskin have a well-earned, solid reputation for always bringing their fierce energy and compelling presence to the stage. Featuring a solid arsenal of cracking tour hits and new music to up the pace and satiate their audience, with every sensational performance Devilskin are adept at further cementing their place in the hearts of hard rock and metal fans nationwide. Round up your mates and secure your tickets now!
New York Times
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Skateboarders Are Defying Gravity Once Again
Tony Hawk took skateboarding to new heights in 1999 when, high above a halfpipe at the X Games, he began furiously spinning, completing two and a half turns in the air before gliding gracefully back onto the ramp. The 900 — named for the number of degrees of rotation the move requires — had seemed impossible, but Mr. Hawk, his sport's biggest star, had landed it, rewriting the rules of what could be done on a skateboard and exposing the sport to a far more mainstream audience. Then, shortly after his moment of triumph, Mr. Hawk's form of gravity-defying skating began fading away, nearly to the point of extinction. It was replaced by a street style that was more easily learned at skate parks, with an entire generation of skaters leaving the giant ramps behind. That, however, is starting to change. Social media has been flooded in recent months with videos of prepubescent skateboarders launching themselves off ramps and flying into the air, landing the kinds of tricks that experienced skaters have been reluctant to attempt. They are shifting the paradigm with their gravity-defying moves, and inspiring other kids around the world to try the same. Mr. Hawk's style of vertical skating — 'vert' to those who practice it — is making a comeback, and he is desperate to turn that momentum into a return of the event at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Vert is skateboarding in its most spectacular form. Its simplicity, combined with the pure excitement in its perilous maneuvers, makes it easy for those who don't skate to understand. Mr. Hawk, thanks to his 900 and the wildly popular video game that followed in its wake, 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater,' had cemented himself as the face of the sport in the early 2000s. But, unbeknown to his new admirers, his dedication to vert was a case of clinging to the past. 'It's still kind of considered niche,' Mr. Hawk said in an interview, discussing the current state of vert skateboarding. 'That's what's hard for me to accept.' The reality is that Mr. Hawk's accomplishments on vert ramps had simply made the practice seem more popular than it was. Renton Millar, a former professional skater and the head of the Vert Skating Commission for World Skate, the sport's governing body, said vert skaters like Mr. Hawk have typically been a minority, 'who stand out because it is so rad.' Enter people like Tom Schaar, a 25-year-old skater who many view as vert's next big star and a potential bridge between older generations and the next one — the kids who are finding the sport through social media. Mr. Schaar, who is signed to Mr. Hawk's Birdhouse skateboard company, was born the year Mr. Hawk landed his first 900. He rode his first real vert ramp at age six, and later managed to land a 900 and a 1080 in the same year. He was 12 years old. 'The 900 took a lot longer,' Mr. Schaar said of learning the two difficult tricks. 'Once you get over the fear of kind of doing those extra spins, they kind of all just blur together into one big spinning mess.' Vert rewards the type of consequence-blind actions that are typical of an adolescent, and adolescents are shaping the style's future. 'Young skaters have more resources,' Mr. Hawk said. 'They have training facilities now, and children are encouraged to start skating. That wasn't the case when we were young. Children were discouraged from skating. It was a bad influence, with no future.' Mr. Hawk said it took him 10 years of attempting it before he landed the 900, finally achieving the feat when he was 31 years old. Now, he watches in awe as young skaters build on his accomplishments and those of his peers. Last year, Arisa Trew became the first female skater to land a 900. She was 13 years old at the time. 'Some of the kids, as soon as they start riding, they are fascinated with aerials and they know what is possible,' Mr. Hawk said. 'To them, a 540 is just a starting point. A 540 wasn't even created until I was in my teens, you know?' Mr. Hawk, ever the evangelist, knows what he wants to happen next. The Summer Olympics are heading to Los Angeles in 2028. Southern California is the global epicenter of skateboarding, and Mr. Hawk has been, as he puts it, 'hustling' to get vert added as an event. It would increase the visibility of the form and, Mr. Hawk believes, lead to more vert ramps being built. To help get things started, he's willing to put his own equipment on the line. 'I would give them my ramp,' Mr. Hawk said feverishly. 'I would say 'Here's the terrain. Find a place for it, and it's all yours.' I have the best vert ramp in the world, and it's portable. It can be assembled in a couple of hours. It's all yours.' The International Olympic Committee will issue its final decision on vert and other events for the 2028 Olympics at its next executive board meeting on April 9. Many skaters believe having a vert competition is an obvious choice for the Olympics, but it was left out of the 2020 and 2024 Games, Mr. Hawk said, because of bureaucratic challenges, and an overall lack of vert skaters at the time. Mr. Schaar, who also excels at park-style skating, took home a silver medal in that event at the 2024 Olympics. But he competes in that style out of necessity; vert remains his primary passion. 'When my grandma's watching the Olympics, street and park are very technical for someone who doesn't understand skating,' Mr. Schaar said. Mr. Hawk said that at the time the discussions to add skateboarding to the 2020 Games, he knew there were not enough vert skaters left to constitute a competitive field. As the sport's popularity has grown, however, so has his public advocacy. 'The gap between genders and the quality of skating around the globe was big back then,' said Luca Basilico, who oversees skateboarding for World Skate. 'It was another time. But we're not there anymore.' To get to this point, the sport has had to let go of its past. By the time he landed the 900, Mr. Hawk and his cohort — holdovers from the 1980s when vert was the dominant style of skateboarding — were aging out of their professional careers. Very few vert skaters were coming up behind them, leaving Mr. Hawk as one of the few loud voices pushing for it to continue. 'People who skate today, especially those who are 25 and older, they will all tell you that they started skating because of Tony Hawk in some way,' said Jimmy Wilkins, a pre-eminent vert skater. 'Even if that's not the case, they probably grew up skating in a park he built for them.' The young skaters reviving the art of vert on Instagram, however, are not so closely tied to Mr. Hawk. They were born after his big moments. Their innovation and advancement of the form is its own, new thing. Elliot Sloan, a 36-year-old vert skater who went pro in 2008, described a 'huge gap' between generational cohorts of vert skaters, which had made his own pursuit fairly lonely. He considered himself lucky to have been a part of a sport that was still alive, thanks in large part to Mr. Hawk's successes in the late 1990s. Mr. Hawk's accomplishments are far in the past, however, and Mr. Wilkins and Mr. Sloan are decidedly vert elders. And the skaters coming up behind them are getting incredibly good, incredibly fast. 'I've just seen so many of these kids start coming up being like seven years old, and I'm thinking 'This kid's pretty good,' ' Mr. Sloan said. 'And then the next thing you know, I'm competing against him.' 'The greatest thing in the vert resurgence is the bit of groundswell that it has with the kids,' said Mr. Millar. 'There's a number of vert facilities around the world, where, in the past, there was almost none.' While the rise of young vert skaters has shocked some veterans, it has allowed Mr. Hawk to keep pushing it back into the public eye. But no matter the era, the popularity or the visibility of the sport, it cannot be separated from the man himself, who has stuck to his old habits, despite his official retirement. 'I've gotta go skate,' he said at the conclusion of an interview. His friend Bucky Lasek, another legend of the 1990s, was coming over. They were going to spend the day on Mr. Hawk's personal ramp.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Activision to release 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4': New skaters, tricks, parks, more
In the fall of 1999, video game heads and skateboarders eagerly anticipated the release of what would become one of the most iconic skateboard video games in history: "Tony Hawk Pro Skater." Now, 25 years later, fans will be able to indulge once more with the release of "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4" this summer. The new game blends content from "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3" (2001) and "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4" (2002), in addition to new skater characters, tricks, parks and an updated soundtrack. The release comes five years after the franchise released "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2," a blend of the franchise's two first games, in 2020. With more than 15 games in the franchise, "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater" debuted on Sept. 29, 1999. Games in the franchise encourage players to perform different tricks to increase a player's points and complete missions. The game was produced by Activision and Iron Galaxy Studios. More: Backflip to the future: The lasting legacy of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Here's what to know about the latest release, "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4." "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4." releases on July 11. Customers to pre-order the game will receive access to the Foundry Demo (a trial version of the game) in June and early access to the full game on July 8. For the first time in 10 years, the franchise will feature new parks to play in "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4." The video game also allows for cross-platform online multiplayer for up to eight players. "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4" will feature skaters from the original games like Tony Hawk, Bucky Lasek, Steve Caballero, Kareem Campbell, Geoff Rowley, Andrew Reynolds, Elissa Steamer, Chad Muska, Eric Koston, Rodney Mullen, Jamie Thomas, Rune Glifberg and Bob Burnquist. The game will also feature new skaters Rayssa Leal, Chloe Covell, Jamie Foy, Zion Wright and Yuto Horigome. "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4" will be available on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC, through Steam, and the Microsoft Store. "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4" will be available for the suggested retail price of $49.99 on all platforms. The Digital Deluxe Edition of the game will be available for the suggested retail price of $59.99. This edition includes exclusive content like the characters Doom Slayer and Revenant, in-game skate decks and Create-a-Skater items. The Collector's Edition of the game will be available for the suggested retail price of $129.99. It includes everything in the Digital Deluxe Edition, in addition to a limited edition, full-size Birdhouse skateboard deck with a printed Tony Hawk autograph. For more information about the game and to purchase online, visit Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4' releasing this summer: What to know
