As a kid who grew up in the 90’s, extreme sport (or as they call it now action sports) was nothing short of amazing.
Watching the X-Games in the summer was required viewing growing, especially when Tony Hawk hit the halfpipe. He was (and still is) the greatest skater of all time, and here’s something I didn’t realize till it popped up on my newsfeed. Seventeen years ago today, the impossible happened: the Birdman landed The 900 for the first time.
Every time I see it happen, I can’t believe what I just saw. At that moment, Hawk became part of pop culture. From all the videogames that came out, to the countless skaters that tried to land the move after him, it made skateboarding part of the mainstream. After starting out as a movement in Dogtown to that moment when the Birdman went two-and-a-half rotations in the air, nothing could top it.
But back to the anniversary. Now Tony Hawk is 48 years old and he went for it one more time. And it was pretty similar to the first time: he kept failing on the trick, but got back up the ramp and tried again. Just never giving up until he pulled it off.
To see someone like him at the age that he is and everything he’s done for the industry of skateboarding is nothing short of phenomenal.
-Clint Domingue