Tony Hawk
Voices of Solidarity , 2023
Focus Areas
Tony Hawk is a skateboarding legend, dedicated philanthropist, and advocate for girls in sports. He builds safe, public skateparks for young people in low-income communities across America and around the world.
The most recognized action sports figure in the world, Tony Hawk was just nine years old when his brother changed his life by giving him a blue fiberglass Bahne skateboard. By 14, he’d turned pro, and by 16, he was widely considered the best skateboarder on earth. Tony was world champion 12 years in a row and is a 16-time X Games medalist. In 1999, he became the first skater to ever complete a 900, the holy grail of vert skating. Shortly thereafter, he teamed up with Activision to launch Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, now a billion-dollar video game franchise. He has created a Tony Hawk brand that includes Birdhouse Skateboards, Hawk Clothing, and the Tony Hawk Signature Series sporting goods and toys.
Tony served as a correspondent at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games for NBC when skateboarding became an Olympic sport for the first time. He has authored a New York Times bestseller, HAWK—Occupation: Skateboarder, and his book How Did I Get Here? The Ascent of an Unlikely CEO covers the business side of his career. In 2022, a biographical documentary film titled Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off, by award-winning director Sam Jones, debuted on HBO, giving an in-depth look at Tony’s legendary career and personal life. Tony also oversees his own film, television, and commercial production company, 900 Films.
In 2002, Tony founded The Skatepark Project (formerly the Tony Hawk Foundation). The organization has given away over $10 million to help fund more than 650 public skatepark projects throughout the United States that serve over 6 million visitors annually. He is long-time a champion of girls in sports, including through his work with Skateistan in Afghanistan.