Anthony Frank Hawk, famously known as Tony Hawk, is an American professional skateboarder. He retired in 2003 but continues to skate often. Nicknamed Birdman, Hawk is a pioneer of modern vertical skating.

However, an unusual realization during his career changed his perspective on the sport.

Tony Hawk and his moment of realization

In 2021, during an interview with Slamcity, Hawk talked about his skateboarding career, the ups and downs, and off-court topics. The legendary skateboarder also mentioned how an ankle injury helped him take a life-changing decision. Hawk understood that street skateboarding wouldn’t make him reach great heights.

During the discussion, the interviewer questioned Hawk on his view about vertical and street skating. To this, the iconic skateboarder remembered an incident where he realized that just doing street skating would not help him achieve great things in his career.

Hawk recalled, “It wasn’t really until the mid-nineties – after I’d started Birdhouse – when I had to make a pretty big decision that I can’t keep street skating because my ankles can’t take it.”

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Once, when Hawk was out with a few friends, he tried to execute a switch ollie down three stairs but ended up rolling and injuring his ankle. “In that moment I thought that if I wanted to keep skating, I’d have to stick to ramps,” Hawk said in the interview.

He decided to stick to vertical for most of his career, as he felt like he was not creating much of a difference with street style.

Hawk’s skateboarding achievements

The Birdman is widely credited as the skateboarder to perfect the “900” trick, first documented in 1999. In 2009, Hawk got invited by the-then-president Barack Obama to the White House for Father’s Day celebration. There he skated in the hallways of the famous White House with official permission. Hawk is the first-ever skateboarder to do so.

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Currently, Hawk owns a skateboard company called the Birdhouse and is also the founder of the Tony Hawk Foundation [now known as The Skatepark Project].