The iconic skateboarder Tony Hawk is the perfect example of the adage, legends never die. It’s been 2 decades since he retired from professional skateboarding. However, the hold that the stalwart of skateboarding has on the sport at present is the same that he did when he was 16 and at the top of his game. Some athletes transcend their sport to become a common name on everyone’s lips. With his victories and his achievements, Tony Hawk was able to do the same.

To date, fans remember the wiry young kid he was when he started competing in competitions. His unusual disposition was complemented by his skating skills which stole the hearts of millions. Recently, Tony Hawk shared an old interview from when he was a young boy with floppy blond hair that fell perfectly off his skull. It was a perfect peek into his past.

Tony Hawk reminisces about his golden past

The post was shared on his official Instagram page. It was old footage of an interview he gave during an old event. The footage was from the year 1987 when Tony Hawk was 19 years old. In the caption to the post, he wrote, “Local news coverage of a Bones Brigade tour stop in White Marsh, MD by @wmar2news. Not sure about the shop owner’s assessment of why kids chose skateboarding back then but it feels very 1987.”

He further added, “This was an average day for us on an 8-week tour with very little down time… if any. And my hair was glorious. Thanks for the great memories”. It is true that the video reveals the perfect golden locks sported by the skateboarding legend at 19, along with footage of him showing off his unimpeachable skating skills. But his influence over the sport is not limited to the fame he attained at a very young age. Tony Hawk is the man responsible for turning skateboarding into a mainstream sport.

Read more: “You Can Teach Me”: Local Skateboarder Who Accidentally Invented a Trick, Off to Coach ‘Birdman’ Tony Hawk

It was 1979 when Tony Hawk first remembers skating. He was on a trip to Oasis Skatepark, near his hometown of San Diego, when he saw kids skating under Interstate 805. For the 11-year-old Hawk, it felt like the kids were “flying”. So he tried his hand at one or two tricks as well, and as he ran up the wall with his skateboard, he himself was flying as well. From that point on, skating was his life. Now, years later, he has left competitive skating but still works to further the interests of the sport through his acts.

A prodigy since childhood

Through his technical innovations, successful equipment and apparel companies, and tireless promotional work, Tony Hawk was responsible for the progression of skating like none other before him. He dominated the sport during the 1980s and the 1990s, and during his career, won 73 professional titles. For Tony Hawk, innovation was the name of the game. He invented many tricks during his career, including the ollie-to-Indy, the gymnast plant, the frontside 540-rodeo flip, and the Saran wrap.

However, at one point in time, the pressure that comes with fame started to wear on his mental and physical health. In fact, Tony Hawk has later come forward to speak about the mental and physical pressure that skaters face and the lack of compassion and awareness regarding the same. Bullying and working long hours was a common theme, a phenomenon that Hawk refers to in the caption of his Instagram post as well. However, Tony Hawk did his part, transcending the sport as he grew up to become the most influential figure in skateboarding.

Watch This Story: Burdened With ‘Two Mortgages, a Newborn, and Dropping Income’, Tony Hawk Thought His Skateboarding Career Was Done in the 90s