“That Felt Forced”: Tony Hawk Once Opened Up on Where He Draws the Line on Selling Out

Few athletes have influenced their sport, like Tony Hawk has influenced skateboarding. The skateboarding genius didn’t just perform never-before-seen tricks. He invented them. Tony’s exploits made him famous. During a point in his career, he received many endorsements and offers. However, didn’t accept them all.

During a 2021 interview with The New York Times, Tony explained where he drew the line on selling out.

Tony Hawk received some questionable offers

During his interview with David Marchese, Tony Hawk talked about his career and life. The interviewer asked Tony about endorsements. “So where was the line for what you would or wouldn’t endorse?” asked David. Tony said he didn’t accept endorsement offers just for the money. If Tony felt something “disconnected” the product from skateboarding, he wouldn’t endorse it.

He also said some products try to “Utilize skating’s cool factor to sell a product,” However, Tony feels endorsing such products would mean selling out. The skateboarding legend said, at times cologne companies have approached him. However, Tony felt otherwise. “I don’t think people are associating me with high fashion,” Tony told David.

However, the one “That felt forced” was an endorsement offer for gummy vitamins. According to Tony, unlike the popular gummy bears, they shaped these vitamin gummies like a skateboard. Tony had no problems with vitamin gummies. However, making a skateboard-shaped vitamin and getting him to endorse it to cater to skateboarding fans didn’t sit right with Hawk

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After listening to what Hawk had to say, the interviewer asked him why he endorsed Bagel Bites. Since the snacks also had nothing to do with the sport. However, Tony said his kids loved Bagel Bites. He was a consumer who bought the snack even before they approached him. “And they were going to pay me to do a commercial? Awesome.” said Tony.

What makes a sellout?

The skateboarding legend once revealed what he thought being a sellout was. “You only get called a sellout when people buy your stuff,” said Tony in an interview. When Hawk became a household name after his stellar performances at the X Games, people began buying products that he endorsed.

The 54-year-old also said he had signature products in the market since he was 14. However, purists didn’t call him a sellout since he wasn’t popular. “It was not selling,” said Tony in the interview.

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What do you make of Tony’s story? Do you think the skateboarding legend sold out?