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Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk took his sport to new heights. The San Diego native has had a storied career, winning the National Skateboard Association world championship 12 times in a row. Remarkably, Tony excelled at Vert skating as well, where he invented and executed some of the most popular skating tricks of all time. Undoubtedly, his contribution to skating has led to its growth. However, Tony once revealed that vert skating isn’t getting the recognition it deserves.

In an interview with Forbes, Tony revealed what sets vert skateboarding apart from street or park skateboarding. It has an element, he said, that one will never see in the Olympics.

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Why does vert skateboarding deserve more attention?

In May 2020, Forbes spoke to Tony Hawk after he teamed up with Vans. During the conversation, Tony revealed he wished vert skateboarding got more attention. Tony said, “I appreciate that park skating is more accessible to everyone, but there is this element of vert that continues to evolve, continues to push limits.” The skateboarding legend also said, “There are new tricks happening on vert all the time you will never see in park terrain or in the Olympics.”

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Vert is short for vertical skateboarding. Unlike park or street skateboarding, vert happens on a massive U-shaped contraption. It allows athletes to gather a lot of speed so that they can pull off tricks midair at each end of the platform. Tony himself was a master of the vert; he’s responsible for pulling off the first “900” at the 1999 X-Games.

 

 

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The “Birdman” also said that the Olympics are responsible for the growth of female skaters across the world. “There’s a smaller population of female vert skaters,” said Tony. However, Hawk produced a vert skateboarding event that ran alongside Vans’ Park Staking Series. He said that vert events like his will help it become more popular.

READ MORE: “He’s Been There From Day One”: Tony Hawk Who Lost His Skateboarding Partner Due to Cancer Surprised His Widow With a Kind Gesture in 2018

Both park and street skateboarding were part of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. While vert skateboarding is yet to be included in the Olympics, Tony continues to advocate for its popularity. Notably, the second edition of Tony Hawk’s ‘Vert Alert’ took place on Aug 27th and 28th, 2022.

Tony Hawk is always giving back

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The “Birdman” is skateboarding royalty. However, he never forgot about his roots. In 2020, during the pandemic, Hawk helped his first sponsor. Witt Rowlett’s Carlsbad Pipelines sponsored Hawk in 1986, and he came to the rescue in their time of need. Hawk nominated them for the Vans “Foot the Bill” program which saved the small business.

Watch this story – Tony Hawk, Magic Johnson and More: Here’s How These Athletes Turned Into Big Entrepreneurs

Tony Hawk is a pioneer and a philanthropist. He played a huge part in helping skateboarding gain recognition at the biggest stage in sports. Hawk also never hesitates to give back to the sport that elevated him to legendary status. Now that he has set his sights on helping vert skateboarding gain popularity, it won’t be long before it sees a trajectory similar to other variations of skateboarding.

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