“Money Dried Up…Took to the Streets”: Tony Hawk Opens Up on the Struggles of Skateboarders in 80s

The journey of skateboarding from being a sport that was frowned upon to attain Olympic status is incredible. It became mainstream after many people influenced the sport with their personalities and charisma. Tony Hawk, Bob Burnquist, and Shaun White all helped to raise the competitiveness in the sport. Recently, Hawk spoke about the changes in the sport from the 80s to the 2020s.

Tony Hawk reveals why people hated skateboarding

Back in time, there were a few skate parks that hosted the talent. Because of that, the skaters took it to the streets and used railings and steps to showcase their talents. As this happened, many people thought of them to be menacing on the streets and perceived that to be counterculture. Now, Hawk throws some light onto the same and reveals how the change took place over time.

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Tony said, “Through the 80s and 90s, skating was very niche. So there weren’t many facilities and they are all closed up when the money dried up and so all skaters took to the streets. They became considered the menaces of the streets because they’re skating public property. They’re just trying to find a place to do it.”

“But, that stigma stuck. They got crazy hairdos, and they listened to punk rock music and all those things were all counter-culture. So I feel like there’s an older generation that still sees it as such,” said Hawk.

Certainly, things are changing. This year’s Tokyo Summer Olympics 2020 saw skateboarding being recognized as an official sport in the competition. It’s come a long way. The younger generation is taking up the sport and showing their incredible talents to the  world and Hawk couldn’t be prouder.

Young generation at the Olympics

The sensational Tony Hawk also talked about the young people who are taking the sport to new heights. Back in Tokyo, the women’s street skateboarding event saw three young athletes standing on the podium. Not the mention, the gold medal went to Momiji Nishiya, who was just 13.

“But, a newer generation will tune into the Olympics and see young girls and see… a true melting pot of the world, competing with each other and cheering each other on. You don’t see that in any other Olympic sport,” said Hawk.

With the sport gaining attention from all corners of the world, skateboarding has turned over a new page. But even as we witness this exponential growth, may we never fail to credit Hawk, the greatest skateboarder of all time, who played the most important role in the sport’s unprecedented success.

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