History of Tony Hawk in Timeline
Tony Hawk, known as "Birdman," is a legendary American skateboarder and entrepreneur. He's credited with revolutionizing vertical skateboarding and was the first to land a documented "900" trick in 1999. Beyond his pro career, which ended in 2003, he founded the Birdhouse skateboard company and lent his name to a successful video game series by Activision. Hawk is widely considered one of skateboarding's most influential figures.
May 12, 1968: Birth of Tony Hawk
Tony Hawk was born on May 12, 1968, in San Diego, California.
1980: Start of Middle School
Tony Hawk attended Jean Farb Middle School starting in 1980.
1981: Television Debut and Turning Pro
In 1981, Tony Hawk made his television debut as "Skateboard Johnny" on Captain Kangaroo and became a professional skateboarder at the age of 14.
1986: High School Graduation
Tony Hawk graduated from Torrey Pines High School in 1986.
1986: Film Debut in "Thrashin'"
Tony Hawk made his film debut as a skateboarder and skater-double for Josh Brolin in the movie "Thrashin'" in 1986.
1987: Appearance in "Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol"
Tony Hawk made a brief appearance in the movie "Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol" in 1987.
1989: Role in "Gleaming the Cube"
Tony Hawk appeared as a skateboarder in the movie "Gleaming the Cube" in 1989.
April 1990: Marriage to Cindy Dunbar
In April 1990, Tony Hawk married Cindy Dunbar, whom he began dating in high school. They divorced in 1993.
December 6, 1992: Birth of Riley Hawk
On December 6, 1992, Tony Hawk's son Riley Hawk was born. Riley would later become a professional skateboarder.
1993: Divorce from Cindy Dunbar
In 1993, Tony Hawk and Cindy Dunbar divorced after a brief marriage.
1993: Editing Promotional Video
In 1993, Tony Hawk used a Video Toaster for his Amiga to edit a promotional video for the TurboDuo game Lords of Thunder.
1996: Marriage to Erin Lee
In 1996, Tony Hawk married Erin Lee. The couple had two children before divorcing in 2004.
June 27, 1999: Landing the First "900"
On June 27, 1999, Tony Hawk made history by becoming the first skateboarder to successfully land a "900" skateboarding trick.
1999: Birth of Spencer Hawk
In 1999, Tony Hawk and Erin Lee welcomed their first child, Spencer, who would later become an electronic music producer known as Gupi.
1999: Debut of "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater" Video Game Series
The first title in the "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater" video game series, based on Tony Hawk's skateboarding career, was released in 1999.
1999: First Documented "900" and Launch of Video Game Series
In 1999, Tony Hawk achieved a groundbreaking milestone by becoming the first skateboarder to successfully land a "900." The same year, the first video game in the "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater" series was released.
2000: Voice Role in "Max Steel"
Tony Hawk voiced himself in the animated series "Max Steel" in 2000.
2001: Birth of Second Child
In 2001, Tony Hawk and Erin Lee had their second child.
2002: Creation of Tony Hawk Foundation
In 2002, Tony Hawk created the Tony Hawk Foundation to address the lack of safe and legal skateparks in America.
2002: Start of Show Tour
In 2002, Tony Hawk started a show tour featuring freestyle motocross, skateboarding, and BMX. The tour began in Las Vegas and traveled to 31 cities across the U.S., eventually reaching Six Flags amusement parks.
2002: Role in "xXx"
Tony Hawk appeared in the film "xXx" in 2002, playing the role of one of Xander Cage's stuntman friends.
2003: Retirement from Professional Skateboarding
Tony Hawk retired from professional skateboarding competition in 2003.
2003: Retirement from X Games Performances
Tony Hawk retired from performing at the annual X Games in 2003.
2004: Launch of Demolition Radio
In 2004, Tony Hawk began hosting a weekly radio show on Sirius XM called "Tony Hawk's Demolition Radio."
2004: Divorce from Erin Lee
Tony Hawk and Erin Lee divorced in 2004 after eight years of marriage.
2004: Appearance on "MXC Almost Live"
Tony Hawk appeared as himself on a special "MXC Almost Live" episode of the TV show "MXC" in 2004.
2004: Appearance in "Deck Dogz"
Tony Hawk played himself in the Australian skateboarding movie "Deck Dogz" in 2004.
2006: Marriage to Lhotse Merriam
In 2006, Tony Hawk married Lhotse Merriam in a wedding ceremony held in Fiji, with Rancid playing as the wedding band.
2006: Cameo Appearances in Various Films
Tony Hawk made several cameo appearances in 2006, including roles in "Drake & Josh Go Hollywood," "The New Guy," "Jackass: The Movie," "Jackass Number Two," "3000 Miles," "Haggard: The Movie," and "Lords of Dogtown." He also voiced himself in the animated movie "Tony Hawk in Boom Boom Sabotage."
2007: Founding of Athletes for Hope
In 2007, Tony Hawk co-founded the charity Athletes for Hope alongside other sports legends to inspire community support through professional athletes.
2007: Launch of Tony Hawk's Big Spin
In 2007, a series of amusement park rides known as Tony Hawk's Big Spin were built in three Six Flags parks, designed to offer a full 'extreme sports' experience.
2008: Expansion of Tony Hawk's Big Spin
In 2008, additional Tony Hawk's Big Spin rides were constructed in Six Flags parks, continuing the 'Tony Hawk experience.'
2008: Birth of Child with Lhotse Merriam
In 2008, Tony Hawk and Lhotse Merriam had their only child together.
June 2009: White House Skateboarding and Hall of Fame Induction
In June 2009, Tony Hawk was invited to President Barack Obama's Father's Day celebration, where he famously skateboarded in the Old Executive Office Building. That same year, he was inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame.
2010: Rebranding of Tony Hawk's Big Spin
In 2010, Six Flags cancelled its license for Tony Hawk's Big Spin rides, renaming them to Pandemonium.
February 25, 2011: Hosting Cartoon Network's "Hall of Game" Awards
Tony Hawk hosted Cartoon Network's "Hall of Game" sports award show on February 25, 2011.
October 28, 2011: Appearance on "Epic Meal Time"
Tony Hawk appeared on the internet cooking show "Epic Meal Time" on October 28, 2011, to celebrate the show's one-year anniversary.
December 2011: Recognition by Transworld Skateboarding
In December 2011, Tony Hawk was listed by Transworld Skateboarding magazine as the second-most-influential skateboarder of all time, particularly for inventing the backside ollie to tail.
2011: Rebranding of Tony Hawk's Half Pipe
In 2011, the water park ride Tony Hawk's Half Pipe at Six Flags America in Bowie, Maryland, was renamed to The Half Pipe.
2011: Divorce from Lhotse Merriam
Tony Hawk and Lhotse Merriam divorced in 2011 after five years of marriage.
2012: Relocation of Tony Hawk's Big Spin
In 2012, the ride at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom was moved to Six Flags Mexico.
2012: Riley Hawk Joins Baker
In 2012, Reynolds recruited Tony Hawk's son Riley, then 19 years old, for his skateboard deck company, Baker.
2012: Bitcoin Investment
In 2012, Tony Hawk invested in Bitcoin, a decision that became a significant source of income and interest for him.
January 2013: Recognition by John Cardiel
In January 2013, professional skateboarder John Cardiel listed Tony Hawk as one of his most important influences, citing his innovative tricks and ramps.
July 20, 2013: Guest Appearance on "Handle It" Cooking Show
Tony Hawk made another guest appearance on "Epic Meal Time" on July 20, 2013, this time on the educational cooking show segment called "Handle It."
2013: Appearance in "The Aquabats! Super Show!"
Tony Hawk and Eric Koston appeared as reporters in an episode of "The Aquabats! Super Show!" in 2013.
June 27, 2015: Marriage to Cathy Goodman
On June 27, 2015, Tony Hawk married his fourth wife, Cathy Goodman, in a ceremony in Limerick, Ireland.
2015: Robert Wood Johnson Sports Award
In 2015, the Tony Hawk Foundation received the Robert Wood Johnson Sports award for its influential approach to using sports to build a culture of health in communities.
2015: Stunt Double in "Daddy's Home"
Tony Hawk served as a stunt double for Will Ferrell in the film "Daddy's Home" in 2015, sustaining an injury during filming.
June 27, 2016: Final "900"
On June 27, 2016, at the age of 48, Tony Hawk performed what he claimed to be his final 900.
February 2018: Collaboration with Emojipedia
In February 2018, Tony Hawk collaborated with Jeremy Burge to help design Emojipedia's skateboard emoji after criticizing the company's initial design.
June 2018: Tony Hawk Foundation Achievements
As of June 2018, the Tony Hawk Foundation had awarded US$5.8 million, aiding 596 skatepark projects.
2019: End of Demolition Radio
Tony Hawk's weekly radio show "Tony Hawk's Demolition Radio" concluded its run on Sirius XM in 2019.
2020: Renaming to The Skatepark Project
In 2020, the Tony Hawk Foundation was renamed to The Skatepark Project to better describe its mission.
2020: Contestant on "The Masked Singer"
Tony Hawk participated in season three of "The Masked Singer" as "Elephant" in 2020, becoming the first in Group B to be eliminated.
July 2021: Brief Return to Competitive Skateboarding
In July 2021, Tony Hawk briefly came out of retirement to compete in the Vert Best Trick event at the X Games, finishing in fourth place.
2021: Launch of Hawk vs. Wolf Podcast
In 2021, Tony Hawk partnered with fellow skateboarder and former SiriusXM host Jason Ellis to launch the weekly podcast "Hawk vs. Wolf."
July 22, 2022: Release of First Single
On July 22, 2022, Tony Hawk released his first single, a cover of The Jam's 'In the City', featuring punk rock supergroup Punk Rock Karaoke.
2022: Launch of The Last Trick Skateboard NFT
In 2022, Tony Hawk launched 'The Last Trick Skateboard', an NFT collection under his brand Autograph, combining cryptocurrency and sports to create digital value.
2022: Documentary Release and Voice Role in "The Casagrandes"
The HBO documentary "Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off" was released in 2022. The same year, Tony Hawk lent his voice to an episode of the animated series "The Casagrandes."
2023: Auction for Tyre Nichols Memorial Fund
In 2023, Tony Hawk auctioned a signed photograph of himself and Rick Thorne, donating 50% of the proceeds to the Tyre Nichols Memorial Fund, which plans to build a skate park in Nichols' honor.
2023: Performance with Goldfinger
In 2023, Tony Hawk joined Goldfinger on stage and sang 'Superman' during their performances at House of Blues and at the When We Were Young Festival.
January 2024: Tour with Birdman
In January 2024, Tony Hawk performed 'Superman' and a cover of Agent Orange's 'Bloodstains' with Australian band Birdman during his tour 'An Evening with Tony Hawk' across Australia.
March 27, 2024: Appearance on AEW Dynamite
On March 27, 2024, Tony Hawk appeared on AEW Dynamite in a pre-taped segment with Darby Allin.