Editing Tony Hawk (section)

===Skateboarding===
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Tony Hawk is a trailblazer in vertical, or "[[Vert skateboarding|vert]]", skateboarding, and remains one of the most iconic figures in the sport's history. He got his first skateboard at age nine, a gift from his older brother, and by 12, he was already dominating amateur competitions across [[California]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tony Hawk |url=https://californiamuseum.org/inductee/tony-hawk/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=California Museum }}</ref>

Turning professional at just 14, Hawk quickly rose to the top; by 16, he was widely recognized as the best competitive skateboarder in the world. By the age of 25, he had entered 103 professional [[Competition|contests]], winning 73 and finishing second in 19—a staggering record that may never be matched. He also held the title of National Skateboard Association vert skating world champion for an unprecedented 12 consecutive years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=IN THE BEGINNING |url=https://www.tonyhawk.com/in-the-beginning |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=Official Tony Hawk website}}</ref>

Tony pioneered late-grab airs – which a few early grabbing pros called cheating at the time – and [[Invention|invented]] over 100 [[Skateboarding trick|tricks]], including the backside Ollie to tail, varial, frontside hurricane, rodeo flip, stalefish, and Ollie 540.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Todd |date=2020-04-18 |title=Tony Hawk SHoF 2009 |url=https://skateboardinghalloffame.org/shof-2009/tony-hawk-2009/ |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Museum |language=en-US}}</ref>

With the money he made from skateboarding, Hawk bought his first house during his senior year in high school.<ref name=":1" />
[[File:Tony Hawk ollie.jpg|thumb|Hawk skating in 1987 (Wassenaar, Netherlands)]]
On June 27, 1999, Hawk became the first skateboarder to land a "[[900 (skateboarding)|900]]", a trick involving the completion of two-and-a-half mid-air revolutions on a skateboard, in which he was successful on his twelfth attempt. After completing the trick, Hawk said, "This is the best day of my life."<ref>{{cite web |title=Tony Hawk lands the first 900 - X Games Five |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YYTNkAd |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204233826/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YYTNkAd |archive-date=2021-02-04 |url-status=dead |via=Youtube.com |access-date=April 10, 2011}}</ref> He retired from professional competition that year,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.si.com/edge/2015/09/02/si-vault-tony-hawk-tim-layden-skateboarding |title=What is this grown man doing on a skateboard? Making millions |author=Layden, Tim |date=June 10, 2002 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=December 1, 2019}}</ref> but Hawk continued to appear at the annual [[X Games]] until 2003, when he retired from performing. On June 27, 2016, at age 48, Hawk performed what he claimed would be his final 900. In a video posted on the [[YouTube]] RIDE Channel, Hawk said, "Spencer was there on my first one, and now he was there on my last", after successfully landing a 900.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.foxsports.com/wwe/story/tony-hawk-900-at-age-48-062816 |title=48-year-old Tony Hawk can still land a 900 |last=Schwartz |first=Nick |date=June 28, 2016 |work=[[Fox Sports]] |access-date=June 28, 2016}}</ref>

Hawk was invited to US president [[Barack Obama]]'s June 2009 Father's Day celebration and skated in the hallways of the nearby [[Old Executive Office Building]] on the White House grounds. This was the first time anyone had skateboarded on the White House grounds with permission from officials.<ref>{{cite web |last=Siegel |first=Joel |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=7890671&page=1 |title=Skating at White House: Bad or Rad? |work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=June 20, 2009 |access-date=June 21, 2013}}</ref> In 2009, Hawk was inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame at its inaugural ceremony.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.skateboardinghalloffame.org/projects/2009-tony-hawk/ |title=Skateboarding Hall of Fame — 2009 Tony Hawk |work=Skateboarding Hall of Fame |access-date=October 14, 2015 |archive-date=November 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122094118/http://www.skateboardinghalloffame.org/projects/2009-tony-hawk/ |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.bennettawards.com/projects/2015/6/30/custom-bennett-awards-presented-to-skateboarding-hall-of-fame-inductees |title=Custom Bennett Awards Presented to Skateboarding Hall of Fame Inductees |website=BennettAwards.com |access-date=February 13, 2017 |language=en-US}}</ref>

As of April 2020, Hawk is sponsored by [[Birdhouse Skateboards|Birdhouse]], [[Vans]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://solecollector.com/news/2020/04/vans-tony-hawk-partnership |title=Vans and Tony Hawk Announce Partnership |website=Sole Collector |language=en |access-date=2020-04-15}}</ref> [[Independent Truck Company|Independent]], [[Powell Peralta|Bones]], and [[Nixon (company)|Nixon]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://bones.com/team/tony-hawk/ |title=Tony Hawk - Bones Wheels Team |website=Bones Wheels |access-date=February 13, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nixon.com/nl/en/team-tony.html |title=Tony Hawk {{!}} Team | website= Nixon Watches and Premium Accessories|language= en|access-date=February 13, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://independenttrucks.com/#team |title=Independent Trucks |website=independenttrucks.com |language=en |access-date=February 13, 2017}}</ref> His current Pro model shoe is the Proto.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://flare.lakai.com/features/proto |title=Tony Hawk Pro Model - Proto - Lakai |website=lakai.com |language=en |access-date=October 15, 2019}}</ref> Hawk was formerly sponsored by Theeve.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tony Hawk on Theeve Trucks |url=http://skateboarding.transworld.net/1000095781/news/tony-hawk-on-theeve-trucks/ |work=Transworld Skateboarding |publisher=Bonnier Corp |access-date=January 18, 2013 |author=Blair Alley |date=November 27, 2009}}</ref>

In July 2021, Hawk briefly ended his competitive retirement to participate in the Vert Best Trick event at that year's X Games, finishing in fourth place out of nine competitors.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bruton |first1=Michelle |title=Tony Hawk Competes In First X Games Skateboard Vert Best Trick Contest Since 2003; Gui Khury Lands First 1080 |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/michellebruton/2021/07/16/tony-hawk-competes-in-first-x-games-skateboard-vert-best-trick-contest-since-2003-gui-khury-lands-first-1080/?sh=1ba571de2ffd |access-date=7 January 2022 |work=[[Forbes]] |date=July 16, 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Summer 2021 Skateboard Vert Best Trick |url=http://www.xgames.com/xgames/events/2021/summer/results/31637795/skateboard_vert_best_trick |publisher=[[X Games]] |access-date=7 January 2022 |archive-date=January 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108224914/http://www.xgames.com/xgames/events/2021/summer/results/31637795/skateboard_vert_best_trick |url-status=dead}}</ref>