TONY Hawk is a legendary skateboarder who vaulted the sport into the mainstream in the latter part of the 20th century.
Nicknamed the Birdman, he is regarded as one of the most influential skateboarders of all time.
Who is Tony Hawk?
Anthony Hawk was born on May 12, 1968 in San Diego, California.
As a child, Hawk was described as "hyperactive," but soon developed a love for skateboarding as an outlet for his excessive energy.
By the age of 14 he went professional and was officially recognised as the National Skateboard Association world champion for 12 consecutive years.
However, stardom only came for Hawk when he starred in ESPN’s first-ever X Games in 1995.
Four years later, he became the first skateboarder ever to land the 900, the equivalent of the four-minute mile, according to The New York Times.
The 900 is a "dangerous two-and-a-half revolution spin off a vertical ramp," according to The Times.
Hawk completed the feat during the sixth X Games in June of 1999.
"This is the best day of my life, I swear to God!" Hawk said at the time.
"I couldn't have done it without you [fans]."
He retired from competing professionally in the extreme sport in 2003.
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What is Tony Hawk's net worth?
Hawk is the highest-earning professional skateboarder in history, and his eponymous video game has generated billions in revenue.
He was earning as much as $100,000 annually as a teen, according to CNBC, and bought his first home when he was still in high school.
“That was one of the smartest things I ever did, because it definitely put my money away [and] made it grow eventually,” Hawk told the outlet in 2018.
He was only 17 when the home purchase was made.
As of March 2022, Tony Hawk is believed to have a net worth of $140million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
How is Tony Hawk doing now?
In March 2022, Hawk revealed that he had incurred a potentially life-changing injury after suffering a broken femur.
The daredevil told his seven million followers: “Yesterday sucked. "I broke my elbow 20 years ago and managed to make a full comeback; this recovery for a broken femur will be much harder because of its severity (and my age). But I'm up for the challenge."
Hawk said he wouldn’t stop skating until he’s unable to.
He posted: “A broken leg – with plenty of hardware – will probably be the biggest test of that creed.”
Hawk vowed he would be back although warned it may not be at the highest level.
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The athlete said skateboarding "nourishes" his mental health.
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