About this episodeTony Hawk shares his journey from being a bullied outsider in the 70s and 80s to becoming a global brand ambas…AI summary
Tony Hawk shares his journey from being a bullied outsider in the 70s and 80s to becoming a global brand ambassador, emphasizing that resilience and self-belief are more important than external validation. He discusses the importance of maintaining control over one's brand and intellectual property, citing early career mistakes where he signed away rights, and advises artists to keep authenticity and ownership. The conversation highlights how skateboarding provided a sense of belonging and taught him perseverance, lessons he now applies to philanthropy through the Skate Park Project.
Key takeaways 6
Resilience through rejection: Hawk was the only skater in his school, faced severe bullying, and was even spit on by a pro, yet he persisted because skating provided a sense of accomplishment and community that he couldn't find elsewhere.
Brand ownership is critical: Hawk lost significant income and control in the early 90s when his popularity waned because he had signed away rights to his name and likeness. He now demands final approval on all products bearing his name, a lesson learned the hard way.
The '10,000 hours' reality: Hawk notes that for every hour of success, there are likely 9,000 hours of failure (bailing on concrete), but the fun and freedom make the pain incidental.
DIY culture creates opportunity: The self-sufficient nature of skateboarding (building ramps, filming, designing) spawned entire industries and job opportunities for photographers, hardware makers, and entrepreneurs.
Social media accelerates skill acquisition: Unlike the 80s where skaters had to wait for magazines or videos, modern skaters can learn new tricks instantly via social media, allowing talent from anywhere (e.g., Louisville, France) to compete globally.
Philanthropy as legacy: Hawk's proudest achievement is not the 900 trick or video games, but helping build over 800 public skate parks to provide safe spaces and belonging for kids from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Notable quotes 5AI-generated: wording and quote attribution may be wrong. Use the play link to verify.
“Find what you love and let it kill you.”
▶ 05:24Hawk agrees with this Bukowski quote, explaining that despite the physical toll of skateboarding, the exhilaration and freedom made the injuries incidental.
“I never looked at that [the video game success] with that view... I just wanted to be involved with this just so I can make it authentic for skaters and maybe inspire a skater to buy a PlayStation to play this game.”
▶ 35:18Hawk explains his initial motivation for joining the Tony Hawk video game project was purely for authenticity and community support, not realizing it would become his primary source of wealth and fame.
“Keep control. ... I fought for that [final approval] every time afterwards because the video games did so well.”
Hawk advises artists and creators to maintain ownership and final say over their brand, contrasting his current success with early career mistakes where he signed away rights.
“It's expected. It's accepted. And you're not talked about in a B. Oh, you fell. You fail... actually, you're encouraged to get back on.”
▶ 01:01:42Hawk describes the unique culture of skateboarding where failure is part of the process and resilience is celebrated, unlike many other competitive environments.
“The Olympics needs skateboarding more than skateboarding needs Olympics.”
▶ 43:10Hawk explains his cavalier attitude toward getting skateboarding into the Olympics, believing the sport already had its cool factor and big events, while the Olympics needed skateboarding's relevance.
Chapters & Sections (104)▼
00:00Growing Up with Older Parents or Grandparentschapter2
00:00The Evolution of Skateboarding Culture
01:07Family Background and Parental Age Discussion
01:52Balancing Family Life and Personal Ambitionschapter3
01:52Perseverance and Staying Motivated in Midlife
02:14Parenting and Family Life Experiences
02:34Considering Vasectomy as a Family Planning Option
03:08Vasectomy Risks and Unplanned Pregnancieschapter
04:07Resilience in the Face of Adversitychapter3
04:07Resilience in the Face of Failure and Adversity
04:53The Joy of Skateboarding and Creative Pursuits
05:46Skateboarding Culture in the 1970s and 1980s
06:26Overcoming Obstacles as a Skateboarder in Schoolchapter
07:36Overcoming Bullying as a Young Athletechapter
08:36Early Influences and Discovering One's Passionchapter3
08:36Early Exposure to Skate and Surf Culture
09:01Early Life Influences and Career Ambitions
09:36Early Life Experiences Influencing Career Choices
09:59Early Days of Competitive Skateboardingchapter
12:06Advancements in Technology and Information Accessibilitychapter2
12:06Evolution of Skills in the Digital Age
12:43Advancements in Skateboard Technology and Accessibility
13:20Early 90s Skate Culture and Music Scenechapter
14:49Overcoming Adversity through Skateboardingchapter
16:12Overcoming Obstacles through DIY and Perseverancechapter
17:53The Significance of Skateboarding in Personal Growthchapter2
17:53Parental Influence on Children's Passion for Skateboarding
18:53The Significance of Skate Culture and Community
19:36The Impact of Skateboarding on Urban Youthchapter1
19:36The Impact of Skateboarding on Urban Youth
20:55Overcoming Ageism in Extreme Sportschapter6
20:55Respect for Experience in Extreme Sports
21:24Overcoming Ageism and Skateboarding Prejudice
21:56Resilience and Perseverance in Creative Pursuits
22:37Evolution of Skateboarding Culture and Style
23:06Early Influences of Pool Skating Development
23:38Types of Skateboarding Disciplines Explained
24:35Learning to Fall and Survive in Action Sportschapter2
24:35The Art of Falling and Landing in Sports
25:23Technique of Knee Sliding in Ramp Skating
25:55Elitism in Skateboarding and Other Action Sportschapter
27:40Importance of Believing in Oneself and Passionchapter2
27:40Overcoming Bullying through Self-Belief and Passion
28:18Importance of Community in Skate Culture
28:51The Financial Reality of Pursuing Passionchapter
30:28Overcoming Financial Struggles and Career Challengeschapter
31:51The Power of Authenticity in Gaming Successchapter
33:42Importance of Online Security and Data Protectionchapter2
33:42Importance of Online Security and Data Protection
34:46Perseverance and Authenticity in Career Longevity
35:42Perseverance and Resilience in Pursuing Passionschapter
37:26Importance of Skate Parks for Underprivileged Kidschapter
38:53Skating and Community Involvementchapter
40:08Overcoming Adversity and Achieving Greatnesschapter3
40:08Overcoming Adversity and Achieving Success
40:48Perseverance in Overcoming Challenging Obstacles
41:10Overcoming Adversity and Staying Motivated
41:27The Challenges of Mastering a Difficult Skateboarding Trickchapter3
41:27Overcoming Challenges in Extreme Sports
42:06Record-Breaking Skateboarding Tricks and Achievements
42:31Skateboarding in the Olympics and Tony Hawk's Achievements
43:00Skateboarding's Inclusion in the Olympicschapter3
43:00The Importance of Skateboarding in the Olympics
43:37Overcoming Self-Doubt and Unexpected Opportunities
43:57Avoiding Corporate Politics in Skateboarding
44:26Breakdancing Judgement and Cultural Expectationschapter3
44:26The Power of Being a Fan and Inspiration
45:05Judging Talent and Performance in Competition
45:46Judging Skill in Action Sports
46:07Comparing Gymnastics and Skateboarding Techniqueschapter1
46:07Comparing Gymnastics and Skateboarding Techniques
47:15Maintaining Creative Control in Businesschapter2
47:15Artist Control and Brand Management
48:03Systemic Oppression and Corporate Negotiations
48:43Importance of Authenticity in Career Growthchapter
50:13The Impact of Skateboarding on Entrepreneurship and Communitychapter4
50:13The Impact of Skateboarding on Entrepreneurship
51:15Unlocking Potential in Others
51:40The Importance of Safety in Extreme Sports
52:10Risks and Injuries in Street Skating
52:47Overcoming Fear in Extreme Sportschapter3
52:47Thrill Seeking and Risk Taking in Sports
53:25Overcoming Fear in High-Risk Skateboarding Situations
54:06Designing and Testing a Skate Ramp
54:31Breaking Down Barriers in Skateboarding Culturechapter
56:01Hip-Hop Influences and Favorite Artistschapter
57:36Design and Features of Skate Shoeschapter2
57:36Designing Ideal Skate Shoes for Performance
58:28Discussion of Skate Shoes and Ramp Skating
58:54Importance of Regular Physical Activitychapter1
58:54Importance of Regular Physical Activity
01:00:20The Importance of Skateparks for Youth Developmentchapter
01:01:53New Business Opening in San Diegochapter
01:03:06Importance of Long-Term Friendships and Supportchapter2
01:03:06Recreating a Childhood Skateboarding Bowl
01:03:44Importance of Long-Term Friendships in Life
01:04:29Skateboarding Community and Mentorshipchapter2
01:04:29Receiving a Gift from a Celebrity
01:04:57Shoutouts to Young and Upcoming Skateboarders
01:05:36Importance of Skate Parks and Community Supportchapter2
01:05:36Appreciation for Local Support and Community
01:06:00Importance of Skate Park Safety and Support
01:06:44Importance of Conversation and Critical Thinkingchapter1
01:06:44Importance of Conversation and Critical Thinking
1h 16m⏭ 1
1h 40m
1h 19m
1h 54m
1h 12m
58m⏭ 1
1h 0m
58m⏭ 1
1h 8m⏭ 1
54m⏭ 1
1h 11m
1h 19m⏭ 1
1h 11m⏭ 2
1h 18m⏭ 5
1h 20m⏭ 3
34m⏭ 2
1h 31m⏭ 3
30m
1h 27m⏭ 2
1h 1m
1h 6m
1h 9m⏭ 2
1h 28m⏭ 4
18m
1h 40m
1h 22m⏭ 3
1h 53m⏭ 1
1h 36m
1h 0m
1h 15m
1h 31m⏭ 4
1h 12m
1h 0m⏭ 1
11h 23m⏭ 1
33m
1h 0m⏭ 1
46m
3h 54m⏭ 7
48m⏭ 2
3h 59m⏭ 5
1h 16m
1h 13m
54m⏭ 1
25m
38m