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Tony Hawk

Legendary Skateboarder; Entrepreneur; Founder of The Skatepark Project (formerly the Tony Hawk Foundation)

Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk, a pioneer of social media, philanthropist, successful entrepreneur, and the first skater to ever land a 900, talks about his experience creating authentic brands and giving back.

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Bio

The most recognized action sports figure in the world, Tony Hawk was just nine-years old when his brother changed his life by giving him a blue fiberglass Bahne skateboard. By 14 he’d turned pro, and by 16 he was widely considered the best skateboarder on earth. He was world champion 12 years in a row and is a 16-time X Games medalist.

In 1999, he became the first skater to ever complete a 900, the holy grail of vert skating. Shortly thereafter, he teamed up with Activision to launch Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, now a billion dollar video game franchise. He has created a Tony Hawk brand that includes Birdhouse Skateboards, Hawk Clothing, and the Tony Hawk Signature Series sporting goods and toys. His speaking engagements draw huge crowds, inspiring everyone from media savvy millennials to corporate veterans. Tony served as a correspondent at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games for NBC when skateboarding became an Olympic sport for the first time.

An intuitive marketer with social networking, Tony’s fan base numbers in the millions on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. And he recently launched a new podcast co-hosted by Jason Ellis called Hawk vs. Wolf. Tony authored a New York Times bestseller, the bio HAWK—Occupation: Skateboarder, and his book How Did I Get Here? The Ascent of an Unlikely CEO, covers the business side of his career. And in 2022, a biographical documentary film titled “Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off” by award-winning director Sam Jones debuted on HBO, giving an in-depth look at Tony’s legendary career and personal life. Tony also oversees his own film, television and commercial production company, 900 Films.

In 2002, Tony founded The Skatepark Project (formerly the Tony Hawk Foundation), whichhas given away over $10 million to help fund over 650 public skatepark projects throughout the United States that serve over six million visitors a year.

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Keynotes

Featured Keynote

High-Impact Business Insights: Innovating, Overcoming Obstacles, and Staying in the Game

Many-time World Champion skateboarder and powerhouse CEO TONY HAWK has been taking big risks and motivating himself and his fans for decades. A new documentary on HBO titled Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off takes an in-depth look at the legendary skateboarder’s lifetime of pushing boundaries. As NPR said of him in an interview, “few athletes can say they’re so good at their sport that they become synonymous with greatness.” The author of New York Times bestseller Hawk: Occupation: Skateboarder and How Did I Get Here?: The Ascent of an Unlikely CEO has been carving out the space for his skating style and perspective and inspiring others to do the same through his leadership, perseverance, and initiative.

One of the most recognized action-sports figures in the world, Hawk created a brand that includes a billion-dollar video game franchise, and his business insights resonate with corporate veterans, savvy millennials, and tech visionaries alike. Hawk has endured major injuries throughout his career, and his takeaways about overcoming obstacles and building one’s confidence back up after failure are poignant. His sport has changed significantly over the decades, but Hawk remains at the forefront of new developments in accessibility, inclusivity, and acceptance by continuing to innovate and stay in the game even as it changes – high-impact lessons he shares with audiences of all kinds.

Hawk also is known for philanthropy; his Tony Hawk Foundation – now called The Skatepark Project – helps finance public skateparks in low-income areas, giving away over $9.2M to 623 skatepark projects in all 50 states, which serve over 6M kids annually.

The Benefits of Giving Back

The Benefits of Giving Back

What happens when your financial success reaches heights you never thought possible from a sport like skateboarding? You give back to the people and the sport while making the world a better place. Listen to legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk discuss how his success on four wheels and his early life as a young skateboarder finding his place in the world became the impetus for the Tony Hawk Foundation and their mission around the world.
Embracing Technology and Social Media

Embracing Technology and Social Media

Tony Hawk has always been known as a gadget geek, a social media pioneer, and an early adopter of technology. Some people still think he’s just a video game character. Find out how this legendary skateboarder embraced social media early on to great success and used the newest technology to take his brands and his charity work to new places.
Authenticity Above All Else

Authenticity Above All Else

In the world of skateboarding, nothing is held in higher esteem than authenticity. So, how does the sport’s most famous face walk the fine line between authenticity and “selling out?” Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk walks the walk every day as he continues to be the face of the sport he loves, while managing his successful business empire and award winning charitable foundation.