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‘It’s Surreal’- Tony Hawk Reacts to the First Ever Skateboarding Event at Tokyo Olympics 2020
The Tokyo Olympics marked many firsts in the competition, one of the most welcomed being the debut of Skateboarding as an event. Decades after it emerged from popular culture, skateboarding has finally been recognised as a sport and has inited participants from several countries to compete in it.
As a man who revolutionised the entire art of skateboarding, Tony Hawk was certainly proud to see this happen. The American legend paid a special visit to Tokyo to be the first person to try out the new bowl and although he is now retired and the fatigue rod four children, he relived some of that childhood nostalgia through the experience.
Mandatory Japan Air while in Tokyo
(I don’t make the rules) pic.twitter.com/F49b7xQ8Yi
— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) July 24, 2021
“As a kid that was mostly lambasted for my interest in skateboarding, I never imagined it would be part of the Olympic Games,” Hawk wrote in an Instagram video. “It’s surreal to now be in Tokyo bearing witness to this milestone in the most unprecedented circumstances.”
Tony Hawk appreciates the fact that Skaterbaording is being accepted
For the longest time, many refused to recognise skateboarding as a sport and the Olympic authorities did not make moves to incorporate it into the events. However, the increasing trends in such activities globally and the rise in skateboarding competitions prompted the Games to make the change.
“I know in the end it will help to grow skateboarding’s profile internationally, exposing our passion to an audience that has never seen it before or simply refused to embrace it,” he added. “A whole new generation will get to experience skateboarding with genuine public support and meaningful opportunity. I predict it will be one of the highlights from all of the Olympic Games coverage this year. And I’m here for it.”
Tony Hawk has been skateboarding for most of his life and turned a childhood dream into a reality. While most consider the sport as a hobby, he played an instrumental role in elevating it to the level it is at today and continues to push young stars into the environment.
Hawk was known for being the first person ever to complete the 900, a skateboarding trick involving two and a half mid-air revolutions before landing. At that point, this was the most technically demanding move and still is for most skateboarders.
He will undoubtedly be proud of the generations of stars to come now, as skateboarding receives a bigger platform. The Tokyo Olympics will surely be the first of many to host a skateboarding competition.
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