whatup everyone! Hope you are all doing well in these strange times. Just wanted to let you know about a few updates to my various websites and let you know what is happening in general.

tonyhawk.com is up and running with a new look and a whole new fan club kit. It will be updated more frequently with pictures, video and Q&A's from now on. Sorry I let it get to stale over the last year.... been working on shredordie.com so much that I forgot about my own personal website.

Speaking of shredordie: we have two contests going on where you can win tons of free stuff. The first one is from Skull Candy where you can enter by simply leaving a comment and listing your favorite music. They're giving away a pair of headphones and one of their audio backpacks. All the details are here: http://www.shredordie.com/promos/skullcandy ..

and coming up in March we will have the Quiksilver Race To Skate. Each week the first people to copy 5 tricks done by a team rider (including yours truly... on a mini-ramp) and upload the video wins a grip of Quik gear.


other happenings:


- Australia Birdhouse Tour 2009! Happening in March, details coming soon.


- Did a spot on the 2nd season of Free Radio and it was hilarious. Lance Krall is a genius. If you didn't catch the first season, here are some highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bRT0BqpvLA


and here is an interview I did with him before the 2nd season was confirmed:

http://www.shredordie.com/videos/bad5bbf707/dissent-tv-tony-hawk-with-lance-krall-from-dissenttv


- Mia Hamm celebrity soccer challenge. Yes , I was there and I am still terrible at soccer.












That's it for now... been skating as much as ever and working on some new video stuff.

stay strong!

Tony

What happens when a bunch of mega-celebs get together for cancer fundraising and awareness (aka Stand Up 2 Cancer)? They all end up in the same green room as yours truly and then my nephew John and I stalk them with my Canon G10 (in video mode). The best part is that these guys were relaxed and there is no hidden agenda or promotions driving the interviews. I snagged quality time with Jack Black, Forest Whitaker, Neil Patrick Harris, John Krasinski, Josh Brolin and David Spade. Renegade interviews are the new TMZ... red carpets and wasted celebrities leaving nightclubs are so 2008. Enjoy, Tony http://www.shredordie.com/videos/33a1d35564/way-beyond-the-red-carpet-from-dissenttv

Living in the '80s! (for a day)

We decided enough time had passed from the '80s that we could hold a skate event celebrating this epic decade. So shredordie.com, along with Quiksilver, held the inaugural "All '80's All Day Vert Challenge" on Saturday, Dec. 6 at Quik headquarters. We even built a ramp with '80s dimensions and '80s materials (including PVC coping). Legends came out of the woodwork to dress the part and skate their original equipment, including Steve Caballero, Kevin Staab, Jeff Grosso, Eric Nash, Eddie Reategui, Adrian Demain, Ben Schroeder, Carabeth Burnside, Steve Steadham, Lester Kasai and Christian Hosoi. The whole day was a blast from the past and it was obvious that none of them have quit the sport we love. Bucky Lasek and Andy Macdonald were also there taking '80s tricks to new levels, and giving us hope that our era has not been forgotten. The best part was seeing everyone with their old look; Christian was once again in spandex and I even bleached my bangs for the event. I was feeling like my young self again... until I realized it was my son's 16th birthday! Good thing he was at Tampa Am, far away from all the neon.

Check out how the day progressed here:

http://www.shredordie.com/all80salldayvertchallenge




http://www.shredordie.com/videos/3524c1c112/all-80s-all-day-vert-challenge-practice-session-from-all80salldayvertchallenge




http://www.shredordie.com/videos/c47a5f4170/all-80s-all-day-vert-challenge-preview-from-all80salldayvertchallenge



http://www.shredordie.com/videos/a17ecc2301/all-80s-all-day-qualifying-from-all80salldayvertchallenge




http://www.shredordie.com/videos/1280f8de7c/all-80s-all-day-finals-from-all80salldayvertchallenge

We made it through the rest of BBHJ without any major incidents and never missed a show despite threatening weather in many towns. It's ironic that my shoulder felt back in shape only after the tour ended, but there was plenty more skating to do. Here is a summary of what's been happening since our demo ramp was packed up after our last show in Irvine:


- Stand Up 2 Cancer telethon: simulcast on the three major networks, this was a sea of A-list celebrities coming together to raise cancer awareness. I was assigned to answer phones (along with other celebs) during the last half of the show. It was amazing to see how many people cancer affects; every celebrity in attendance either lost a loved one, knew someone going through treatment, or was a cancer survivor themselves. During my brief stint in the green room, I ran into David Spade, Jack Black, Forest Whitaker, John Krasinski, Neil Patrick Harris, Josh Brolin, Casey Affleck, Sheryl Crow, Chritina Applegate, Kirsten Dunst, Chris Tucker and Rob Lowe. It was easy to explain to reporters why I am so passionate about cancer research, given that my father died of lung cancer and one of my best friends just died of chordoma. I'm not sure how much they managed to raise, but it was worth the drive to LA just to be part of such an important event.





NPH and I talk about what it's like to steal cars and shoot up brothels.



Josh Brolin discusses his breakthrough gig: "Thrashin"




David Spade talks about growing up as a skate rat in AZ (for real)


..

Jack Black and I get cozy.




- Quiksilver demo France: Quik requested a demo in conjunction with the ASP (surfing) event happening in the surf town of Hossegor. I rounded up the BBHJ crew (plus Andy Mac) for a mini-reunion and we hit the land of bread and cheese. I could tell something was brewing when I saw posters and billboards promoting our demo all over Biarritz and Anglet. We figured out how to work our BBHJ routines on the ramp the day before the show, even though it had a channel in the middle and an extension on the side. We did an autograph session at the local skate shop right before our scheduled start time, got padded up, and then were driven in a beater convertible to the beach where the ramp was. They thought they were honoring our American automobile heritage by stuffing us all in, so we sang the theme to Team America while making our way –slowly- to the venue. Suddenly we were faced with a crowd of arena proportions lining the boardwalk and filling the sand on both sides of the ramp. It was estimated that 10,000 people were in attendance and they were EXCITED. It was like they had never seen professional skateboarding before and they freaked even more when we busted out our routines. More than once I was thanked for "bringing the Huckjam to France!" They didn't see half of what we are capable of with our own ramp setup… it might be time to take the tour overseas.



what is a surf contest without Kelly Slater?



what did I get myself into?




Tomi T and I managed to catch some of the swell before going to "work"




my first wave ever in France




tailgrab, Hossegor warmups




Carhartt has a mini-ramp at their Hossegor office that looks like a pirate ship. I swabbed the deck before walking the plank.



cutting through the dusk crowd. I had no idea it would be this big.




Andy, Sergie, Jesse, Kevin, Elliot, Tony. We would have made a great band... or not.





Lein air in the dark. Viva la lights!



- Home to NYC to LA to home to LA to NYC to home in six days. I earn those frequent flier miles the hard way, but at least I'll still be 1k in 09.



who's seat is it anyway? One of Kady's 18 flights in her first 4 months on Earth.




San Pedro, another THF grant recipient. This was taken during my crazy NYC week.



- Guitar Hero: World Tour commercial: I was asked by Bobby Kotick (head of Activision) to star in the new GH commercial along with Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez and Michael Phelps. The answer was yes.. and then I heard the concept. We had to mimic Tom Cruise's famous scene from Risky Business, together, in our underwear. Well if those guys already agreed…

See more skate, snow, surf, and moto videos at Shred or Die

http://www.shredordie.com/videos/d7dcdedbf7/tony-hawk-in-a-guitar-hero-commercial-from-smallwheels


I also managed to interview Michael Phelps between takes for my own use:

See more DissentTV videos at Shred or Die

http://www.shredordie.com/videos/85eda63dd8/dissent-tv-tony-and-michael-phelps-from-dissenttv




one of us can swim really fast, the other sucks at drums. You figure it out.


- Riley got his driving permit. Buckle your seatbelts, drive defensively and STOP TEXTING!




family self-portrait, Nov 2008. Riley can stop growing now.





Extreme porch!



- Stand Up For Skateparks 2008: holy moly, we managed to break the $1 million mark again. No small feat in this tough economy. I believe that donors being able to see tangible evidence of where their contributions are going (like the Compton skatepark which is now finished) is a huge help in getting repeat customers. Socail D played an acoustic set while my wife and I swayed with our baby on the side of the stage. S & K played at the Lego tent and bid on Bakugan items most of the day, and R played SKATE in the clinic area with Willy Santos. It was a family affair and everybody had fun. And then the superstars took to the ramp: Bucky, Andy Mac, Shaun White, Dennis McCoy, John Parker, Kevin Staab.and me. Bucky almost nailed his first switch rodeo 7 while Shaun pulled his new heelflip body varial frontside 5. It was all over too fast and I can't wait for next year. We even raised $75k for a skatepark in my hometown of Tierrasanta. Can't wait to go back and no longer be ridiculed for being a skater. They might actually thank me instead!




Bam looks way too comfortable holding our baby. SUFS 2008




Kady's first concert: Social Distortion, how appropriate.




addressing the crowd at SUFS 08




the kids from Tierrasanta meet the pro's as we ask for donations. Everybody wins.




impromptu triples: Shaun over me over Andy, SUFS 008



I am typing this while flying [back] to NYC for the Stoked Awards, where I am being honored for my charity work. More to come, this ride isn't over yet.


-Tony

I recently got to spend some time with Iron Man director (and star of Swingers) Jon Favreau while shooting for a new season of Iconoclasts. I managed to snag my own footage (and interview) with Jon and visit the visual effects studio responsible for the actual Iron Man suits. Jon was very cool to talk with while while he showed me around, and I learned that Iron Man 2 is in the works! The first one just got released on DVD. Check out the segment here:

http://www.shredordie.com/videos/f14cff8805

BBHJ [injury] update - Aug 16, 2008

I should have known that starting the tour with stitches in my elbow - from a failed 720 during rehearsals – was a bad omen. Injuries are nothing new to a BBHJ tour, but this consistent string of guys getting taken out has got to end. Here is a breakdown of the kind of random wounds plaguing our tour:

Sean Nielson (fmx) – concussion and lacerated kidney. It was sprinkling during our first show in San Antonio, but not enough to make the ramps slick so the show went on. Sean caught the wind during a cliffhanger and his wheel washed out upon landing, or he landed on his brake. Either way, it sent him to the flat and there were a few frightening minutes that ensued. He has been resting at home ever since and is hoping to make our final dates on the west coast. We will be happy to have him.

Sean Nielson only got to do one show, but we hope to see him back on tour soon.




Kevin Staab (skate) - punctured foot. Kevin was coming out of the locker room showers in Birmingham, Alabama when he felt his foot stick to the pavement. He looked down to find a metal rod puncturing his shoe and going into the middle his foot. There were many rods scattered around the backstage area, apparently to hoist a tent enclosure that had since been removed. Nobody warned us about these little death traps and Kevin found out the hard way that they are not easily seen, but easily found. He went home the next day and will make it back for our California shows.

Kevin's shoe damage.


Kevin's new orifice




John Parker (bmx) - fractured leg. John had a missed cue on a routine with Elliot (who came in as Kevin's replacement) in Detroit. They ended up coming straight at each other and only managed to clip each other's sides, knocking both of them down. John finished out the show and took advantage of our four-day break during the X-Games. He came back to our VA Beach date to find that his leg wasn't functioning the way it should. He went to the hospital and found out that he had fractured his tibia and wouldn't be able to ride the rest of the tour.

Jesse Fritsch (skate) – pulled groin. Jesse managed to pull his muscle while climbing into his bunk on the tour bus. He stayed on and kept skating. The ridicule would have been too much to bear had he given up and gone home. In fact, he has stopped complaining about it altogether

Ray Underhill, 1962-2008: although my dear friend Ray's passing has nothing to do with the tour, it has been one of the hardest experiences of my life – and, of course, for all of those who were close to him. He was the best friend, husband, father, brother, skater and artist that anyone could ask for. I was honored that he requested me to write/read his eulogy, but words could never do him justice. Ray never had a bad thing to say about ANYBODY. Not everything happens for a reason, sometimes things are just f***ed.

Ray Underhill, smooth as always.


Underhills / Hawks, New Year's Day 2008, Kauai

Tony Hawk (skate) – separated shoulder. The wind kicked in during our NJ show and flapped my board just as I was coming in from a Method Air. Suddenly I found myself crunching into the flat bottom on my head & shoulder, as I my arm instantly felt numb & heavy. I finished the show using only my left hand, so my runs were filled with Indy's, Stale Fishes and tailgrabs. I went to an orthopedic doctor the next day in Chicago to find out I had a separated AC joint (type 1) and that I'd just have to push through the pain if I expect to finish this tour. Barry attacked me with ice for the next three days and brought me back from questioning my future to manageably functional. It is getting better each day, but mute grabs are still incredibly painful and I have yet to try a 7 with my broken wing.

Kevin Robinson (bmx)– bruised abdomen and back. Kevin caught the wind (a recurring theme on this trip) during a tailwhip 5 in St. Louis and hung up on his front tire, falling straight to the flat on his side with his bike tangled up. He then came back the next day with and tried to push through the injury, only to slip his pedal on a can-can during our intro routine. Another one-way trip to the flat, but this one was too much to bounce back from. He flew home the next day and plans to be back in action for our NorCal show.

Despite all these setbacks, we haven't missed a show and have managed to skirt bad weather too many times to count. I am typing this on the bus while en route from Denver to Boise (850 miles) with ice on my shoulder, while watching Michael Phelps make history. We do this because we love it, quitting is not an option.
Goodbye, Ray, and thank you for all of the great memories. Touring will never be as fun as our trips together, but we will try to make the best of it. I miss you, but I am happy that you are no longer in constant pain. We shall never forget your amazing presence.


hey, wasn't that in a video game?



we went to Bam's on our day off to skate his backyard playground. This is how he gets around his property.



one of the many bizarre murals around Bam's place. This one is on the wall of the indoor skatepark, near another with Osama binLaden playing basketball in outer space.



Lhotse and Kadence, East Coast SUFS, 2008



The Hawks (minus one) in NYC. The boys only cared about Toys R Us in Times Square.



S & K in St. Louis. Yes, we went to the top.



a typical overnight bus ride. Thank you, DirecTV.


-Tony

It's been hard to keep a journal with things in a state of flux recently. It seems like we have been awaiting the arrival of our daughter for nearly two years (well, we have in some ways), so all plans were tentative until her arrival. Here is what happened during those last months of her incubation:

- went to St. Petersburg, Russia for the Laureus Awards. Never been to Russia, but the elusive KGB secret-police allure is long-gone. The buildings and monuments remain, but the storefronts look more like European stores and deli's as opposed to fledgling breadshops. We were lucky to have Miki V as our tour guide; he lived in St Pete during the oppressive years and was able to give us insight about many of the landmarks and customs. The most exciting part for me was buying an Ushanka hat (with ear flaps) and being offered cans of caviar by a street hustler. I wish we had time to skate, but we were only there two nights.


"souvenirs, novelties, party tricks"

- I was a guest on the new Million Dollar Password opposite Rosie O'Donnell. I prepared for this by playing the home edition with L as much as possible, but it was very discouraging when words like "daunt" appear. Rosie was good and I thought at some point she would make it to the finals every time. I managed to click with one contestant and made it to the final round., bringing her to $25,000 pretty quick. We failed at 50k because she just couldn't get me to say "drugstore." Her clue was "Eckerd's" (an East Coast chain). If only she had said "Long's," she'd have made twice as much. At one point, Rosie wanted me to make a pact that if we blew it for someone in the big money round that we would cover their losses (up to $500,000). I told her that she was crazy and that I didn't have a syndicated talk show to throw around that kind of money. She laughed it off, but I could tell that she was partly serious. Here is a link to her blog (that includes a video of us backstage):

http://www.rosie.com/blog/2008/03/09/password/



Hawk clan, domo arrigato

- Took a family trip to Japan. It was something I always wanted to share with my mom, brother and sisters since my first visit. It was fun to see their faces upon first seeing sushi and dried octopus at 7-11's, and to share barbequed squid-on-a-stick at a street vendor. The only downside was missing the Kids' Choice Awards and finding out too late that I won the award for favorite male athlete. So I couldn't be there to accept the award… but nothing will replace the memories of Kyoto and searching all day for the skatepark with Riley. It's not the destination, it's the journey that is the most fun.



red carpet for three

- Young Hollywood Awards. I presented the "Young Picasso" award to Kat Von D and drove home right afterwards. This has been the scenario for all visits to L.A. in recent weeks. It is too late in L's pregnancy to make a night of it, or to shmooze afterwards. I've never driven so much in my life., but it's forced me to find the best techniques to avoiding traffic on I-5 and 405.

- Flew to Chicago to interview Tommy Carroll, an inspirational BLIND skater. No, he doesn't ride for Blind… it's just that he has no vision. The kid goes for it and is not afraid to fall. I was most impressed with his backside revert technique. As a ramp skater, backside reverts are one of the last things to learn because you are blind to the ramp when coming down. But then I realized that he's ALWAYS blind to the ramp. It doesn't make it any less dangerous though, and I am amazed at his tenacity and easygoing approach to life. Check out shredordie.com for the interview and you will no longer have an excuse NOT to skate.



40 candles don't look like much when they are spread along a giant cake

- Turned 40 in style with a Big Lebowski bowling bash in Las Vegas. Careful man, there's a beverage here!

- Went and saw Flight of the Conchords play live. They played most of the songs from their first HBO series, but their between-song banter was hilarious. Weird Al was highly visible watching from the balcony, perhaps taking cues from the future of comedy folk music. I am officially a Jemainiac and a Breterosexual.

- Got a deal with T-Mobile that allowed me to design a new Sidekick – the first one with video capabilities. I've been using a Sidekick since the first one was released in 2003, so it a huge honor to have my name attached to the lates and greatest version. It even has a griptape and bolts design on the bottom.


I wanted it to look different, so we came up with this color scheme


griptape on the bottom... well you can't put it on the screen of course.

- June 30, 2008 we welcomed Kadence into the world. My first daughter and she looks just like her beautiful mommy. Here brothers are very excited and life will never be the same. I can't wait.

Kady!

I saw all the congrats messages, so here is a blog/bulletin

Hello everybody!

Our daughter - Kadence Clover - was finally born on Monday afternoon and we are very excited to bring her home today (I've been sleeping on a hospital cot for four nights). Thanks for all of the well-wishes. I can't believe she's finally here! We have been waiting longer than you know.

In other family news, check out what Riley has been up to during these last 9 months. He amazes me every day:

http://www.shredordie.com/videos/403854bb6a

sleepless in San Diego,

Tony

Lately I feel like the amount of emails I've been getting is a massive novel that I am trying to read through... so before sending me an inquiry, please check the answers to some of these FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Q: Is it really you?
A: yes, but I have help

Q: Can you send me some free stuff?
A: no. I get way too many requests to fulfill all of them.

Q: How do I do a kickflip/ollie/Indy/etc.?
A: I made three separate instructional DVD's to help skaters with learning new tricks. I'm not asking you to buy one (hint: check netflix or youtube), but I can't possibly give individual trick tips via email. You can also check out shredordie.com under the tips tab and find helpful hints there.

Q: Do you know Bam and/or Ryan Sheckler?
A: Yes, you might have even seen us on TV together.

Q: Does Bam or Ryan have a myspace?
A: Not one that they personally keep up.

Q: I heard you retired. Why did you quit skating?
A: I never quit skating, I just stopped competing after 2000. In fact, I skate now just as much as I ever have - doing demos, tours and video stuff. Look at is this way: Rodney Mullen hasn't competed since the 80's... Do you consider him retired?

Q: I know you read my message(s). Why don't you ever comment back?
A: I barely have time to read all of the messages I've been receiving and I don't want this to be become some automated myspace page. Sorry I don't have time to post on your page, but I appreciate every comment.

Q: Why did you choose vert instead of street?
A: To answer this, you have to understand the history of modern skating. When I started in 1978, you either skated empty swimming pools or you did freestyle. Ollies from flat had not been invented yet, so nobody had attempted to jump a set of stairs or even thought of trying a handrail in those days." Freestyle" was more like dancing or ice skating than today's tech flatland tricks, so I was more interested in blasting airs than spinning 360's on the ground. To be honest, "freestylers" were considered nerds back then because they weren't taking physical risks with their skating. As street evolved, I did my best to keep up... but my roots were set in riding transitions and vertical walls. And that's what I still enjoy skating most. Hopefully that gives you some insight.

Q: Can I skate your park?
A: No. I was sued a long time ago because someone got hurt on my backyard ramp (even though they didn't have permission to skate) and I don't want to re-live that nightmare. It's a liability issue... representative of a highly litigious society. Sorry.

Thanks to everyone for my birthday wishes! Getting old has never been so much fun, as we held a Big Lebowski bowling party in Vegas last weekend. Some people even dressed up, including my wife (as a pregnant Maude), my nephew (as Brandt), my brother-in-law (as Walter), and my friend Billy (as The Dude). It was a bit of a tour reunion as well with guests like Rodney Mullen, Mike McGill, Shaun White, Rooftop, Jesse Fritsch, Barry Zaritsky, Robert Earl, Sean Mortimer, Kevin Staab, Greg Smith, Adrian Demain, Todd Richards, Drake McElroy, and Trent Reznor. We had a blast from what I can remember... I am officially old or old-school, depending how you look at it. But I'm still skating nonstop and having as much fun as ever.

Thanks again! -Tony


OG Florida crew: Barry, Rodney and Mike


K tries to use Shaun's glasses at goggles.



lots of laughs and low scores


Happy Birthday to me... look what I did!


The Dude abides and makes a wish


taking turns is for old people. K and Calvin do doubles


from left: John Dale (as Brandt), SPF, TR, Rooftop, Jesse and the elder one.

The Dude and Maude holding an Urban Achievers plaque


my brother-in-law as Walter (holding Donny)

..>How I spent my birthday on ShredOrDie.com..>