Tony Hawk

Tony Hawk is a super famous skateboarder, so cool he's nicknamed the 'Birdman'! He was born a long, long time ago, on May 12, 1968. He's not just a skater; he's also a business whiz who owns his own skateboard company called Birdhouse. He's like a superhero of skateboarding, showing everyone how to do amazing tricks!

Tony started skateboarding when he was just a kid, like you! He practiced and practiced, getting better and better. He became a pioneer, which means he was one of the first to do new, super-difficult tricks. Imagine jumping higher than a playground slide, but on a skateboard! He retired from competing in 2003, but he's still a huge part of skateboarding.

One of Tony's most amazing achievements was landing the '900'. This is a trick where a skateboarder spins around 900 degrees in the air – that's two and a half full circles! He was the first person ever to do it in a competition. It's like doing two and a half somersaults while riding a bike without touching the ground!

Tony Hawk is also a really kind person. He has a special project called the Skatepark Project. This project helps build skateparks in places where kids might not have a safe place to skate. He wants everyone to have fun and be active, just like him. He also has a super popular video game series named after him!