Whether it’s the day that the training wheels first come off, the day that they land their first fish together, or the day that they learn how to skate without pushing a chair around, every father has that one definitive bonding moment with his children. For most, that experience is typical. For others, it’s a completely different story.
Imagine—even if it’s just for a second—that your first real father-child bonding experience took place on a half-pipe, teaching your kid proper technique for ollies, kickflips, and mid-air board grabs. Such is the life of Tony Hawk.
The 44-year-old native of San Diego, California is internationally renowned for almost single-handedly transforming the scoundrel street sport of skateboarding into a lucrative, multi-billion dollar industry. He’s the first skater to give a face to the sport, and he’s become a prominent member of pop-culture in doing so.
He’s claimed 14 ESPN X Games medals, lent his name to a video game franchise that boasts 15 titles, and enjoys the bragging rights of being the first person to ever successfully land a 900—which is two-and-a-half mid-air rotations on a skateboard—amongst a slew of other crowning achievements. He’s also a shrewd entrepreneur, author, clothing designer, and philanthropist. Regardless of his impressive résumé, though, there is only one feat that fills Hawk with pride everyday, he says, and that’s being a father.
Dad to Riley (19), Spencer (13), Keegan (10), and Kadence (3), Hawk is similar in a lot of ways to most fathers that you know, despite his surreal life. Because that life is hectic at the best of times, he always aims to make his downtime count.
“When I’m with my kids, I make sure that it’s their time,” Hawk says. “I travel so much and I have so many obligations, so, when I’m home, I make sure that they’re the priority. We always do what they want to do, like go to the movies, to the beach, to Disneyland Park, or to concerts.”
Though Hawk’s husbanding skills are often questioned in the media, nobody can deny that he lives and breathes for his kids. And that children-first mindset is something that he adopted from his own father, Frank.
Frank Hawk, a retired U.S. Navy officer and Hawk Junior’s childhood hero, was very supportive of his son’s passion. He created everything from backyard ramps to the official National Skateboarding Association (NSA) to give his son forums for exhibiting his world-class talent. That boost is something that resonates within Tony Hawk every day.
Though his father passed away from lung cancer when Hawk was just 27, it’s abundantly clear that the man made a lasting impression on his son. What Hawk can recall most about his father is how dependable he was—and it’s something that he strives to emulate with his own children.
“Through his actions, my dad always preached reliability,” Hawk says. “I could always rely on him. If he said he was going to do something or take me somewhere or make me something, he would always follow through. And, growing up, I began to notice that a lot of my friends didn’t have that. I want my kids to, though. I want them to know that I can be as reliable to them as my dad was to me.”
But being a good father and a generational icon at the same time isn’t always an easy feat to pull off—and Hawk knows that.
“Prioritizing my time is the biggest struggle that I have,” he says, adding that, as he gains experience, he’s slowly discovering how to overcome that hurdle. “Over the years, I’ve learned to choose the work that has the most resonance and the most importance. I’ve learned to say ‘no thanks’ to certain events. And, if the timing is right, I’ll always try to bring my kids on the road with me.”
If that all sounds pretty mature for a skateboarder, that might be because they’re usually viewed as ‘the wrong crowd’—an old-school stigma that paints them as ne’er-do-wells and street punks. The times have changed, though, and Hawk personifies that.
Somewhere down the line, that once-cool stick-it-to-the-man mentality has been shed, and the reckless spirit of the sport has been replaced with responsibility. For Hawk, that change is something that he recalls vividly. He can even pinpoint his transition from pro skater to pro father to one specific day.
That day came later than he would have liked, but almost 20 years ago, on a day that he had dropped his son off at pre-school, he was off shooting a skate video. During filming, though, he fell and broke his rib. The injury set him back a few hours and he was subsequently late picking up his son Riley from school. The disappointed look on the teacher’s face when he arrived two hours late combined with one sad son hit Hawk hard.
“That day was definitely the turning point,” he says. “I thought, ‘wow—I need to be better at this.’”
Since then, he has been better—he’s shaken any morsel of truth that the stigma of mixing a career in skateboarding with being a father may have once carried. Regardless, he still encounters raised eyebrows from concerned parents quite often.
Picking his kids up from school or taking them to soccer games almost always guarantees an odd look or two from other parents. In these cases, he likes to give people the benefit of the doubt—believing that they’re more curious than judgmental. It’s this way of thinking that really exemplifies Hawk’s character.
And he approaches having a unique career with a similar mantra. Hawk thinks that there’s nothing wrong with following your dreams—especially if you can make a living out of it. In fact, for those debating pursuing their dream career, Hawk offers four words of advice: “Definitely go for it.”
He attests that it can only be a good thing—that you’ll be happy in life, and your kids will take note.
“I think it’s a great thing because it teaches your kids that they don’t have to follow the norm,” he says. “If they see that you spend your career doing something that you love and something that makes you happy, that’s what they’re going to take with them—that’s the inspiration that you will leave them. It teaches them that they really can do anything if they want to bad enough.”
There’s no sensationalism in that, either, as his eldest son, Riley, has brought those words to life. At only 19 years of age, he has followed his dreams, and is now a sponsored skater himself. Clearly the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
It’s also important to note that the inspiration that Hawk speaks of is passed on to other children as well, and not just his own. His 19-year-and-counting career as a father has helped him level with his youthful fan base.
“Being a dad actually gave me a link of identification with the younger fans,” he says. “Just in terms of their interests, the TV shows that they watch, and the stuff that they enjoy doing. I didn’t have the best handle on that before becoming a dad. But, now, I feel like I’m better at dealing with a younger audience—at least in terms of communicating with them and engaging them.”
And engage he has. He’s basically dared the youth of America to hop on a skateboard and get involved with the sport. Through his charity, The Tony Hawk Foundation, he has funded the construction of more than 500 free, public skate parks in all 50 states—a donation that totals more than $4 million.
It’s clear that Hawk is dedicated to being a figurehead—and that dedication has translated to the household. He’s made a vow to himself, and to his kids. While his passion lies on grip tape, a deck, and four wheels, his heart has settled on fatherhood. And he’s proud of that.
“Being a father is the most important job that a man can have,” he says. “I want my kids to know that I’m always going to be true to my word. Whether that means canceling an event, or flying home, I’m going to do it in a heartbeat. They can rely on me—no matter what.”
