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  • 6/11/2024
Tony Hawk Reveals True Feelings About Skateboarding Being Included in the
Olympics

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Fun
Transcript
00:00I think you said in an interview recently that skating has finally come of age as we are heading
00:05into the Paris Olympics. Why do you think it's taken so long for it to come of age? And is it
00:12disappointing for you that it's taken so long or are you happy that now it's getting the
00:16recognition that it deserves? No, I'm ecstatic that I get to live to see it grow so much and
00:23be so widely accepted. I mean, when I was a kid, skating was the furthest thing from cool. In fact,
00:28I had to hide my skateboard when I was a freshman in high school because I would get bullied and
00:34hassled just for having it. So nowadays, people can choose to skate. They can do it at their
00:41leisure. They can make a career out of it. They can be Olympians. There is equality. There's
00:46equity. It's amazing. So I love it. Why did it take so long? I think that it got a pretty good
00:56kickstart in the early 2000s in terms of more recognition and availability. But I think that
01:03in the last five or maybe even 10 years is when the push for equality came, especially because
01:09of the Olympic inclusion. And that really accelerated the interest level. And now,
01:19I mean, I'm actually at my office where my ramp is right behind me. And I'm looking at three,
01:26no, I'm looking at four people on the deck. Two of them are women. That's awesome. That's
01:31really cool. So that's what it is now. And they're encouraged to do it and they're supported in it.
01:40Is there any FOMO about competing in the Olympics? Do you wish that you can get out there? Maybe you
01:46will get out there? No, but I, not really. No. I mean, we had, there was so many events through
01:55the years. When the X Games came into play, that was our Olympics. And I participated in 10 years
02:04almost. So not at all. No, I mean, and I'm really happy. I'm just thankful that I get to be part of
02:11it in some way. Like I will be in Paris. I'll get to skate the course. I'll get to hang out with all
02:16the riders. That's the best case scenario. So I don't have that pressure that the entire country
02:20is relying on me for the success. I love that. I love that.

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