Tony Hawk: The greatest skateboarder of all time?

Photo: Birdhouseskateboards.com

At 14, he became a pro skater, and by 16, he was considered one of the world's top skateboarders. Over his 17-year career, he won more than 70 competitions, including the X-Games on the vert ramp in 1995 and 1997. He was also the first skateboarder to land the "900"—yes, that's two and a half turns in mid-air!

We are, of course, talking about the uncrowned king of skateboarding, Tony Hawk aka The Birdman.

Refused to let skateboarding die

After a life in the spotlight with a high income, skateboarding waned in the early '90s, and Tony's income shrank drastically. While many pro-riders turned to more common jobs, Tony Hawk refused to give up. Along with fellow pro-skateboarder Per Welinder, he invested a lot of money in establishing the brand Birdhouse Skateboards. When skateboarding revived after a few years, the Birdhouse brand was ready to roll.

Birdhouse Skateboards succeeded, and the rest is history. Since then, Tony Hawk has managed to establish himself as an icon within skateboarding.

Take a Birdhouse for a 900-spin?

We have just received the new line of skateboards from Birdhouse. The new completes come in three different series: Stage 1, Stage 2, and the top model - Stage 3.

The Stage 3 boards have high-quality parts, such as ABEC 7 bearings, durable and hard wheels (100A), and the deck is made of 7-ply Canadian maple. You will probably still have some difficulty carrying out the "900"—but with the Stage 3 board from Birdhouse, it sure is possible. Go practice, get better, and maybe you'll be able to perform the "900" when you reach the age of 48 years—like Tony Hawk in this video below.

New line of entry-level boards

Besides Birdhouse Skateboards, Tony Hawk has also launched his own entry-level signature boards under the name Tony Hawk Skateboards.

Tony Hawk Skateboards have the perfect beginner setup, and it’s the obvious choice for the dads out there who grew up following Tony Hawk's career and now want to introduce their kids to the world of skateboarding.

The boards come in the series 180, 360, and 540. All three series have stunning designs and quality materials that are suitable for beginners. The wheels are pretty soft and are therefore easier to ride on rougher surfaces. The bearings are very durable—ready to take a beating.

Check out all the new models from Tony Hawk Skateboards here.