Best Extreme Sports Stars of All Time

Best Extreme Sports Stars of All Time — page 5 — TONY HAWK 6 Tony Hawk had something special planned for the best trick competition at the 1999 X Games The skateboarding sensation did not want to just do something amazing He wanted to make history Hawk dropped into the vert ramp and built up his speed Then he launched himself into the air He spun 900 degrees two and a half spins in midair No vert skater had ever landed a 900 in competition Hawk wanted to be the first But he crashed Again and again Hawk tried to land the 900 Ten straight times he failed He was out of time Hawk’s chance to land a 900 in competition was over But he still went for it one more time He whizzed down the ramp on his board in a blur of motion launched himself and started spinning Tony Hawk slides along a rail during vert practice at the 2003 X Games

Best Extreme Sports Stars of All Time — page 6

Best Extreme Sports Stars of All Time — page 7 — 8 103 The number of pro skateboarding contests Tony Hawk entered by age 25 He won 73 of them and placed second in 19 more Then he landed safely back on the ramp The crowd went wild The legend of Tony Hawk had just grown a little bigger In action sports there are superstars and then there is Hawk More than any other athlete Hawk took action sports into the mainstream He made difficult tricks look effortless with his smooth style And he made new tricks possible with his innovative and daring approach Hawk started riding a skateboard at age nine He turned pro at age 14 By the late 1980s he was the biggest thing in skateboarding He won gold in the vert competition at the first X Games in 1995 Hawk was at the peak of his career in 1999 But after he landed his amazing 900 he shocked his fans by retiring Hawk remained a big part of the skating scene But his days as a full-time pro were over He walked away leaving no doubt as to who is the greatest skateboarder of all time

Best Extreme Sports Stars of All Time — page 8 — 9 TONY HAWK Sport Skateboarding Hometown San Diego California Height 6 feet 3 inches Weight 171 pounds Birth Date May 12 1968 X Games 10 gold medals Vert 1995 1997 Vert Doubles 1997 2002 Vert Best Trick 1999 2003 Tony Hawk competes at the 1999 X Games in San Francisco

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