Tony Hawk

The King Of Extreme

by Raleigh E. Witten III

It was supposed to be the best trick competition; what became instead was extreme sport's history. Last year in San Francisco, arguably the greatest extreme sports athlete gave us the greatest moment in the history of extreme sports.

What followed was the most difficult and incredible trick ever accomplished in skateboarding - the 900 - three complete revolutions in the air, then skating intact off the ramp and into history. It had never been done before, never!!!...until that night.

Nothing out of the ordinary was expected for the best trick contest. This, for the most part, was planned to be entertainment for the fans. Each skater was expected to pull off his trademark skate trick, and most did just that, except for one man - Tony Hawk. With the contest halfway complete, Tony landed a "Varial 720" - two complete revolutions while spinning the board back to your feet and landing. He had made it on just his third try, which, in itself, was a shoe-in for first prize. But, Tony wanted more. Buoyed by this success, he began his quest to land the Holy Grail of skateboard vert - the 900.

He had first tried this trick in 1989. He had relentlessly tried to land it over-and-over. Then came the next attempt while shooting a skateboard video in 1994. A special ramp was built to help Tony accomplish the trick and document it for an upcoming film. For three days he tried over... and over... and over. What originally was planned to be three days, became a ten-day mission to accomplish this feat, but failed. The damage was done, not only did Tony hurt his back, his injuries as a result of the attrition resulted in him being bedridden for a week; not being able to walk, let alone skate. That would be the last time he would even attempt the 900 for a while.

Four others had secretly tried to land the trick in previous months, all to no avail. Now it was Tony's turn.

The first couple of times he came close, but missed his landing. The crowd kept chanting, "Tony, Tony, Tony!" On the next try, he had it but slipped off his board. His face grimaced in frustrated anticipation saying, "I had it that time!" His peers by now had all assembled on the top of the ramp, contest be dammed, waiting to see if tonight, in fact, was going to be the night he was going to get it. By now, each attempt drew him more focused and determined to pull it off. "9, 9, 9...the crowd screamed as Tony tried his "power squat" technique, again, just missing his landing.

On his next attempt, his peers couldn't hold back. Colin McKay announced, "This is the most amazing thing that I have ever seen!" Steve Caballero, the man Tony and all the rest of us looked up to, who pioneered some of the now standard tricks in skateboarding, was nearby pulling for Tony along with the crowd.

Before his next, and what would make his final attempt, Colin McKay, Andy Macdonald, Bob Burnquist, and Birdhouse understudy Bucky Lasek assembled behind Tony on the ramp, each channeling all the positive energy in the house (Including Bucky conjuring up "the Mojo") to help Tony in his final run.

Off he went, down through the ramp, up and back down, now coming up, his body rolling in a ball, in full squat... the spin...1...2...3...twist, down and through, landing his board on the bottom, squatting with his feet under him and rising up with a hand to the sky. He had done it! He had finally, and for the first time ever in the history of skateboarding, pulled off the 900!!!

The crowd roared a deafening roar. With both hands in the air, Tony faced the crowd with a look of complete shock. Immediately he was rushed and surrounded by his friends and peers, a mosh-pit on the bottom of the ramp had ensued. Tony, ecstatically threw his helmet off as his friends lifted him up to the sky. He was then greeted by his wife Erin and his son. Then he addressed the crowd saying, "If it weren't for you people, I'd never have made that!" and thanked them for their love and support. "This is the best night of my life! Thank you," he added. Then Tony embraced the moment with Steve Caballero, the two of them together hugging in acknowledgment and respect for each other. The only thing Steve could say to Tony at that moment was "Beautiful."

In an interview later, Tony stated that he first had tried it as an afterthought. But after the first few times, he could feel it coming around, so he decided to try to "Throw one down and see what happens." As ESPN commentator Sal Masakela said later, "It was as if the heavens had opened up and God said, "OK, Tony, Do It!" And he did it, not on a soundstage in Mexico, but at the premier setting of the X-Games that was being watched with a packed house and a national television audience on ESPN. "What can I say, the man likes to pick his spots," Sal added.

As his wife Erin said, "I knew something was going to happen, because he had that look in his eye. I said to myself, Oh no, we're not going home until he finishes this," adding, "he just left his heart out there tonight." No one could disagree.

And now the buzz becomes, what is next for Tony HawkVarial 900who knows? But for one night, Tony Hawk gave us the biggest thrill and most awesome sight in extreme sports, and showed the viewing audience at home what skateboarding, and more particularly, what extreme sports are all about: Having a goal; practicing; falling down and having the will to continually get back up despite the pain and incredible frustration; to try again until you accomplish what you set out to accomplish, and in the process, perhaps live out your dream and dare to make the impossible...a reality!