Tony Hawk

Summary

The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert Featuring Tony Hawk

Episode Release Date: March 8, 2025
Guest: Tony Hawk, Legendary Professional Skateboarder

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1. Warm Welcome and Career Reflections

The episode opens with Stephen Colbert warmly welcoming Tony Hawk back to The Late Show Pod Show. Colbert commences the conversation by highlighting Tony’s multifaceted career as depicted in his Twitter bio, which reads: “pro skater, father, husband, video game character, CEO, philanthropist and public skate park advocate, old AF and still skating.”

Tony responds with humility, expressing his disbelief and gratitude for having built a successful career around skateboarding. Reflecting on his journey, Tony shares:

“I feel like I've reached. I've kind of come full circle in that. I started very young, and then as I got better, people thought, oh, they're pretty good for their age. And then I kind of had my peak... and then I got so old that it was like, he's pretty good for his age.”
— Tony Hawk (02:52)

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2. The Iconic 900 Trick and Its Legacy

Colbert steers the conversation towards Tony’s groundbreaking achievement of executing the first-ever 900 at the X Games over 25 years ago. He nostalgically remarks:

“A little over 25 years ago at the X Games, you became the first person to ever execute a 900... and we got the clip right here.”
— Stephen Colbert (04:18)

Tony elaborates on the immense effort and perseverance required to master the trick:

“I was on a mission for nearly 12 years trying to get that trick... I did my 10,000 falls in the quest for that.”
— Tony Hawk (05:05)

He candidly discusses the physical toll of skateboarding, mentioning multiple injuries, including a broken femur and elbow, underscoring the relentless dedication demanded by the sport.

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3. Skateboarding Culture and Inclusivity

A significant portion of the discussion delves into skateboarding as a deeply inclusive and creative sport. Tony passionately states:

“I feel like it's the most inclusive sport you've ever seen. Like, if you go to a skate park probably right now, you'll see people of all ages, all genders, all races, all skill levels, all enjoying the same space, all encouraging each other.”
— Tony Hawk (11:25)

He emphasizes that the essence of skateboarding lies in its accessibility—requiring nothing more than a board and, ideally, a friend. This universality fosters a vibrant and supportive community, making skateboarding a unique cultural phenomenon.

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4. The Impact of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Video Games

Colbert and Tony transition to discussing the influential Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game series, particularly focusing on its iconic soundtracks. Colbert shares an anecdote from a listener, Carly Rasner, who highlighted the profound impact the game had on her husband’s life.

Tony reflects on his involvement in curating the game’s music:

“We weren't under many regulations for that game. It had never been done before. So Activision gave us free reign to do whatever we wanted. I definitely wanted to keep the culture alive in it and represent it well.”
— Tony Hawk (08:36)

He credits the game’s soundtrack with introducing players to new bands and genres, thereby enriching both the gaming and music landscapes.

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5. Upcoming Releases and Future Projects

The conversation builds excitement around the upcoming Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4 Remastered editions. Tony announces the collaboration with original skaters Steve Cavallaro, Kareem Campbell, Eric Kostin, and Rodney Mullen, highlighting their revolutionary contributions to skateboarding.

“We are re-releasing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and 4 Remastered with those characters... a lot of new surprises. But all the info drops tomorrow.”
— Tony Hawk (10:32)

Colbert describes global billboards teasing the release, showcasing the widespread anticipation and enduring legacy of the franchise.

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6. Personal Insights and Experiences

In a nostalgic exchange, Colbert reminisces about his skateboarding days in the late 1970s, praising the simplicity and freedom the sport offers. Tony concurs, reiterating his love for skateboarding as a medium for creative expression and community building.

The episode concludes with Colbert encouraging listeners to stay updated on the remastered game releases via Tony’s social media channels and promotes The Late Show YouTube channel for additional content.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Tony Hawk (02:52):
  “I feel like I've reached. I've kind of come full circle in that... and then I got so old that it was like, he's pretty good for his age.”

• Stephen Colbert (04:18):
  “A little over 25 years ago at the X Games, you became the first person to ever execute a 900... and we got the clip right here.”

• Tony Hawk (05:05):
  “I was on a mission for nearly 12 years trying to get that trick... I did my 10,000 falls in the quest for that.”

• Tony Hawk (11:25):
  “I feel like it's the most inclusive sport you've ever seen... all encouraging each other.”

• Tony Hawk (08:36):
  “We weren't under many regulations for that game... I definitely wanted to keep the culture alive in it and represent it well.”

• Tony Hawk (10:32):
  “We are re-releasing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and 4 Remastered with those characters... all the info drops tomorrow.”

---

Conclusion

This episode of The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert offers an in-depth and engaging conversation with Tony Hawk, celebrating his monumental contributions to skateboarding, the gaming industry, and popular culture. Through candid reflections, shared anecdotes, and exciting announcements, Tony provides listeners with a comprehensive look into his enduring legacy and the future of skateboarding.

Transcript

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[Stephen Colbert]

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Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the show. Folks, you know my next guest because he is the most famous skateboarder of all time. Please welcome back to the Late Show, Tony Hawk.

[Tony Hawk]

Thank you.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow, Nice to see you again.

[Tony Hawk]

You too.

[Stephen Colbert]

I want to point out something. I love your Twitter bio. Okay, here you are. It says your bio says pro skater, father, husband, video game character, CEO, philanthropist and public skate park advocate, old AF and still skating. And there you are right there. There you are at right there. Does it ever still kind of surprise you that you made your life's work a great living out of skateboarding every day?

[Tony Hawk]

I cannot believe this is what I get to do, even at my. I mean, I forgot to add grandpa to that now. So I. Oh, congratulations. You remind me to edit that. Yeah. Thank you.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Tony Hawk]

But I feel like I've reached. I've kind of come full circle in that. I started very young, and then as I got better, people thought, oh, they would say, oh, he's pretty good for his age. And then I kind of had my peak, I guess, in my 20s and even 30s. And then it was more like, you still do that for, like, you still skate, like. Yeah. And then I got so old that it was like, he's pretty good for his age.

[Stephen Colbert]

Do you still, like, just randomly drop into a skate park ever?

[Tony Hawk]

Yes, all the time.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay. And when you do that and kids see you skating, A, do they recognize you? And B, what do they say when they do?

[Tony Hawk]

Yes and no. Sometimes they recognize me, or sometimes they see me and they think, like, that guy looks like an old Tony Hawk. That can't be him. And they say that to my face quite a bit, actually.

[Stephen Colbert]

They say, you look like Tony Hawk, but you can't be.

[Tony Hawk]

I get that a lot.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Tony Hawk]

Yeah. Because I'm stuck in kind of a time capsule of my 30s. When people saw X Games and when they saw my video game for the first time. And they think that I couldn't have possibly aged in 26 years.

[Stephen Colbert]

Of course not.

[Tony Hawk]

Yeah. But they also. They also expect me to perform magic when I go to a skate park. So that is a lot of pressure. That's tricky. See, guys, I have never been here before. I'm just trying to kick flip. It's cool.

[Stephen Colbert]

So, yeah, you're not gonna pull a 900 for us.

[Tony Hawk]

Not in the air. Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, a little over 25 years ago at the X Games, you became the first person to ever execute a 900, which is two and a half full turns for people who don't know 900 degrees in the air before landing. And we got the clip right here, Jim.

[Kristen]

Finishing it up.

[Stephen Colbert]

Everybody picture it. Here we go. Feel it.

[Tony Hawk]

Are you kidding me?

[Stephen Colbert]

Still impressive 25 years later.

[Tony Hawk]

I appreciate it.

[Stephen Colbert]

How long did it take you to get that?

[Tony Hawk]

Wow. I was on a mission for nearly 12 years trying to get that trick.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. A lot of misses.

[Tony Hawk]

I'm guessing hundreds, if not thousands. Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Have you won?

[Tony Hawk]

I did my 10,000 falls in the quest for that.

[Stephen Colbert]

Sure. Have you hurt yourself considerably? Yes, I have. It's good that you can laugh about it now.

[Tony Hawk]

Yeah. Well, most recently, three years ago, broke my leg. My femur, actually. I just made it. I went all the way for the hardest leg to break the hardest bone.

[Stephen Colbert]

Got the calcium, man. You're 71. Years old.

[Tony Hawk]

I wish I could say that. That would be amazing. Yeah, I broke my elbow, I fractured my thumb, my skull. Had a few knee surgeries. You, for those of us who are.

[Stephen Colbert]

Land bound, what is it like to be in the air and to be flipping around before you land that 900. What's it like? What's that moment of suspension like?

[Tony Hawk]

Well, it feels like you're flying, for one. Also, it feels like you are flying. You are flying. Yeah, but within reason. You're at the mercy of gravity pulling you back down. You have no wings.

[Stephen Colbert]

Right.

[Tony Hawk]

And it feels like it's slow motion. It really does. Until something goes wrong and then you're falling without your skateboard. And that feels like a very quick punch to whatever body part hits first.

[Stephen Colbert]

What, are you counting the turns or is it just kind of like you feel it in your body at that point?

[Tony Hawk]

It's more you're using the force, so to speak. It's kind of muscle. I mean, it's same as a gymnast. Like, you kind of know where you are in the air. You have some spatial awareness and you gotta hope for the best also. So there's that.

[Stephen Colbert]

Sure. We have to take a quick break. We'll be right back with more Tony Hawk. Everybody, stick around.

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[Stephen Colbert]

Hey, everybody. We're back with Tony Hawk. Music is an enormous part of skating, skating culture. And there's a whole generation that not only learned to skate by following you, but also learned about the music that you loved with your video game. Here we go. When did this come out? This first one right here.

[Tony Hawk]

1999.

[Stephen Colbert]

Tony Hawk's pro skater.

[Tony Hawk]

Thank you.

[Stephen Colbert]

There you go. That does look like 1999 better than that. How involved were you in making that iconic soundtrack?

[Tony Hawk]

Very involved. In fact, it was fun because we weren't under many regulations for that game. It had never been done before. So Activision gave us free reign to do whatever we wanted. So I definitely wanted to keep the culture alive in it and represent it well. And so I just threw out bands that I heard growing up at the skate park. Largely rooted in 80s punk rock. It was like Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Sex Pistols, Gang of Four and Ted Kennedys. And I didn't realize that that would be such an iconic part of the game as well. And people really identified with music. I think it opened up people's eyes to new bands and new genres.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, I want you to know how much of an effect you've had on people. One of my footage producers, Carly Rasner, she wrote us and she said, my husband loves Tony Hawk and was obsessed with Tony Hawk Pro Skater videos games growing up to the point where he actually has and frequently wears a hat that says get a shot of this. I'd rather be listening to any of the Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtracks. Are you? Have you seen this?

[Tony Hawk]

I've seen versions of that. I've never seen one of those in real life.

[Stephen Colbert]

I think it's incredibly beautiful. You can't have this one. Unfortunately. You recently got together with some of the original skaters from the game. Here we go. Tell me who these people are right here.

[Tony Hawk]

Let's see. We have Steve Cavallaro, Kareem Campbell, Eric Kostin and Rodney Mullen. All iconic skaters, all revolutionary skaters. And all were featured in our very first game, the one that you showed earlier.

[Stephen Colbert]

And then in conjunction with this. I don't know if it's a conjunction with. But also all around the world, billboards have been going up that say 030425 appearing around the world. That's London. Here's Tokyo right there. What does that mean? What does that mean, 035?

[Tony Hawk]

Well, getting together with all those skaters means that we are re releasing Tony hawk's Pro Skater 3 and 4 Remastered with those characters.

[Stephen Colbert]

When is that?

[Tony Hawk]

Some of the classic classic levels, classic skaters and a lot of new surprises. But all the info drops tomorrow.

[Stephen Colbert]

All the info drops tomorrow?

[Tony Hawk]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

So this isn't all the info, but.

[Tony Hawk]

This is more than I've given out so far. So.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, fantastic. That's an excuse. This is a teaser.

[Tony Hawk]

This is amuse bouche.

[Stephen Colbert]

But we gotta go in just a second here. But before you go, I'm just curious, what is it? I skateboarded when I was a kid. This is like 1977 skateboarding. So it was long and thin and super flexy and like shark nose front and a tiny little kick at the back, but urethane wheels and like real solid trucks.

[Tony Hawk]

I mean, that's what my first board looked like.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay. I was just going around town. I love the freedom of it. What does it love about skateboarding?

[Tony Hawk]

Oh, well, these days, I mean, it's definitely my creative expression. But what I really love about it is that I feel like it's the most inclusive sport you've ever seen. Like, if you go to a skate park probably right now, you'll see people of all ages, all genders, all races, all skill levels, all enjoying the same space, all encouraging each other. I can't think of any other activity or sport that's like that.

[Stephen Colbert]

And all you need is a board.

[Tony Hawk]

All you need is a board or.

[Stephen Colbert]

A friend with a board.

[Tony Hawk]

Yeah, that's it. The cost of entry is to stand on a skateboard.

[Stephen Colbert]

Tony, good to see you. Thank you. Thank you so much for being here.

[Tony Hawk]

Thanks, everybody.

[Stephen Colbert]

You can stay up to date on the release of Tony hawk's Pro Skater 3 and 4 on Tony's social media channels. It's Tony Hawk, everybody. Thank you for listening to the Late Show Pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives.