Tony Hawk!

Tony Hawk

On Sunday I received a text that said pro skateboarding legend Tony Hawk was at the skate park in town. I looked at it, gave a chuckle and put my phone down. Then I got a confirmation Hawk was actually in town, so I jumped in my truck and headed to the skate park.

I wasn't sure what to expect once I got there. Would Hawk be surrounded by a group of people not letting the public get close? Would it be a quick 'Hello, how are you' and then out of town? Refreshingly Hawk and everyone associated with the "Tony Hawk SHRED Presents Birdhouse World Tour" were completely down-to-earth and very approachable.

After signing autographs for a while, Hawk and Kevin Staab put on their gear and put on a show for the crowd. I spoke with Staab, a carefree purple haired shredder, and his vibe was amazing. This was a fun group to spend a Sunday afternoon with and I'm glad they made the stop.

And now for Mr. Hawk. I spoke with him as well after as the tour was getting ready to hit the road and I was amazed by how down-to-earth he was. Sometimes I think we elevate people to a status and expect them or suppose they will act in a certain manner and it's awesome when that expectation is shattered.

I'm not saying I thought Hawk would not be that way, but when you're talking about the most famous skater in the world, it would be easy for someone to let it go to his head. For Hawk, he's a man who loves to skate, loves to see others skate and wants to promote the benefits that skating can bring.

Thanks go out to Tony, Kevin, Amber and Steven for a great afternoon.