Anthony Frank Hawk born May 12, , nicknamed Birdman , is an American professional skateboarder , entrepreneur, and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse.
A pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding , Hawk completed the first documented " " skateboarding trick in He also licensed a skateboarding video game series named after him , published by Activision that same year.
Hawk retired from competing professionally in and is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential skateboarders.
Hawk has been involved in various philanthropic activities throughout his career. He founded the Skatepark Project , which helps to build skateparks in underprivileged areas around the world. As a child, Hawk was described as " hyperactive ". His parents had him psychologically evaluated at school. The results were that Tony was "gifted", as he was tested with an IQ of , [ 14 ] so school advisers recommended placing him in advanced classes.
His parents supported his skateboarding because it served as an outlet for his excess energy. Hawk's skills developed, and he made his television debut on Captain Kangaroo as "Skateboard Johnny" in Hawk attended three high schools and graduated from Torrey Pines High School in He listed Steve Caballero and Christian Hosoi as his influences at the time.
