There was an interesting pattern going throughout the large crowd gathered around Athens Skate Park on a hot afternoon.
There was an interesting pattern going throughout the large crowd gathered around Athens Skate Park on a hot afternoon.
“There he is!” someone would mistakenly cry out, and many more would turn their heads, only to be disappointed by what — or rather, who — they didn’t find.
It repeated over and over again for several minutes until, eventually, one of them proved to be correct. It was from a little boy, jumping up and down at the bottom of a hill, watching Tony Hawk walk out of the Athens Community Center.
Hawk and his Birdhouse Skating team paid a visit to the Athens Skate Park on Sunday, making their last stop on a two week-long tour that spanned several cities across the mid- west. The intimate setup of the event allowed spectators to stand on the very lip of the skating area and get up close and personal with one of the sport’s icons and his group of professional skateboarders.
“Tony’s one of the best you’re ever going to see, so getting to see him in person is pretty special,” said Pat Nida, a senior studying sports administration. “Growing up, my older brother and all his friends skateboarded, so I was kind of raised around it. (Hawk) pretty much changed the game and pushed the envelope and continues to elevate that even now.”
The Birdhouse Skating team consists of 11 skaters, including notable rising stars such as Aaron “Jaws” Homoki, Ben Raybourn and Kevin Stab. The park was viewed very favorably by both the professionals and amateurs who came to visit it Sunday.
“It’s very unique,” said Homoki, a 24-year-old native of Phoenix. “It’s got a bunch of cool little obstacles, and it’s pretty rough, which makes it a little bit more fun and tough. It’s a great park.”
Hawk signed things for kids whoranuptohimashewas walking to the park from the community center, and walked a circle around the track high- fiving spectators on his way out. The rest of the Birdhouse crew stuck around after the event to take pictures and sign autographs, giving fans a great opportunity to meet and have conversations with significant members of the skating community.
Hawk was unavailable for comment after the event.
In Hawk’s professional career, he won 73 of the 103 competitions he entered, while placing second in 19 of them. Almost as impressive as his competition accomplishments have been his post-competition accomplishments.
His Birdhouse Skating company is one of the biggest skateboard companies in the world, his autobiography was a New York Times bestseller, and his Pro Skater video game series is one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time. His Tony Hawk Foundation has also donated $3.2 million to more than 450 skate parks throughout the United States, including the Athens park.
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