Activision was the publisher behind the smash hit franchise that had 16 games across over a dozen platforms between — not a bad return. But, just how much did Tony Hawk earn from these games? Well, when he was quizzed in an interview recently he preferred not to go into too much detail, but he did give his interviewers a tidbit of information about his revenue from the game. Not too bad for just letting a game developer use your name and likeness! Your email address will not be frmo. About Advertise Team Connect Contact. The Birdman made bank. What Michael Jordan is to basketball, Tony Hawk is to skateboarding. Otny the full interview with the mohey himself below:. Recommended for you. Top 10 Most Anticipated Games of
How Real is the Ride?
This story originally ran in the June 10, issue of Sports Illustrated. To subscribe to the magazine click here. The line begins forming shortly before noon, as children and their parents assemble on the sidewalk of an upscale outdoor shopping center in West Hollywood. The line grows in the cool spring sunlight. Older shoppers shuffle past, befuddled. You and three other people on the planet, Grandpa. Logically that should have been the end of the story: «The doctor, the best contest skater there ever was,» says Jake Phelps, longtime editor of Thrasher magazine, one of the edgy publications that speaks to skateboard culture. But it has not ended there. In the Xbox, perhaps. Or the PS2 console. Maybe in the CD player.
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On the bookshelf. On the television set. In the garage.
From the Vault: Rare SI photos of skateboarder Tony Hawk
Hawk’s instinct told him not to take the pay out. And right after he turned down the check, Activision mentioned a sequel, meaning Hawk’s earnings would continue. Hawk had been skateboarding since the s and by the age of 16 in the mids, he was widely regarded as the best skateboarder in the world. But it wasn’t until the publication of his video game that he became seriously famous. And I think that was the tipping point, in terms of fame, where it was like this is way beyond anything I’d ever wanted or expected or known or had seen, honestly,» he said. Corporate speaking engagements followed, although Hawk felt like an outsider. You know, this guy has a billion-dollar start-up, and hey, I learned how to do a McTwist trick when I was Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services.
Is it important for business that you stay active in the sport? The X Games had just started, and I was winning most of the events. Skate performs a trick on the player by implying that more gestural controls are closer to the source, but even that game is abstracting a massive amount of mechanical ability. This story appears in the October issue of Entrepreneur. They already had something good, but I felt with my expertise, connections and direction, we could really make it authentic and fun, so that real skateboarders would appreciate it, but also that video gamers would enjoy playing it. It taught me about self-confidence, about tolerance, about diversity, and I always felt like there was something more there than people were seeing. You’re a determined guy—was it hard to give up on that? Riley Spencer Keegan Kadence People didn’t see it as an acceptable sport for kids to get into.
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This story appears in the October issue of Entrepreneur. Tony Hawk got his first skateboard when he was 9 years old, and he’s been rolling ever since: He turned pro at 14, won more competitions than any pgo pro skater in history and in astonished the world by becoming the first to land a «»—a degree turn, that’s two-and-a-half midair spins—at the X Games in San Francisco.
In a sport rooted in the hard-partying fringe of Southern California, Hawk was something different: While he was still in high school, he used his winnings to buy a house in Carlsbad, and a few years later, he started his first company—Birdhouse—even though the skateboard industry was tanking at the time.
Hawk was convinced better days were ahead. Billions of dollars later, who wouldn’t agree? At 41, Hawk rules an empire. Two years ago, Hawk dir struck by the idea of tny video game with a skateboard controller. Now, Tony Hawk Ride is set for release Nov.
But Hawk is the master of making radical moves under pressure. When did you realize that skateboarding could be more than just a sport? I got a taste of it in high school. Skating was popular, but it wasn’t mainstream. It had this underground following and you could go on tours, win decent prize money and make royalties from signature products—that’s how I came to buy a house when I was a senior in high school. Then skateboarding fell out of fashion in the early? A lot of skate parks were closing and there were liability issues.
People didn’t see it as an acceptable sport for kids to get. And yet you started Birdhouse in It seemed insane, but I wanted skaterr be in control of my destiny. I took out a second mortgage on my house. My partner was also an ex-pro skater, Per Welinder, and he took hxwk a second mortgage on his house. It seemed like a big risk, but my heart was in skating, and I felt it was going to come back in a big way.
And the skating industry was so small it wasn’t hard to establish ourselves as a major brand. Was it hard to move from skateboard to boardroom? When I started the business, I mwke that I was easing my way out of being a pro skater, that I would work more behind the scenes. But at some point I realized that was the completely wrong approach: I was more effective being a pro skater and being an ambassador for the company, instead of being the guy that created the ads, which someone else could do better than me.
So I jumped back into the pro circuit and started doing pretty. The X Games had just started, and I was winning most of the events. People recognized my name—and as a result, I started raising the profile of Birdhouse much more than I toyn could have behind the scenes.
Is it important for business that you stay active in the sport? You have to walk the walk. You’ve got to be out there skating and seeing what people are. If I don’t make time to skate, I feel like I’m faking it. And people would sense. Well, yeah! And I have to skate, just for myself. I feel like I’m just spinning out of control if I don’t get out there and skate. Does following your instincts work in business as well as competition?
Some of my best decisions were really following my intuition. Any time skating was featured in a video game, I ate it up. So aroundI was shopping this video game idea.
I was weighing my options when I went to Activision, but when I saw what they were working on, I said, «This is exactly what I’d love to be involved with,» and following that gut reaction was hugely successful. They already had something good, but I felt with my expertise, connections and direction, we could really make it authentic and fun, so that real skateboarders would appreciate it, but also that video gamers would enjoy playing it.
Your new video game, Tony Hawk Ride, really pushes that idea. Everything is wireless now, and a lot of it is motion controlled, and I said to Activision, «I think gow time to do a skateboard that you can stand on. Are you nervous about the November release? Mkch scared to death about it because I know how much is riding on it, how much Activision has invested in it.
I brought this idea to them, and they’ve dedicated two years of development and research, but who knows how it’ll do? It’s a scary prospect. But I know it’s good. Not all of your ventures have worked. Talk about one that didn’t. We decided to invest in a high-end denim company and just kept throwing money at it because it had created a buzz, which was deceptive. So we were taking away the profits from our successful businesses to keep this one alive.
Finally, we realized we had to get. You’re a determined guy—was it hard to give up on skaater It’s a big blow to the ego to have something not succeed the way you thought it. I learned that not everything that you love will become popular. Can you talk about the influence that your dad, Frank, had on your life? The biggest lesson I learned from my dad is to support children even if they’re doing something that is unorthodox. Who else influenced your career early on?
My first inspiration in skating in terms of guidance was Stacy Peralta. He recognized my talent and got me on the Bones Brigade, an elite group of skaters, and sent me to Florida when I was 13 for this competition. I had never even traveled at that point, and it wasn’t the type of terrain I was used to. I didn’t do so well, but it taught me about being versatile and accepting the situation, and I was glad he did. Then I went back the next year and did better, and the next year ended up winning or finishing in the top.
It taught me a lot about how to handle myself in adverse situations. So I think he was the one that took me and said, «You can do a lot more with this skaher you ever imagined. You started your business during a bow period. What advice do you have for someone starting out these days? My advice is to follow your heart and do it because you love it.
Do something that you would do even if you didn’t get paid, and everything else falls into place from. Even if it’s not a huge financial success, you will still be happy. These things that I’m doing, I would do for free. My definition of success is doing what you love. I rpo many people do things because they feel they have to, and are hesitant to risk following their passion. And obviously, yeah, it’s hard right. But maybe there’s a chance that if you get laid off, maybe that’s your saving grace, your chance to restart.
Is there a process you’d follow? My best advice is to set small, attainable goals for. Don’t think of umch big picture all the time, because you’re just going to end up being disappointed the whole way.
You’ll be so fixated on the challenges that you won’t step back and realize you’re already. With skateboarding, ppro some point I was on top of the world, but I had no idea because I was so busy and so focused on doing it.
When finally I stepped back, I was like, «Wow! This is really a dream I never imagined. Regarding skating, you once said, «I’m never satisfied with my skill level. I wouldn’t consider myself a business expert. I’ve had successes, I’ve had failures, I still have a lot to learn. I need to improve on how to navigate big business and make sense of it all, because to me, a lot of it is just mumbojumbo. When people start talking about venture capital and finances and how to create this and do that, a lot of it, I swear, it’s like sitting in an escrow meeting when all you want to do is buy a house, and you’re signing 50 pieces of paper, but you have no idea what they’re talking.
Are you surprised by how your life turned out? In my personal success, everything is amazing; every day I have this «How did I get here? In terms of skateboarding I’m not surprised, because I always felt like it can have a huge, positive impact on your life.
It taught me about self-confidence, about tolerance, about diversity, and I always felt like there was something more there than people were seeing. You know, I’m 41 and I’m still a professional skateboarder—it’s just insane! That is my job description. And I love it. Gary Cohn is a freelance writer in Santa Monica, Calif. Gamers have been buzzing about Tony Hawk Ride for months before its Nov. This time, he’s ditched the controller for a
Tony Hawk is best known as the greatest skateboarder in the world. Was it all from his involvement in skateboarding or were there other business endeavors he pursued? We found out how with just a little research. Tony Hawk was born in Carlsbad, California on May 12th of Frank and Nancy Hawk were the names of his parents. He was a very active child who was thought to be hyperactive and when testing was conducted to figure out what made him so active, they discovered that his IQ was an impressive His first real encounter with a skateboard was when he was the age of nine.
Tony turned pro
His brother introduced him to the sport with an old used fiberglass board and he practiced in an alley near the family home in San Diego. Soon, his enjoyment of skateboarding turned into a passion and it soon became apparent that he had a real talent for skateboarding. With the powerhouse of energy that Tony had this was a godsend for everyone in the family because it gave him a creative outlet to burn some excess steam. The young man was competing in amateur skateboarding contests throughout the state of California when he was just 12 years old.
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