Key Takeaways:
- The skateboarding legend Tony Hawk was at the Tokyo Games serving as an Olympics correspondent with NBC.
Skateboarding made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, and godfather of the sport Tony Hawk was on hand to witness the event. Hawk, 53, who lives and skates in San Diego’s North County, did not compete for gold at the Olympics but instead served as a commentator with NBC to help bring viewers into the event. But while Hawk was in Tokyo to help NBC with their broadcast, he spent much of his time off joyously dadding out.
Ahead of the games on Instagram, Hawk expressed his awe in how far the sport had come since he began skating. “As a kid that was mostly lambasted for my interest in skateboarding, I never imagined it would be part of the Olympic Games. It’s surreal to now be in Tokyo bearing witness to this milestone in the most unprecedented circumstances,” Hawk said.
Decades after being viewed as somewhat of an underground sport, skateboarding was recognized as an Olympic sport for the first time at the Tokyo Olympics, which began on July 23, 2021.
“I know in the end it will help to grow skateboarding’s profile internationally, exposing our passion to an audience that has never seen it before or simply refused to embrace it. A whole new generation will get to experience skateboarding with genuine public support and meaningful opportunity. I predict it will be one of the highlights from all of the Olympic Games coverage this year. And I’m here for it.”
Hawk might not have been able to compete when skateboarding finally got to the Olympics, but he was absolutely a part of the celebration.