Tony Hawk has a new book out and this time he’s written it with his sister Pat Hawk (who has time to write their own books these days). It’s titled, How Did I Get Here? The Ascent of an Unlikely CEO.
Fast Company spoke to Tony about the book and asked him what his biggest mistake has been.
I was 18 or 19 — I was just signing my name on the dotted line everywhere I went. This one company was making Velcro wallets — really bad pink and blue ones. Probably the worst part for me was it ripped off the Vision Street Wear logo and made them say TONY HAWK GEAR. I didn’t even see them until they were in the store. That was the tipping point for me: I learned not to allow someone else to use my likeness and my name like that.
After three years of building elegant street courses for their Maloof Money Cups only to tear them down following the events, the Maloof family is hoping to build a permanent park in Orange County to follow through on what they’ve already done in Flushing Meadows New York, according to a story in the Orange County Business Journal.
“We just can’t afford to tear it down anymore,” Joe Maloof said. “I don’t mean that financially.” Maloof, a skateboarding fan, said that to tear it down “makes you sick to your stomach.” “I’m never tearing down another park,” he said. . . A site in Huntington Beach is looking like a leading contender for a permanent 16,000-square-foot skatepark that would host the annual contest. An environmental study is in the early stages.
Huntington Beach could always use another skatepark. We vote for one right on the sand near the pier.
On Sunday, September 26, 2010, Protesters in Tokyo’s Miyashita Park “banged drums and waved ‘No Nike’ ” signs in opposition of Nike’s plans build a skateboard park in an area which was formerly used as a homeless encampment, according to a story on Japan Today.
Officials accompanied by police tore out the squatters’ tents from the park Friday and threw out their belongings. More than 30 homeless people were forced to vacate the area, according to Yasumasa Hioki, director of public works at Shibuya district, an area filled with fancy boutiques and young shoppers. . . “This is just an excuse to get rid of the homeless,” said protest organizer Seiji Uematsu, adding residents and visitors should decide how to use the park.
And all Nike wants to do is put in a skatepark and use a public space as an advertising venue by changing the name of the park to Miyashita Nike Park.
A California State bill that would have required all snowboarders under 18 to wear helmets while riding at resorts has died a quick death thanks to an all-or-nothing play by California State Legislature which tied to bill to another (Assembly Bill 1652) that required ski resorts to put up more signage and create safety plans. The Governator said, “No,” according to a story in the Fresno Bee.
“Consequently, while I am signing this (helmet) bill to demonstrate my support for this measure, I recognize that it will not take effect,” Schwarzenegger said in a written statement. Senate Bill 880 would have required children under 18 to wear helmets for downhill skiing or snowboarding.
Kids will get one more season to ride helmet free before another bill comes back around next year.
Bobby “Shaggy” Crawford, 38, a mailroom worker in the New York City offices of the Heart Corporation, has apparently been writing letters to skateboard magazines (and other publications) for 15 years, according to a story in the New York Times. Now, thanks to all his hard work, the paper of record is giving him a little media play of his own in the form of a profile.
Mr. Crawford has been delivering mail at the Hearst Corporation for 13 years, regaling everyone from interns to executives with tales of his skateboarding escapades. But what most of the writers, editors and arbiters to whom he delivers letters and packages do not realize is that he has been published in more magazines than many of them. . . More than 100 of his letters have been printed in their pages.
Slap’s Mark Whiteley says the guy sticks at it. “Shaggy was relentless. He’d send letters every month. Sometimes they were terrible, sometimes they were pointless, sometimes they were just too harsh to print. But a lot of the time they were hilarious.”
Shaggy is definitely a dying breed. While most other cranks have started their own blogs, it appears that Shaggy is going to keep writing until there are no more letters sections left to fill. Which shouldn’t be all that long.
Caleb Kauchak, 18, was surfing Sandbridge in Virginia beach on Friday, September 24, 2010, when he got hit by a shark, not once, but twice according to a story on WITN.com
Kauchak says the shark grabbed his ankle and he felt it thrashing. Kauchak jumped on his surf board to escape and says he was bitten again on the knee. . . Rescue crews say Kauchak was attacked by a shark, but officials aren’t sure what kind of shark was involved.
The nibbles left Kauchak with 51 stitches for his trouble.
In a nearly perfect metaphor for the Nike Corporation and the way they treat anyone who gets in their way, Danny Kass is ripped apart by some of his favorite zombies to promote his new Zoom DK snowboard boots. Lick it up.
It was a stormy surf night (in North America) for those nutty enough to stay up watching round one of the Quiksilver Pro France. The time zone shift makes watch the entire event a little out of the question, but for those stumbling home at 2 AM, it is a perfect way to jump down off the party train.
In round one there were at least one. Kelly Slater got bumped into third place in his head against Pat Gudauskas and Maxime Huscenot in Heat 6. Jeremy Flores edged Bede Durbidge in Heat 1, and Kai Otton squeaked in a strong wave on Bobby Martinez in the last 26 seconds of Heat 12. But as we’re slowly beginning to figure out, none of this really matters because everyone is still in it.
That didn’t mean that Gudauskas was any less hyped on beating Kelly.
The young Californian began his campaign in spectacular fashion, threading a deep forehand barrel before executed a lofty double-grab aerial. . . “I was really fortunate to get that one and it definitely won me the heat,” Gudauskas said. “I was battling for position with Kelly (Slater) and he took the first one which was smaller and I got the second one. I actually misjudged the wave and barely made the takeoff and when I pulled under the lip I could see the barrel just breathing and, when it let me out, there was a ramp section so it was just automatic to go for the air.”
Follow the jump for all the results and the official word from the ASP. [click to continue…]
On September 25, 2010 Rob Dyrdek wrapped up the first season of Street League at Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Arena with Australian Nike SB rider Shane O’Neill taking the top spot. With a third place finish Nyjah Huston grabbed the overall title and the $20,000 diamond encrusted Nixon Watch.
It was a solid ender for events that have garnered mixed reviews. While no one can deny that Street League put down some of the best competition street skateboarding on record, many who have tried to watch the Street League TV shows (us included) have been shocked by how clinical the events come off looking in the absence of a jam format. Watching skateboarders do one trick or one line one at a time and then waiting for a score can get tedious very quickly. But we’re confident Rob Dyrdek will have no problem fixing all this for next year. The guy is the master of delivering exactly what people (and sponsors) want.
Final Results
Street League #3
1. Shane O’Neill
2. Chris Cole
3. Nyjah Huston
4. Chaz Ortiz
5. Ryan Sheckler
6. Paul Rodriguez
7. Greg Lutzka
Today the final Street League Qualifiers of the season are going down at The Thomas & Mack Arena in Las Vegas and tomorrow a champion will be named. What better way to prepare for the finals than to catch event 1 and 2 online. Both the Arizona and SoCal stops of Street League are now up on the ESPN/Action site. Check out stop one above, or click here for stop two.
Tony Hawk has a new book out and this time he’s written it with his sister Pat Hawk (who has time to write their own books these days). It’s titled, How Did I Get Here? The Ascent of an Unlikely CEO. 
