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Watch Tony Hawk shred 'surreal' Tokyo venue ahead of sport's Olympic debut

Skateboard legend Tony Hawk won't be competing when the sport he put on the map makes it Olympic debut in Tokyo, but he's certainly soaking in the experience. (Instagram/TonyHawk)
Skateboard legend Tony Hawk won't be competing when the sport he put on the map makes it Olympic debut in Tokyo, but he's certainly soaking in the experience. (Instagram/TonyHawk)

Skateboarding is making its Games debut in Tokyo, and the designers of the inaugural Olympic venue can officially breathe a sigh of relief after getting the seal of approval from the legendary Tony Hawk himself.

The 53-year-old skateboarding legend posted an Instagram video of himself tearing up the course, calling it a “surreal” experience.

But to Hawk, these Games are about so much more than landing a few tricks. It is a culmination of years of hard work, and finally being able to see the sport he loves get the spotlight it deserves on the world stage.

“As a kid that was mostly lambasted for my interest in skateboarding, I never imagined it would be part of the Olympic Games,” Hawk wrote in his caption. “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.”

While Hawk will not compete in Tokyo, he will be a part of NBC’s broadcasting crew when the sport he helped put on the map takes centre stage.

He also wasn’t shy to predict that he thinks that skateboarding will be “one of the highlights from all of the Olympic Games coverage this year.” Maybe a little bit of bias involved, but we are here for it.

As part of his analyst duties, Hawk has also made his gold medal predictions for both the men’s and women’s events.

On the men’s side, he believes that one of American Nyjah Houston, or Yuto Horigome from Japan will come out on top in the street competition. While in the men’s park, he thinks the course fits the style of Brazil’s Pedro Barros.

For the women’s street, he likes either one of the two Brazilian skaters of Leticia Bufoni and Rayssa Leal, or American ​​Mariah Duran. Hawk also believes it is a three-horse race in the women’s park between Sakura Yosozumi (Japan), Lizzie Armanto (Finland) and 13-year-old teenage sensation Sky Brown (Great Britain).

Skateboarding will make its official Olympic debut on Day 2 of Tokyo 2020 when the men’s street competition kicks things off.

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