By: SimonThis summer Tony Hawk and his friends hit the road for the sixth annual Boom Boom Huckjam! This one-of-a-kind action sports tour hits up 24 cities across the United States. Kidzworld interviewed the skateboarding legend.
Simon: For those kids that have never attended your Boom Boom HuckJam, what can they expect?
Tony Hawk: It's action sports like you've never seen. There's skateboarding, BMX, and freestyle motocross. Instead of competing, we perform complicated routines together while flying over and under each other. There are freestyle elements to the show where we have the freedom to try our hardest moves. There is also a "village" of activities for the entire family to participate in before the show.
Simon: Who are some of the names we can expect to see?
Tony Hawk: Well, you can expect to see Kevin Robinson, Neal Hendrix, John Parker. Also Kevin Staab, Dennis McCoy, Jesse Fritsch, Sergie Ventura, Greg Garrison, Sean Nielson, and Greg Garrison
Simon: This event is now in its sixth year. Are you surprised with the success and growth of the event?
Tony Hawk: I am, but I always had high hopes for this type of tour. There wasn't anything like it before.
Simon: Do you have any new tricks up your sleeve or any surprises in store for the audience?
Tony Hawk: We are always coming up with new stunts and routines for our show, so you'll just have to come and find out.
Simon: You are now 41, how do you feel physically?
Tony Hawk: Actually, I'm only 40 so I feel younger than you think (laughs). I can still do my hard tricks and I am trying new stuff every day, so I feel confident about doing it at least another year.
Simon: You are credited as one of the pioneers of skateboarding and you are largely responsible for the growth of the sport. Does that blow your mind when you sit back and think about your career?
Tony Hawk: Always! I never imagined getting to do what I love for a living and having so many people appreciate it. There was only one other skater in my high school and we were the lowest form of cool. Our classmates couldn't figure out why we liked such a loser sport, or why we hadn't grown out of it yet. Well I'm still here and my aforementioned friend is the director of our skatepark foundation.
Simon: What is your favorite moment of your career so far?
Tony Hawk: Landing a 900 after years of failed attempts. It was the best way to put an end to my 20 years of competitive skating and move on to other exciting ventures like the HuckJam.
Simon: We know your son Riley has made a name for himself in the skateboarding world. What about your other boys? Are they interested in following in dad's footsteps?
Tony Hawk: They enjoy skating, but it's not their only hobby at this point.
Simon: So I hear you are about to have your first girl? Are you envisioning the next Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins?
Tony Hawk: I'm not going to push her into anything. Her mom is a diehard skier, so I'm sure she'll be skiing at least recreationally throughout her life.
Simon:Everybody knows you as a super chill guy. Are boys going to be in for a treat when its time for your daughter to start dating?
Tony Hawk: I haven't looked that far ahead yet. She needs to work on crawling first.
Simon: When you're not playing dad, what do you do on your free time for fun?
Tony Hawk: Lets see, snowboarding, surfing. I like to watch movies and eat weird foods. Yes, I mean that. I have learned to appreciate different cuisines from traveling so much.
Simon: You have had a lot of things named after you: video games, a phone and even a rollercoaster. Which is the most flattering?
Tony Hawk: The City of Philadelphia proclaimed a "Tony Hawk Day" when the X-Games were held there. I still have the proclamation plaque that the mayor signed.
Simon: You've done everything from video games to writing books to making movies. What's next for Tony Hawk? What else do you want to accomplish?
Tony Hawk: I want to raise a healthy, normal family and keep skating until I can't physically do it anymore. That, and more video games!
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