Skateboarding Legend Gets Beaten And Keeps Flying In ‘Tony Hawk: Till The Wheels Come Out’

your famous line Riders of the Lost ArkInsulted and injured, Indiana Jones laments the physical damage her adventures have wrought over time and expresses her love for Marion: “Now is not the time, dear. That’s the mileage.”

The same observation applies to skateboard legend Tony Hawks. He turns 54 the following month, but it’s not that many years before he gets stuck on a “vertical” skateboard. Hawke’s determination to master the tricks, despite the damage done to his body as a result of repeated cleaning, can be found in an HBO documentary. Tony Hawke: Before the wheels fallDirected by Sam Jones.

“[People] “Don’t look at the hours, or even the years, to develop these steps… You can really get some hits along the way,” Hawkeye told Deadline. “That’s not what got me into skating. I never got into this job because I thought I was a “tough guy” or trying to prove myself in that sense. “Furthermore, it didn’t stop me and I felt injured and part of the process.”

Throughout his career, Hawk broke his left shoulder bone (two screws left in his elbow), broke his pelvis, injured his ankles multiple times, had his fingers amputated, suffered multiple concussions, and was cut so often that hundreds of stitches were required. . . He broke his thigh bone while skateboarding last month. At a movie screening in Santa Monica last week, Hawkeye sometimes leaned against a cane.

“[Surgeons] Hawke explains that they put a titanium rod in his leg and “inserted screws into my pelvis because I broke my pelvis 19 years ago and he can still see the crack.” That’s why they also made sure he was healthy before they did the surgery. ”

After the March crash, Hawk posted an X-ray of his bone on Instagram, writing:[T]Healing a femoral fracture will be much more difficult due to its severity (and my age). But I am ready for the challenge. The weird irony is that this happened the day before the HBO trailer aired. Before the wheels fallSam Jones is a documentary about my life and career that focuses on the philosophy of how we do it at our age. The answer is hard, but it does happen in the end because I have found a sense of purpose and established my identity by skating, and it strongly fuels my mental health. I have said many times that I will not stop skating until it is physically impossible.

Jones, a noted photographer and filmmaker, says he met Hawk in 1983 at Del Mar Skate Ranch, north of San Diego, where Hawk began his career.

“I’ve never seen a more wonderful person on a skateboard,” Jones told an audience in Santa Monica. “I also knew some parts of this skinny, underdeveloped boy who had to form his own gang and do his job because he wasn’t easily accepted into social groups and cliques. So was I”.

Jones was able to work with a large archive of youth and gang members. Skating nobles of that time did not like the future star and her style. He looked different on a skateboard, in part because of his body type, unlike other skateboarders with a shorter and more compact build.

“I came in at 17, 18, and to be honest it really gave me more strength. “It was an advantage back then,” Hawke said. “I was still very flexible, so even though I was tall, I could hit the ball and do all the spins and other things that way. But I think both have their advantages. [body types]. When you see a person with a lower center of gravity, they can generate speed more easily, so they tend to fly higher. And then when you see the taller ones, they have a “high lift” so to speak. They can jump, climb and navigate larger terrains.”

Completely out of momentum, Hawk eventually developed moves that no one else had. He did more than 100 tricks, including the first documented 900-degree turn. When the sport gained popularity, it received the coat of arms. He kept moving when he fell, and Hawke was still at his peak when the arrival of X Games took skateboarding to unprecedented heights. Licensing his name into a skateboarding video game also earned him millions. None of this was planned, he says.

“I never thought I could make a living, or particularly make a living as an adult. [at skateboarding] “Because when we were kids, the ‘oldies’ were 20 and they were leaving,” he says. “We went ahead and found a way to improve our adult lives. “I’m surprised people still think I have enough background to make a documentary about life.”

In the movie, Hawke calls fame “the worst drug” and sometimes worries about making a decision that will distract the family from their attention. He had several marriages, but the father of four now seems like a satisfied family man. He shared his vulnerable side, his personal development path with the documentary filmmaker.

“It was a challenge, but I trusted Sam and when he explored his questions I did my best to answer them openly and honestly,” Hawke said. Said. I trusted him to put it together in good faith, because you can take all kinds of voices and do whatever you want with them and make them funny or selfish. But I felt great care was taken to preserve its authenticity. ”

Hawke says Jones’ background as a skater has made a significant difference. “He understands all these nuances and what it takes to be a good skater. And these aren’t just ESPN numbers.”

Tony Hawke: Before the wheels fall The premiere took place on HBO Tuesday night. It will later air on HBO Max. უNew York Times Documentary Critic critic Glenn Kenn writes: “The film becomes a somewhat frightening forced portrait rather than a portrait of an individual athlete. “Even though he’s officially retired, Hawke can’t stop.”

It was this challenge that made Hawk the unanimous GOAT of skateboarding.

“I hope people see the movie and get inspired to follow their dreams,” Hawke said.