#Skateistan10: Of the past: Tony Hawk, Professional Skateboarder and Philanthropist
As Skateistan celebrates 10 years, founder Oliver Percovich caught up with some of the most influential individuals that helped Skateistan to grow from its early beginnings in Kabul, into an award-winning international organization. Tony Hawk is the most influential skateboarder of all time and has spread skateboarding’s popularity worldwide. He has been a personal supporter of Skateistan for many years and is a member of the Skateistan International Advisory Board. His foundation, the Tony Hawk Foundation, is also an ongoing major donor to the organization.
Oliver Percovich: Do you remember the first time you heard about Skateistan?
Tony Hawk: I heard about Skateistan from the New York Times article about you skating in the fountain with the kids in Kabul. I was amazed. I didn’t know what would come of it but I was hyped that people were at least recognizing it for being something new and positive. I didn’t follow the story very closely and next thing I knew, you had a whole skatepark in Kabul!
OP: It happened fast, it was a lucky set of circumstances. A couple of years ago, I sent you an email and asked if you would be interested in joining Skateistan’s International Advisory Board. What specifically motivated you to say yes?
TH: For me it was obvious. I realized long ago what a positive impact skateboarding can have on kids in terms of their self-esteem, their self-expression and their creativity. I always knew that but I didn’t realize the potential of that internationally in very challenged areas. You brought it to one of the most challenged areas in the world and I was happy to support that in any way that I could. If anything, I was following your lead and bringing my experience as a pro skater and as someone who is helping to build skateparks, mostly in the U.S. Whatever I could lend in terms of expertise, I was willing to, but mostly I was just fascinated by the project. I’ve always been really impressed with how you’ve managed to grow it.
OP: I was very surprised at what skateboarding could actually do for kids in Afghanistan. I didn’t go there with the preconceived notion that it would work, I just saw things happening and I reacted to them.
TH: That was also one of the more intriguing aspects of it, that you grew this project organically. The way that you planted the seed was so much more natural than someone coming in and deciding to make a whole skate program and saying how it should go. All that is too forced and means that you don’t have the blessing or support of the locals. The way you are doing it has actually enabled it to be created by the locals, for the most part.
OP: I think one of the most exciting things about skateboarding for me was just the fact that you explore it yourself. In the ’80s, it was evolving in front of my eyes and you were at the forefront, pushing so much of that. I think that’s a really important part of skateboarding. To just force it into a box was just not something that I believed in. So Tony, you’ve been an incredible supporter of Skateistan for about five years now. What is your main motivation for supporting Skateistan?
TH: My main motivation for supporting Skateistan is to bring all the positive aspects of skateboarding and its culture to areas that are the most challenged and to kids that don’t have many outlets. The concept of Skateistan is something much bigger than the places that it’s already at. I think this idea could expand all over, to extremely challenged areas and maybe even to developed areas that need this sort of activity. It’s doing a world of good and it flies under the radar of major philanthropy which is both good and bad. Good in the sense that it’s not under the intense scrutiny of what skateboarding is, because it is an art form. But bad in the sense that it doesn’t get the type of support that it deserves. I want to be a liaison to bigger philanthropy and help it gain more recognition and awareness. That’s really what my goal and my role is at Skateistan — to spread the word to a newer audience.
OP: Do you have a favorite memory from your involvement with Skateistan so far?
TH: My favorite memories are visiting the projects themselves. Going to the original facility in Phnom Penh and skateboarding with the girls there was a big moment for me. And then going to the grand opening of the Johannesburg facility with my kids. The most special moment for me was probably taking the girls for rides on my board in South Africa. These are kids that had never even been exposed to skating and all of sudden they are going up a 6-foot quarter pipe. Seeing the smiles on their faces and the pure joy — that’s what it’s all about. Obviously there is something much deeper, a bigger connection and life lessons to be had through Skateistan’s facilities, education and the experience. But for me, it was those moments of taking kids for rides and seeing the pure joy on their faces. Even if that was their only experience of skating, I was happy that they got to feel that.
OP: That was a super day. Skateistan has come a long way in the last 10 years, what would you like to see it achieve in the next 10?
TH: I would obviously like to see Skateistan grow in more areas. I would like to see them be more recognized on an international philanthropic scale, in terms of charities. There are a lot of charities out there, but many of them have missions that are hard to quantify and it’s hard to understand where your money goes. With Skateistan there is literally concrete evidence of their work — there are facilities and there are kids engaged and learning how to skate. They have real-time statistics of the participants so you can see the growth and you can track it. In terms of validating the good of your money, you can rest assured that it’s going to a good project. In the bigger picture, I would just like Skateistan to grow and be more validated. I believe in the work and I think it’s still relatively underground.
OP: Well let’s work on getting it above ground. That’s really fantastic Tony! Thank you so much for being an incredible supporter over the last five plus years.
TH: It’s truly my honor to be a part of this organization. I am always amazed at what they accomplish and what goals they set. Just the fact that you are talking about going to other locations shows how deeply you believe in the mission and how much you want to support kids in the most needing areas.
Thanks to the support of individuals and organizations, such as Tony Hawk and the Tony Hawk Foundation, we have been empowering children through skateboarding and education for 10 years now. Celebrate and follow this milestone with us on the blog, and get ready for our new campaign to support 10 more years of Skateistan which launches May 10th.
