Tony Hawk gave an explanation for why he isn’t planning a long-term comeback to professional competition, even though skateboarding will be featured in the Olympics this summer in Paris.
The legendary skateboarder recently said to People magazine, “I don’t think you want to see me competing when I’m 60.” He was asked if he would compete in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“That’s probably not going to bode well,” he said. However, I will undoubtedly attend as a fan.
The remarks from Hawk, who is most known for landing a 900 at the X Games, come as skateboarding is about to make its second appearance at the Olympics this year with a larger field of participants. Hawk mainly retired from professional events in 2003.
The addition of skateboarding to the games was welcomed by Hawk, who called it a “great move for the international growth and equality” of the sport.
People believe that the Olympics, in some way, miraculously cleans up our actions. However, the tournaments are conducted precisely as they have for the last thirty to forty years,” he remarked.
The legend of skateboarding was present at the Tokyo Olympics and provided commentary on the competition in 2021.
In a 2014 interview with Larry King, Hawk stated that the success of skateboarding was the reason why the games “need skateboarding more than we need them.”
Last month, he told NBC Insider that he enjoyed watching the sport “come of age.”
Observing its expansion, the inclusivity it fosters, and the fact that parents now encourage their children to skate since it’s an Olympic sport. It’s the ideal season for skateboarding, according to Hawk.
Hawk expressed his “huge pride” at skateboarding’s inclusion in the Olympics to People.
