Steven Bartlett - Tony Hawk

1) Tony Hawk discusses how his obsession with skateboarding and his hyper-focused mindset caused him to become a machine and neglect his humanity. He talks about how he got burned out in competition and how this taught him about the dangers of burnout. He also reflects on his childhood experiences of being bullied and picked on, and how skateboarding provided him with a sense of identity, self-confidence, and creativity. Tony explains how his obsession with skateboarding was like a form of medicine that helped him overcome his difficulties growing up.

2) Tony Hawk describes how skateboarding gave him asense of purpose and an outlet for his energy and frustrations. He also talks about his upbringing with older parents who were in retirement mode and didn't have a warm relationship. Despite not being planned, he never thought much about it and excelled in academics, always thinking that his path would be more academia-based. However, with skating, he realized he had something else and found his true potential in high school, even though skateboarding wasn't cool at the time.

3) Tony discusses his experiences with skateboarding in high school and the dichotomy between his success in the skateboarding community and being an outcast in high school. He talks about how the culture and community of skateboarding filled him up and gave him a sense of belonging.Tony started out by getting his first hand-me-down board at eight years old from his brother and by the age of 14 he turned pro. He explains that the reason he was able to get incrementally better than his peers was that he was not afraid to step out of his comfort zone and was willing to take hits along the way.

4) Tony discusses his early success in skating and how he became recognized as the best in the world at the age of 16. Despite his success, he faced pushback and criticism from others who claimed that he could only perform in his home park or do goofy tricks. However, Hawk shut down his haters and continued to succeed throughout his late teens, making enough money to buy a house in his last year of high school. After experiencing a decline in his career in the early 90s, things picked up again in the late 90s. He also discusses how he realized early on that street skating was not his strength and decided to stick with half pipes, which he knew and excelled in, in order to continue skating into his adult life.

5) Tony discusses his decision to step away from being a professional skater due to the lack of opportunities available for him as a half pipe or vert skater. He continued to nurture a group of street skaters and promote his company without considering himself a pro. However, he never quit skating, and a few years later, he began competing again after the X Games generated renewed interest in the sport. Hawk mentions that skating experienced a downturn in the 1990s due to liability issues with skate parks and becoming more street-centric. He also talks about his father's involvement in the industry, founding the National Skateboard Association, and how it created conflicts of interest for Hawk when he was accused of nepotism.

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6) Hawk admits that his success caused him to disconnect from himself and others. He explains that when you become successful, it's easy to get caught up in the fame and disconnect from what makes us feel connected. Hawk admits that he saw himself drifting down that path in the late 90s and early 2000s, when he became more famous due to the success of his video game. Although he indulged in the fame and celebrity, here cognized that it was not what he wanted and it left him feeling unfulfilled. Hawk eventually realized that he wanted to be more available emotionally to his children and reconnected with them, which he finds way more fulfilling than caring about celebrity culture.

7) Tony discusses how his partner helps him prioritize and refocus when he begins to lose his way, and how he has become more cognizant of this in his own choices as he's gotten older. He talks about how he never imagined he would be a pro skater past the age of 20, let alone in his 50s, but he kept getting better at it and is still doing it because he enjoys it. He also discusses how his peak in terms of technical ability was in his mid to late 30s and early 40s, but he has learned to focus more on technical moves as he's gotten older as they are more low impact and help to keep him healthy. Finally, he talks about the core components of achieving mastery and success, including focus and the ability to listen and take inspiration from others.

8) Tony talks about the importance of getting out of your comfort zone and trying new things, even if they don't work right away. He also discusses how adding your own flair to a sport or activity is encouraged, as it makes each person unique. Hawk explains that skating is subjective, with every skater having their own style and flow that makes them stand out. He also talks about how the sport teaches the value of taking risks and not giving up, as demonstrated by his 12-year journey to master a particular trick, the 900.

9) Tony Hawk talks about his journey towards perfecting the 900 trick, which he first attempted in the 90s and finally landed in 1999 during an event at the X Games. Hawk recounts falling forward and getting hurt multiple times until he realized that shifting his weight to his back foot during the spin might make it easier to land. After making it, Hawk experienced a sense of relief that the 900 was finally possible, and with the release of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater in September of that year, his name became even more popular, forever tying his success to the game.

10) Hawk reflects on the decisions that led to the success of his popular video game franchise. He describes how he chose to work with Activision over another group who had a more technically challenging game, but he wanted something that would be more accessible to non-skaters. He also talks about how he was offered a buyout of future royalties before the game's launch for half a million dollars, which he accepted given his experiences with financial struggles in the past. While he acknowledges some close calls, he feels lucky for the commercial success of his game franchise which helped him earn his name that made $1.4 billion.

11) Tony Hawk discusses the financial success he experienced from the Tony Hawk Pro Skater video game franchise. Hawk talks about how the game made over a billion dollars in revenue for Activision and how this success made him financially free while also turning him into a global icon of the sport. However, Hawk admits he was not prepared for the level of success the video game achieved and reflects on how he may have focused too much on his skating career at the expense of his personal relationships. If he could give advice to his younger self, he would tell him to work on his state of mind and priorities with as much effort as he puts into skating.

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12) Tony talks about how his compulsive behaviour with skating affected his personal relationships and how he had to lean into therapy to figure out how to change. Hawk reveals that his fear of intimacy was a factor in his guardedness growing up and his inability to be himself. He was worried about replicating this cycle for his own children but through therapy, he was able to let go of it and is much more comfortable in his own skin and relationships nowadays. Though he still struggles with being vulnerable, he is practicing and finding himself at ease with it.

13) Tony Hawk discusses the important role his wife has played in his personal and professional life. He highlights her support, grounding presence, and the fact that she helps him navigate and prioritize hislife. Hawk also talks about how his wife is not swayed by fan fare and how they enjoy their quiet weekends together. He then speaks about the self-doubt he experiences as a result of his success and how he has failed in some of his business ventures.

14) Hawk talks about vulnerability and how it is actually a magnet rather than a repellent, which surprises him since he used to think people would run away from him if he shared his feelings. He discusses how sharing his feelings has led to a tremendous sense of affinity with his guests on the podcast, and how he hopes his conversation cards will help create connections through vulnerability with loved ones. Tony also shares that he bought a skateboard painted by Kurt Cobain at an auction and, with the help of Kurt's daughter, he recreated the skateboard photorealistically and sold 500 of them, with proceeds going to organizations that help people with mental health struggles and for public skate parks.