Tony Hawk Skates the Path

This week I learned another lesson about perseverance and not being afraid to fail.  I met Tony Hawk Thursday night at an event for the Foundation that he started.  The Tony Hawk Foundation provides resources to develop skate parks in under-served communities. The non-profit makes a meaningful difference in the lives of the community members.  During the speech Tony and the supporters talked about how the lessons of skateboarding, like perseverance, can be applied to life.  I wasn’t sure what he meant, since I don’t skate, until the next day.

On Friday, Tony and I exchanged emails.  About 2pm I received an email that he was going to be skating at the park near Chelsea Piers in NYC.  I jumped in my MINI and went to check it out.  It was awesome to see a professional at the top of his game doing his thing.  The most intriguing part for me to watch Tony trying a certain move over and over, again and again.  He didn’t nail the move but he kept trying.  By about 3:45pm, after more than hour of skating, Tony had ripped through his pant legs and had blood on his arm, hand and leg.  Finally his shoelace ripped, which seemed to be a bigger problem.

Even though Tony Hawk is considered one of the best skaters in the world, he seemed unaffected by not achieving the move.  I could see the focus and intensity, “tenacity” his girlfriend corrected, with which Tony kept at it.  Sherpa-like indeed.