Tony Hawk Philosophy

Words: 1401
Pages: 6

Chapter I: Introduction
Tony Hawk is a preeminent example of an athlete following his passion through a successful active career in his chosen sport followed by a fruitful foray into the entrepreneurial world. He is arguably the best-known figure in skateboarding, still actively involved in the sport. His journey to become a successful entrepreneur began at the age of 10, overcoming many obstacles to live out his passion. A professional skateboarder by the age of 14, he struggled in school with the beliefs of his teachers and those around him to accept what he did for a living and that he would be incapable of keeping a normal lifestyle with his skateboarding endeavors. True to Confucius’ theory that a person will not work a day in their life
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Practical understanding of marketing and wholesome looks helped Hawk convert an outlaw street sport and bring it to the suburbs and shopping malls, and eventually a multibillion-dollar industry. Hawk has made millions from licensing and marketing deals with his popular video games, skateboard gear and clothing, and with corporate sponsors (Iwata, 2008)
Upbringing and History
Anthony Frank Hawk was born on May 12, 1968, to retired U.S. Navy officer, Frank and Nancy Hawk. Tony has 3 older siblings, at the time of his birth, Lenore, who was away at college; Patricia, had just graduated high school; and Steve was 12. Hawk says he was an accident but his mother prefers the term surprise, either way it is safe to assume that Frank and Nancy had thought their child raising days were nearly behind them when Tony came along unexpectedly (Hawk & Mortimer,
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Hawk's Boom Boom HuckJam show, a 30-city tour featuring Hawk and daredevil skateboarders, bicyclists and motocross riders performing stunts to rock and rap music, continues to sell out each summer in sports arenas, fairgrounds and amusement parks (Iwata, 2008).
Multimedia. Hawk's 900 Films production firm does projects for ESPN, Fox Sports Net, Warner Bros. and others. He hosts a weekly radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio. Additionally, he and an entertainment start-up called Funny or Die Networks have launched a website, Shred or Die (www.ShredOrDie.com), that showcases extreme sports videos (Iwata, 2008).
Future endeavors
Although he is still cruising around on four wheels, Hawk is committed to finding ways to give back. Established 14 years ago, the Tony Hawk Foundation has donated more than six million dollars to help build over 500 skate parks, designed in collaboration skaters, communities, and local officials. He’s helping spread his passion for the sport to destinations such as Cambodia, South Africa and Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, skateboarding is not considered a sport, so girls participate as actively as boys (Oliver-Kurtin, 2016).

Chapter III: Conclusions, Discussions and