Tony Hawk puts his history-making '900' skateboard up for auction

LOS ANGELES – Skateboarding great Tony Hawk has announced that he is putting his most famous deck up for auction with the goal of raising money to build skateparks in underserved areas in the United States.

Hawk landed his groundbreaking “900” – 2½ full mid-air rotations – at the 1999 X Games in a moment that helped propel the sport out of the subculture and into the mainstream.

The Birdhouse “Falcon 2” board is expected to fetch between US$500,000 (S$636,000) and US$700,000 when it goes on the block in Los Angeles on Sept 23, according to Julien’s Auctions.

A Julien’s Auctions spokesperson said: “This skateboard represents not just a milestone in sports, but a cultural moment that inspired generations.”

Likewise, Hawk called the moment he became the first skateboarder to land the trick in front of a roaring X Games crowd after several failed attempts on June 27, 1999 “the best day of my life”.

“It was a huge moment in my career – the result of years of persistence and getting back up after every fall,” the 57-year-old said in a press release.

Other items up for sale include Hawk’s signed helmet, knee pads, sneakers, and the 1999 X Games Vert Finals bronze medal.

“I never imagined that my board, pads or helmet from that day would be of any interest to collectors,” he said.

“A portion of the proceeds from the sale will benefit The Skatepark Project (TSP), the foundation I started to help communities build safe and inclusive skateparks in underserved areas, where young people can experience the same freedom and confidence that skateboarding offered me.”

TSP grant programmes have awarded over US$13 million to help fund nearly 700 public skateparks in all 50 US states, enjoyed by an estimated 17 million people annually, according to the non-profit organisation’s website. REUTERS