Tony Hawk was taking photos like a proud dad at the women's skateboarding debut at the Olympics
Patrick Smith/Getty Images
- Tony Hawk is the godfather of modern skateboarding.
- When the sport made its Olympics debut in Tokyo, Hawk was there to witness the competition.
- Hawk spent some of his time in Tokyo photographing the skaters like a proud dad.
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Skateboarding made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, and godfather of the sport Tony Hawk was on hand to witness the event.
Hawk, 53, did not compete for gold at the Olympics but instead served as a commentator with NBC to help bring viewers into the event.
But while Hawk was in Tokyo to help NBC with their broadcast, he spent much of his time off joyously dadding out.
As he wandered the park, Hawk watched in awe as young skaters from across the world had their Olympic moment, even asking many of the skaters for pictures. Austria's Julia Brueckler seemed happy to oblige.
-#TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 26, 2021
During training sessions, Hawk also appeared to exchange a bit of advice and casual conversation with some of the skaters.
Ahead of the games on Instagram, Hawk expressed his awe in how far the sport had come since he began skating.
"As a kid that was mostly lambasted for my interest in skateboarding, I never imagined it would be part of the Olympic Games. It's surreal to now be in Tokyo bearing witness to this milestone in the most unprecedented circumstances," Hawk said.
"I know in the end it will help to grow skateboarding's profile internationally, exposing our passion to an audience that has never seen it before or simply refused to embrace it. A whole new generation will get to experience skateboarding with genuine public support and meaningful opportunity. I predict it will be one of the highlights from all of the Olympic Games coverage this year. And I'm here for it."
Hawk might not have been able to compete when skateboarding finally got to the Olympics, but he was absolutely a part of the celebration.