Tony Hawk is scheduled to give a keynote address to 25,000 attendees at the upcoming SBC Summit. The skateboarder and now entrepreneur is a legend in the sport and also a great reference in video games.
The talk entitled “Tony Hawk – What Keeps The Wheels Turning on a Global Brand” is scheduled to open the second main day of the event, which will take place at the Lisbon International Fair between September 24th and 26th. The highly anticipated talk will take place on the ‘Super Stage‘, located at MEO Arena.
Hawk will offer attendees an in-depth overview of his illustrious career, covering his introduction to the professional sports arena as a teenager, his historic partnership with Activision gaming studios, and the founding of his iconic sports brands.
Additionally, he will also share strategies for maintaining relevance through brand reinvention, providing insights into his approach to sustaining success and innovation over the years.
Expectancy
Tony Hawk stated, “I’m excited to be headlining the SBC Summit in Lisbon this September. While the worlds of skateboarding and gaming may seem very different, I believe many parallels and lessons can be very relatable for companies in this industry.”
Whether forming lasting partnerships, establishing a successful and recognizable brand, or maintaining relevance in a predominantly digital world, my story can provide valuable insights for all participants.”
Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and founder of SBC said: “Tony Hawk is, without a doubt, one of the most iconic athletes of the 20th century. Not only did Tony revolutionize the world of skateboarding, but through a strong brand, incredible athleticism, and genre-defining video games, he brought skateboarding into mainstream pop culture.
There are certainly many lessons to be learned from this legend, and I am extremely excited to witness Tony’s keynote address on the Super Stage.”
Who is Tony Hawk?
Born in the Golden State of California on May 12, 1968, Tony Hawk received his first skateboard, a blue fiberglass Bahne, from his brother at age nine.
At age 11, Hawk began participating in local skateboarding competitions, and in 1982, at just 14 years old, he officially became a professional skateboarder. He signed with the Powell Peralta team and starred in the famous Bones Brigade videos, marking the beginning of his illustrious sporting career.
Over the subsequent 23 years, Hawk won 73 titles, including the feat of being ‘National Skateboard Association (NSA) Vert Champion’ for 12 consecutive years. In addition, he won 16 “X Games” medals.
Thus, Hawk further established himself as an innovator in the sport by inventing more than 80 skateboarding tricks. These maneuvers include the ollie-to-Indy, the gymnast plant, the frontside 540-rodeo flip and the Saran wrap.
In one of skateboarding’s defining moments, Hawk performed a 900 spin at the 1999 X Games. In 2003, Tony officially retired from competitive skateboarding.
Partnerships, entrepreneurship and video games
Away from the deck, Hawk has continued to grow the sport with a variety of successful partnerships and branding deals. In 1992, Tony founded Birdhouse Skateboards (originally Birdhouse Projects) with former Powell Peralta pro skateboarder Per Welinder.
Tony Hawk’s most successful partnership came in 1999, when he teamed up with gaming company Activision to release Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.
Activision released 16 more games under the “Tony Hawk” name and achieved an impressive $1 billion in sales. Thus, becoming one of the most successful video game franchises of all time.