From gold medalists to progenitors of some of todayâs most iconic skateboarding tricks, these classic skaters were instrumental in bringing skateboarding culture to a wider audience. Mixing courage, creativity, and an iron will, theyâre more than ready to tackle any obstacle put before them.
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âBeing in the original games was epic!â shares Elissa Steamer, who was the first playable female skater in the original Tony Hawkâs Pro Skater game. âIt was semi-life changing. I canât say enough about how stoked I was â and am now! â to be in the games.â
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âFrom the moment Tony asked, it was an honor, yet I had no idea of what it would come to mean,â says Rodney Mullen, originator of the kickflip and largely considered one of the most influential skaters in the sport. âThe first time I showed up on tour after the release of the game, I recall âem shop owners having to put me on top of the tour van roof to manage so that I could sign things in all the madness. The crowd was rocking the van back and forth! [It] blew my mind, the impact it had.â
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âThe game attracted such a broader group of skaters, which has elevated our community in layered ways: from tricks to societal acceptance to the respect we get from people who often thought otherwise, like parents discouraging their kids who were simply outsiders looking for a place to belong,â Mullen continues. âSkating is integrated with a culture, a way of being, more than pretty much any other sport I can think of. The way Tonyâs game shows that via the music, art, and vibe batted this home. Itâs cool to be understood.â
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 When Tony Hawkâs Pro Skater 3 + 4 launches this July, here are the returning skaters ready to hit the pavement once again, including skaters featured in the original Tony Hawkâs Pro Skater 3 and Tony Hawkâs Pro Skater 4 games plus other titles in the series.
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