Every sport has some great players. Some are more famous than others. Being ‘great’ at a sport can be a very subjective thing but what is not subjective is the fact that some players are so legendary, that they surpass all conventional benchmarks of being great, and simply become omnipresent. Tony Hawk and LeBron James are two such names.

When one thinks of Skateboarding or Basketball, there wouldn’t be one single person who would not recognize their name. But how does it feel when one transcends the sport itself?

Tony Hawk reacts to being called a skating ‘reference’

During a conversation with Christina P. and Tom Segura, the hosts of the podcast Your Mom’s House, Hawk responded to the claim that he was ‘The reference’ that people used when it comes to skateboarding.

In the episode titled Gnarly Skate Stories, Segura said, “It’s got to be a fascinating thing for someone to be, um, a “reference”. In other words, somebody jumps on a skateboard and you go, “Okay Tony Hawk.” If someone shoots a basket you go, “Okay LeBron”. Like you’re a reference to people.” 

Tony Hawk’s reply to this was as humbling and real as it can get. Hawk replied, “Um yeah. That’s fun, but also a lot of pressure. I do s specific type of skating and I’m obviously a specific age group of skater. And so, when people talk about skating I want to be able to speak for all of it and including, you know, the fringe element of people that are just out to skate the forbidden territories… and I want to promote that as well. So you know, it’s a lot of pressure but I’m happy to.”

Read more: As a Child Superstar, American Legend Tony Hawk Used a Weird List of Superstitions

And what’s more, Hawk thinks his fame and success are attributable to a successful video game. But Hawk is much more than that.

The magical phenomenon that is Hawk

Tony Hawk is a trailblazer when it comes to skateboarding, to say the least. He was one of the first skateboarders to prove that one could actually make money while being a skater. Not only that, but he is also considered to be a pioneer of present-day vertical skateboarding. In fact, he is the skater to have the first documented 900 skateboarding trick, which is a two-and-a-half revolution spin in the air.

Hawk retired from competing in skateboarding in the year 2003, but the mark he has left on the skating community is so strong that he is still one of the most influential skaters out there. He might have taken a permanent hiatus from competitive skating, but he still keeps at it. After completing his legendary trick for the first time in 1999, he attempted and successfully completed it again in 2011 and 2016.

Watch this story: Tony Hawk, Magic Johnson And More – Here’s How These Athletes Turned Into Big Entrepreneurs 

If we’re talking about skating, Tony Hawk seems to be the perfect ‘reference’. Who, in your opinion, deserves to be the reference in different sports?