On The Shoulders Of Giants (A Tony Hawk 900 Story)

Ever show up to work and have your mind blown?

When you’ve seen something you hadn’t even considered possible - something you’ve worked on, maybe even moved the needle on in the past, just done to an epic degree of excellence?

Tony Hawk was in the front row as a commentator for a vert competition in 2024.

He’s seen a lot of tricks.

He friggin’ invented a lot of tricks.

So, when a 9-year-old gets up to do a run, Hawk wasn’t expecting to see anything he hadn’t seen before.

And he didn’t see a single trick he hadn’t seen before.

But he did have his mind blown by this 9 year old.

Now, Hawk totally saw people do 900s before.

He created the trick back in 1999.

It’s an iconic moment. It’s had lots of people learn and copy the move since. There are videos and tutorials and - it’s all out there.

It’s still really (really) hard, but - people have pulled it off.

What had never been done? Back-to-back 900s.

That was just… some skateboarding video game stuff (IYKYK).

Oh, and not just 2, THREE. In a row.

Ema Kawakami, age 9, took to his vert routine and landed 3 consecutive 900s, with Tony Hawk watching, 25 years after Hawk himself invented the move.

Twenty-five years - Ema wasn’t even born when the trick was invented. Ema was born and raised in Japan, a cool 5,394 miles according to the search I just did, from where Hawk first pulled off the trick in California.

I get the reality of the internet and how it would end up on Ema’s radar, but, this still feels absurd. And yet, here we are. Future is amazing.

This is exactly how innovation spreads now. It doesn’t require geographical proximity like classrooms. It doesn’t force you to find a mentor.

Digital inspiration is the water in which we all swim now. Some people are just paying closer attention than others. And it shows.

We talk about torches being passed.

Sometimes, that’s the way it works.

Other times, somebody learns about torching, makes their own, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere on the horizon, we go - “holy crap, is that a new torch?!”

This was one of the moments.

It was a new torch showing up, building on a legacy, and it’s just so cool to see.

Torch passing is cool. New torch tech is great to see. And, torch-witnessing? Pure joy. More torch witnessing celebrations, please.

Here’s Hawk’s original 900, and then, you have to see this kid go (and watch Hawk’s face and standing ovation):