Watch: Tony Hawk Breaks Down Crying After Nailing Last Ollie 540

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk first completed an ollie 540 in 1989, adding yet another highlight [...]

By John Newby

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk first completed an ollie 540 in 1989, adding yet another highlight to his career resume. Decades later, he decided to retire the trick. However, Hawk first completed it one final time and then broke down in tears after several attempts.

"In 1989 I started trying ollie 540's as a joke, since it seemed there was no way to keep a skateboard on your feet throughout 1 1/2 spins in the air," Hawk explained in the caption of an Instagram post showing off his final attempts. "But at some point I started scooping the tail with my back toe, which kept my feet in place for most of the spin." He continued and said that the first successful trick took place during Ban This and that he then continued to perfect the ollie 540 for the next 32 years.

"But they've gotten scarier in recent years, as the landing commitment can be risky if your feet aren't in the right places. And my willingness to slam unexpectedly into the flat bottom has waned greatly over the last decade," Hawk continued. "So today I decided to do it one more time… and never again."

Once Hawk landed the trick, he let his board shoot off the top of the ramp while he crumpled to the ground and fought back tears. "Kinda sad," He said in the video after a cameraman came over to congratulate him. "I'm like a little sad. I've never had much finality to anything but that was definitely the last one I'll ever do. F— it. Happy I made it. Thanks, guys for hanging in there with me."

As the Instagram video showed, nailing the ollie 540 one final time was not a simple task. Hawk crashed multiple times and became visibly frustrated. One crash even sent him sliding off the ramp and into a camera set up on a tripod. Undeterred, Hawk pushed on until he finally successfully landed the trick.

In addition to colliding with a camera, Hawk also revealed that he damaged his pinky during the time on the ramp. He posted a photo on Instagram Stories that showed his right hand. The pinky had a considerable amount of blood up by the nail, and there was a noticeable bruise by the knuckle. Hawk simply called the injury the "price" that he pays.

0comments
Start the Conversation

of