At rental car agency, can’t find my name on the monitor to find my car, go inside & wait in line. Finally get to the front, agent sees me & says “you really are Tony Hawk” Me: um, yes. I was looking for my name outside on the list Him: “I deleted it because I thought it was fake”
This is not the first time Hawk has had trouble travelling, as his twitter feed can confirm.
Last year he was mistaken by an airport TSA agent for "that cyclist Armstrong!"
Having convinced the security agents that he wasn't the disgraced cycling champion, and handing over his ID.
They agreed he did look a bit like the skateboarder Tony Hawk. "Same last name too! Crazy!"
TSA agent (staring intently): I’m trying to figure out who you look like before checking your ID. Me: ok TSA: that cyclist Armstrong! Nearby agent: that ain’t Lance Armstrong Me: he’s right TSA: oh you look like that skateboarder (checks ID). Same last name too! Crazy! Me: crazy
Another odd effect of having helped popularise a sport so drastically is that people associate his name if not his face with skateboarding.
One flight attendant jokingly noted four skateboards in his carry-on and asked him "is Tony Hawk on this flight or something?"
Even as a human metonym, it's good to see he still has a sense of humour.
Flight attendant checking overhead bins, sees four skateboards Him, jokingly: "is Tony Hawk on this flight or something?" Looks down, sees me Him: "I guess he is" 🛹🛹🛹🛹
Woman on plane retrieving her luggage in the overhead: "Who's skateboard is this? It's blocking my bag" me: that's mine, you can pass it here her: "It's yours? You ride it? me: yes her: "Are you any good at it?" me: sometimes her: cackles maniacally, exits plane
Now in his sixth decade, but decidedly still skateboarding, some people seem to be surprised at the sight of a grown man with a skateboard. Particularly if they don't initially recognise who it is.
He must just be difficult to recognise without a helmet and a skateboard under his arm.
