Do you love to ollie, grind, and shove it? Is your stance goofy? Does the number 360 seem way too small these days? Well, we're not entirely sure what any of that means, but on Sunday , we know where we can find a few people who do.
Namely, Tony Hawk and his crew, who are kicking off the Birdhouse Skateboards MIAtoNYC Tour. Skateboarding pros like Hawk, Kevin Staab, and Willy Santos, will invade Westwind Lakes Skate Park, along with the Birdhouse team amateurs, including Aaron "Jaws" Homoki, Riley Hawk, Shawn Hale, Clint Walker, David Loy, Shaun Gregoire, and Elliot Sloan. And for just ten bucks, you can get in the park and skate beside them.
The demos will focus on street skating, a style of skateboarding that involves using items on paved surfaces, in schools, or in malls as obstacles. You'll see the guys use anything from stairs, curbs, ledges, or handrails. And if you're a die hard skater, you can follow the tour up to places like Virginia Beach and New York City to see them take on big daddy halfpipes. We sent a few questions to Mr. Hawk via e-mail, and it turns out he's looking forward to being in the Magic City the most.
Miami New Times: How did this tour come to be?
Tony Hawk: We try to do a Birdhouse tour every year with our entire team, visiting skateparks / areas that we haven't been to before. This time we chose to go up the East Coast, so Miami is an obvious choice for a starting point.
How did you pick which skateparks to visit?
We chose ones that have good variety of terrain, can accommodate crowds, and [hopefully] have been supported by my foundation.
It says on the Web site that the tour will showcase street skating. How has street skating changed since you started skating?
In early days, street skating was mostly transportation, with the exception of grinding curbs and occasionally riding off loading docks. Nowadays, the urban landscape is used as a huge skatepark: ledges, stairs, handrails, banks, etc. And the tricks are much more technical in terms of flipping the board, spinning, etc.
The tour will feature the team's amateurs. What can you tell us about this future generation of skaters and how they represent the sport?
There is a very fine line between amateur and pro these days. The kids are advancing quickly at very young ages now, so they are progressing the sport without even realizing it. They also inspire kids to start skating at a much younger age.
Your son is also on the tour. What's it like touring with him?
It's always nice to spend time with him, but he's 18 now so I give him plenty of space.
Have you been to Westwind Skatepark in Miami before?
No.
Do you feel Miami has a strong skate scene?
Miami has always had a strong skate scene; many legendary pros have come from that area and continue to support their hometown.
What should people expect to see at the event? Anything new your team has been working on?
We are always working on new tricks. Aaron "Jaws" Homoki just turned pro so I'm sure he'll be out to impress everyone more than ever.
Do you have any pre-tour rituals or training you go through?
I try to skate my backyard more, since it is more like the stuff we skate on tour (instead of vert ramps). My skatepark/street skills lay dormant unless we are going on tour.
What are you looking forward to the most on this tour?
The crowds! This is the first Birdhouse skatepark tour that we have announced every stop ahead of time. I have a feeling it's gonna get hectic, but we are ready.
Look out for free swag from sponsors like Quiksilver, Tech Deck, and Skull Candy. West Wind Skatepark (6805 SW 152 Ave, Miami)
Follow Cultist on Facebook and Twitter @CultistMiami.