CONTENTS 4 6 A Skater's Dream Tony Hawk The Release Soundtrack of a Subculture.10 14 Seven Years of Sequels 16.20.26 Robomodo Takeover The Comeback Timeline Glossary 28 30 Online Resources 31 Index 32
1 A SKATER'S DREAM A two minute timer begins to count down as you push off on your skateboard You break sail down a ramp in a huge empty warehouse You have two minutes to earn as many points as possible by doing tricks You are living the skater's dream in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater THPS Before THPS hit the market in 1999 the sport of skateboarding was in trouble In the early 1990s many skateboard companies closed due to a worldwide recession And skaters were often seen as troublemakers They skated in streets and other public places disrupting car and foot traffic This left pro skaters with uncertain futures They didn't know if they could make a living skating Two important events changed this outlook One was the first X Games in 1995. This televised competition helped bring extreme sports like skateboarding to a mainstream audience 4
THPS showcases amazing skate tricks Tony Hawk has said some of the in game tricks are too dangerous or impossible to attempt in real life Another major event was the debut of THPS It became one of the world's most influential video game franchises Because of THPS millions of gamers became interested in skateboarding and skate culture
