How Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater changed the lives of some of the world’s greatest skaters

Rodney Mullen still remembers the first time he toured after appearing on a Tony Hawk Professional Skater game.

Mullen is widely regarded as one of the most influential skaters of all time, credited with creating many of the tricks, such as the kickflip and 360 flip, which are now integral components of the sport. He turned pro when he was 13 and now 53, which means he has spent four decades honing his craft and elevating skateboarding. But nothing prepared him for what happened after he appeared in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2.

“They had to put me on top of a truck because it was so intense,” says Mullen. “It was a sea of ​​people – around me. And although he had a strong name from all those previous years, this was unlike anything he had ever seen. That was my first test, and it just continued. I couldn’t believe the exposure the game gave me. “

THPS It was not the first skate video game, but it was the most important. It was not just a digital version of the sport, but also a window into a burgeoning subculture. It was overdone in places, but it was largely a true take on skateboarding, and not just because it accurately recreated the complex world of stunts. It also paid tribute to skaters themselves like no previous game, while making fashion and music an integral part. In September, two decades after the series debut, the first two games will be remastered, bringing the experience to a whole new audience.

“It is a time capsule,” says Mullen. “The essence of what makes skate special remains the same as that shown in the game.”

First THPS It debuted in 1999 on PlayStation and was developed by a largely unknown (and since closed) studio called Neversoft. It felt like an instant hit; It then sold millions of copies and was ported to Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast a year later. Anyone working on the game is unlikely to imagine that it is becoming the pop culture phenomenon that it turned out to be. But for the skaters involved, it was an exciting opportunity from the start.

“I just remember that I initially found it surreal, especially then, that skateboarding was going to be in a video game that would be available on consoles around the world,” says skater Chad Muska. “It was a crazy idea. I remember thinking, ‘Come on. Let’s do this ‘”. For Bucky Lasek, it wasn’t long before he realized that the project was becoming something special. “I can’t say I imagined him exploding as big as he did,” he says. “But I definitely could see that we were doing something. If it’s something I’m excited about, I imagine other people would be excited too. ”

Muska believes that one of the key factors behind the game’s success was time. In the early 1990s, skateboarding was largely dying, even with the biggest names struggling to survive. That changed later in the decade, thanks in large part to X Games. The extreme sports exhibition began in 1994, aired on ESPN, and created a dominant appetite for skate. Five years later, Tony Hawk got a legendary 900, a trick that involves spinning two and a half times, during the X Games after 10 failed attempts. The stage was set for THPS. “Along comes this video game that brings that underground culture from the streets to the homes of all the people in the world, more or less, who had a video game console,” says Muska. “At night, it was a household name. me It was a familiar name. And everyone else in that game became names known for that. “

Mullen has a slightly different perspective. Despite being one of the most influential people in skate history, she did not appear in the first game. But Mullen and Hawk have a long history together. The two skated together as teens in a group called the Bones Brigade, which featured many of the best professionals of the 1980s. In 1989, Mullen left the group to sign with World Industries, and witnessed the Hawk’s rise to stardom. from afar. He says he sometimes felt like a stranger, concerned that the other team members, including the Hawk, would judge him for leaving. He kept in touch, but there was a distance.

“Then out of nowhere, I was on tour and I broke my ankle. And I was thinking that this happened for no reason, and I needed a friend, “remembers Mullen. “And so few could relate to the way Tony related. I got over all that weirdness and reached out. ‘Hi man, I wanted to meet you because I don’t know if I’m going to go ahead. I don’t know if this is a sign. I do not know what’s happening. He was like, ‘Sure, let’s get together.’ So I met him on crutches in a restaurant and I said, ‘Tony, what do you think this means?’ And he said, ‘It means you got hurt. It doesn’t mean anything. Heal and skate again. And by the way: do you want to be in my game? I was surprised that he even took the time to hang out with me, let alone bring me to the game. That’s how it all started.

For those who appeared in the first THPS games, the impact was immediate and lasting. Muska says he remembers being recognized while skating on the street, and fans flocked to Mullen at airports to discuss the game. Even now, if you watch skateboard videos on YouTube or Instagram, many of the top comments refer to THPS. Lasek says the recognition continues to this day. “I am not known for being a gold medalist at the X Games, or for being a professional skateboarder for over 30 years, or for being a rally driver,” he says of some fans. “They know me as a video game character. I’m still impressed by that. “

Looking back now, the skaters I spoke to say they’re still proud of how those first few THPS The games represented skate culture for a mainstream audience, whether it’s using the complex linguistics of stunt names, recreating the ingenuity necessary for street skating, or having an amazing soundtrack featuring characters like Goldfinger and The Dead Kennedys. “It was a pure representation of what we were doing,” says Mullen. “And it gave a real idea of ​​what we do in the world and why it’s so addictive to be a skater once you start. Even if you are not good, you can become addicted to the mindset. It’s a way of looking at the world. “Muska adds,” There are some embarrassing, fun, and ridiculous things about the game, but I wouldn’t change any of that. “

Today, producing a new video game can be a huge task. In the run-up to the remaster, the original cast of THPS it was scanned so that its current similarities could appear in-game, and the process involved massive high-end DSLR platforms that captured them from all angles. But with those original games, things were much more low-tech. There were basic motion-capture suits, and the developers filmed skaters performing tricks from multiple angles before choosing how things worked.

Mullen remembers that there were times when he didn’t want to stop performing tricks for these sessions, so the developers stayed in the studio with him for some very late nights. Occasionally, barrels were involved. However, what caught his attention the most was the care taken by the developers. “They buried the nuances of everything I did,” he says. “The amount of attention to detail, and wanting to be faithful and faithful to skateboarding, and showing that respect, that’s the part that blew my mind.”

For the most part, the upcoming remaster seems to stay true to the original games. It has updated graphics and some online features, but otherwise the core of the experience remains intact. (That said, the disappointing recent history of the franchise, which includes THPS5, means fans still need to be cautious.) However, one of the big changes is the addition of a new crop of skaters: modern superstars like Tyshawn Jones, Nyjah Huston, Leo Baker, Leticia Bufoni, Aori Nishimura, Lizzie Armanto and Shane. O’Neill will be performing alongside the original cast. Even Tony’s son Riley, who was seven when the original THPS He came out and is now an experienced professional – it will be playable. Many of these skaters grew up playing the games.

Muska says he is particularly proud of the variety of people the games helped inspire, as evidenced by the new cast of skaters. “It’s really cool to see the diversity of people, to see more girls in it, to see everyone,” he says. Mullen adds that there is mutual respect between generations that makes this new feature particularly special. “You can see it in his eyes,” he says. “I’m amazed at what they do, and they look at me like, ‘OMG, you were in the game!’ Are you kidding? I can’t believe where you took the skate, and now we are in the game together. This connection over 20 years, in such a fluid way, I hardly have words for how amazing it is. “

The remastered collection of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 It will hit Xbox One, PS4, and PC on September 4, more than 20 years after the series debut. Much has happened in that time. Skateboard videos on VHS tapes have given way to clips on Instagram, while video games have only taken more root in pop culture. On an individual level, Lasek broadened his horizons by becoming a professional rally car driver, as Muska continues to explore art and fashion through the lens of skate culture. Meanwhile, Mullen still goes skating most nights, but he’s also a member of the MIT Media Lab and has done multiple TED talks. Despite all these changes and the amount of time that has passed, Mullen believes that those early games still represent skateboarding culture in a way that has yet to be replicated.

“As time passes, nothing makes me more proud than knowing how I have dedicated my talent, time and focus. I am more proud to be a skateboarder than anything else, ”he says. “The Tony Hawk The games captured the essence of skating in a pure and time-resistant way, and are taking it out now when the world has a bigger window for skateboarding. There is no better representation of it. “