Tony Hawk Goes Urban in Kuala Lumpur

It’s a long way from the streets of San Diego, where a hyperactive kid named Tony Hawk first took to skateboarding back in the 1970s, to Kuala Lumpur today. But last week, when Hawk, now 45 and his sport’s elder (if still plenty active) statesman, put on a clinic for youngsters at Rakan Muda Sports Complex Skate Park on Mount Kiara, it was clear that the spirit—and the thrill—of skateboarding spans continents and decades.

Appearing on behalf of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, ahead of the Laureus World Sports Awards, and in conjunction with the Malaysian Extreme Sports Association, Hawk ripped it up on the ramps of the park that last year served as the site of the Asian Extreme Sports Championship. After his demonstration, Hawk put on a skating clinic for some 30 local skaters ages 12 to 18.

One of the participants, 14-year-old Noor Syafika Mohd Noor, told Malasia’s New Straits Times that she was very excited to meet Hawk. “I feel lucky to be here today skating alongside Tony Hawk,” she said. “It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”