Tony Hawk is, by any objective measure, one of the most important people in the history of action sports, if not at the very top of the list. As a groundbreaking skateboarder, the face of a video game franchise, and cultural icon who transcended the sport, Hawk played a crucial role in making skateboarding enter the mainstream in a way no one else has.
He is also a very pleasant seeming 52-year-old dad, and while there are not a ton of revolutionary skateboarders, there are a whole heck of a lot of those. And in 2020, a common occurrence — people not realizing that Tony Hawk is in the same place as them — went to new heights. We know this because Hawk has a tremendous sense of humor about himself (see: this), and decided to tweet out a bunch of interactions he had with folks.
The year started off strong, with someone actually recognizing him but wanting to make sure he could stay incognito. Also: Hawk made an apparent order at a restaurant he went to (god, remember doing that?) with his cholesterol in mind, opting for a turkey burger over a good ol’ beef burger.
Cashier #1: “Can I help you?”
Me: How long would it take to get a turkey burger to go?
Cashier #1: “About 5 minutes”
Cashier #2: “Are you Tony Hawk?”
Me: yes
Cashier #1: “Do you want a turkey burger then?”
Me: yes please, and an iced tea
Cashier #1: “Can I get a name?”— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) January 4, 2020
Several months later, as the United States was dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, Hawk was out in public when he got a selfie request … after, of course, someone pointed out that he looked like himself.
At a convenience store, waiting in line, wearing a face mask. Guy walks by and does a double-take:
“You look like Tony Hawk”
haha cool
“But are you him for real?”
I am
“Can I get a photo?”
for sure
So we took a selfie. Neither one of us took off our masks. The new normal sucks.— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) May 9, 2020
Update: he posted it on Instagram and tagged me. My Masked Singer costume has really deteriorated. pic.twitter.com/7uKxQUHK2s
— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) May 9, 2020
In August, Hawk and his daughter stepped out to take care of some things when, once again, someone recognized him, but only because they thought he was someone else.
At @Tillys with my daughter, waiting for her by dressing room, mask on.
Guy folding clothes nearby: “Anyone tell you that you look like Tony Hawk?”
me (looking over, expecting sarcasm but realizing he’s serious): you have no idea
him: That’s cool, he’s cool
me: thanks!
him: huh?— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) August 12, 2020
He was still standing by me when I posted this and it felt awkward to be reading replies in real time, so I broke the news to him. Say hello to Austin. He’s cool too. pic.twitter.com/HfwPTWjGWy
— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) August 12, 2020
Hawk went out to grab a bite to eat in October, and while waiting for his food, someone’s ability to say he looks like Tony Hawk struck again.
At a drive-thru, waiting on my order, looking at phone. Guy at window: “you kinda look like Tony Hawk”
me (turning towards him, assuming he is in on the joke): “haha, cool”
Him (looking disappointed): “well, from the side you do. Here’s your food.”— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) October 24, 2020
And just under the wire of 2020, Hawk was able to play his fun little game again, this time at a COVID-19 testing site.
at a Covid testing site (wearing masks), handing over paperwork for me & two of my kids:
woman looking over papers: “okay… Anthony, Keegan and Kadence… Hawk? Are you guys related to Tony Hawk?”
me: yes
her: “Are you pulling my leg?”
me: no, we are all directly related to him— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) December 31, 2020
Stand-up comedian Kyle Cease (famous for being the slow clap guy from Not Another Teen Movie) has a bit about seeing Hulk Hogan, and being unsure about whether he actually saw Hulk Hogan, and realizing he had never had that dilemma before in his life, because he had always been able to immediately look at a person and determine whether or not they were Hulk Hogan. The difference, of course, is that you can usually tell that one pretty quickly, but apparently, no one who has ever seen Tony Hawk in public has been able to immediately go, “Oh, wait, that’s Tony Hawk.” It is my sincere hope that many things change in 2021. One of the few things that I hope does not change is this bit.