The skateboard on which Tony Hawk first completed his most famous trick has sold for a record $1.152 million at a Los Angeles auction.
The board was sold in Julien’s Auctions’ Tony Hawk: The 900 Collection sale at the Loews Hollywood Hotel on Thursday, 25 September.
Hawk, now 57, saw the sale of the board and much of the gear with which he first completed a two-and-a-half rotation, 900-degree aerial spin at the 12th attempt in 1999.
Tony Hawk, left, shakes hands as his most famous board sells for a world record price last week in Los Angeles. Image courtesy of Julien’s Auctions.
The board is now by some distance the most valuable skateboard ever sold.
Prior to this sale, boards had made tens of thousands of dollars, including one used by Hawk (£19,500 in 2012), a Jamie Thomas board (£27,500 in 2012) and a board decorated by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, which made $35,200 in 2022.
Nirvana leaned heavily on skating aesthetics. Tony Hawk’s son, Riley, is now a professional skateboarder and married to Kurt Cobain’s daughter, Frances Bean Cobain.
“This historic result is not just a landing for Julien’s Auctions but for the culture of skateboarding and collecting,” said Martin Nolan, Julien’s Auctions’ co-founder and executive director. “With the 900 Board shattering a world record, we’re truly catching some air – propelled by the passion of bidders and the enduring legacy of this iconic moment in sports history.”
The board went into the sale with a $500,000 to $700,000 estimate.
The sale exceeded expectations more broadly. The signed Mosa Sports helmet Hawk wore to complete the trick made $115,200 against an $8,000 top estimate. His trainers made $64,000. The kneepads made $57,600.
Hawk is the best-known skateboarder in history. His professional skating career was stellar, and his fame went well beyond the ramp thanks to the branding of the Pro Skater video games with his name and image.
