The components of the viral trend usually include throwback images shared from the user’s teen years and set to a sped-up version of the song “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus. “Am I doing this right? Is it too late? Am I too old?,” he captioned the montage of images of a younger Birdman (which he dated to be from 1981 to 1987). While many former child stars had already hopped on the trend before the award-winning skateboarder, there’s something special about Hawk’s version. And it’s as simple as the fact that during the time this skateboarding star was rising to fame, the slogan “Skateboarding is not a crime” was also on its way up. Throughout history, the sport of skateboarding has not been without its controversies. Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, skateboarders faced curfews, prohibitive legislation, fines, and bans from public areas (including San Francisco, San Diego, and Santa Cruz, the first site of the sport’s mainstream popularity), according to Surfer Today. The report also stated that public opinion of skateboarders, at the time, was not positive–citing “destructive activity” that the sport inherently caused. The perception of sidewalk surfers became so negative that anti-skateboarding legislation eventually took off around the world; including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden. But after a decade of pro-skateboarding initiatives and rising support, the sport has become better accepted across the globe–and is even broadcasted in the Olympics. Hawk, a Carlsbad, California native, knows all too well about the issues sidewalk surfers have faced in cities and communities worldwide, and this isn’t the first time he’s posted about the notable shift in public perception of the sport. Hawk also addressed his rise to skateboarding notoriety and the culture of the scene way back in the day in his recent HBO documentary, “Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off.” More Entertainment:
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