In its inaugural launch, Hot Wheels Skate includes fingerboards, matching diecast cars, and sets to let you get your skate on. It’s up for preorder at Walmart—starting at just $2.99 for a single board—and will begin shipping in August. And Parade got the chance to chat with the man himself, Tony Hawk, about this new line, the partnership with Hot Wheels and his appearance on Rocket Power back in the day. On the collaboration itself, Hot Wheels reached out to Tony, who was happy to oblige. Similar to “Toys ‘R’ Us kids,” Tony played with the diecast cars growing up and first stuck to a wall with cars and loop track sets. So this partnership is somewhat full circle for him. “I love the direction they chose with it where there [are] these fun play sets, but at the same time, there’s a beginner element to it where you actually have shoes on your fingers that are stuck to the board so you can learn motions and learn how to do tricks before you get into the more professional style fingerboarding,” Hawk explained. This makes them ideal for beginners and a key differentiator between Hot Wheels Skate and competing products. The shoes can be easily attached or detached to help you get your bearings. The boards are cheap—you can pick from several designs and get a board with the mini sneakers for just $2.99. You can also get a collectors set that includes those two elements and a matching diecast Hot Wheels car for $5.99. Both are available at Walmart for preorder now. You can also get a four-pack of fingerboards, including a custom design that isn’t sold elsewhere, for $9.99. Of course, you can use fingerboards on almost any surface, but the Hot Wheels Skate line also features a few fun playsets. Tony noted, “They’re irreverent, there’s an aquarium with the piranha and then there’s the donut shop.” Essentially, they’re fun spots to try out new tricks complemented and grounded to a degree with sets featuring half- and quarter-pipes, which are traditionally found in skateparks worldwide. And if you’re wondering (cause we were), Tony’s favorite playset would have to be the taco truck. These start at $14.99 and go up to about $29.99, plus many of them include a board or two and should provide hours of fun. In addition to the collaboration, Hot Wheels is also making a donation to Hawk’s “Skatepark Project” foundation. He explained, “We’ve been going for 20 years helping to develop public skate parks in underserved areas and it’s the proudest work that I do.” In fact, the foundation has worked to open over 600 skate parks so far. The initial launch of the Hot Wheels Skate line is up for order now at Walmart and will begin shipping in August.
Hot Wheels Skate Single Board ($2.99; walmart.com)Hot Wheels Skate Collector Series Assortment ($5.88; walmart.com)Hot Wheels Skate Multi-Pack Assortment ($11.99; walmart.com)Hot Wheels Skate Drop-in Skate Set Assortment ($14.99; walmart.com)Hot Wheels Skate Amusement Park Skate Set ($29.99; walmart.com)
And on the subject of culture, we traveled back in time to ask Tony Hawk about his appearance on Rocket Power:“I don’t think I realized the reach of ‘Rocket Power’ when I did it—it still felt kind of niche because it was focused on our sports. [But] to this day, the thing that probably Millennials will say to me the most, of the TV appearances I ever did, is ‘Rocket Power.’ Maybe even over ‘The Simpsons.’” Safe to say he took “Ocean Shores” California by storm and it was great to hear we weren’t the only ones who thought the clubhouse under the skatepark was real. “People thought that was a real place,” Hawk explained. He concluded that he was proud of the appearance and that it was fun as well. Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing. Looking for more cool toys? Here are the best gifts for six-year-old girls!
