Smithsonian Collects Tony Hawk Skateboard

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History acquired a skateboard deck ridden by renowned skateboarder Tony Hawk following the closing ceremony of the Quiksilver All 80s All Day Vert Challenge Jan. 7.

The board is a 1986 Tony Hawk pro model Powell-Peralta deck ridden in competition by Hawk in the mid-1980s with graphics by Vernon Courtland Johnson (“VCJ”)—an influential skate artist credited with introducing the skull to skate graphic culture. Hawk brought the board out of storage in 2011 and will ride it in today’s event.

“Skateboarding is a sport that highlights the inventive and entrepreneurial spirit of our nation,” said Brent D. Glass, director of the museum. “Tony Hawk strongly embodies this spirit, and for this reason I am pleased that his deck launches our collecting initiative.”

Hawk’s deck will join a 1978 Honeycomb Pool Board donated by Stacy Peralta and a Powell skateboard in the museum’s permanent sports collection.

This acquisition launches a broader collecting initiative focusing on skateboarding and skate culture in collaboration with the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation based at the National Museum of American History. The museum is interested in the material culture of skateboarding, including archival items, equipment, technology and other paraphernalia. The Lemelson Center will focus on the inventive aspects within the skating community to complement its existing work with snowboarding and sailboarding innovators.

The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. To learn more about the museum, visit http://americanhistory.si.edu. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000, (202) 633-5285 (TTY).

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SI-11-2011