Skate of the Nation: Tony Hawk on Woodward Beijing

Camp Woodward is famous in the US for offering training in both extreme sports and digital arts, and for creating the X-Games stars of the future. Woodward has just opened its first international facility right here in Beijing. To celebrate the opening of the impressive camp – two huge bowls, two half pipes, a modulated mini ramp and both indoor and outdoor street plazas – they brought over some of the world’s best skaters for a demo session.

Recently, we caught up with perhaps the most famous of them, Tony Hawk – he of the video game series. We asked the first man to land a “900” in competition what he made of it all.

What’s your impression of Woodward Beijing?
It’s a bit overwhelming to be here for the first time but seeing this facility is amazing. I mean, growing up, I never thought something like this would exist in the United States, let alone in a country that really hasn’t seen much skateboarding. So it’s really exciting to be here for this – I can’t think of a better introduction.

What do you think of China’s skate scene?
I’ve only seen this facility, and some of the local press and some of the local skaters. It seems like it’s promising, for sure, but it has a long way to go.

What’s it like to be in mid-air 20 feet off the ground?
It’s fun, but you don’t really get a chance to enjoy the weightlessness of it. You’re always thinking … figuring out how you’re going to land … what you’re going to do next.

Is it scary?
It’s scary when you try new things for the first time because you don’t know if you can get out of it safely.

What do you do when you’re not skateboarding?
I try to spend time at home with my kids, and I surf and snowboard quite a bit too.

Your (almost 2-year-old) daughter already looks like she’s quite a skater.
She loves it. She gets mad at me if I don’t take her for rides.

What’s the highest score you’ve ever got on your video game?
Ah! You know what? I honestly don’t really know – somewhere around a million, on the first couple games.

The park is open to the public – entry costs RMB 68/day. Visit www.woodwardbeijing.cn or www.campwoodward.com for more info.