Tony Hawk makes an appearance at the "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4" Launch Event at El Rey Theatre ... More on May 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Olivia Wong/Getty Images) Getty Images Skateboard legend Tony Hawk has never seen a half pipe or, for that matter, a skateboard competition he hasn’t conquered. The highly decorated skateboarding champion and 10-time X Games gold medalist still skates almost every day, he said. However, Hawk noted that buying a new house in Los Angeles this summer has presented him with a whole new set of challenges. Hawk, now 57, has four children, whom he says have been living in various places in and around L.A. While he and his wife still keep their home in San Diego, they thought it might make sense to buy a fixer-upper in L.A. as a way to spend more time together as a family. “We just bought a house with the intent of three of our adults living there.” Hawk, during our Zoom interview last week, said that two of his kids recently graduated from college. “Let’s put it this way, our kids were scattered, and for us to see all of them, we kind of had to beg them to come see us somewhere centrally. So we bought a place.” Hawk described the purchase of an older L.A. home as a big undertaking. “In fact, it was pretty rough,” he said. Hawk said that when they bought it, one closet was being used as a laundry space, which he wanted to turn back into a closet. There were also cracks in the concrete floors, among other issues. “We needed new floors. We needed new bathrooms. And the room that would be my son Calvin’s room was an empty canvas.” Hawk said that soon after locking in, he heard from the technology company Thumbtack about a potential collaboration, specifically to make the new home much more livable. MORE FOR YOU “Thumbtack contacted me about this very property,” Hawk said, laughing about the amount of work needed. “They asked if we had any places that needed work, and said, ‘We want to show you how we do things,’ and I was all in.” Founded in 2008, Thumbtack has built its reputation on helping millions of people care for and improve their homes. Through the platform and its app, homeowners can receive personalized guidance on home improvement projects—ranging from small fixes and routine maintenance to major improvements—and access the right professionals from Thumbtack’s community of 300,000 local service businesses. New digs: Tony Hawk's new Los Angeles home boasts retro-style bathrooms and bedrooms with ... More skateboarding accents. courtesy photo by Thumbtack “They were really a one-stop shop. And that’s what it’s all about,” Hawk said about the experience. “They connect homeowners with resources and people who can get stuff done, the actual products and building materials. So once we got in contact, everything moved very quickly.” Hawk said that the result was a cozy new home with more bedrooms and a swanky new bathroom with retro looks. “Honestly, if you saw the before and after pics, it felt at first like a very industrial space. It is amazing how much more warm and comfortable Thumbtack made our place look." Thumbtack boasts 5-star ratings from 12 million consumers on its projects and has recently raised over $500 million from investment partners, including Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global Management, Javelin Venture Partners, Baillie Gifford, and CapitalG. Working with Thumbtack, Hawk said, “removed all the guesswork. I’m new to this (remodeling) in a sense, and all the work was super efficient.” Thumbtack, in kind, indicated that Hawk was an ideal partner and let them show how they and their affiliate contractors could transform a living space. “Helping Tony bring this space to life was a reminder of what’s possible when you have the right pros by your side," said Morgan Olsen, Thumbtack’s resident interior design expert. "Whether it was refining finishes or navigating bigger repairs, our Thumbtack team made sure every detail came together seamlessly, so he could focus on creating a home his kids will love.” Hawk added that, with all his media and sports-related work in L.A., he often found himself dropping in to see the ongoing progress made by the contractors, saying "the turnaround time took only weeks, and with some parts less than that.” Tony Hawk: Young at heart Even though Hawk is effectively retired from competitive skateboarding and national competitions, he keeps busy and in close contact with members of the skateboarding community. Two years ago, Hawk competed in one event at the 2023 X Games and then joined the Summer Olympics in Japan last year as a color commentator for Olympic skateboarding and extreme sports events. Miles Goodman, Riley Hawk, Catherine Goodman, Kady Hawk, Tony Hawk, Keegan Hawk and Calvin Goodman ... More attend the Los Angeles premiere of HBO Max's "Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off" at The Bungalow on March 30, 2022 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images) Getty Images As an entrepreneur, he has built a billion-dollar video game franchise and established successful businesses, including Birdhouse Skateboards, Hawk Clothing, and 900 Films. Hawk is also a sought-after public speaker, particularly on topics such as brand image and authenticity, and was the subject of the HBO 2022 documentary film “Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off.” In addition to four kids of his own, there’s another new, big role for Tony Hawk—that of a grandfather. “Today, after this interview, I have a new skate ramp I am going to skate,” he said. “And another thing I’m going to do this afternoon, after I skate, is that my grandson is coming over. So I’ll go from skating to changing diapers.” Hawk’s grandson, born last fall, is the child of his eldest son, Riley, and his wife Francis Bean Cobain, daughter of rock legend Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. In addition to discussing business, family, and contemporary skateboarding history, Hawk is just as easy to talk to about music, especially 1990s punk and alternative music. “I’m a fan and was always a fan of Nirvana, and got to see them in 1991. But we try to keep those elements separate, so to speak. I think Frances hears enough,” Hawk said, about Nirvana, “in her public life.” When Hawk heard that I was from Chicago, the names of Chicago artists originating in the 1990s came to mind, particularly Chicago rock legends Steve Albini (b. 1962) and the band Local H. “Local H did a cover of ‘Wolf Like Me’ (a song by TV On The Radio) that I’ve used in a social media clip I was doing not too long ago. Local H—Super talented, amazing," Hawk said of the band, which will be back on tour this September. When I finally asked what’s next for Tony Hawk, he mentioned that he remains heavily involved in pushing his sport to new levels, while helping to develop new skateboarding talent of all genders. “I’m still skating as much as I can. But I think the best use of my time professionally now is to promote skateboarding and advocate for public skate parks.” Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions