This article is about the heraldic tincture. For otheruses, see Vert (disambiguation).

In classical heraldry, vert is the name of the tincture roughly equivalent to the colour "green". It is one of the five dark tinctures (colours). The word vert is simply the French for "green". It is used in English in the sense of a heraldic tincture since the early 16th century. In Modern French, vert is not used as a heraldic term. Instead, the French heraldic term for green tincture is sinople. This has been the case since ca. the 16th century. In medieval French heraldry, vert also meant "green" while sinople was a shade of red. Vert is portrayed by the conventions of heraldic "hatching" (in black and white engravings) by lines at a 45-degree angle from upper left to lower right, or indicated by the abbreviation vt. when a coat of arms is "tricked".

The colour green is commonly found in modern flags and coat of arms, and to a lesser extent also in the classical heraldry of the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period. Green flags were historically carried by the Fatimid Caliphate in the 10th to 12th centuries, and by Ottokar II of Bohemia in the 13th century. In the modern period, a Green Ensign was flown by Irish vessels, becoming a symbol of Irish nationalism in the 19th and 20th century. The Empire of Brazil used a yellow rhombus on a green field from 1822, now seen in the flag of Brazil. In the 20th century, a green field was chosen for a number of national flag designs, especially in the Arab and Muslim world because of the symbolism of green in Islam, including the solid green flag of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (1977).

Middle Ages[link]

Both the English vert and the French sinople have not been used to refer to "green" heraldic tinctures prior to the 15th century. The reason for this is that green was not used as a heraldic colour during the formative phase of heraldry in the High Middle Ages, because green is the "colour of Islam" (historically, of the Fatimid Caliphate), and was not used in coats of arms by Christian crusaders.

The French term sinople was in use prior to the 15th century, but it did not refer to green, but rather to red, being identical in origin to Cinnabar, originally the name of a red pigment also known as sinopia. Descriptions of knightly shields as painted at least partly green in Arthurian romance are found earlier, even in the late 12th century.^[1] Here, the Chevalier au Vert Escu ("knight with the green shield") often marks a kind of supernatural character outside of normal chivalric society (as is still the case with the English "Green Knight" of ca. 1390), perhaps^{[clarification needed]} in connection with the Wild Man or Green Man of medieval figurative art. The Anglo-Norman prose Brut (ca. 1200) has Brutus of Troy bear a green shield, Brutus Vert-Escu, Brutus Viride Scutum.

Green is occasionally found in historical coats of arms (as opposed to the fictional "green knights" of Arthurian romance) from as early as the 13th century, but it remained rare, and indeed actively avoided, well into the 15th century, but becomes more common in the classical heraldry of the 16th and 17th centuries.^[2]

An early example of a green escutcheon was that of the coat of arms of Styria,^{[year needed]} based on the banner of Ottokar II of Bohemia (r. 1253-1278), described by chronist Ottokar aus der Gaal (ca. 1315) as:

ein banier grüene als ein gras / darin ein pantel swebte / blanc, als ob ez lebte

"a banner green as grass, therein suspended a panther in white, [depicted] as if alive."

Classical heraldry[link]

During the 16th century, green was still rare as a tincture for the field of a coat of arms, but it was used increasingly for the heraldic designs shown in the field, especially when depicting trees or other vegetation. Thus, the coat of arms of Hungary shows a "double cross on a hill" as a symbol of the Árpád kings, where the cross was shown in silver (argent) and the hill in green, from the late 14th century.^[3]

The only green shown in the arms of the states of the Holy Roman Empire in the Quaternion Eagle by Hans Burgkmair (ca. 1510) are the crancelin of Saxony and the Zirbelnuss of Augsburg. The three lions rampant, verts of the Marquessate of Franchimont are attested in the 16th century.

Siebmachers Wappenbuch of 1605 shows a number of green heraldic devices in the coat of arms of cities. For example, the coat of arms of the town of Waldkappel ("forest chapel") as depicting a chapel in a forest on a red field, with the ground on which the chapel is standing, and four trees behind the chapel, drawn in green. There are a number of other examples where Siebmacher as a geen "mount" (the heraldic "hill" at the bottom of the shield on which the heraldic charge is "standing"). For the town of Grünberg, Siebmacher shows a yellow field on which a knight is riding, his horse running on a green "hill" and the knight flying a green banner.^[4]

Modern flags[link]

The Irish Green Ensign, used from the late 17th century. During the 18th century, the harp was modified to appear in the shape of a winged female figure.

Sovereign states with green flags:

  States in the Muslim world, using green either as a reference to Pan-Arabism or as a symbol of Islam

  Pan-African colours (red, black, and green)

  Other, sometimes representing either lush local vegetation or heraldry

Historically, a Green Ensign was flown by Irish merchant vessels from the late 17th century. Green flags flown by revolutionary uprisings include that used in the Vaudois insurrection against Bernese rule in the 1790s (which became the basis of the modern coat of arms of Vaud), the flag of the Irish Saint Patrick's Battalion (1846-1848) and Easter Rising (1916).

In the 20th century, a number of national flags were designed involving green, especially in the Muslim world, based on the traditional symbolism of green in Islam, and as one of the Pan-Arab colours. Green is also common among the national flags of African countries; green is one of the Pan-African colours. Other countries have used the colour green in their flags to represent the "greenness" of their lands and abundance of their nation.

The following contemporary national flags feature a solid green field:

• the Flag of Brazil (1889, Empire of Brazil from 1822): a yellow rhombus on a green field, in the rhombus a blue disc depicting a starry sky spanned by a curved band inscribed with the national motto,
• the flag of Pakistan (1947): a white star and crescent on a dark green field, with a vertical white stripe at the hoist,
• the flag of Mauritania (1959): green, with a golden upward-pointed crescent and star,
• the flag of Zambia (1964): green, at the fly end stripes in red, black and orange and a depiction of an eagle,
• the flag of Bangladesh (1972): a red disc on a green field
• the flag of Saudi Arabia (1973): green, with the shahada inscription and a sword in white.
• the flag of Dominica (1978): green, a cross in yellow, black and white, and a red disc with a depiction of the sisserou parrot,
• the Flag of Turkmenistan (2001): green, with a vertical red stripe near the hoist side, a white waxing crescent moon and five white five-pointed stars appear in the upper corner of the field just to the fly side of the red stripe.

Former national flags with green fields further include the solid green flag of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (1977-2011).

References[link]

• Brault, Gerard J. (1997). Early Blazon: Heraldic Terminology in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries, (2nd ed.). Woodbridge, UK: The Boydell Press. ISBN 0-85115-711-4.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Vert (heraldry)

Look up vert in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

v t e Heraldic tinctures Rule of tincture - Tricking system - Hatching system Metals Argent · Or Colours Azure · Gules · Purpure · Sable · Vert Furs Ermine · Vair Stains Murrey · Sanguine · Tenné Others Bleu celeste · Carnation · Cendrée · Orange

Bucky Lasek

Personal information
Full name	Charles Michael Lasek
Born	(1972-12-03) December 3, 1972 (age 39) Dundalk, Maryland, U.S.
Height	5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m)
Weight	155 pounds (70 kg)
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Skateboarding
Medal record Summer X Games medal record Competitor for  United States Gold 1999 San Francisco Vert Gold 2000 San Francisco Vert Gold 2003 Los Angeles Vert Gold 2003 Los Angeles Vert Doubles Gold 2004 Los Angeles Vert Gold 2006 Los Angeles Vert Best Trick Silver 1998 San Diego Vert Doubles Silver 1999 San Francisco Vert Doubles Silver 2001 Philadelphia Vert Silver 2002 Philadelphia Vert Doubles Silver 2008 Los Angeles Vert Silver 2009 Los Angeles Vert Bronze 2006 Los Angeles Vert Bronze 2011 Los Angeles Vert

Charles Michael 'Bucky' Lasek ( /ˈleɪsɨk/ LAY-sək; born December 3, 1972 in Dundalk, Maryland) is a professional skateboarder and rallycross driver.

Biography[link]

Lasek started skateboarding at the age of twelve, shortly after his bike was stolen. After entering amateur contests, he was quickly noticed by Powell Peralta talent scouts in 1987. Powell sponsored Lasek, and he made his video debut in the 4th Bones Brigade video, Public Domain (1988).

Lasek turned pro for Powell in 1990—but by this time, skateboarding and vert skating particularly began to lose popularity, and Lasek's career waned. When ESPN took vert skating under its wing as part of the X Games in the mid 1990s, Lasek's career made a comeback and he soon became one of the most recognizable skateboarders.

Today, Lasek is regarded as one of the most consistent vert skateboarders in the sport. He frequently masters tricks that are considered too gimmicky and technical by most riders to do in a contest, and lands them with stunning regularity. Some of his signature contest tricks include the Heelflip Frontside Twist and Switch Frontside 540. He is one of only two skaters to flip his board in to an invert (Heelflip Frontside Invert), and the only one to do a 720 on the vert and land backwards (forward-to-fakie Indy 720, known as a "MacKenzie").

As of 2006, Bucky Lasek has won ten medals at the X Games, including six gold medals. He currently has the highest score in X Games Skateboarding Vert history with a 98.50.^[1] He has also earned 2004 titles in the Vans Triple Crown, Gravity Games, and the Slam City Jam.

Lasek made a cameo in the low-budget 2003 movie Haggard, in which he gave a skateboard to Bam Margera while he was running from the villain Hellboy. He has also made an appearance in MTV's Viva La Bam. Lasek also appears in P!nk's music video for her single "Raise Your Glass".

As of May 2009, Bucky, through the generous backing of his various sponsors and design team, completed the construction of one of the world's most unique backyard concrete bowls in his own backyard. Bucky refers to it as "Heaven".^{[citation needed]}

In May of 2012, Lasek was one of three drivers selected by Subaru Rally Team USA to compete in the 2012 Global Rallycross Championship. ^[2]

Contest highlights[link]

• 3rd in 2011 X Games: Vert
• 1st in 2010 Vans Pro-Tec Pool Party: Pro Division
• 1st in 2009 Dew Action Sports Tour: Vert
• 1st in 2009 Vans Pro-Tec Pool Party: Pro Division
• 1st in 2008 Dew Action Sports Tour: Vert
• 1st in 2006 Dew Action Sports Tour: Vert
• 1st in 2006 X Games: vert best trick
• 1st in 2005 Dew Action Sports Tour: Vert
• 1st in 2003 X Games: vert
• 1st in 2003 X Games: vert doubles (with Bob Burnquist)
• 1st in 2002 Slam City Jam: vert.
• 2nd in 2002 X Games VIII: vert doubles (with Bob Burnquist)
• 2nd in 2001 X Games: vert.
• 1st in 2000 X Games: vert.
• 1st in 1999 xgames vert

Tony Hawk games[link]

Lasek was a playable character in the first seven games in the Tony Hawk series (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater-Tony Hawk's American Wasteland).

Personal life[link]

Lasek currently resides in Encinitas, California with his wife, Jenn, and their three daughters: Devin, Paris, and Tenzin.^[3]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official skateboarding website
• Official racing website
• Bucky Lasek at the Internet Movie Database

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (November 2010)

Pierre Luc Gagnon

Pierre-Luc Gagnon in San Diego in 2009
Personal information
Full name	Pierre Luc Gagnon
Nickname(s)	PLG
Nationality	Canadian
Born	(1980-05-02) May 2, 1980 (age 32) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Height	5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m)
Weight	168 pounds (76 kg)
Sport
Sport	Vert, Big Air and Vert Doubles

Pierre-Luc Gagnon, also known as PLG (born May 2, 1980 in Boucherville, Canada), is a Canadian professional skateboarder.

Gagnon began skating in 1988, and entered his first competition in 1992.^{[citation needed]}

A frequent participant in the X-Games, he has won fifteen medals (seven gold) in the Vert, Vert Double, Big Air and Vert Best Trick categories. He has also been victorious on the Dew Tour and in the Gravity Games, and was the winner of the vert division of the Maloof Money Cup with a wide array of technical flip tricks and spins including a nollie heelflip indy 540.^{[citation needed]}

Gagnon won the Skateboard Vert at the AST China Invitational in Beijing in 2008.^[1] He won his third successive X Games gold medal and fifth overall, in 2010.^[2] Shortly after, he won his second Maloof Money Cup skateboard vert competition.^[3]

Gagnon is 5 feet 10 inches (177 cm) tall and weighs 168 pounds (76.2 kg). His sponsors include Darkstar skateboards, RDS clothing, Osiris Footwear, Electric visual, Monster energy drink, Skullcandy headphones and capix helmets.^{[citation needed]}

Gagnon is currently^[when?] starring in a VH1 show titled The X-Life.^[4]

Competition wins[link]

• 2002 X Games^[5]
• 2002 Gravity Games^[5]
• 2005 X Games^[6]
• 2008 AST Chinese Invitational^[1]
• 2008 X Games^[7]
• 2008 Maloof Money Cup^[8]
• 2009 X Games^[9]
• 2010 X Games^[2]
• 2010 Maloof Money Cup^[3]
• 2011 Dew Cup^[10][11]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Gagnon's official website.
• Gagnon's bio on ESPN.

This biographical article related to Canadian sports is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (April 2010)

Shaun White

White in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Shaun Roger White
Born	(1986-09-03) September 3, 1986 (age 25) San Diego, California, U.S.
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight	154 pounds (70 kg)
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Snowboarding, Skateboarding
Medal record Competitor for the  United States Men's snowboarding Olympic Games Gold 2006 Torino Halfpipe Gold 2010 Vancouver Halfpipe Winter Dew Tour medal record Gold 2008 Breckenridge Slopestyle Gold 2008 Breckenridge Superpipe Gold 2009 Mt. Snow Slopestyle Gold 2009 Mt. Snow Superpipe Gold 2009 Northstar Slopestyle Gold 2009 Northstar Superpipe Winter X Games medal record Gold 2003 Aspen Slopestyle Gold 2003 Aspen Superpipe Gold 2004 Aspen Slopestyle Gold 2005 Aspen Slopestyle Gold 2006 Aspen Slopestyle Gold 2006 Aspen Superpipe Gold 2008 Aspen Superpipe Gold 2009 Aspen Slopestyle Gold 2009 Aspen Superpipe Gold 2010 Aspen Superpipe Gold 2011 Aspen Superpipe Gold 2012 Aspen Superpipe Silver 2002 Aspen Slopestyle Silver 2002 Aspen Superpipe Silver 2007 Aspen Superpipe Bronze 2007 Aspen Slopestyle Bronze 2008 Aspen Slopestyle TTR World Snowboard Tour record Gold 2007 Overall Silver 2008 Overall U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix medal record Gold 2006 Overall X Games medal record Men's skateboarding Gold 2007 Los Angeles Vert Gold 2011 Los Angeles Vert Silver 2005 Los Angeles Vert Silver 2010 Los Angeles Vert Bronze 2008 Los Angeles Vert Dew Tour medal record Men's skateboarding Gold 2007 Vert Gold 2007 Vert Gold 2008 Vert

Shaun Roger White (born September 3, 1986) is an American professional snowboarder and skateboarder. He is a two-time Olympic gold medalist. He rides regular stance, twelve and negative three degrees on his board.^[1]

Early life[link]

White was born in San Diego, California. His ancestry includes Irish and Italian.^[2][3] He was born with a Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect for which he endured two open-heart operations before the age of one.^[4] He stands 5'8" (1.73 m) tall. White spent his formative years riding Okemo Mountain and Bear Mountain, small ski resorts found in Ludlow, Vermont, and the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California.

Snowboarding career[link]

White's skateboard career took place during the same time he was rising through the snowboard ranks. White quickly drew the eyes of many in the skateboarder scene including professional skateboarder Tony Hawk. At this point Hawk befriended the nine-year-old White at a local skatepark and mentored him, helping him turn pro in skateboarding at the age of 17. White has gone on to win many titles on his skateboard, most notably winning the overall title of Action Sports Tour Champion, as well as being the first person to compete in and win both the Summer and Winter X Games in two different sports. Following in his older brother's footsteps, White switched from skiing to snowboarding at age six, and by age seven he received his first sponsorship. White has participated in two Winter Olympics in his career. At both the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics, White won gold in the snowboard halfpipe event. White has also participated in the Winter X Games, where he has won a medal every year since 2002. Including all winter X Games competitions through 2009, his medal count stands at 15 (10 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze), among which is the first quadruple win streak by a male athlete in one discipline, the snowboard slopestyle. White's streak was snapped in 2007 when he lost to Andreas Wiig and Teddy Flandreau, with White taking the bronze. He won the Air & Style Contest in 2003 and 2004.

2006 Winter Olympics[link]

At the 2006 Winter Olympics, White won gold in the half-pipe.^[5] After his first run in qualifications, White was almost out of competition, scoring only 37.7. On his second run, he recorded a score of 45.3. In the finals, White recorded a score of 46.8 (50 is the highest possible score) to win. Fellow American Danny Kass won the silver with a points total of 44.0.^[6]

2008[link]

Executing a near-flawless second run, White captured his third consecutive snowboard halfpipe title at the 2008 U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships to go along with his third US Open slopestyle competition. This followed White's win at the 25th (2007) Burton US Open, where he placed third in slopestlyle and first in the halfpipe. At the 2007 Open, White was also crowned the first "Burton Global Open Champion". His take for the event was $100,000 (Global Open Champ), $20,000 (1st Place Halfpipe), $90,000 (3rd Place Slopestyle), and a new Corvette.

On November 16, 2008 White released his first videogame "Shaun White Snowboarding" in North America (November 14, 2008 in Europe). Shaun White:Snowboarding was the 20th best-selling game of December 2008 in the United States.^{[citation needed]}

2009[link]

White with Richard Branson in 2009

There was a lot of controversy over who won the 2009 SuperPipe at Winter X Games XIII^{[citation needed]}. Kevin Pearce had 5 hits in the pipe, and all were the same tricks White did in his final run. White, on the other hand, had 6 hits and he started off his run with a big backside rodeo 540 where Pearce started his run off with a big grab. Although Pearce went bigger, he only had 5 hits, and his first hit wasn't as technical as White's first hit.^{[citation needed]} Judges came to the conclusion that White deserved the better score because he started off with a more technical trick and he had 1 more hit than Pearce.^{[citation needed]} With the win, White became the second competitor, after Tanner Hall, to win a gold medal in the superpipe in consecutive years at the Winter X Games. He also won a gold medal in Slopestyle, finally winning gold after 2 straight years of bronze.

On February 14, 2009, White won the FIS World Cup Men's Halfpipe event at Vancouver's Cypress Mountain. Out of the gate in his first qualifying run, he qualified immediately with the day's best score of 45.5. With a thumb sprained on an over-rotated backside 1080 in the second qualifying run, he clinched the event with the first of his two runs in the finals. His first finals run was awarded the highest score ever in FIS halfpipe, a 47.3.

2010 Winter Olympics[link]

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, White again won gold in the halfpipe.^[7] In the finals, White recorded a score of 46.8 on his first run, which proved a high enough score to secure the gold medal without a second run. He performed his second run anyway, as a victory lap, ending his run with a well-anticipated Double McTwist 1260 which he named The Tomahawk.^[8] This second run resulted in a record score of 48.4 (50 is the highest possible score) enlarging his margin of victory. His nearest competitor won the silver with a points total of 45.0, 3.4 behind White.^[9]

2011[link]

After a sub-par performance in the Slopestyle, failing to reach the finals, White "redeemed" himself in the Superpipe. With an 89, he sat in second place going into his 2nd of three runs. He completed the run, landing his infamous Double McTwist 1260 and finishing with a score of 97.33 to take the lead and claim the historical 4th straight Gold in the Winter X Games, held in Aspen Colorado. The score tied an X Games record, which was set by White one year before. His 3rd run was a simple victory run featuring mostly straight air.^[10]

2012[link]

At Winter X, White became the first person to score a perfect 100 in the men's Snowboard Superpipe in the history of Winter X Games.

Athletic achievements[link]

• In 2003 White was the first to compete and medal in both the Summer and Winter X Games in two different sports.
• White is the first snowboarder ever to land back to back double corks, at the Red Bull superpipe.
• He remains the only skater to land the frontside heelflip 540 body varial. (The Armadillo).^[11]
• He was the first to land a Cab 7 Melon Grab in vert skateboarding.
• He is the first snowboarder to win back-to-back gold medals in the Winter X-Games Superpipe.
• He is also the first athlete ever (on snowboard or skis) to win gold medals four years in a row in the Winter X-Games Superpipe.
• He is the first (and only) person to win both a Summer and Winter Dew Cup.^[12]
• White was the first to "three-peat" in SuperPipe at the Winter X Games.
• Shaun White holds the record for the highest score in the men's halfpipe at the Winter Olympics. In 2006, his 46.8 points bested Ross Powers' previous record of 46.1 from 2002. In 2010, during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, he improved his own record with 48.4 points in his final run.

Non-competition awards and accolades[link]

• White was named the "Chairman of the Board" on the Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards on June 13, 2007 and again on June 19, 2010.^[13]
• In the March 2009 issue of Snowboarder Magazine, he was named the ninth-best snowboarder in the World.^[14]
• He won the Revolver Golden Gods Award for "Most Metal Athlete".
• White has been named Transworld Snowboarding's Rider Of The Year twice.^[15]

Endorsements[link]

White has had a sponsor since he was seven years old. White signed CAA Sports for representation after working with IMG for eight years.^[16] Corporate endorsement deals include or have included Burton Snowboards, Oakley, Inc., Birdhouse Skateboards, Park City Mountain Resort, Target Corporation, Red Bull, Ubisoft, Adio and Hewlett-Packard. White also has his own character on the game Shaun Palmer's Pro Snowboarder as well as the video game Shaun White Snowboarding and the upcoming video game Shaun White Skateboarding. In 2009, Forbes magazine estimated that he had earned $9 million from his endorsements in 2008.^[17]

Media appearances[link]

• He had his first published interview in TransWorld SNOWboarding Magazine in 2003.^[18]
• White starred in the 2005 snowboarding documentary First Descent.
• In 2007, White appeared on the E! reality TV show "The Girls Next Door" as a snowboarding teacher for Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson.^[19]
• White was one of the few pro snowboarders to be a guest editor of Snowboarder Magazine (February 2008 issue).^[20]
• The 2008 video game Shaun White Snowboarding is named after him, and the game was personally played and demonstrated by him at Nintendo's E3 2008 Press Conference.
• A film, Don't Look Down has been released on DVD and ESPN. The film tracks his journey through the year following his Olympic success.^[21]
• White was on the cover for The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics: 2010 Edition.^[22]
• White appeared as a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, March 2, 2010, recounting the story of how his mother had his first Olympic gold medal dry cleaned.^[23]
• White had a cameo appearance as himself in the 2011 film Friends with Benefits, starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis.

Personal life[link]

Addressing his perception of the nickname "The Flying Tomato", Rolling Stone wrote, "he used to embrace it, even wearing headbands with a flying-tomato logo, but he has grown tired of it." He has also been nicknamed as "animal", a reference to a character from the satirical puppet show The Muppet Show.^[24][25]

In February 2009, Red Bull built White a halfpipe completely out of natural snow in the back country of Colorado on the backside of Silverton Mountain, coordinates (37.838801,-107.710299).

See also[link]

• List of professional snowboarders

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Shaun White

• Shaun White at the International Ski Federation
• Official Site of Shaun White
• Red Bull's Secret Halfpipe — New Tricks
• TTR World Snowboard Tour Rider Profile (current standings in the world ranking with contest results)
• TransWorld SNOWboarding Magazine — coverage of White from age 14 on
• Snowboardermag.com — interviews and videos
• Shaun White at the Internet Movie Database
• Shaun White's U.S. Olympic Team bio
• AP Winter Games Athlete Profile: Shaun White
• AP: White's showstopper caps second Olympic gold
• AP: Inside the Rings: Shaun White blazes trails
• Shaun White Interview: Pop Magazine

Tony Hawk

Hawk in November 2006
Personal information
Full name	Anthony Frank Tony Hawk
Nickname(s)	The Birdman
Born	(1968-05-12) May 12, 1968 (age 44) Carlsbad, California, United States
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg)
Sport
Country	United States
Sport	Skateboarding
Medal record Summer X Games medal record Competitor for  United States Gold 1995 Rhode Island Vert Gold 1997 San Diego Vert Gold 1997 San Diego Vert Doubles Gold 1998 San Diego Vert Doubles Gold 1999 San Francisco Vert Doubles Gold 1999 San Francisco Vert Best Trick Gold 2000 San Francisco Vert Doubles Gold 2001 Philadelphia Vert Doubles Gold 2002 Philadelphia Vert Doubles Silver 1995 Rhode Island Park Silver 1996 Rhode Island Vert Silver 2001 Philadelphia Vert Best Trick Bronze 1998 San Diego Vert Bronze 1999 San Francisco Vert

Anthony Frank "Tony" Hawk (born May 12, 1968), nicknamed "The Birdman" is an American professional skateboarder and actor. Hawk gained significant fame for completing the first 900 as well as his licensed video game titles distributed by Activision. He is widely considered one of the most successful and influential pioneers of modern vertical skateboarding.^[1]

Raised in San Diego, California, Hawk was described as being "hyperactive" as a child. His parents supported his skateboarding because it served as an outlet for his excessive energy, and as Hawk's skills developed, he became a professional skateboarder at age fourteen. In 1999, he became the first skater to land a 900. In 2002, he created the Boom Boom HuckJam, an extreme sports exhibition and tour which launched in Las Vegas.

Throughout his career, Hawk has made numerous appearances in films and other media, as well as his own series of video games. He has also been involved in various philanthropic activities including his own Tony Hawk Foundation which helps build skateparks in underprivileged areas, and also including collaborations with other athletes in the charity Athletes for Hope.

Early life[link]

Hawk was born in Carlsbad, California, to, Frank Peter Rupert Hawk. ^[2][3] When Hawk was young, he was described as being "hyperactive,"^[3] and his mother says that he was "so hard on himself and expected himself to do so many things."^[1] One time, Tony struck out in baseball and was so distraught that he hid in a ravine and had to be "physically coaxed out" by his father. His frustration with himself was so harsh that his parents had him psychologically evaluated at school. The results were that Tony was "gifted," and school advisors recommended placing him in advanced classes.^[1]

Hawk attended Jean Farb Middle School from 1980 to 1981, and recently went back there for the show "Homecoming" where he set up a ramp and did a demonstration.

He turned pro by the age of 14^[1] and was the National Skateboard Association world champion for 12 consecutive years.

The 900[link]

On July 27, 1999, Hawk was the first skater to land a 900. He successfully landed the trick, which involves completing two-and-a-half revolutions with the skateboard, on the eleventh attempt. After completing the trick, he commented, "This is the best day of my life."^[4] Nearly 12 years later Hawk was still able to land his famous 900 and posted a video of the trick via his Twitter account stating "I'm 42 and I did a 900 today."^[5]

Endorsements[link]

Boom Boom HuckJam[link]

In 1998, Tony Hawk started freestyle motocross, skateboarding, and BMX with a show in Las Vegas and then on to 31 cities around the USA and eventually to Six Flags amusement parks.^[6]

Video Game Series[link]

A video game series based on his skateboarding debuted in 1999. Since then, the series has spawned 16 titles, including main series titles, spin-offs, and repackages. The latest game of the series is the Tony Hawk: Ride, which involves riding on a skateboard-shaped controller.

Hawk's role in the series was usurped by customizable player characters in later installments,^[7] but he has remained a prominent character. In the 2003 game Tony Hawk's Underground, he is a minor non-player character whom the player meets in Tampa, Florida and skates against. Impressed with the player's skills, Hawk grants them entry into a skate competition.^[8] He later appears in Moscow to teach them the "360 Varial Heelflip Lien" move.^[9] Hawk and other skaters are briefly playable near the end of the game when they skate in a promotional video for the player's skate team,^[10] and in all gameplay modes except the story mode.^[11] He appeared as a kid in the Backyard Sports series Backyard Skateboarding.

Amusement Park Ride[link]

A series of amusement park rides known as Tony Hawk's Big Spin were built in three Six Flags parks in 2007 and 2008. The ride was originally billed as the "total Tony Hawk experience" and was designed to have the look and feel of a giant red-and-black skatepark. It offered a full "extreme sports" experience, with monitors in the queue lines displaying highlights of the history of action sports and a large spinning Tony Hawk figure crowning the ride. The ride was later demolished to make way for a new ride known as Superman: Ultimate Flight (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom) announced to be open in Spring 2012. Additionally, a water park ride called Tony Hawk's Halfpipe was opened at Six Flags America in Bowie, MD.

Film and television appearances[link]

In 1986, Tony Hawk was a featured skateboarder and skater-double for Josh Brolin in the movie Thrashin'. In 1989, he appeared as a skateboarder in Gleaming the Cube. In 2002, he appeared in Neal H. Moritzs's and Christopher Gilcrest's film xXx playing the role of one of Xander Cages stuntman friends, and later in the movie, a skateboarder at a party. In 2004 he played himself in the Australian skateboarding movie Deck Dogz. In 2006, Tony Hawk appeared in a cameo on the film Drake & Josh Go Hollywood as himself; when Drake & Josh steal his car to escape from two crooks with the Geo (iPods) that carry illegal information for counterfeiting money. Tony Hawk also asks for the cops to give Drake & Josh a police escort to Sunset Studios, for a performance on TRL. Hawk has had a cameo in the movie, The New Guy. Hawk appeared in Jackass: The Movie with Mat Hoffman and Bam Margera, skateboarding in a fat suit and Jackass 2, while skateboarding through an obstacle course. Tony appears in the film following the 2006 Gumball Rally, 3000 Miles, again with Bam Margera. He also plays the police officer who arrests Ryan Dunn in the movie Haggard: The Movie. Hawk also made a brief cameo appearance in Lords Of Dogtown as an astronaut, where he is shown comically falling off the skateboard as he is a "rookie". He played himself in an episode of Rocket Power.

Hawk was featured as an extra in the "Weird Al" Yankovic video "Smells like Nirvana". He can be seen sitting in the bleachers during the crowd sweep near Dick Van Patten. He also made a cameo appearance in the Simple Plan music video for "I'm Just a Kid", he can be seen, in a crowd, watching kids at a high school skating..

On television, he has also appeared in Action (TV series), What I Like About You, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, The Tom Green Show, The Naked Brothers Band and Zeke and Luther, So Random, and All That. Hawk was a guest on the kid's show on Nickelodeon, Yo Gabba Gabba.^[12] In 2000, he played himself in Max Steel. He also guest voiced on The Simpsons episode "Barting Over", where he played himself, along with fellow San Diegans Blink-182. In the episode, Hawk lends Homer a new board from his brand where complete rookies are able to perform at the top levels. He ends up having a comical play off with him after Homer begins to show him up. On the PBS Kids show Cyberchase, he guest starred as Slider's long-lost father, Coop. In the CSI: Miami episode "Game Over" he played a game programmer who was murdered. In 2008, he played on Million Dollar Password. Hawk also played on Fox's Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader. Tony Hawk helped design the world famous Canvey Island skate park in 1982 and has hosted Cartoon Network's "Hall of Game" sports award show on February 25, 2011. Hawk was also on the Live-Action/Animated Talk Show Take Two With Phineas and Ferb. Hawk appeared on the internet cooking show Epic Meal Time on October 28, 2011 to celebrate the show's one year anniversary, where he can be seen in the final scene eating a deep-fried pizza cake. He also guest starred on the ABC comedy, Last Man Standing. He also played a skater in Police Academy 4: Citizens On Patrol.

Skate videos[link]

This section requires expansion.

• 1984: The Bones Brigade Video Show (Powell-Peralta)
• 1985: Future Primitive (Powell-Peralta)
• 1987: The Search for Animal Chin (Powell-Peralta)
• 1988: Public Domain (Powell-Peralta)
• 1989: Ban This (Powell-Peralta)
• 1992: Feasters (Birdhouse)
• 1992: Untitled (Birdhouse)
• 1993: Ravers (Birdhouse)
• 1998: The End (Birdhouse)
• 2001: One Step Beyond (Adio)
• 2007: The Beginning (Birdhouse)

Personal life[link]

Hawk with Lhotse Merriam in 2007.

Hawk married Cindy Dunbar in April 1990.^[13] They had a son, Riley Hawk (born December 6, 1992) whom they named for one of Hawk's ancestors.^[14] Riley also skates for Lakai Limited Footwear and Baker Skateboards.^[15] The couple divorced in 1993.^[3] Hawk married Erin Lee in 1996. They had two sons, Spencer (born March 26, 1999) and Keegan (born July 18, 2001). Lee and Hawk divorced in 2004.^[3] Hawk married Lhotse Merriam on January 12, 2006, on the island of Tavarua, Fiji.^[16] The couple's first child, a daughter named Kadence Clover Hawk, was born on June 30, 2008. The couple announced their divorce on February 7, 2011.^[17]

Tony launched the Tony Hawk Foundation, which has given away more than $3.4 million to help build well over 400 skateparks around the U.S.A. The Foundation supports projects in low income areas and helps underprivileged kids. In 2007, Hawk, Andre Agassi, Muhammad Ali, Lance Armstrong, Warrick Dunn, Jeff Gordon, Mia Hamm, Andrea Jaeger, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mario Lemieux, Alonzo Mourning and Cal Ripken, Jr. founded the charity Athletes for Hope^[18] which helps professional athletes get involved in charitable causes and aims to inspire all people to volunteer and support their communities.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tony Hawk

• Official website
• tonyhawkfoundation.org
• Tony's Birdhouse Skateboards website
• Tony Hawk at the Internet Movie Database