Who is Riley Hawk?
Riley Hawk embodies skateboarding in his genes, but he has established himself as a fearless and talented street skater without relying on his father’s endorsement. Riley Hawk was born on December 6, 1992, in Carlsbad, California.
He is the son of Cindy Dunbar and renowned skateboarder Tony Hawk. Riley was named after one of his father’s ancestors. Despite his father’s success in skateboarding, Riley developed his own passion for skateboarding at a young age.
Tony Hawk focused mainly on vert skating, while his son Riley Hawk established himself in street skating. Despite being related to a legendary skateboarder, Riley faced challenges in advancing his professional skateboarding career.
At the 2003 Boom Boom Huckjam in New York, 10-year-old Riley Hawk accomplished his first 540. Reviewing his skate video footage shows his passion for imaginative, groundbreaking, and risky tricks. He dedicated extensive time to visualizing and perfecting his tricks.
Balancing Skating and Music
Riley Hawk, the California street skater, demonstrated his ability to blend power and style with an almost compulsive drive to test the boundaries of street skating. This resulted in several injuries, including reconstructive surgeries on both ankles. On his 21st birthday, he became a professional skater for Baker Skateboards.
On the same day, he received Skateboarder Magazine’s 2013 Amateur of the Year award and The Skateboard Mag’s Year’s Best Am award. As a Carlsbad goofy-footer, Riley is aware that he will always be compared to his father’s legacy, but he has always created his own identity. He has stated that skaters occasionally approach him asking “Where’s Tony?” referring to his father.
Riley told:
“In my head, I’m always thinking, ‘Where’s your dad?’ I mean, are you 24 and just constantly hanging out with your dad? It’s bizarre,”
Riley Hawk, from California, acknowledges that his surname brings both benefits and drawbacks, such as reaching a wider audience for his music. He has diversified his interests and abilities, one of which is music composition. Despite being pursued by his father’s notoriety, he has worked to establish his own identity.
In 2017, Riley formed his first psych-rock group, Petyr, inspired by his favorite band, Black Sabbath. Currently, he is the lead singer and guitarist for Warish, a stoner rock band.
Motorcycles, Coffee, and Tattoos
In addition to skateboarding, Riley is passionate about motorcycles and has built a Harley Davidson FLH Generator Shovelhead. He is also part of Shep Dawgs, a skateboarding collective that creates and films independent skate videos. Despite his accomplishments, Riley is not seeking fame or recognition. He is introverted and prefers to spend time alone or with close friends.
Riley has skated on a variety of surfaces including tall and steep ledges, and all types of rails. He also introduced his signature professional skateboard model and shoes. In 2021, he began a relationship with Frances Bean Cobain, daughter of Kurt Cobain from Nirvana, and Courtney Love from Hole.
Riley Hawk’s net worth:
He has a net worth of $2 million.
Riley is a featured skater in several Tony Hawk video games, including “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD,” “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5,” and “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2”. He is also the co-founder of Steel Mill Coffee, a specialty coffee roaster and cafe in Vista, California. As a tattoo enthusiast, Riley got his first tattoo, a Black Sabbath demon, on his leg.
Riley Hawk is 6’1″ (1.86 meters) and he weighs approximately 183 pounds (83 kilograms).
