Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk got an unexpected surprise while celebrating the 25th anniversary of his iconic video game, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3. The 58-year-old skateboarder returned to Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles, the real-life inspiration behind the game’s famous Los Angeles level, to film a nostalgic tribute. However, the celebration was cut short when security escorted Hawk and his crew out of the public plaza. Taking the incident in stride, Hawk joked on social media that the encounter was “very anticlimactic,” explaining that security simply waved them away.
Originally released in October 2001, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 became one of the most celebrated skateboarding games of all time, helping introduce a generation of gamers to skate culture and its punk rock soundtrack. Hawk’s anniversary video featured him revisiting recognizable landmarks from the game, accompanied by the Ramones’ classic “Blitzkrieg Bop.” Despite the unexpected interruption, the tribute highlighted the game’s lasting legacy, which continued with the 2025 release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4. Twenty-five years later, even the Birdman apparently can’t skate wherever he wants.
