Ahead of the release ofTony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4, Tony Hawk reflected on the legacy of the game, series, potential future reboots, and his surprising history with Tony the Tiger. Unquestionably the world's most famous professional skateboarder, Tony Hawk has spent decades inspiring generations to try out the sport, in large part due to the enduring success of theTony Hawk's Pro Skater game series. Even before those games were released, though, Tony Hawk was helping to spread awareness about skate culture in some truly memorable ways.
One of the best might be his brief stint as Tony the Tiger's stunt double for a commercial centered around skateboarding. To commemorate the anniversary of that 35-year-old ad, Kellogg's has teamed up withthe upcomingTHPS 3+4 to include a number of collectible merch in the game — as well as having Tony the Tiger join Tony Hawk for Vert Alert later this summer. During an interview with Screen Rant, Tony Hawk discussed his affection for Tony the Tiger, teased the future of the game series, and reflected on the evolution of skate culture.
When Tony Hawk Became Tony The Tiger
"To Have It Come Full Circle... Has Been Amazing."
In 1990, Tony Hawk appeared in a Frosted Flakes commercial — even if no one recognized him, because he was Tony the Tiger's stunt double. Replaced in post with an animated version of the Kellogg's mascot, the ad was one of the early examples of skating culture making the leap to young mainstream audiences. "That was wild," Tony recalled with a chuckle. "It's been super fun. 35 years ago, I was literally Tony the Tiger stunt double in a Kellogg's Frosted Flakes commercial...I've been a fan of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, literally, since I could choose my own breakfast."
"To have it come full circle now, to still be able to skate, to still be doing video games, to incorporate Tony the Tiger into it all, it has been amazing." Tony Hawk wasn't just the skater on the commercial, either. He also served as the cameraperson for the ride. "Any of the follow-cam footage you see in that commercial, I was shooting." Reflecting on how playing Tony the Tiger impacted his skating as Tony Hawk, the legendary athlete noted that "I mean, it was the 1990s, so the animation was very laborious."
"I had to wear a skin-tight suit, so I was a unsure of what tricks I should be doing. I didn't have the full safety of my gear to rely on. I'm not going to say that I was phoning it, but I was definitely being conservative with my tricks." It was also important to Tony that he didn't distract from Chris Miller, also featured in the commercial. "Tony was in it, but Chris was the star." That same love for his fellow skaters is clear ahead of the Tony Hawk's Vert Alert event in Salt Lake City this July.
"We have 10 of the most iconic half-pipe skaters coming to do an exhibition," Hawk teased, while also revealing that Kellogg's and Tony the Tiger will be heavily included in the event. "We really wanted to figure out how to work together. How can we collaborate? I actually did some video clips with Tony the Tiger that'll be coming out soon. Tony is coming to our event in Salt Lake City, and he'll actually be on the ramp to kick off the legends exhibition...Tony Tiger is the one who's going to get us started."
Tony Hawk On The Legacy Of THPS & Hopes For A Tony Hawk's Underground Remake
"It Just Shows How Far Skateboarding Has Come."
Generations of gamers have grown up with Tony Hawk as a constant on their consoles, with the long-running series helping spread skating culture into the mainstream more than ever. That legacy remains intact today, with theTony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 remake poised to be a big hit for Iron Galaxy and Activision. "It's just a huge honor," Hawk said, explaining what it means to him to have been a part of skating growing into a cultural institution as it has.
"It just shows how far skateboarding has come. The coming of age, of people embracing skateboarding and parents encouraging kids to skateboard, the inclusivity of skate parks, the international success of where skating has landed — especially with the inclusion in the Olympics — it's been wild. I feel our game was a catalyst for awareness and for people to get into skating at all. The idea that we still get to do these games 20 years later is beyond any dream I had.At the time, I thought we had a good run, and here we are, still at it."
Going by the chronology of the series, the next entry in theTony Hawk Pro Skater franchise that would naturally be up for a remake would beTony Hawk's Underground. As opposed to the more contained skill challenges of the previous titles,Tony Hawk's Underground focused on a player-created character and threw them into a more dedicated storyline about an up-and-coming skater attempting to make their mark on the world. "By chronology, if we get to keep doing [these remakes], then after this one that would be next," Hawk teased.
Although Hawk was quick to downplay any formal announcement, he did tease that he'd be excited to see the franchise continue by bringingUnderground back for a new generation. "We're on the precipice of the release of [Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4],so we'll see what happens." Looking back at the legacy of his career, from those early days standing in (and skating for) Tony the Tiger to seeing the franchise grow into a fixture of gaming and skating culture, Tony admits he never saw this coming — or that he would still be skating at the level he has been.
"I never imagined, when I was in my 20s and even my 30s, that I would be able to skate going into my 40s and 50s. I imagined maybe I would be able to go on some very basic level, but not at a professional level.That's been the most surprising thing, and the fact that there is support for that. I have peers my age, and we still skate together. It's just for fun, but that's the most amazing element to me."
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Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4
- Released
- July 11, 2025
- ESRB
- Teen // Lyrics, Mild Blood, Mild Violence
- Developer(s)
- Iron Galaxy
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
