For some people, fame and fortune come quickly due to a combination of skill and luck, and being in the right place at the right time. For others, fame arrives at a more leisurely pace (also adhering to the right place/right time scenario) but once achieved it is revered as a cultural phenomena. In the case of the former, we are talking about skateboarding legend Tony Hawk; and for the latter, musician and songwriter Paul McCartney.
Tony Hawk started skateboarding early in life, at age nine. He took to it like a fish to water, and by age 12, according to his biography, “he was winning amateur contests throughout California, at 14 he turned pro, and at 16 he was widely regarded as the best competitive skateboarder in the world.” The biography goes on to say that, when Hawk was a senior in high school, his annual income was a lot more than that of his teachers. Then came the bust – skateboarding lost its universal appeal, and Tony became just another has-been. But as we all know, skateboarding, and Tony, made a huge comeback, and today his name is synonymous with the sport he loves.
As a 17 year old, Paul McCartney was trying to make ends meet. He had teamed up with some lads from Liverpool in a band called the Quarrymen. It was only in 1960, when he was 18, that the group decided on the name The Beatles, and it wasn’t until the mid-‘60s that McCartney became a star. The Beatles did indeed become a cultural phenomenon, and popular during a time that coincidentally supported their fame. Unlike skateboarding, rock ‘n’ roll was here to stay, and even after The Beatles split up in 1970, Paul McCartney’s solo career continued to skyrocket. Guinness World Records calls him the most successful composer and recording artist of all time.
It is no wonder today’s remarkable listing is being watched by so many people, given the appeal of these men. Today’s find is this Paul McCartney – Tony Hawk Lyric Skateboard, Tony Hawk Foundation, The Beatles:
How is it that the two of them teamed up on a skateboard, of all things? The listing explains:
“Skate legend Tony Hawk has teamed up with GRAMMY Award-winning artist Paul McCartney to create this one-of-a-kind artifact—Tony Hawk’s personal ridden skateboard deck with one of his favorite song lyrics (The Beatles’ “Blackbird”) written on it by Paul McCartney himself.
The board is a 7-ply maple laminate Birdhouse brand Tony Hawk pro model that Hawk rode during the first pro skate demo in Mumbai, India in 2011. It’s decorated with Hawk’s personal decal ensemble, and has all the signature wear and tear you would expect from a professional athlete. Paul McCartney then hand-wrote the lyrics to The Beatles’ “Blackbird” on it. Such an artifact from two icons of the skate and music worlds has never existed before, and it can be yours.”
Both celebrities prioritize one thing: they want to see their work support charity. This auction benefits the Tony Hawk Foundation, which supports recreational programs by creating public skateboard parks in low-income communities. If you want to read more, take a look at our post Tony Hawk is not a criminal.
So why did Tony Hawk choose Paul McCartney? He notes:
“I just figured why not go for broke and go to the top? I was stoked because it’s one his few songs where all the lyrics would easily fit on the board, and it’s one he wrote by himself. I actually met him at around the time I was trying to get this project going. He knew who I was and said his grandson was into skating and that he’d tried it once and fell. It gave me chills thinking that Paul McCartney might get hurt skating. There’s only one of these boards, so I’ll probably have to put some bids in on this.”
Perhaps the idea of Paul skateboarding does actually seem like a crime, as does Tony Hawk writing tunes and singing. Was it fate, timing, or something else that made these two famous and ultimately brought them together for a common cause? All we know is that finding your talent, and then having the fortune of being in the right place at the right time, seems like something we could all strive for and hope for – and then feel as fulfilled as either of these two men.
