Something sounds a little like destiny here. Tony Hawk became the first skater to land a 900-degree turn when he completed those elusive two-and-a-half rotations on a vertical ramp at the X-Games in 1999. That very same year, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater released for the PlayStation and went on to define itself as an iconic and critically acclaimed game in any gamer’s collection.
Now, 21 years later, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 are getting a fresh coat of paint to form one fully re-mastered collection with the original skaters, original maps, and music from the original ska and punk rock soundtrack that set the tone perfectly for the games. In addition, there will also be online multiplayer game modes.
But here’s where the destiny part kicks in. On May 8, 2020, 11-year-old Gui Khury from Brazil broke Hawk’s record when he landed the first ever 1080-degree turn on a vert ramp, just four days before the game trailer released on May 12, which also happens to be Tony Hawk’s birthday.
Happy Birthday to me! #THPS 🎮🛹 pic.twitter.com/XGuVZ2VPD2
— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) May 12, 2020
To put the weight of this accomplishment in perspective, Tony Hawk was 31-years-old when he completed “The 900” and called it the biggest moment in his competitive career.
Since then, only a handful of skaters have completed the 1080 but none had ever been on a vert ramp. Khury chalks up this tremendous feat to all of the extra practice time he’s been able to get in since schools closed due to COVID-19. Khury sent the video of his 1080 to all of his skating heroes — Tony Hawk included —Â and some even posted it to their stories or their Instagram.
“It’s so amazing. It’s the best feeling ever,” Khury remarks.
At the very least, this crossroads of events is incredibly serendipitous. Who knows, maybe we won’t just see Khury on the Olympic stage in 2021 when skateboarding makes its debut — if all goes according to plan for the skateboarding prodigy –, but Khury will go virtual as a playable skater if another Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game gets made. Regardless, the worlds of gaming and skateboarding have a lot to celebrate.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 will release on September 4, 2020 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC and is available to pre-order now.
