Sure thing, here it goes:
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You know how some folks just make you stop and go, “Whoa”? Well, that’s what happened with these legendary skaters who kinda took skateboarding from a random street activity to something like an entire culture. They got guts and this wild creativity, sorta smashing through any barriers in their way. Seriously, they turned it into an art form or something.
Okay, so get this. Elissa Steamer—I remember her because she was the first girl you could play as in the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game. She’s like, “Being in those games? Mind-blowing!” She talks about it changing her life, how it was epic, and honestly, it sounds like she’s still buzzing about it. Kinda cool, right?
And then there’s Rodney Mullen. If you’ve ever done a kickflip, thank this dude. Tony Hawk asked him to be in the game, and Mullen was all, “Sure, why not?” But he didn’t really get how big it was gonna be. He talks about people going nuts when he went on tour after the game came out—seriously, they had to stash him up on a van roof just so he could sign autographs! Imagine this tiny van with the crowd making it rock like it’s a boat. It’s insane how a game just exploded like that.
But beyond the madness, Mullen got real about what it did for skating. Like, it pulled in all kinds of people, folks who might not have felt welcome before. It changed how society sees skaters—a bunch of parents even started to get it, maybe stopped side-eyeing their kids who would rather skate than, I dunno, play football. Mullen says skating is this whole vibe, all mixed in with music and art, more than other sports. It’s like Tony Hawk’s game put a spotlight on this entire lifestyle.
Oh, and speaking of those games, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 is making a comeback this July. Watch out for the classic skaters all ready to roll again. Remember those ones from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4? Yeah, they’re back. Gonna be wild!
Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah—skating isn’t just a sport. It’s a way of life.
