How Did THPS Stars Choose Their Special Tricks?! Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen & More

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We sat down with "Tony Hawk Pro Skater" Alumni to ask them how they chose...or were given their iconic "Special Tricks" in the THPS video game.
Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Jamie Thomas, Geoff Rowley, Kareem Campbell, Bucky Lasek & Bob Burnquist break it down for us. Oh, and Riley Hawk does an invert...kind of.
THPS Alumni also includes: Eric Koston, Andrew Reynolds, Elissa Steamer, Rune Glifberg, Steve Caballero, Nyjah Huston, Bam Margera, Chad Muska, Leticia Bufoni, Lizzie Armanto, Shane O'neill and more.
STORIED is produced by The Strive Collaborative, a creative agency formed by Chase Gabor and Clayton Gabor in 2023.
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Site: www.storiedskateboarding.com
IG: @storiedskateboarding
@thestrivecollaborative

[@-Ricky_Spanish-]

Man, Rodney Mullen is just one of the best humans out there.

[@storied_skateboarding]

He is

[@Risen907]

Man isn't even human he on another level I would love to meet him

[@SiMpLyKaSsIdI]

That Dude is one of a kind fs

[@Chris-rt5qu]

Was just thinking that when his segment came on. Such a unique character

[@auntonera1xtattoo]

Agreed

[@shainedupuis2649]

Hearing Jamie Thomas say he's never done a 1-footed nosegrind just ruined my whole childhood. It's like finding out Santa isn't real😂

[@storied_skateboarding]

Hahaha

[@SilentNightBodomNight]

Lmao

[@coffeecuprobot2802]

Wait WHAT!?! Then who’s breaking into my house and giving me presents?!?

[@alejandroramirez4470]

Guess he wasn't "dying to live"

[@Tsudkyk]

We are all realizing we lied to our friends about a video our cousin had.

[@lightningfarronxp8899]

one of the things I loved about neversoft was you could tell THPS wasn't just another payday to them. for them it wasn't enough to just make a skateboarding video game, they themselves wanted to understand skateboarding. they had a group of some of the greatest skaters in history on speed dial ready to offer all the insight in the world but still got on the board and put themselves in the place of those skaters. they understood in order to truly make something special they had to become skateboarders. the lifestyle, the camaraderie, the trials and tribulations and the strive for victory could only truly be captured by someone that knows what it feels like to be on top of that board. they truly were a one in a million developer studio.

[@naysebtc]

Watching the devs erupt at the kick flip… they got it.

[@EarthWalkerOne]

Tony really did do an amazing job on the roster for THPS.

[@storied_skateboarding]

He really did

[@P3GProductions]

It should been Tas Papa's game. . . . I am joking

[@Ohms_vs_Draaggs]

Chad Muska “at that time” very necessary clarification

[@b.l.a.c.k.s.t.a.r]

I don't skate myself, but I appreciate the culture and passion. I occasionally catch myself watching skating videos just to admire.

[@storied_skateboarding]

Awesome

[@Terra101]

Based

[@noobtuber10]

Never too late to pick up a board and learn.

[@djjazzyjeff1232]

Me too. I'm not a skater but I'm a fan of skating. I mean I had a board when I was a kid and goofed around with it like pretty much all kids do. I did it just enough to understand how insanely difficult it is, it gives you a perspective when you see someone who is so good at it.

[@Saintmadman]

So do I! Love the THPS, too

[@whanowa]

This game made skating immensely more popular than before. Small town in Germany and everyone started skating after THPS came out...it was insane because we had basically no infrastructure for skating, no parks and almost no smooth concrete or cool spots.

[@storied_skateboarding]

So cool

[@Saintmadman]

May I ask what town it is

[@Justin-np3ki]

Omfg I forgot about the neversoft kickflip challenge LOL. THPS 1 was the first time I ever even seen skateboarding. It got me into it in real life. 23 years later it's still a massive part of my life. Thanks tony.

[@storied_skateboarding]

Haha awesome right

[@shaun8062]

I was a skater back then at age 13 and looked up to people like Muska from vhs tapes I bought at the skate shop. I got bullied and picked on throughout middle school until that game came out. All of a sudden the preps and jocks stopped making fun of my wide shows and fat pants. Instead, the exact same bullies asked me, hey can you do a kick flip? I was cool over night.

[@Justin-np3ki]

@@shaun8062 haha that's awesome. Ya we're in the same Era, I was 13 too. Met my best friend to this day cause of skating

[@penguinjay]

@@shaun8062 that's kind of funny, I love your story, like you experienced the same cutting edge of the poser craze I did, but you were actually good apparently 🤣😂🤣😂🙃

[@shaun8062]

@@penguinjay I honestly was good for a 13 year old. I would consistently kickflip down these two 6-sets of stairs in front of the school. I was the youngest one of a skater group (about 6 guys) who were all in high school when i was in middle school, just skating with them very late most nights and sometimes not even going home. I was at their level in skating so they accepted me. I had to maintain that or they wouldn't, so I ended up one of the best, and definitely beyond the best in my age group, so my middle school friends who picked up skating when the game came out really looked up to me. It sounds crazy, but, girls started to really like skaters at that time. It's like we had groupies. I ended up partying with the older guys and older girls and got into some things I shouldnt.

[@TheBankofJosh]

This channel might not pop off right away but please don't stop with this content cuz it's amazing

[@storied_skateboarding]

🤝

[@124BILLION]

Yea it’s top notch content it will definitely pop off soon

[@lamambas9390]

it’s the stuff he’s choosing to do. everyone’s kinda heard Tony talk about the 900 & thps for the past 5 years. need to find something original

[@armin38822]

the og roster is so damn good

[@storied_skateboarding]

Agreed

[@luxoflux5064]

Everything related to THPS games warms my soul.

[@storied_skateboarding]

Same

[@brokenbizkit]

These games were a biiiiig part of my youth. All my friends and i met at my house after school to play it. It even made us become a real skate crew even though we were all really bad skaters. We had lots of fun and great times. Thank you Tony and Activision for this gift!

[@CRYPTfromCATACOMBZ]

Yup same for me, but seeing those legends nowadays it just remind me, that not only THEM, but even ME getting older and older..... Shiet o..O

[@brokenbizkit]

@@CRYPTfromCATACOMBZ Oh yes that is sadly true haha

[@storied_skateboarding]

Same here!

[@Glub5280]

I dunno why but I always thought the japan air looked so cool in the first thps game.

[@storied_skateboarding]

Haha it was so tweaked

[@matthewryan1185]

All these skaters were amazing. Skateboarding in the 90s was awsome and thank god I got to live through that time period as a kid. They had sick montages of each skater skating and was really cool to unlock after you beat the game with each character, you unlock the videos.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🙌🙌

[@Chris_OConnor]

I just still hope for THPS 3+4 to be realized!! Especially those two where the Flagships of the whole THPS series at all!

[@ninjadude183]

Here is hoping Microsoft does something with the IP.

[@bobzombii8038]

@@ninjadude183 They gonna ruin it , like they did with everything..... Halo, Rare, Gears .

[@HenritheHorse]

Just played THPS 3 100% with Tony after all these years! It was my first PS2 game back in 2001.

[@storied_skateboarding]

Same!

[@theREAL9er]

ive always wanted to hear about this, so cool

[@idiotidiot5821]

The fact all these legends still ride for the love of it is stellar.

[@Under_No_Illusion]

I learnt 540 flips because of these games, it's my trick. Now I find out that I might be better at them than Jamie Thomas? Man, I am so stoked right now!

[@storied_skateboarding]

Haha sick

[@rastaboy_gamesnstuff7778]

I feel this a bit too, having learned 540 flips 👌

[@JanooProductions]

i think THPS 1 and 2, are one of the most nostalgic point of my childhood, good memories with the Playstation 1

[@Saintmadman]

I stumbled across this channel and it looks like I found a gold mine. I don't skate but THPS was a huge part of my childhood and I love hearing stories from and about the OG's like Tony, Rodney Mullen, Bob Burnquist, Cliff Runeberg, Kareem Kampbell, Bucky Lasek and such

[@storied_skateboarding]

Thank you!! 🤝🙌

[@brandogg]

Tony Hawk is such an awesome dude. One of the rare child celebrities that didn't take a nosedive.

[@reitairue2073]

For real, so many ended with drugs or suicide..

[@JEEJ_MUSIC]

Loving this series of videos. Can’t wait to see if there’s more! Tony Hawk Underground was the absolute pinnacle of the series; I would love to see that game remastered for current-gen systems.

[@storied_skateboarding]

Thank you!

[@robertseptim3579]

The sound of the disc scratch is so OG for me that I dont even know how to describe it. Ps1-Ps2 vibes were so solid!

[@AlexLopez-ph8dd]

getting enough to hit the special was everything. They're all still hard as shit in real life.

[@djjazzyjeff1232]

THPS struck the balance perfectly between being true to skating and the culture and stuff but also being arcadey enough that it grabbed mainstream attention while being true to what skating is really like and about. Not many things pull that off.

[@Yungbeck]

I wonder what my total playtime is in the entire series. So many classics !! Good stuff this

[@storied_skateboarding]

Ha wow that would be a crazy stat

[@ryanrowe1975]

Jamie Thomas one foot nosegrind and making it realistic from every skater to extending the timing of balance and flipping out of the board when it is close to the spot of playing like a video game of THPS 1+2 different styles of skating and good talent!?

[@Tokey_The_Bear]

Tony, everything you and the crew dreamed of doing for the skate world, you did and more. Millions of kids (im now 34) have lived skating ever since. Our generation is so fortunate to have such great ambassadors of the sport and lifestyle who made it not only accessible, but desirable for the masses.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🙌🙌

[@QuincyKane]

I am loving the content from this channel! This was great!

[@storied_skateboarding]

Thanks so much!

[@nickmaatjes5611]

love these tony hawk related videos ,thank you!!!!

[@storied_skateboarding]

Thank you!

[@ThisHandleFeatureIsStupid]

THPS influenced me so deeply as a teen that when I do cool things in my daily life 20 years later, I still hear the special sound. The other day I knocked a chef's knife off the counter and sent it spiralling directly towards my bare foot. I reached out with my weaker arm, caught it backhand style, and placed it back the counter. Then I spun it so it wouldn't get knocked over again. I hadn't even bothered to move my otherwise-doomed foot...I just knew I'd land the catch. My special meter was already maxed due to some earlier badassery. "Switch BS knifecatch late 180" is child's play when you're special. 😎

[@plexyglass429]

I wanna give rodney mullen the biggest hug, he seems so warm and sweet. Every interview i see hes nice

[@carlossoares712]

i am kind of a mullen typer of skater but i have to say that Tony did contributed most for skate than anybody else

[@brettlunnon4625]

This is probably a really stupid question but with the signed board it mentions ‘Underneath each transparent artwork all boards have a natural wood veneer that creates the half pipe’. Is that the actual half pipe the 900 was done on?

[@storied_skateboarding]

Haha nah, just the unique wood grain of that board 🤝

[@brettlunnon4625]

@@storied_skateboarding damn thats me being stupid hey!? Would you be able to advise on shipping timeframe to the UK? I ordered the board a couple of weeks ago but it has yet to show up. Ive sent an email across but haven't received a reply to date. Thanks 🤙

[@ahmade.8142]

I'm so glad I grew up in this era. I never got very good at skating, but it will always be a part of me.

[@rastaboy_gamesnstuff7778]

Always thought it was funny that Elissa steamer had a Rodney mullen trick

[@Theworkingtitle7]

Growing up watching those skaters and having poured hundreds of hours into those games, this was such a cool video to watch. Thank you for putting this together!

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🙌🙌🎮🛹

[@The_Freestyle_Skater]

The 900 is gotta be the best trick in THPS history. Can we also get a full Tony interview?

[@Yodakaycool]

Yes

[@thebrakshow7415]

Oh man.. This brings back so many memories. I remember getting THPS demo from Pizza hut one Friday night. My brother and I played that warehouse level at least 1000 times each.

[@storied_skateboarding]

So sick!

[@popo0129]

So the original THPS games were my introduction to skateboarding as a kid and I actually thought skaters could do all these insane combo of tricks like you could do in real life 🤣. I just thought how cool Tony Hawk must be if he can land like 20 tricks in one line without going back to a regular skating stance. I don't see regular skateboarding till a bit later when KZbin got more popular but still thought it was cool how people could do these tricks. I played Underground a few months ago and had friends watch while I play and some just liked the funny creative special tricks like I think one was a Muska manual or grind it just had you jamming while doing a trick.

[@storied_skateboarding]

Haha

[@ericqhochuli6004]

Tony Hawk created the Avengers of skateboarding with this game. Every one of those skaters was an icon.

[@storied_skateboarding]

Haha true

[@ayochill9716]

I owe so much of my childhood to these games, I will never ever forget being a kid and playing the pro skater games with my brother and dad.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🙌🙌

[@124BILLION]

Love this shit! Keep goin STORIED you’ll be big soon! P.s. where y’all out of? I’m in MA and we be skatin

[@storied_skateboarding]

Thank you!

[@Camelotsmoon]

Great content, keep it up.

[@storied_skateboarding]

Thank you!

[@Creed101]

FINALLY BEEN WAITING FOR A VIDEO LIKE THIS.

[@storied_skateboarding]

Your wish is our command

[@Creed101]

@@storied_skateboarding I’ve literally been wondering that question for so long for years. And I was always wondering can Jamie actually do a 540 flip I know the answer now.

[@PolarisCastillo]

I LOVE hearing the roster geek out about the game! Please keep these coming ♥

[@storied_skateboarding]

Will do

[@bryceronie]

Regardless of it all ... amazing damn.

[@hiddentape2911]

Love this insight!

[@storied_skateboarding]

❤️

[@fasterdays]

Great video! Subscribed!

[@storied_skateboarding]

Thank you!

[@acousticcovers7422]

I always played as Muska or Kareem. The game played a massive part of my childhood, being in England it rains a lot, so I was either skating or when it was raining, playing thps.

[@Shiby23]

One of the best childhood games i had and played it till my fingers hurt. first game that made me hold the controller in an awkward way with my index finger wrapped over the top of the grind button instead of just using my thumbs. what a time it was back then

[@storied_skateboarding]

🛹🎮

[@bnsyphotography2104]

Tony Hawks underground 1 was my favourite game. First Tony Hawk game I was introduced to back in the early 2000s.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌

[@SKotris84]

I'm convinced, Rodney Mullen is the sober Willie Nelson of skateboarding lol.

[@minisam1988]

Tony and his game made skateboarding what it is today and with his influence and others like him like Rodney, Geoff, Eric ..... the list can go on for a long while. These people were true idols going after their dreams but made it all look achievable

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🎮🛹

[@gonnagetyou365]

That iconic sound when you’d do the special is the best.

[@storied_skateboarding]

Seriously nostalgic

[@Gavinbelson]

Cool video, THPS was amazing for its time. I remember all my friends picking their favorite skater and how different they were.

[@storied_skateboarding]

It was a game changer (no pun intended)

[@kalvinreese8387]

Thx for the upload

[@storied_skateboarding]

Thank you!

[@JulianDee]

These legends talking about the games could this mean another THPS game is on the horizon 🙏

[@rustygates7551]

Bucky Lasek has been my skater since ‘99 for that very reason!

[@storied_skateboarding]

Awesome

[@trace1088]

love the Muska appreciation

[@ScamLikely9327]

Saturdays are lit.

[@storied_skateboarding]

Yep

[@xCoffeeNWeedx]

darkslide and mctwist have always been my fave.

[@lavenderllamamusic]

Glad he name dropped Elissa Steamer because I was just thinking to myself "I'd love to see more of Elissa on this and just hear from her again"

[@storied_skateboarding]

She’s around!

[@ev-bot3085]

This was a video I didn't know I needed

[@storied_skateboarding]

🤝

[@TSMMEDIACHANNEL]

Dope Edit!!

[@storied_skateboarding]

Thank you!

[@jorgetwo4279]

The back spin air was sick

[@chesteradams7423]

THPS games were so damn fun, never skateboarded in my life but I did play every single one of the THPS games.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🎮🛹

[@DangOlJesse]

The one footed nose grind was always a must for my created skaters

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌

[@letsgooo1637]

I used to pop ghetto birds on the leap of faith back to back for literally hours

[@storied_skateboarding]

Haha yep

[@scvmbag707]

o'girl in the first game had the front flip which I thought was crazy at the time

[@DeceptiveSS]

Remapping all specials to be left/right/trick, down/up/trick etc. before even starting to play was my way to go.

[@1MNUTZ]

So here I am Doing everything I can Holding on to what I am Pretending I'm a superman I'm trying to keep The ground on my feet It seems the world's falling down around me The nights are long I'm singing this song To try and make the answers more than maybe And I'm so confused About what to do Sometimes I want to throw it all away So here I am Growing older all the time Looking older all the time Feeling younger in my mind And here I am Doing everything I can Holding on to what I am Pretending I'm a superman I'm trying to sleep I lost count of sheep My mind is racing faster every minute What could I do more Yeah I'm really not sure I know I'm running circles but I can't quit And I'm so confused About what to do Sometimes I want to throw it all away Controlling everything in site I'm feeling weak, I don't feel right You're telling me I have to change Telling me to act my age But if all that I can do Is just sit and watch time go Then I'll have to say good-bye Life's too short to watch it fly To watch it fly-y-y-y-y-y-y-y So here I am Growing older all the time Looking older all the time Feeling younger in my mind And here I am Doing everything I can Holding on to what I am Pretending I'm a superman

[@storied_skateboarding]

Classic

[@basedlord]

pro skater was fun but Underground is the series absolute Peak. THUG 1 + 2 is the childhood of millions so thank you Tony Hawk

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🙌🙌

[@dayquantalbert235]

The older tony hawk games were so Incredible 1 to 4 for me I got so deeply Into skating because of the thps3 back In the day the one that iI started playing first

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌

[@dayquantalbert235]

@@storied_skateboarding yeah skateboarding Is one of the most satisfying entertaining thing ever

[@JohnBoondock]

Rodney Mullen is a goddamn legend. He seems like the nicest person in the universe

[@jackthehumanofficial]

PLEASE MORE CHASE THESE ARE SO AMAZING

[@storied_skateboarding]

Haha we are on it!

[@FalconChurch13]

Fantastic video

[@storied_skateboarding]

Thank you!

[@b.natter2574]

and you did a great job Tony!

[@kc550]

So awesome. I wanna see a warehouse converted to look like the original warehouse level in THPS then have all of these legends play a game of SKATE there. A boy (manchild) can dream...

[@D00M3R_MAVS]

Bring the THPS remakes to Steam, please. I really would love to play those games.

[@D00M3R_MAVS]

1:08 ah dude, the cruise ship level. I loved THPS#3.

[@storied_skateboarding]

Same!

[@jakemagulick7006]

Rodney Mullen is crazy enough to try all the wacky street tricks and absolutely nail them.

[@SuperMisterKory]

More video like this plz!!

[@storied_skateboarding]

Thanks! We have another on the page. Check it out!

[@Netbug]

I wish I could be more like Rodney... and I'm not talking about skating at all. I don't skate and never will.

[@OneManWrangeler]

Sick

[@Risen907]

Man ....memories ahhh

[@storied_skateboarding]

Right?!

[@klasaaaa]

Rodney special Sooo cool ❤❤

[@redonk1740]

I used to walk to the mall and play the demo for hours before it came out. Shit was revolutionary. Video game technology and skateboarding popularity were both just starting to really take off. THPS is a historic timepiece that encapsulates the essence of the era it was created in - an inevitability considering it helped shape the era itself. If that game never happened, skateboarding very well may have never got to the point it's at today. If you were too young to have lived through it, you'll never really understand the significance of it.

[@storied_skateboarding]

Awesome

[@CoyoteEnix]

I can't believe that Rodney never played a game

[@vividdreamsautospa3674]

this game was a cultural movement and even that is an understatement

[@storied_skateboarding]

Agreed

[@mjt7231]

The soundtrack was every bit as revolutionary as the game.

[@naysebtc]

Seeing the neversoft devs erupt after that kick flip is beautiful. It was very arcadey and ott the game , especially by modern sim standards, obviously - but they nailed something special about skating because they clearly got it

[@storied_skateboarding]

Iconic

[@AHappyMediumSkateboarding]

I’ve always wanted to know!

[@storied_skateboarding]

🤝

[@Jamizdoorson]

Legendary

[@KidFury27]

To this day my favorite single trick is the Christ Air.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙏🛹

[@donno8611]

We want the online mode back in the remake!

[@magicastra]

such awesome games, but why not create more of them? THPS 1+2 was handsdown one of the best remakes ever done.

[@Kamy667]

just look at the reviews of THPS 5 from 2015, you will understand why

[@magicastra]

@@Kamy667 im not talking about THPS5, just look up the success of the THPS 1+2 Remake in 2020, then you’ll know why it would just make sense.

[@alejandroramirez4470]

​@@magicastrathey closed the studio or something. Activision/Blizzard is the parent company i think

[@magicastra]

@@alejandroramirez4470 that’s correct and now they are owned by Microsoft. they could easily reopen Vicarious Vision again and do it.

[@wnbetv]

In an interview Tony confirmed that they were already planning on doing 3+4 as well but Activision merged the studio (Vicarious Visions) with Blizzard to work on their games instead. They then tried to find other studios that could take over the THPS series but no one could live up to the level that Vicarious had set with 1+2 so they straight up cancelled the project. If this all sounds too stupid to be true, welcome to the completely normal and sane world of Activision/Blizzard and the modern video game industry as a whole. You'll hate it here.

[@under_artist]

Mullens just a hippie on a board with surfer spirit.

[@blackestbill7454]

these games were truly revolutionary

[@storied_skateboarding]

They really were

[@blackestbill7454]

@@storied_skateboarding I’ve been getting into game development lately and its mind blowing how these games introduced a brand new genre and also executed on it so well. They really don’t make em like they used to. Amazing video btw