Tony Hawk Skates Into the Metaverse With ‘Largest Virtual Skatepark Ever Made’

The skateboarder's foray into the metaverse will take place in The Sandbox, an Ethereum-based virtual land game.

By Eli Tan

Jul 13, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. UTC

Updated Jul 13, 2022 at 7:10 p.m. UTC

Eli Tan

Eli is a news reporter for CoinDesk. He holds ETH, SOL and AVAX.

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Famed skateboarder and entrepreneur Tony Hawk is the latest celebrity to take his talents to the metaverse, announcing on Wednesday he’ll be creating a skatepark and 3D avatar collection in the virtual land game The Sandbox.

The skatepark will span 36 parcels of the game’s land, making it the “largest virtual skatepark ever made,” according to a press release.

The metaverse tie-up comes in partnership with Autograph, a non-fungible token (NFT) platform founded by National Football League star Tom Brady. Hawk released his first collection on the platform in December.

“I have been a fan of new technology all of my life, from the first video games and home computers with CGI capabilities,” Hawk said in a video announcing the news. “So I am fascinated by the metaverse, and excited to bring our culture into the virtual landscape of The Sandbox.”

The avatar NFTs released by Hawk will commemorate the outfit he wore during the 1999 X Games, when he landed the first ever 900, a milestone moment in the world of skateboarding.

While the partnership is Hawk’s first in the blockchain gaming space, the entrepreneurial skater has more than made a name for himself in the traditional gaming industry. His “Tony Hawk Pro Skater” series has grossed more than $1.4 billion since its debut in 1999, making it one of the most profitable video game franchises of all time.

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