Olympic hopeful Margielyn Didal posted a photo on Facebook yesterday, July 24, with a tongue-in-cheek caption saying, “this guy asked me to take a photo with him and I let him because he looks like Tony Hawk”.
The “guy”, of course, is iconic pro skateboarder Tony Hawk who helped bring the sport to mainstream attention in the mid-1980s. With numerous movie and TV appearances and even a long-running video game series that bears his name, you’d think that Tony Hawk would be instantly recognizable.
Not so. Apparently it’s so common to kinda know what Tony Hawk looks like but not to recognize the real deal when you meet him that People Not Recognizing Tony Hawk is a whole meme category in itself. Even Tony Hawk himself is in on the joke, often tweeting about it.
Surfing in Hawaii, paddling out to the lineup. Guy paddling next to me: “anyone tell you that you look like Tony Hawk”
Me (thinking he knows the meme): “yes, but you’re the first today”
Him: “you should tell people you are and then sign his name, haha”
His friend: “he’s real one”— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) February 28, 2021
at a Covid testing site (wearing masks), handing over paperwork for me & two of my kids:
woman looking over papers: “okay… Anthony, Keegan and Kadence… Hawk? Are you guys related to Tony Hawk?”
me: yes
her: “Are you pulling my leg?”
me: no, we are all directly related to him— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) December 31, 2020
TSA agent (checking my ID): “Hawk, like that skateboarder Tony Hawk!”
Me: exactly
Her: “Cool, I wonder what he’s up to these days”
Me: this— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) March 21, 2017
Follow up: I asked him his name and he said Irving. I told him my name is Tony, to which he replied sarcastically “like Tony Hawk haha”
and then he left.— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) October 31, 2019
Coincidentally, the real Tony Hawk (wink) is in Tokyo for the Olympics, which features skateboarding for the first time ever.
Margielyn Didal, 22, will compete as the only member of the Philippine skateboarding team. If you want to cheer her on, you have to get up early: the women’s skateboarding event begins at 7:30am Manila time.
Read: Teenagers done right: Pinoy athletes Carlos Yulo and Margielyn Didal make it to Forbes ’30 Under 30′ in Asia
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