Hawk, Occupation: Skateboarder, Tony Hawk with Sean Mortimer
If nothing else, this book is really frank in tackling the life and exploits of Tony Hawk, one of the best skateboarders ever. Surprisingly, Tony doesn't consider himself as much of a contest skater. I didn't realize that skaters got ragged on so much by people, and was floored to learn that just before the X-Games his company (Birdhouse) was on the brink of bankruptcy. But he prevailed, and unwittingly became the skateboarding icon. The skateboarding industry seems to have the same problems as the surfing industry, with outsiders misrepresenting the lifestyle/sport. In the end, it's all good for Tony. [Link]

***********************************************************************