You’ve seen them in the aisles of Target. Or maybe shoved in a corner at Walmart next to the hula hoops. Those bright, glossy decks with the legendary "Hawk" signature plastered across the bottom for about $40. It’s easy to look at those and think, "Oh, so that’s the Tony Hawk skateboard brand."
Well, yes. But also, no. Not really.
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Honestly, there is a massive divide in the skating world between what people think is Tony’s brand and what the actual "Birdman" rides when he’s dropping into a 13-foot vert ramp. If you're buying a board for a seven-year-old’s birthday, the "Signature Series" you find at big-box retailers is fine. It’s a toy. It gets them rolling. But if you're actually trying to learn how to ollie without the board snapping like a dry twig, you need to understand the weird, dual-reality of Tony Hawk’s business empire.
The Tale of Two Tier Lists
Basically, Tony Hawk operates on two completely different planes of existence.
On one hand, you have Birdhouse Skateboards. This is the "real" brand. Tony founded it in 1992 alongside Per Welinder after the massive 80s skate boom cratered. At the time, Tony was actually struggling. Hard to imagine now, but he was literally surviving on a $5-a-day Taco Bell allowance. He took a huge gamble starting Birdhouse when everyone thought vert skating was dead.
Today, Birdhouse is a legacy powerhouse. They make professional-grade decks using 7-ply Canadian maple. These are the boards used by pros like Lizzie Armanto and Tony’s own son, Riley Hawk. If you see a Birdhouse deck at a local core skate shop, it’s a high-performance tool. It’s got the "pop," the durability, and the concave depth that actual skaters care about.
Then, there’s the Tony Hawk Signature Series.
This is the stuff that causes all the confusion. These aren't necessarily made by the Birdhouse factory. They are licensed products, often manufactured by companies like Sakar International. They’re designed for the mass market. The bearings are usually ABEC-3 or ABEC-5, which are... okay? But they don't spin forever. The trucks are often made of heavier, cheaper alloys or—in the absolute cheapest versions—even plastic components.
You’ve got to be careful here. A "Tony Hawk" board from a department store is a "skateboard-shaped object." It’s meant for the driveway, not the 12-stair rail.
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What Really Happened with Birdhouse?
In the mid-90s, Birdhouse wasn't just another brand. It was the "cool" team. They had the The End, one of the most iconic skate videos ever made. It featured guys like Andrew Reynolds and Heath Kirchart doing things that seemed impossible at the time.
When the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater video games exploded in 1999, Birdhouse became the default brand for an entire generation. Every kid wanted that "Falcon" logo. In fact, just recently in late 2025, the actual Birdhouse "Falcon 2" deck that Tony used to land the first-ever 900 sold at auction for a staggering $1.15 million.
That board wasn't a department store special. It was a precision-engineered Birdhouse deck.
The brand has survived several industry shifts. While other 90s companies folded or got bought out by giant conglomerates, Tony kept Birdhouse relatively core. Even though he sold the rights to his "Tony Hawk" name for clothing to companies like Cherokee Inc. (now under Apex Global Brands) for $19 million back in 2014, he stayed the owner of Birdhouse. It's his baby.
Why Quality Matters (The Nerd Stuff)
Let’s talk specs for a second because this is where people get burned.
If you buy a high-end Birdhouse complete, you’re usually getting:
- Deck: 7-ply Hard Rock Maple (the gold standard).
- Trucks: Branded Birdhouse or Independent trucks with real urethane bushings.
- Wheels: 100a hardness urethane. They’re hard, they’re fast, and they don't flat-spot easily.
Compare that to a $30 "Signature Series" board. You’re often looking at 9-ply maple (which is thicker, heavier, and less flexible) or even birch. The wheels are often softer "composite" materials that feel gummy and slow. The grip tape is sometimes just a rough sticker.
Does it matter? If you're 50 pounds and just standing on it, no. If you’re a teenager trying to learn a kickflip? It matters a lot. A heavy board with no pop makes learning twice as hard. It's like trying to learn to play guitar on a toy with plastic strings.
The 2026 Landscape: Where Does the Brand Sit?
Right now, the Tony Hawk brand is in a weirdly nostalgic but healthy spot. With the 2020s seeing a massive resurgence in "dad skating" and the inclusion of the sport in the Olympics, Birdhouse has leaned into its history. They’ve been re-releasing classic 90s graphics that collectors are losing their minds over.
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At the same time, Tony’s partnership with Vans has solidified his "authentic" side. He’s not just a guy who sells boards at Target; he’s the global ambassador for the culture.
The divide is clearer now than it was ten years ago. Most people in the "know" understand that the Tony Hawk name on a box at a big retailer is basically an entry-level gatekeeper. It’s Tony’s way of making the sport accessible to everyone, regardless of their budget or proximity to a "cool" skate shop. He’s always been about growing the pie, even if it means some purists roll their eyes at the Walmart boards.
How to Actually Buy a Tony Hawk Board
If you’re looking to get into this, don't just grab the first thing with a bird on it.
First, check the price. If it’s under $50, it is a toy. Period. That’s fine for a toddler, but not for you. Look for the "Birdhouse" logo specifically if you want the real deal. Most Birdhouse completes retail between $90 and $120. That's the sweet spot for a "real" skateboard.
Second, look at the wood. You want to see seven distinct, thin layers of wood on the side of the deck. If it looks like one solid chunk or has a weird plastic-y coating, skip it.
Third, check the wheels. Give them a flick. If they stop spinning after three seconds, the bearings are junk. A decent Birdhouse complete will have bearings that let the wheel spin for a good 10-15 seconds minimum.
Tony Hawk is a businessman, sure. He’s got his name on everything from video games to coffee. But at the center of it all is a company that helped define modern skating. Birdhouse isn't just a "brand"—it's the reason a lot of us started rolling in the first place.
If you want to support the legacy, skip the toy aisle. Head to a shop or the official Birdhouse site and get something that’s actually built to fly.
To make sure you're getting the right gear, your best move is to verify the manufacturer on the packaging. If it says "Birdhouse Skateboards" and lists 7-ply Canadian Maple, you're golden. If it mentions a licensing company like Sakar, you’re looking at a recreational model meant for light use only. Always cross-reference the model number on the Birdhouse official site to see if it’s part of their pro-line or a mass-market version before you drop your cash.