Skateboarding's biggest name, who recently became a grandparent, shares how life's invited him to up-level: "I feel more energized now," he says.
Tony Hawk on Aging, Heart Health, and Staying Active as Ever
Published on Jan. 31, 2025
Tony Hawk became a household name in the ’90s, defining what was possible on a skateboard with groundbreaking tricks like the 900. But these days, his biggest challenge isn’t landing another impossible move—it’s staying healthy enough to keep skating for life.
Now 55, he knows firsthand that athletic ability doesn’t override genetics. His father suffered two heart attacks by the time he was Hawk’s age, and when Hawk’s own bloodwork revealed high cholesterol in his forties, he took it as a wake-up call. A doctor prescribed a statin, along with CoQ10 to counteract its effects, and Hawk made significant changes to his lifestyle. Strength training, stretching—once foreign concepts to the skater who prided himself on his anti-jock mentality—are now non-negotiable.
Breaking his femur in 2022 reinforced what he already suspected: He couldn’t rely on sheer willpower to keep pushing his body. His approach to skating shifted, favoring precision over high impact, and he doubled down on whole-body wellness. As a new grandfather, Hawk is more focused than ever on longevity—not just in skating, but in life. (His son Riley is wed to Frances Bean Cobain, who together welcomed a son, Ronin Walker Cobain Hawk, in 2024.)
In honor of February being Heart Health Month, The Healthy by Reader’s Digest recently sat down with Hawk for his partnership with Qunol—which a representative for the brand says is “the #1 cardiologist-recommended CoQ10 brand and the #1 selling CoQ10 supplement”—to discuss what it takes to stay active after 50, why heart health awareness is personal for him, and the biggest misconceptions men have about taking care of themselves.
This interview has been edited for length.
The Healthy by Reader’s Digest: Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the CDC, and your father had two heart attacks by the time he was your age. How did witnessing that shape your own approach to heart health, especially as an athlete?
Tony Hawk: It was definitely scary. But honestly, I didn’t realize I had inherited his genetics until my forties, and I had some blood work done and I had high cholesterol [and] I was pre-diabetic. It was the same markers my dad had throughout his whole life, but he never addressed it. He ended up having another heart attack when I was a teenager and passed away at 72.
I think a lot of that was because he wasn’t taking care of himself. So when I found out that I had his genetics, I got right on it. My doctor recommended that I take a statin and that I take CoQ10 because it depletes those levels, so I was already taking Qunol before they approached me about being an ambassador. So it was a very natural fit. And since then, I have kind of ramped it up with more strength and training, fitness, better diet, better sleep, and my endurance levels and my skating levels have actually increased in the last couple of years.
The Healthy: You mentioned your skating has actually improved. What have you noticed in yourself?
Tony Hawk: Mostly in terms of my endurance and my ability to adapt, but I went through a pretty traumatic injury three years ago. I broke my femur and that was a hard lesson. I’m not Peter Pan and I can’t just keep doing the same high impact tricks like I used to, or as easily, and it took me a lot more effort to get back to just a baseline of professional skating level. So when I finally reached that, I didn’t want to take it for granted. I didn’t want to waste it. I’m doing everything I can in terms of whole wellness to keep it going. And I’ve learned a lot. I mean, definitely I changed my diet, my nutrition, my supplements. I’m also taking Qunol turmeric for my joints and I’m in a much better place now.
The Healthy: Skateboarding culture is all about fearlessness and pushing limits. How do you reconcile that mindset with long-term health and self-care, especially as recovery takes longer with age?
Tony Hawk: My approach is much more methodical to skating now. I was a little bit more reckless in my youth and definitely got the injuries to prove it. These days my baseline of skating is much more low impact, but more technical. So I’ve kind of shifted my approach to skating in the sense that I like the stuff that is difficult in its own way, but it’s not high risk.
The Healthy: How does your fitness and nutrition routine today compare to when you were younger and competing at the highest level?
Tony Hawk: When I was younger, it was less of a concern. I think I prided myself on the fact that I didn’t do anything outside of skating because we thought of ourselves as sort of the antithesis to jocks or athletes so it was more a sense of pride that we just skate. That’s our exercise, that’s all we do. And then as I got into my late forties and fifties, I realized it can’t just be that. And that approach is counterintuitive to longevity—I started working out three times a week, strength and training. I stretch before I skate, which was something I never did before. In fact, I was notorious for not ever stretching. I’ve been able to come to a place where I can skate at a high level and it doesn’t feel like I’m pushing it too hard. I don’t feel exhausted and in pain afterwards; I feel more energized now.
The Healthy: That’s great to hear, considering you recently became a grandfather! How has that role influenced how you think about health and longevity and mortality?
Tony Hawk: I understand why grandparents are giddy because it is the most fun thing you can do. Watching your own kids become parents and seeing them embrace it and thrive is something that is just so fulfilling. And I want to be around! I want to be around to see them grow up and to help take care of him. We actually are very active in his life. And there’s a certain irony when my son will hit me up at the last minute to watch our grandchild because he wants to go skate, so I’m watching his kid while he goes to ride a skateboard.
The Healthy: What do you think are the biggest challenges men face in prioritizing their health? How can we encourage more open conversations about it?
Tony Hawk: There’s nothing macho about being unhealthy as you get older and not seeing specialists, so if you can let go of that stereotype that would be helpful. Also the idea that you just stay in motion. Do some exercise. It’s so easy to sort of fall into a routine when you get older and you feel like you don’t need to because you’re not playing sports or you’re not doing the things you used to, but it will benefit you so greatly and keep you healthy longer and living longer. And sometimes it just takes that one push of just getting motivated, just getting out of your comfort zone. It is shocking how much it’ll do for your mental health as well.
The Healthy: You’ve always been active, never partied hard, and still had high cholesterol. I think people assume heart disease is just about lifestyle, but genetics play a huge role. Any advice for people who consider themselves healthy but might be at risk?
Tony Hawk: Check your blood levels and everything else as soon as possible. Your endurance levels, your heart health, it’s paramount to a long life—and a long life that you feel is fun and not just a struggle to maintain. I figured it out a little late in life and it took a traumatic injury to get me there for the most part in terms of a whole wellness program. But the sooner the better: That’s my advice.
The Healthy: Skateboarding has gone from counterculture when I was growing up as a skater in the ’90s to being at the Olympics. Looking at 2025, how do you feel about where skateboarding is now?
Tony Hawk: I can’t believe how far it’s come. I can’t believe how much more inclusive it is, how much more encouraged it is, especially by parents. And we’ve come a long way in terms of international participation. There is a thriving skate scene in Uganda. There are skate camps in China. It’s just so far beyond anything we imagined. I still think that sort of counterculture attitude is weaved in throughout it because if you want to become a top street skater, you’ve got to go hop some fences.
The Healthy: My five-year-old actually does skateboarding as an afterschool activity.
Tony Hawk: That’s amazing. When I was a kid, no one encouraged us to skate.
The Healthy: Finally, what’s one self-care habit you never skip?
Tony Hawk: Taking my supplements. Honestly, first thing in the morning, every day. I take Qunol CoQ10, Qunol turmeric, and my statin. At most I don’t let two days go by without being active. Even that feels like too much.
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