A piece of skateboarding history many would call priceless officially joined the million-dollar club yesterday ($1,152,000 to be exact), September 23, courtesy of Julien’s Auctions. The artifact? Tony Hawk’s complete from the 1999 X Games—the actual board he was riding when he landed the first-ever 900.
The sale locks it in as one of the (if not the) most significant and valuable pieces in skateboarding history. Pretty wild, right? All I want to know is who purchased it!?
Aside from Tony's legendary complete, there was no shortage of gems included in the auction. From signed cereal boxes to one-off boards, old shoes, pads and X Games medals, watches, toys, credentials and so much more, a handful of folks now officially own a piece of skateboarding history as well, thanks to The Birdman and Julien's Auctions.
We've been hearing about the auction for a while and I knew the board would sell for a lot. Honestly, the fact that it broke a million dollars doesn't surprise me at all. The early estimate began at $500,000-$700,000, which, don't get me wrong, is a lot of money—but not enough for something like this.
Julien’s has made headlines over the years with sales of rare and random music or pop culture relics, but the seven-figure price on The Birdman’s plank proves skate culture is every bit as big—if not bigger. Pretty incredible.
For collectors out there with deep pockets, this board is a rare piece of history. For skaters like you and I, it’s a reminder of an iconic moment we’ll never forget. It's wild that over two decades later, the board (and Tony himself) is still pushing boundaries.
But one question still remains—who the hell bought it!?
