Iconic Skateboarder Tony Hawk Visits Naugatuck Skatepark

NAUGATUCK, CT — Professional skateboarder and video game star Tony Hawk recently stopped by a skatepark in Naugatuck to try out its facilities, which was then documented on social media.

In an Oct. 8 post on Instagram, the Naugatuck Skatepark thanked Hawk "for dropping in" along with a video of him skating at the park, at one point even passing by a sign that says "Naugatuck" a short distance away.

Hawk similarly posted a video of himself skating around the Naugatuck Skatepark on his official Instagram page on Oct. 9, along with a caption that reads "I love skateparks, especially ones that enable kneeslides. Running out of trick attempts is so last decade."

Many commenters on the skatepark and Hawk's posts were thrilled to see the professional skateboarder had dropped by the local skatepark and excitedly questioned why he was in Naugatuck.

A number of commenters on each post also tried to entice Hawk to visit their own favorite local skateparks in Connecticut and nearby New England states like Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont.

In one comment on the skatepark's Facebook page, skatepark officials said Hawk was speaking at an event in the area and stopped by unannounced on his way back to New York City.

A request for comment from the skatepark was not immediately returned Tuesday.

The Naugatuck Skatepark officially opened in Linden Park in May 2023.

Hawk is one of, if not the, most famous professional skateboarders of all time. In addition to his notoriety as a skateboarder, he is also famous for his namesake series of video games, "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater," the first of which was released in 1999.

He is also a co-founder of the Birdhouse skateboard company and founder of the nonprofit organization The Skatepark Project.

Hawk has also made a number of appearances, often as himself, in movies like "Thrashin'" and "Lords of Dogtown" and television shows such as "CSI: Miami," "Last Man Standing," "Sesame Street," "The Simpsons" and "Rocket Power."