Tony Hawk's Board Sells for $1.15 Million

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Warm-up Questions: (1) Do you play any sports? (2) Which sport do you like to watch on TV?

Tony Hawk grabs his skateboard while flying above an indoor vert ramp.
Tony Hawk practices on his home ramp.

Tony Hawk's old skateboard now has a new owner. Julien's Auctions sold the Birdhouse "Falcon 2" deck for $1.15 million, the highest price paid for any skateboard. The auction house said the board was special.

Hawk rode this board at the 1999 X Games in San Francisco. He was 31 years old and wanted to land a new trick.

The trick was called the 900. The rider turns two and a half times in the air before landing on the ramp.

Hawk missed many tries that night. He kept calm, tried again, and finally succeeded. The big crowd cheered, and TV announcers shouted with joy.

Before that night, Hawk had already won 73 contests by age 25. He stayed the ramp skating champion for 12 years in a row. Those years were during the 1980s and 1990s.

The sale set a new record for a skateboard. Collectors say the board shows an important part of sports history.

Part of the money will help The Skatepark Project, Hawk's nonprofit group. It works with towns to build safe skateparks so young riders can practice.

Fans see the sale as a sign that Tony Hawk still matters. The board reminds people that practice, courage, and community can change a sport.

Published:

Source: apnews.com, nbcnews.com

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Audio

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Listen and Fill Gaps

Listen to the audio and complete the gaps below:

Tony Hawk's old (1) __________ now has a new owner. Julien's Auctions sold the Birdhouse "Falcon 2" deck for $1.15 million, the highest price paid for any skateboard. The auction house said the board was special.

Hawk rode this board at the 1999 X Games in San Francisco. He was 31 years old and wanted to land a new (2) __________.

The trick was called the 900. The rider turns two and a half times in the air before landing on the ramp.

Hawk missed many tries that night. He kept calm, tried again, and finally succeeded. The big crowd (3) __________, and TV announcers shouted with joy.

Before that night, Hawk had already won 73 contests by age 25. He stayed the ramp skating (4) __________ for 12 years in a row. Those years were during the 1980s and 1990s.

The sale set a new record for a skateboard. Collectors say the board shows an important part of sports history.

Part of the money will help The Skatepark Project, Hawk's nonprofit group. It works with towns to build safe (5) __________ so young riders can practice.

Fans see the sale as a sign that Tony Hawk still matters. The board reminds people that practice, courage, and community can change a sport.

Comprehension

Answer each question by selecting True or False, then click Check Answers to see your results.

  • The Birdhouse "Falcon 2" deck sold for $1.15 million.
    Julien's Auctions sold the deck for $1.15 million.
  • Hawk landed the 900 on his first try that night.
    He missed many tries before he finally landed the trick.
  • Part of the sale money supports The Skatepark Project.
    The article says the project will receive part of the money.
  • Hawk was 25 years old when he landed the 900.
    He was 31 years old at the 1999 X Games.

Comprehension

1. The Birdhouse "Falcon 2" deck sold for $1.15 million. TRUE/FALSE

2. Hawk landed the 900 on his first try that night. TRUE/FALSE

3. Part of the sale money supports The Skatepark Project. TRUE/FALSE

4. Hawk was 25 years old when he landed the 900. TRUE/FALSE

Vocabulary n = noun, v = verb, adj = adjective, adv = adverb, prep = preposition, phr. v = phrasal verb, pl = plural

Loading vocabulary activity...

Vocabulary

Match each vocabulary word with a definition:

1. Auction (n)

2. Deck (n)

3. Trick (n)

4. Ramp (n)

5. Champion (n)

6. Record (n)

7. Nonprofit (n)

8. Skatepark (n)

a) A place with ramps and rails where people ride skateboards.

b) A group that uses its money to help people, not to make profit.

c) The best or highest result that has happened so far.

d) A person who wins an important contest or season.

e) A sloped surface that lets riders go up and down.

f) A special move or skill that takes practice.

g) The flat board that you stand on when you ride a skateboard.

h) A sale where people offer prices and the highest offer wins.

Discussion

  1. Did you ever try to ride a skateboard? What happened?
  2. What do you need to be good at skateboarding?
  3. Do you try again when you fail? Why or why not?
  4. Do you see skateboarders in your town? What do they do? How do they look?
  5. Are there skateparks in your city? Have you seen one?
  6. The X Games has sports like skateboarding, snowboarding, and BMX riding. Do you like those kinds of sports?
  7. A man paid one million dollars for a skateboard. Is that crazy or cool?
  8. Did you ever buy something special or expensive? What was it?

Answers

Listening:

  1. skateboard
  2. trick
  3. cheered
  4. champion
  5. skateparks

Comprehension:

  1. True. Julien's Auctions sold the deck for $1.15 million.
  2. False. He missed many tries before he finally landed the trick.
  3. True. The article says the project will receive part of the money.
  4. False. He was 31 years old at the 1999 X Games.

Vocabulary:

  1. Auction (n): A sale where people offer prices and the highest offer wins.

  2. Deck (n): The flat board that you stand on when you ride a skateboard.

  3. Trick (n): A special move or skill that takes practice.

  4. Ramp (n): A sloped surface that lets riders go up and down.

  5. Champion (n): A person who wins an important contest or season.

  6. Record (n): The best or highest result that has happened so far.

  7. Nonprofit (n): A group that uses its money to help people, not to make profit.

  8. Skatepark (n): A place with ramps and rails where people ride skateboards.

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