By Jorge Garcia

VISTA, California (Reuters) -Skateboarding icon Tony Hawk is putting the board he used to land the first 900 in competition up for auction, saying the famed deck represents a defining era for the sport and could help fund new public skate parks.

The board, helmet, knee pads and shoes from the 1999 X Games “Best Trick” event – along with about 100 other items spanning his career will be sold through Julien’s Auctions next month.

Proceeds will support The Skatepark Project (TSP), Hawk’s nonprofit that helps build public skate parks in underserved areas.

Hawk, 57, told Reuters the milestone sale feels surreal in a sport that was once marginalized.

“I grew up in a time when skateboarding was not popular and not encouraged,” he said.

“To think that there is a skateboard th

See Full Page