Legendary skateboarder thrown out of LA spot while recreating iconic video game

Even skateboarding legend Tony Hawk isn’t above the law — or at least the security guards at one of Los Angeles’ most iconic public plazas.

The 58-year-old pro skater revealed Friday that he was kicked out of Pershing Square while filming a nostalgic tribute to his legendary video game, “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3.”

“Fun fact: we got kicked out of Pershing Square while shooting this today,” Hawk wrote on Instagram, alongside a video recreating scenes from the classic game, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

U.S. professional skateboarder Tony Hawk skates in the paddock at Silverstone Circuit in Northampton, England. — U.S. professional skateboarder Tony Hawke skates in the paddock at Silverstone Circuit in Northampton, England, Saturday, July 5, 2025.

The clip shows Hawk rolling through the downtown LA landmark, skating past its signature red spheres and a nearby car wash before footage from the video game takes over.

The video game character then does stunts and flips, which the in-real-life Tony Hawk doesn’t show, perhaps because he is now 58 and officially retired from the sport.

Tony Hawk skateboarding in Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles. — Tony Hawk is kicked out of Pershing Square while filming a video for the 25th anniversary of “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3” in downtown Los Angeles.

Tony Hawk skating near a large red ball at Pershing Square. — The video game character then does stunts and flips, which the in-real-life Tony Hawk doesn’t show.

The incident also raised the possibility that security simply didn’t recognize the skateboarding icon, who has become something of an internet meme for repeatedly encountering people who don’t believe he’s actually Tony Hawk.

“Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3” was released in North American on Oct. 30, 2001, eventually selling approximately 7.53 million copies worldwide.

The game was a landmark release for the franchise, becoming the first installment to feature online play and introduced the revert, a trick that allowed players to string together vert combos by linking landings in a quarterpipe with manuals.

Tony Hawk skateboarding at Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles. — Tony Hawk films a skate video for the 25th anniversary of “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3” at Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles.

A remake was later included in 2025’s “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4.”

Social media users had a field day with the skateboarding superstar’s apparent run-in with plaza security.

“Security was waiting their whole life for today,” one person joked.

Another poked fun at a meme around Tony Hawk, who is famous for recounting incidences where people don’t recognize him or fully believe he is Tony Hawk.

Tony Hawk skates at Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles. — Tony Hawk films a skate video for the 25th anniversary of “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3” at Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles.

Tony Hawk arrives at the premiere of Netflix's "The Hawk" in Los Angeles. — Tony Hawk arrives at the premiere of Netflix’s “The Hawk” at Directors Village in Los Angeles on Thursday, July 9, 2026.

“That guy looks like Tony Hawk,” the user commented.

Most people remembered the game with nostalgia after watching the clip.

“The game that got me into skateboarding and opened up the world of music for me.. which led to the best childhood and beyond,” commented Ryan Keen. “Thanks Tony.”

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