Like a responsible citizen, skateboarding champion Tony Hawk went to a COVID-19 testing center with his family, presumably to get tested for COVID.
While his name is very recognizable, the man himself must not be while wearing a mask, not on a skateboard, and accompanied by children. The person filling out forms didn’t know they were talking to Tony Hawk, but they seemed excited by the possibility they were talking to someone related to Tony Hawk.
“At a Covid testing site (wearing masks), handing over paperwork for me & two of my kids,” Hawk wrote on Twitter.
The woman looking over papers said to him, “Okay… Anthony, Keegan and Kadence… Hawk? Are you guys related to Tony Hawk?”
“Yes,” Hawk replied.
“Are you pulling my leg?” she asked.
“No, we are all directly related to him,” he answered.
at a Covid testing site (wearing masks), handing over paperwork for me & two of my kids:
woman looking over papers: "okay… Anthony, Keegan and Kadence… Hawk? Are you guys related to Tony Hawk?"
me: yes
her: "Are you pulling my leg?"
me: no, we are all directly related to him— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) December 31, 2020
This isn’t the first time that Tony Hawk hasn’t been recognized, no matter how beloved a figure he is. He regularly shares stories on Twitter about people meeting him, feeling like they’ve met him somewhere before, and not quite being able to place it. He seems amused rather than offended.
Like when someone thought he resembled Tom Brady:
guy at restaurant: "you famous?"
me: I think that depends on who you ask
him: "anyone ever tell you that you look like Tom Brady?"
me: never— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) August 17, 2017
Or the villain of Ghost:
In NYC, guy cutting meat at deli looks up with confusion:
“you freaked me out, I thought you were that guy from the movie Ghost”
me: Patrick Swayze?
him: “No, his friend that betrays him”— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) June 13, 2019
Someone named Kelly:
In Athens, Greece at a Cure concert, walk up to bar to order drinks.
Guy next to me: “you gotta get in the back of that long line to buy drink tokens”
me: ok thanks
him: hey, you’re American!
me: I am
him: I know you but I don’t KNOW you
me: It happens
him: is your name Kelly?— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) July 17, 2019
And even mistaken for himself:
To clarify: my legal name is Anthony
TSA agent checks my ID, looks at me, looks at ID, looks back at me quizzically and loudly says
"Tony Hawk's my favorite skater"
Me: I’ll tell him.— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) June 21, 2018
Guy at grocery store:
"you ever get mistaken for Tony Hawk… or are you Tony Hawk?
Me: both!— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) July 14, 2018
That’s a lot of great Tony Hawk content, but one of the most famous moments of Tony Hawk on Twitter is probably the now-deleted meme of him replying to someone saying how sad they’d be to kill him in a race war:
Even if you’re not a fan of skateboarding, you can get a kick out of Tony Hawk being constantly humbled by his own fans.
the only joy i have left is tony hawk occasionally not being recognized at places
— silent nate, holy nate (@MNateShyamalan) December 31, 2020
To be honest, I wouldn’t recognize Tony Hawk either. But I’d be really excited to meet him.