PB: Are there any other perks you get for being Tony Hawk? It's really difficult to gauge the extent of your popularity.

TH: Well, it hits pretty big in certain areas. When we were at the X Games, Danny DeVito was there with his kids. He invited us to dinner with him. We couldn't go though because he invited us on the spur and we already had somewhere to go. Other than that we get restaurant reservations easily and occasionally get free meals.

PB: How involved were you with the making of the Tony Hawk Pro Skater videogame?

TH: I did one day of motion capture. Other than that I kept in touch with Neversoft and made a lot of suggestions. I really tried to provide reference points and play every build of the game as they updated it. I was already heavily into videogames so I understood playability and knew what kids were going to like.

PB: In the game, players choose a character from a list of real professional skaters. Did you pick the skaters to include on the list?

TH: Yeah. Neversoft and I drew up a list that best represented the different styles of skating.

PB: Did anyone feel left out?

TH: No one was mad, but a lot of them are after me. They're trying to get into the next one. So far the only guy that they've confirmed for the next one is Bam Magera. They don't know who else or if they are going to add anyone else.

PB: What's next for skateboarding?

TH: It will keep going along the same path. There will be more novelty events like highest air contests, long jumps and other events that push the boundaries of certain types of skating.

PB: Even as popular as you've grown, there's never really been a negative backlash against you. How come?