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Overview
With this all-access pass, Tony Hawk shares the joy, the exhaustion, the adrenaline, and the pain of life on the road. Between Boardslides and Burnout puts you right on the edge of the ramp and on the road with him — from competitions to demos, to store openings, to autograph signings, to movie sets, and back home.
Never before has a professional skateboarder offered such a complete look into his life — and mind.
Synopsis
With this all-access pass, Tony Hawk shares the joy, the exhaustion, the adrenaline, and the pain of life on the road. Between Boardslides and Burnout puts you right on the edge of the ramp and on the road with him — from competitions to demos, to store openings, to autograph signings, to movie sets, and back home.
Never before has a professional skateboarder offered such a complete look into his life — and mind.
Publishers Weekly
Beneath a scrim of grungy, distressed-looking design motifs, skateboarding superstar Hawk presents a tour diary of his most recent trips around the world, from the X-Games to the Fox Teen Choice Awards and back again. Written in the dopey drawl of the diehard extreme sportsman, Hawk's diary extols a lifestyle of predictable thrill-seeking (donut fights in the RV, singing along to gangsta rap), in the end painting a portrait of a nice guy with not very much to say. With less-than-gripping sentences such as "The course looked fun, so I decided to skate a little," and "The crowd was huge as we walked in, and the street demo was exciting," the diary is largely an excuse for splashy graphics and photography, neither of which are delivered to much effect. Many of the photos are merely headshots of Hawk in far-flung locales, and the design looks like Raygun magazine circa 1996 at best. In the wake of the recent skateboarding documentary Dogtown and Z Boys, however, which turned self-promotion into an extreme sport of its own, this volume may well find an audience in the desperately-sought-after youth market of wannabes. (Sept.) Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Beneath a scrim of grungy, distressed-looking design motifs, skateboarding superstar Hawk presents a tour diary of his most recent trips around the world, from the X-Games to the Fox Teen Choice Awards and back again. Written in the dopey drawl of the diehard extreme sportsman, Hawk's diary extols a lifestyle of predictable thrill-seeking (donut fights in the RV, singing along to gangsta rap), in the end painting a portrait of a nice guy with not very much to say. With less-than-gripping sentences such as "The course looked fun, so I decided to skate a little," and "The crowd was huge as we walked in, and the street demo was exciting," the diary is largely an excuse for splashy graphics and photography, neither of which are delivered to much effect. Many of the photos are merely headshots of Hawk in far-flung locales, and the design looks like Raygun magazine circa 1996 at best. In the wake of the recent skateboarding documentary Dogtown and Z Boys, however, which turned self-promotion into an extreme sport of its own, this volume may well find an audience in the desperately-sought-after youth market of wannabes. (Sept.) Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.VOYA
Although attractive, Between Boardslides and Burnout is not an engaging read. In loose journal format, Hawk gives details of his various tours. Both the exhaustion and enjoyment of his life come through. One of Hawk's best tricks seems to be the amazing feat of balancing family life and fame. He projects something of a naïve image, although he has been on the road since he was a teen. There is a lot of name-dropping and talk of celebrities with whom he has come in contact. Color photographs and MTV-style graphics lend a chaotic air that conveys the stress and excitement of being on the road. Hard-core fans of Hawk will probably find this book mesmerizing, as will those who are pursuing a career on skateboard. Others might find the details of life on the road and one performance after another a little mind-numbing. Photos. Appendix. VOYA Codes: 2Q 2P M J S (Better editing or work by the author might have warranted a 3Q; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2002, Regan/HarperCollins, 171p,— Alison Kastner