Tony Hawk Thought He Was Buying A Party House — It Ended Up Saving His Career

At just 17 years old, Tony Hawk made what he thought was the best decision of his teenage life — buying a house where he and his friends could hang out and have fun. What he didn’t realize at the time was that this “party house” would later become his financial safety net.

Looking back, the skateboarding legend, now 56, says he has his dad, Frank, to thank. Speaking on SoFi’s Richer Lives podcast, Tony recalled how his father encouraged him to invest in real estate while he was making good money as a pro skater.

“I was making good money, and he said, ‘I really think you should invest in real estate.’ And what I heard was, ‘You can have your own place, party house,’” he recounted.

Since he was still in high school, his dad had to co-sign for the property, but he had his full support. Soon, the house became the go-to hangout spot for Tony and his friends—some of whom were also still in high school. “My parents were always out of town, so my house was the party house by default,” he said.

But while they had fun, Tony knew he had responsibilities. Owning a home at such a young age forced him to stay focused on his career. “We were relatively responsible, mostly because I couldn’t afford to just burn out and party all the time,” he explained. “I was required to skate and perform at a high level all the time. Like every weekend, going to events and doing video shoots and stuff.”

Years later, that same house became his saving grace when his career hit a rough patch. Tony had gone on to buy another property and build a massive skate ramp — his dream setup. But the financial pressure became too much.

“…I just really was in over my head,” he admitted. In a desperate move, he took out a second mortgage on his original home to fund a skateboard company. Eventually, he was forced to sell the second property and move back into the house he had bought in high school.

By that time, Tony had already become a father to his first son, Riley, now 32, with his then-wife, Cindy Dunbar. He knew he had to cut back on expenses and started taking on side jobs, including editing and consulting work.

The experience was a huge wake-up call. “The baseline was, ‘Don’t live beyond your means.’ I thought that I wasn’t. I just kept being in denial that, ‘Oh, I’m not making as much as I’m spending.’”

At one point, he even struggled to pay his water bill, which made him realize just how bad things had gotten. “That’s when things got really tricky and a little scary,” he said.

Tony says that lesson still sticks with him today. “You should always be living so that you know you have savings,” he shared.