But the way his tenacity is what ultimately breaks through that moment of defeat? That’s 100% Tony Hawk. To see him genuinely angry and upset about something is a different side to the man that many of us have known since we were kids ourselves. The documentary’s opening scene is a rare display of true emotion for Hawk, whose public image and persona usually offers him up as a friendly and nonchalant guy without real ego or even edge to him. The man finally gets back on his feet and grabs the board, ready to go again. The camera lingers on the skateboard lying nearby. “Fuck!” He lies there on the floor for a bit, covering his face, perhaps contemplating whether to keep trying or not. After one nasty tumble back down the ramp, he suddenly cries out in pain and frustration. Eventually, the repeated failures get to him. Each failure seems to only galvanize him more. He does this over and over, falling hard and getting back up to try it again. He shoots up into the air, makes the attempt, only to crash or slide back down. A middle aged man is toiling away at an indoor half-pipe, riding his skateboard up and down and up again to gather enough speed for a series of difficult spins. Until the Wheels Fall Off, the latest documentary from filmmaker Sam Jones, opens on one of those raw and “real” moments that only documentaries are able to capture. The HBO documentary shows the willpower and drive of the famous skateboard hero. Nicolás Delgadillo in Culture on April 19, 2022

Until the wheels fall off tony hawk