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Local Rickey Rodgers wins Tony Hawk's Olympic skateboard
Of the more than 58,000 comments on pro-skateboarder Tony Hawk's July 29 Instagram post giving away the board he rode on the Olympics course July 21, Hot Springs local Rickey Rodgers was the lucky winner.
"I rode this board at the Olympic venue last week and recently got a couple of clips on it for an upcoming video. It has served me well but the nose is destroyed because of concrete. Who wants it? Comment below and I'll pick a random winner," Hawk wrote to his Instagram followers.
"So that was like 58,210 people that were commenting," Rodgers told The Post, "and I ... basically just wrote, 'Man you guys are doing so well, thanks for representing skateboarding in the Olympics, I'm so proud of you.'
"I don't know how he picked me, but he did."
The following week Rodgers received the board autographed to him and his son in the mail.
One of the things that makes this win so special for Rodgers is the fact this is the first year skateboarding has taken the Olympic stage.
"It's going on my wall as a symbol for how awesome skateboarding is, and I'm going to print out all of the pictures from skateboarding in the Olympics, like I'll take screenshots of things that I've watched, clips online and I'm going to make like an Olympic skateboarding wall," he said.
In an unboxing video posted Friday, Rodgers and his son shared the special moment with social media.
"Tony, thank you so much for picking our name out of 58,210 people," Rodgers said in the video. "I can't even believe I won this thing. Thanks for signing it to me and my son. Man, I just have to give a shoutout to all the skaters out there. To see skateboarding in the Olympics is just monumental. Man, it's hard to even express how excited I am to see that. Skateboarding should be recognized as an Olympic sport and I'm just grateful that it is.
"... This board is also dedicated to all the cities, all the cops, all the businesspeople who are cool to skateboarders, and cheer them on and champion them on, and man we need your support, and thank you to those that actually look at this as a sport. This board is dedicated to all the parents whose ever bought or built a skate ramp for their kids in their backyard. ... For anybody that has invested into skateboarding to give their kids a chance to express themselves. I mean you think about this, a board with wheels and the possibilities are endless what you can do on it. It's phenomenal and I definitely think it should be seen as spectacular, because it is. It is the most spectacular sport, man, I think. I love it.
"This is a symbol for me for everything that skateboarding has gone through to get to the Olympics.
"Like if there is someone who knows what it took, I'm not pro, I love to ride, but I know for skateboarding to be in the Olympics it is huge, it is so huge, and I was freaking out when I heard it was going to be in the Olympics, so I am honored to have this board and to hold this as like a legacy, and just a monumental achievement for skateboarding. So thanks again Tony, and keep shredding everyone. Peace out."
