Clio Sports, the competition honouring creative excellence in sports marketing and advertising, has announced skateboarding legend Tony Hawk will receive the Clio Sports Lifetime Achievement Award at the sixth annual Clio Sports Awards.

The Clio Sports Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates an individual whose outstanding creative contributions have permanently shaped sports culture, pushed boundaries and paved the way for new talent in the industry.

Hawk was selected to receive the honour for his decades-long role as a trailblazer, inventor and marketer who popularized skateboarding and made the sport more accessible to athletes around the world.

“In a volatile sport like skateboarding, creativity is the key to longevity. There’s no guarantee that you can maintain your level of skating or success for more than a few years,” said Hawk.

“Being relevant by building a business around the sport I love has been a dream come true, and I am honored to be recognized for turning my passion into a career.”

Hawk dominated his field in competition for more than two decades and has since used his business acumen to build a sports empire.

Whether it’s completing the first documented 900 (a 2.5-revolution aerial spin), winning over 70 professional titles, or creating the Boom Boom HuckJam extreme sports exhibition, his contributions to skateboarding are unmatched.

Not content to rest on his athleticism, Hawk has been instrumental in popularizing the sport through business ventures like Birdhouse, an equipment and apparel company; a best-selling series of eponymous video games with Activision; and the Tony Hawk Foundation, which has provided nearly $8 million in funding for the construction of public skate parks in low-income areas in all 50 states and other parts of the world.

Hawk is currently president of Tony Hawk Inc., a worldwide leader in action-sports video games, merchandising, events, endorsements, film and digital media; and co-founder of D/CAL, a hybrid brand consultancy and creative agency.

At the helm of these ventures, Hawk’s keen eye for translating his personal brand into an internationally relevant product is more impactful than ever.

Clio president Nicole Purcell said: “Through his creative contributions, Tony Hawk has done more to advance sports culture and sports marketing than almost any other athlete.

“His name and brand are synonymous with the cool, laid-back skateboarder lifestyle that he introduced to so many people, but we know that image is built on hard work, dedication and a remarkable ability to identify and cultivate what’s cool.

“We’re so excited to be celebrating his legacy at the Clio Sports awards this year.”