Related: Our golf trick shot with Steve Caballero

Below is our Editor Andrew Tursky’s talk with Tony Hawk, where they discuss how to make golf cooler, how to attract young kids into the sport, how golf apparel can improve, why he likes the range more than the golf course, and the skate trick he’s most proud of.

Watch the full video, or read along in the transcript below.

Andrew Tursky: What’s your relationship like with golf?

Tony Hawk: I played as a kid with my mom, actually we took golf lessons for a while. And then I tried to pick it back up and I was really skating a lot and succeeding and then I just couldn’t find the time. But I enjoyed it, I mean, I liked the challenge of it.

AT: What would you change about golf to get someone like you playing a bit more? 

TH: That’s a good question. I think, it’s really just the time constraints. And I feel like you need that long periods of time to get better at it, but at the same time like, my life is super hectic and always moving and going places and so I feel like if I had an hour two then that would make it a lot easier for me and then I feel like you can do obviously 9 holes or whatever. But maybe if that’s more the directive that might help.

AT: How would you change golf to get someone like you when you were 15, like how could golf a little bit more cool? 

TH: I think maybe just to highlight the social aspect of it because I feel like that gets lost on kids that you actually have this time to hang out with your friends and you have a couple hours to joke around and do whatever but you know, play it seriously. I feel like that’s sort of not the goal. I don’t know, I liken it to, for instance if you go gambling; I like to play blackjack. Not that I think it’s the best game, but it’s more social. You’re hanging out with your friends and your joking around and stuff like that and I feel like that element of golf is something that could be highlighted more, especially for kids.

AT: What’s the connection with skateboarding and golf? Like, all the young skateboarders coming up right now are playing golf, and they’re two seemingly opposite sports. So what’s the connection there with skate culture and golf? 

TH: I think it’s just the challenge. I think golf is constantly challenging; no matter how good you are at it, you can improve your game. And the same goes for skateboarding. And the idea that it’s an individual pursuit. Sure, you’re competing with other people and you’re trying to get better scores, but at the same time, you can always just do it yourself and try and get better at it. And that is definitely the attitude for skating, that’s the mindset.

AT: How can golf apparel change a little bit, what do you think about that? 

TH: (Laughs) Uh, I don’t know. I guess golf apparel, if anything, could be more edgy. And I feel like that is coming to fruition. But before it was definitely, it was uniform. It was like this is what you wear, this is the look, collared shirt. You had to fit into this mold, and I feel like that is changing quite a bit.

AT: In the age of social media now, with Twitter and Instagram and all that, how can we get m0re 10, 12, 13 year olds involved with golf?

TH: I think it would be through the influencers that they follow. And the people that do play golf and don’t promote it; that do it but aren’t making a big deal about it. And trying to bring that more to the forefront of what they share. But for sure, I was talking about earlier, like the pro surfers a lot of em are really good at golf because they have so much down time when they go travel and are waiting for waves. I feel like if they were to sort of promote that a little more, that that’s what they’re into, then more kids would get into it, because, you know, those are their heroes.

AT: Well do us a favor, next time you’re at the range, put it up on Instagram. 

TH: Hah, yeah, I’m definitely not the most adept at golf, but I don’t mind hitting balls and not chasing them.

AT: So last question, I’ll do a skate question for ya. What’s the proudest trick that you’ve landed throughout your career. 

TH: Well I mean a lot of people associate me with a 900. I think that trick for me because it sort of marked the end of my competitive career. For me, it was something I had been working on for almost 10 years of my life. So that was a big moment for me and totally unexpected. But I think that something in terms I’m more proud of internally; an Ollie 540 cuz I feel like for me that opened up a whole new direction in terms of being able to spin and not hold your board, and something I literally thought was impossible a few years prior to that. I know it’s not the most groundbreaking trick nowadays, but I still feel like it changed my perception of what I could do on a skateboard.

AT: Do you still skate at all?

TH: I still skate. I’m actually goin to skate right now actually.

AT: Love it. Well we won’t hold you up anymore. Appreciate it.