Tony Hawk, the legendary skateboarder and face of the eponymous video game series, found himself escorted out of a Los Angeles park by security while attempting to recreate a scene from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. The incident occurred as Hawk and his team visited Pershing Square, the real-world location that served as inspiration for a level in the 2001 game, to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
In an Instagram post, Hawk shared that he and his crew were "shoo[d] away" by security while filming. He described the experience as "very anticlimactic." The video game level, while unnamed in the game, is recognizable by its distinctive modernist architectural features, designed by Ricardo Legorreta, including crescent benches and large red orbs. The park, and a nearby car wash with a blue obelisk, remain largely unchanged since the game's release.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 holds a significant place in gaming history. It was the first entry in the series to be released on the PlayStation 2 and is tied with Grand Theft Auto 3 as Metacritic's highest-rated game on the console. Despite the enduring popularity of the franchise, fans have expressed frustration over the perceived lack of new, substantial entries in recent years. A remake bundle, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, was released in 2025, but its reception was described as "a touch milder" compared to earlier installments. The current landscape for legacy skateboarding game series has left many players longing for the straightforward gameplay of past titles.