p bAn exuberant, incisive look at how iTony Hawk's Pro Skateri transformed a cultureb ppGoing from a hobby toy for surfers to an Olympic sport, skateboarding has had a tumultuous history. Today, professional skateboarders land endorsement deals with Nike and Adidas, while popular television series like HBO's iBettyi tell the stories of diverse crews of skaters living in New York City. So how did a fledgling subculture rise from its near-death knell in the '90s to become ubiquitous today It was simply a matter of finding the right messenger.ppIn 1999, the bestselling video game iTony Hawk'siiPro Skateri was released, and a new generation was exposed to skateboarding culture right in their very own homes. Kids and adults alike could now spend hours playing as actual skateboarders, learning the vernacular, listening to the music skateboarders loved, and having fun onscreen before trying to skate IRL in the driveway.pp iRight, Down Circlei explores how a video game starring the most famou