Tony Hawk, widely recognized as a skateboarding icon and video game superstar, recently traveled to Los Angeles to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his third entry in the Pro Skater series. The legendary figure, who has inspired generations since Neversoft launched the franchise on PlayStation in 1999, aimed to recreate scenes from the game at its real-world inspiration: Pershing Square.
The Los Angeles level in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 is clearly modeled after this business park located in the city's financial district. Although unnamed within the game, the location features distinctive modernist architecture by Ricardo Legorreta, including stone crescent benches and large red orbs that served as a backdrop for the 2001 extreme sports title. The site remains largely unchanged today, retaining its original character alongside nearby landmarks like a car wash featuring a large blue obelisk.
Hawk and his team arrived to film content set to the Ramones' Blitzkrieg Bop, with the skateboarder rolling through the square and mimicking the idle stance of his virtual avatar. However, the production was short-lived. Hawk took to social media to share that they were escorted out by security shortly after beginning their shoot. He described the incident as anticlimactic, noting that security simply shooed them away before they could complete much of the filming.
The third installment in the series holds a significant place in gaming history as the first title released on the PlayStation 2. It is currently tied with Grand Theft Auto 3 as the highest-rated game on the console according to Metacritic. While the game was remade in 2025 as part of Iron Galaxy's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 bundle, the reception for this sequel was milder compared to the celebration surrounding the first remake. Fans continue to express frustration over the scarcity of new entries in legacy skateboarding series.
Sources: Kotaku.