What is Tony Hawk’s IQ?
The 144 traces to one line in a CBS News profile; the first documented “900” in 1999 is on record, a test report is not.
Tony Hawk’s IQ is reported as 144, but no test report, date or examiner has ever been published. The figure traces to a CBS News profile that says “Hawk’s IQ was 144,” and Wikipedia repeats it. The documented record is the first documented “900” in 1999, the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game series and a skatepark charity. His IQ is a reported number with no test behind it, as of November 2026.
Tony Hawk’s estimated IQ
- Wikipedia credits him with completing the first documented “900,” two and a half revolutions in the air, in 1999.
- CBS News reports that over the previous 20 years he had invented more than 80 tricks.
- The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game series, published by Activision, debuted in 1999 and has since produced 18 titles, per Wikipedia.
- He owns the skateboard company Birdhouse and supports the Skatepark Project, which helps build skateparks in underprivileged areas, according to Wikipedia.
- Wikipedia says a school evaluation labeled him “gifted” and led advisers to suggest advanced classes; no school record is cited.
This is an inference, not a test. The reported 144 has no test report behind it, so it is not used as an anchor, and athletic and entrepreneurial success is weakly tied to measured IQ. The range sits above the ball-sport athletes on this site mainly because of the business record and the reported “gifted” placement.
- Born
- May 12, 1968, San Diego, California
- Nickname
- Birdman
- Known for
- First documented “900” skateboard trick, 1999
- Business
- Owner of Birdhouse; Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games (1999)
- Competition
- Retired from competing professionally in 2003
- Charity
- The Skatepark Project (formerly the Tony Hawk Foundation)
- Circulating figure
- 144, from a CBS News profile; no test report
What an IQ of 120–135 actually means
Set the claim aside for a moment. If someone genuinely scored in this range, here is what that would represent.
Average is 100 by construction, and about two-thirds of people fall between 85 and 115. Take the test to place your own score on this scale.
| Score range | Classification | Share of people | What it indicates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 85 – 114 | Average | ~68% | The range most people fall into. |
| 115 – 129 | Above average | ~13.6% | Roughly one person in seven. |
| 130 – 144 | Gifted | ~2% | The threshold most high-IQ societies use. |
| Above 144 | Highly gifted | ~0.1% | Figures above this range are extrapolated from the curve rather than measured. |
Percentages are approximate and describe a normal distribution. The same number means different things on tests with different standard deviations.
Thirty questions gives you a measured position on this exact scale — your score, your percentile and the ability breakdown behind it.
Find out in 30 minutes →Who Tony Hawk is
Who is Tony Hawk? Anthony Frank Hawk was born on May 12, 1968, in San Diego, California, according to Wikipedia. Nicknamed “Birdman,” he is an American professional skateboarder and entrepreneur and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse. Wikipedia dates his career from 1981, when he made his television debut on Captain Kangaroo as “Skateboard Johnny.”
What did Tony Hawk achieve? Wikipedia says he completed the first documented “900,” a trick with two and a half spins, in 1999. CBS News reported that he had invented more than 80 tricks. He retired from competing professionally in 2003, and Wikipedia says he is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential skateboarders of all time.
How did Tony Hawk build a business? A video game series named Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, published by Activision, debuted in 1999, and Wikipedia counts 18 titles since. CBS News described the Activision partnership as worth more than $6 million a year in royalties at the time. The Skatepark Project, formerly the Tony Hawk Foundation, helps build skateparks in underprivileged areas worldwide. Compare yourself on the same scale with the IQ Metrics test.
By Elora Mercer, Celebrity Research WriterFigures checked by Leon Falkner, Data & Research AnalystReviewed by Aarav Vardhan, Editor-in-Chief · Last reviewed November 2026
Tony Hawk: the documented record
The estimate above rests on this record. Every entry here is a matter of public fact, which is more than can be said for the number itself.
- 1968Born May 12 in San Diego.
- 1981Television debut on Captain Kangaroo as “Skateboard Johnny.”
- 1999Completes the first documented “900” trick.
- 1999Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater debuts, published by Activision.
- 2003Retires from competing professionally.
- 2007On March 17, a reader asks on Wikipedia’s Talk page whether his reported IQ of 144 is true.
Where the 144 figure came from
Following a claim back to its first appearance is the part almost nobody does — and it is what most people are actually asking.
Tony Hawk IQ searches lead to 144. The source Wikipedia cites for it is a CBS News profile, “Tony Hawk Takes Off,” which says: “Hawk’s IQ was 144, but it was packaged in a skinny skateboarding kid.” It names no test, no examiner and no date, and gives no school record. For how such numbers spread, see where celebrity IQ numbers come from.
Is the Tony Hawk 144 IQ real? It is reported, not documented. Wikipedia says his parents had him psychologically evaluated at school, that he was labeled “gifted,” and that advisers recommended advanced classes. It cites CBS News for the 144 and his official website for the class recommendation, and no evaluation report is cited. Questions about the number go back at least to March 17, 2007, when a reader asked on Wikipedia’s Talk page whether it was true. The trace is a media sentence, repeated.
What does a Tony Hawk IQ of 144 mean? On the usual scale (mean 100, SD 15) 144 sits at about the 99.8th percentile, roughly 1 person in 600. The percentile calculator shows what 144 means as a percentile. Even if a school evaluation did produce it, a childhood result is a snapshot from one test, which is why this site gives a range inferred from his adult record instead.
Was Tony Hawk a genius? His documented record is that of an innovator and entrepreneur. This site’s estimated range, 120–135, overlaps Michael Jordan (115–135) and sits above Tom Brady (110–125) and LeBron James (105–120). All are inferences from careers, not test scores. See other athletes we have checked, and reaction and skill games to test your own.
How we read a number →Birth date, career start, the 1999 “900,” the game series, retirement in 2003, the charity, and the sentence that repeats the 144 and cites CBS.
States “Hawk’s IQ was 144”; gives no test, examiner or date; also reports 80+ tricks invented and the game royalties.
A reader asks whether the 144 is true; evidence that the number circulated by 2007.
Confirms the identifier Q295020 is the American professional skateboarder, not the video game series.
Photograph by Cmichel67, August 19, 2026, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
No school record, test name, examiner or date for the 144 appears in the CBS profile or in Wikipedia’s biography.
The sources behind our estimate
The figures that circulate for Tony Hawk, what we were able to confirm, and where the two diverge.
A CBS News profile, “Tony Hawk Takes Off,” says: “Hawk’s IQ was 144, but it was packaged in a skinny skateboarding kid.” Wikipedia’s biography repeats it, saying a school psychological evaluation found him “gifted.”
The CBS sentence names no test, no examiner and no date for the testing. Wikipedia cites CBS for the 144 and Tony Hawk’s official website for the advanced-class recommendation; no school record or psychologist’s report is cited. A reader asked on Wikipedia’s Talk page on March 17, 2007 whether the 144 was true.
The circulating 144 sits above this site’s 120–135 range. On the usual scale (mean 100, SD 15) 144 would be at about the 99.8th percentile. That is plausible for a gifted child, but without a report it remains a number repeated from one media sentence.
Want a number that does hold up? Every figure on this page is somebody’s claim. Take the 30-question test and get a percentile you can check rather than a figure you have to trust.
Tony Hawk — frequently asked
What is Tony Hawk’s IQ?
Tony Hawk’s IQ is reported as 144, but no test report has been published. A CBS News profile says “Hawk’s IQ was 144” without a test, date or examiner. This site’s estimated range, inferred from his documented record, is 120–135 on a scale with mean 100 and SD 15.
Is the Tony Hawk 144 IQ real?
The 144 is reported, not documented. It traces to one sentence in a CBS News profile, and Wikipedia repeats it, saying a school evaluation found him “gifted.” Neither names a test, an examiner or a date, and no evaluation report is cited.
Where does the Tony Hawk 144 IQ come from?
Wikipedia cites a CBS News profile, “Tony Hawk Takes Off,” for the 144. That profile states the number in one sentence with no test, examiner or date. A reader was already asking on Wikipedia’s Talk page on March 17, 2007 whether it was true.
Is the Tony Hawk IQ number from Reddit and forums verified?
No. Whatever the forum, the 144 traces to a CBS News sentence that names no test, examiner or date, and to Wikipedia’s citation of it. Repetition on forums such as Reddit is not verification, and no evaluation report has been published.
Did Tony Hawk take an IQ test?
A school evaluation is reported, but no test result has been published. Wikipedia says his parents had him psychologically evaluated at school and that advisers recommended advanced classes. It cites no evaluation report, test name or date.
Is Tony Hawk a genius?
Tony Hawk is a skateboarding innovator, but “genius” is a label, not an IQ score. Wikipedia credits him with the first documented “900” in 1999, and CBS News reports more than 80 tricks invented. Neither source gives a test result.
How does Tony Hawk’s estimated IQ compare with Michael Jordan’s?
This site’s estimate for Tony Hawk, 120–135, overlaps its 115–135 estimate for Michael Jordan and sits above its 110–125 estimate for Tom Brady. All are inferences from documented careers, not test scores, so the ranges are too close to rank.
How does my IQ compare with Tony Hawk?
You can find out in about fifteen minutes. The IQ Metrics assessment is 30 questions, scored on the same 100-mean scale used throughout this page, so your result and the estimate above are at least expressed in the same units — one measured, one inferred. Once you have a number, the leaderboard shows where it would sit, and how we score and norm it explains the benchmarking.
Where does this estimate come from?
From the documented record rather than a test — the method is named above and set out in full under how we read a number. Compare it against the other athletes profiles, starting with Magnus Carlsen.
- Take the 30-question IQ test — get a measured score and percentile of your own
- Average IQ by country — how the scale behaves across populations
- How IQ Metrics scores its assessment — the method behind our own number
- More on how IQ testing works — reliability, error and what a score can and cannot say
- More athletes profiles — same field, same method
More athletes
Michael Jordan
Photograph by Joshua Massel, cropped by Commons user Quadzilla99, CC BY-SA 2.0. · Photograph by Barcex, CC BY-SA 4.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0. The background-removed portrait above is a derivative work offered under the same licence.
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