Skating legend Tony Hawk recently shared a nostalgic memory on social media about attending a Nirvana concert in October of 1991, just weeks after the release of the band’s iconic album Nevermind.
“It was as transformative as live music can possibly be,” Hawk reminisced. “We all experienced something rare and powerful that night. The world would never be the same.”
Nirvana’s album Nevermind, released just a month before the aforementioned concert, achieved massive success, selling over 30 million copies worldwide and topping the Billboard 200 chart by January 1992.
Fueled by the iconic single “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” it redefined rock music, propelled grunge into the mainstream, and earned a diamond certification from the RIAA for over 10 million U.S. sales.
For people of a certain age, the album defines the attitude and experience of a generation. The legendary Hawk is one of them.
I am sobbing at Tony Hawk posting about his grandchild who is also Kurt Cobain's grandchild pic.twitter.com/pa7eseMich
— Sara 'anthem boo endorser' Civian (@SaraCivian) February 24, 2025
Tony Hawk Has A Grandson With Kurt Cobain
Tony Hawk wished Kurt Cobain, the late Nirvana frontman, could have lived to meet their shared grandson, Ronin. Sounds remarkable, doesn’t it? Hawk and Cobain have a shared grandson!
Ronin’s full name is Ronin Walker Cobain Hawk. He is the son of Hawk’s son, Riley, and Cobain and Courtney Love’s daughter, Frances Bean.
Hawk’s connection to Nirvana runs deep—he’s a longtime fan who once purchased Cobain’s Iron Maiden-decorated skateboard at auction.
In his post, the 10-time gold medalist at the X Games lamented that Cobain missed seeing Frances grow into an “incredible woman” and meeting her husband and their “wondrous” child.
Cobain tragically died by suicide in April of 1994, at the age of 27 at his home in Seattle, Washington.
His death followed struggles with depression, addiction, and the pressures of fame, leaving behind a note and ending the life of a generation-defining musician.
True story: a bunch of us skaters were in Houston that weekend and we all went to see Nirvana. I stood in the front row until the band started playing… and then found myself in a heaving mosh pit that seemed to never end. It was the best place to be on October 20, 1991 https://t.co/3OwjzkIL7h
— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) October 22, 2021
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The Grunge-Skate Connection
Tony Hawk rose to fame as a pioneering skateboarder in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming the first to land a “900” (two-and-a-half aerial revolutions) in 1999 and winning numerous competitions, including the aforementioned 10 X Games gold medals.
He won an additional three silver and three bronze medals.
Hawk turned his skills into a cultural empire with the massively successful “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” video game series, which debuted in 1999 and sold millions of copies. It’s success cemented his status as a household name.
Nirvana was an electrifying force that redefined music in the ’90s. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” ignited a cultural explosion that still echoes through every angsty riff.
Even their quieter moments, like “About a Girl” from Bleach, revealed a knack for crafting catchy hooks beneath all that grunge chaos. It was pure genius at its core.
Is it any wonder that two icons of that decade would cross paths in each other’s lives?
What songs do you remember most from Nirvana? Or the ’90s in general?
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