Tony Hawk Tells Carlsbad High Students 'Being Different is Awesome' [Video Clip]

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk spoke at Carlsbad High School last Thursday—telling students about the importance of tolerance and acceptance.

The Carlsbad resident told the crowd of students he was made fun of in middle and high school for doing what he loved: skateboarding.

"I got made fun of quite a bit because I chose to skate, it was considered lame back then," he told the students during the assembly organized by Carlsbad High School's Best Buddies program.

Hawk said he was able to make new friends in the skatingboarding world, but even among some of his peers, he was often considered the odd one out and called a "circus skater," because he wanted to focus on doing tricks. 

"All of this taught me a valuable lesson, being different is awesome," he said.

CHS Best Buddies President Henry Gardner said Hawk's speech, "was awsome, it was the same message we are trying to send."

Best Buddies pairs students with other students who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The CHS chapter, which has 35 members, meets every Wednesday at lunch on campus and hosts special events throughout the school year. CHS Best Buddies also participates in the Campaign to End the R-Word.