Tony Hawk says driving is his “only alone time” in new CarGurus series

We’re used to seeing skateboarding legend Tony Hawk on wheels, but a new campaign has him discussing his time behind the wheel rather than on a board.

Hawk, along with professional snowboarder Zeb Powell, are front in center in a new three-part campaign from CarGurus, an automotive research and shopping website. The campaign, called “The Big Deal Show,” comprises three parts, with Hawk and Powell starring in the first, “discussing life’s biggest moments behind the wheel.” The campaign was released on July 1 and directed by Paul Scheer. Subsequent parts, and their respective celebrity guests, will be released in the coming months.

Additionally, CarGurus will be giving away three new Nissan vehicles through a sweepstakes on its website. The company says that in tandem with the release of each episode, “a winner will be selected to receive a brand-new car (approximately $50,000 in value), along with funds to cover related expenses.”

As for what drew Hawk to the project? The answer, he tells Fast Company, is simple: He spends a lot of time in the car.

A moment of zen

“I drive a lot,” he says. “I live in San Diego, and most of the work I do is in Los Angeles, and I’m well-versed and run the gamut in terms of the cars I drive,” Hawk says. He makes the roughly 120-mile trip between the two Southern Californian cities several times per week, and the time behind the wheel is something that he cherishes, as it’s often the only time he gets to find some “zen,” with a busy professional and personal life.

“That’s my zen time, my time to zone out and listen to music. It’s really the only alone time I get in recent years,” he says. So, when it comes to driving, the time on the road is something that he values.

That may not be the case for every driver, of course, and almost all Americans do drive. The most recent data available from AAA, for instance, finds that more than 95% of U.S. residents age 16 or older are behind the wheel at least occasionally, and on average, spend more than an hour in the car each day. Given that, it makes sense that CarGurus would lean into the experiences of a well-known celebrity and athlete to showcase that the average American isn’t alone—which may make it a fairly effective campaign.

Hawk, growing up, also says that he spent a lot of time on the road going on family trips, but also getting around for skateboard competitions. Driving, in that sense, has been something of a fundamental building block to who he is today, and he says that the act of being on the road itself can teach people a thing or two.

“You learn the value of patience and perseverance, much in the same way you learn to skateboard,” Hawk says. He adds that there’s also something important to get on the road, see what’s between the cities, and “open your eyes to new sights and cultures.” So, while most people might think of their commute or a trip to the grocery store as a slog through traffic, Hawk takes a much more philosophical, high-minded approach, and urges others to try and do the same.

And if he has a piece of advice for drivers, besides using CarGurus to find their next vehicle? Watch for distracted drivers, because they make it easier to merge. “There’s always someone not paying attention, they’re on their phone,” he says. So, seize the gap, use the space, and “stay safe, and respectful” behind the wheel.