Tony Hawk hits the streets of Detroit, leaves autographed skateboard behind for fans to find

What started as an ordinary day along Southfield Freeway turned into a scavenger hunt for Metro Detroit skateboarders after legendary skater Tony Hawk left a skateboard hidden near M-39.

Thousands of drivers pass through the area every day, focused on getting to work, school, or home. But for local skateboarding fans, the stretch near Fargo and Southfield became the center of attention.

Among them was Jon Meyer, who has been skateboarding for 50 years and says he's followed Hawk's career for decades.

"I spotted that rusty rail on the service over between Seven and Eight and headed out here as fast as I could," Meyer said.

When word spread that Hawk had hidden a board in the area, Meyer quickly made his way to the location, hoping to be the one to find it.

"It's just like a bicycle. Once you learn to skate, you don't forget it," Meyer said.

But by the time Meyer arrived, someone else had already claimed the prize.

"I wish I would have got out here a little earlier. Could have grabbed it," he said.

While the board may be gone, Hawk's impact on Detroit's skateboarding community remains. The California skateboarding icon has ties to Detroit and helped fund the city's It Takes a Village Skatepark. His influence continues to inspire skaters across Metro Detroit, including James Leichliter.

"For me, there's been nothing like it. Now that we're talking about it, I can kind of recollect this has inspired a lot of art in my life," Leichliter said. "Tony's been a big inspiration for most of us, skateboarding, if not all of us," Leichliter said. 

Leichliter skates at Riverside Park nearly every day and says one of his biggest dreams is to skate alongside Hawk someday.

This isn't the first city where Hawk has left a hidden skateboard. He has also placed boards in other locations across the country, creating excitement among fans eager to connect with one of the sport's most recognizable figures.

As for where the next board will appear, that's still a mystery.