Tony Hawk: Rad Science exhibition
Tony Hawk: Rad Science exhibition premieres May 26 at the Lawrence Hall of Science
On Saturday, June 2 World-Class Skateboarders Display Gravity-Defying Stunts Showing Physics in Action
4 May 2012 – Berkeley, CA: If you shred it, they will come. That’s the theory – physics theory – behind the Tony Hawk: Rad Science Exhibit coming to UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science beginning May 26 which answers the question: How can a visit to a local skatepark demonstrate important physics principles? On Saturday, June 2, the world’s most famous skateboarder and exhibit namesake, Tony Hawk, brings the gravity defying answer to Berkeley in a free open-to-the public tag-team demonstration with Berkeley physics professor Joel Fajans.
“Tony Hawk is famous for skateboarding, and UC Berkeley is famous for science,” said Gretchen Walker, Associate Director of the Lawrence Hall of Science “This is a great match, like centripetal force to a kickflip.”
At the opening event on June 2nd, Hawk, along with other professional skateboarders, will perform an exciting demonstration on a specially designed vertical skate ramp set up just outside The Hall. There will be a DJ and a fun skate vibe, but rather than the usual sports commentary, professor Fajans will provide insights into how physics is being applied.
“Physics relates to everything that we do,” said Fajans. “This cool new exhibition shows how a visit to a local skatepark can demonstrate important physics principles.”
The Rad Science exhibition will allow visitors to put themselves into the role of skateboarders and scientists as they explore over 25 interactive experiences including:
Bodacious Board Balance
Ride stationary skateboards designed to test your balance in classic tricks like “grinding” and “manuals” on the safety of a padded surface.
Newton’s Pool – Go inside an empty swimming pool to experiment with the laws of motion and see how a pool’s unique characteristics created the origin of extreme skateboarding.
Skateboard Evolution – See skateboard designs from the first in 1962 through today and learn how physics has driven the evolution of decks, wheels, and axles.
Tony’s 900 Vert Theatre – Take a trip back in time to witness the first time Tony Hawk ever preformed the 900 (2.5 revolutions in mid air)
Wipeout Ambulance – See how inventions like helmets, kneepads, and wrist guards have helped dissipate the extreme forces of a wipeout.
Tony Hawk: Rad Science is created by Las Vegas based Exhibit IQ. The exhibition is designed to bring important science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) principles to life with an authentic skate culture design and hands-on activities that show science at work.
The exhibit runs at the Lawrence Hall of Science from May 26 through September 3, 2012, and is sponsored in part by Scholarshare. The Hall is open daily from 10 :00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and general admission is $6-12. Children under 3, members, and UC Berkeley students and staff receive complimentary admission.
The opening event is on June 2nd at 1:00 p.m. Tickets for the event include admission to the exhibition and are $20, kids under 3 are free. Tickets for members and UC Berkeley staff and students are $7.00. Event capacity and parking is limited and advanced ticket purchase is highly recommended.
Special opportunities for press photography and video will be available for the hour before and during the June 2nd demonstration and time will be allotted for Q&A with Tony Hawk, Joel Fajans, and leaders from the Lawrence Hall of Science and Exhibit IQ.
Visitors are encouraged to share in excitement of the event through social media using hash tag #radscience, and the Hall will be partnering with Veetle to share live footage of the event online and on monitors around the Hall and inside their auditorium.
For more information: www.lawrencehallofscience.org, www.facebook.com/lawrencehallofscience twitter@berkeleyscience / #radscience 510-642-5132.