A Wider World Of Sports

Who needs the NBA anyway? Smaller sports are luring young viewers--and fresh advertising

He has lived the dream of the modern American athlete, turning pro straight out of high school, scoring a luxurious home in San Diego and becoming no-worries wealthy through the sport he loves. He has appeared in commercials for Mountain Dew, Gap, AT&T;, Gatorade and milk, taking his place beside the white-mustached Pete Sampras and Cal Ripken Jr. But Tony Hawk isn't a tennis or baseball player. He's a professional skateboarder who spends his time in swimming pools. Empty swimming pools. Preferably lefthanded, kidney-shaped pools with lips of grindable concrete coping, perfect for landing nollie backside 180s, pulling fakie 540 kick-flip...

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