Back in 1985, Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain took a skateboard and painted Iron Maiden‘s mascot Eddie on it (specifically, the one from Killers). Some three-plus decades later, professional skateboarder Tony Hawk has come into possession of that skateboard.
Recently, on his Instagram account, Hawk posted a photo of this Kurt Cobain-painted skateboard featuring Iron Maiden’s Eddie. Hawk came into possession of this board by winning it at an auction that took place last year.
Along with the deck being painted by the late Nirvana frontman, what also makes this board extra sentimental and special is that it is a Jeff Phillips model; Phillips was a professional skateboarder who took his life at the age of 30.
After winning the board in the auction, Hawk decided to track down the original owner of the skateboard (whose name is Cameron Ross).
Ross told Hawk the story behind the board: Back in junior high, Ross saw a flier from Cobain, the latter offering to do art for folks. Ross gave the late Nirvana singer $20 and a chunk of weed and asked him to draw the “Killers” Eddie on the deck.
This board holds a lot of meaning for Hawk, given that it involves both the late Cobain and Phillips – two remarkably talented individuals who passed away tragically early in life.
In an effort to help others who are suffering from mental illness, and to share a little bit of history with people, Hawk has teamed up with some folks to create genuine replicas of this Kurt Cobain-painted, Jeff Phillips skateboard. Per another Instagram post of his, Hawk shares:
“All proceeds from these sales will be equally split between the Jed Foundation and The Skatepark Project in order to provide resources for those struggling with mental health, and to create more public skateparks in underserved areas. Kurt and Jeff’s influences still resonate greatly in our worlds, so we hope to honor their legacies with these unique items.”
This is a beautiful effort that will help out many folks, and it’s so awesome of Hawk to be sharing such an incredible piece of history with people.
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