Bam Margera is again. After years of battling private demons within the public eye, the enduring skater who shot to fame on MTV’s Jackass 25 years in the past is skating as soon as extra.
“I took a 10-year hiatus and didn’t skate one bit,” Bam tells VGC. He’s in Hollywood, California, to advertise Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3 + 4, a remake of a pair of skating video games he starred in over 20 years in the past.
“I actually needed to change my methods. It was extra irritating than pleasurable even to attempt to skate. Trigger I used to be an alcoholic to start out. After which I used to be 250 kilos. And you recognize, with all these tablets that the majority of them I used to be compelled to take, all had these uncomfortable side effects of like weight acquire, stiff muscle tissue, erectile dysfunction, hair loss, suicidal tendencies, all that stuff.”
Bam clearly isn’t shy about discussing his challenges. Having turn into well-known extremely younger, Margera has grown up, and grown older within the public eye. Whereas that earned him tens of millions of {dollars} and followers the world over, it additionally meant that when issues obtained tough for the Pennsylvania native, that was simply as large a present because the successes.
“Like at one level, I might barely even steadiness sufficient to drop in on a three-foot ramp. However, you recognize, I married a stretch coach who we stretch an hour a day, and my legs are like fully 100 % once more,” he stated. “And now my ardour is again to skate.”
Bam, 45, married Dannii Marie in 2024. On each his social media and interviews since, he says she’s the most important catalyst for his restoration, and the rationale he can nonetheless skate as we speak. Since regaining his ardour for the game that made him well-known, Bam has been documenting his progress diligently.
“So I get up each day, get a trick on movie. A trick a day retains the sanity sane. And you recognize, whenever you do what you like and skateboarding has obtained me to the place I’m as we speak, to have the ability to try this once more is a real blessing.”
Except for MTV compilations of Bam and his pals dislocating bones, one other automobile that made Margera a family identify was the Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater franchise. Margera debuted in Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3, and remained a playable character within the franchise for a decade.
Nevertheless, when it was introduced that Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3 + 4 was in improvement, and that Margera wouldn’t characteristic on the roster (the one unique THPS 3 skater to be lacking,) followers weren’t completely happy. VGC’s reporting of Margera’s absence exploded on social media, and shortly the blame fell to writer Activision and namesake Tony Hawk.
Since then, it’s been claimed that Hawk compelled Activision’s hand, one thing Hawk himself denies. Bam defined how his last-minute inclusion within the remakes occurred.
“I used to be in Los Angeles and I had a day without work. I didn’t discuss to Tony Hawk for a few 12 months,” Bam says. “And final time he noticed me, I wasn’t doing too good. So I made a decision to present him a name. He stated he was down on the Hawk’s Nest skatepark and to cease by. I used to be pondering I might simply say, what up? And I grabbed my skateboard. Placed on some knee pads. And we wound up ollieing over one another on the large channel and he’s like, what’s going on? You might be again.
“I’m like, yeah, man, I’m married to a stretch coach. I’m skating each day once more. , so he was fairly blown away by that. And, I feel that, you recognize, actually. Provoked him to make a name to Activision, figuring out that there was already a deadline, however to see what sort of strings he might pull to get me again in it. Simply from that particular little go to.”
“I actually assume that they had been getting quite a lot of warmth from it,” Margera laughs. “Yeah, it’s cool and all that you simply’re doing a online game, but when Bam’s not in it, then I’m not taking part in it!”
He continues: “I do quite a lot of Comedian-Con signings, and like 80 % of the folks have a Tony Hawk sport that they need me to signal. They usually at all times inform me that I used to be the character that they at all times picked to play. So, you recognize it’s actually cool that, you recognize, it’s an honor to be again in it.”
Whereas Margera debuted in Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3, he’s finest identified for his position in Tony Hawk’s Underground 2. The sport, which noticed gamers embark on a world tour as a part of Workforce Tony taking up Workforce Bam, was closely influenced by Viva La Bam. Not solely that, it even featured his father, Phil Margera.
“Oh yeah, you possibly can unlock Phil and play him in his lingerie at 400 kilos,” Margera laughs. Phil Margera was a daily fixture of Bam’s antics within the early 2000s. Him, and his spouse April, had been beloved by the Jackass and Viva La Bam audiences.
“I bear in mind we had been within the studio for fairly a very long time, perhaps even per week, simply doing these voiceovers, and we needed to observe a complete script. And the primary sport was just about to gnarliest as a result of that they had me on this spandex swimsuit with all these like blue crystal balls on me. And I to skate a mini ramp and do all these methods so they might formally monitor my type.”
Margera tells us that the last-minute strategy of being scanned for THPS 3+4 was a lot smoother.
“Keep in mind again when the Matrix occurred, after which he did that pause, and so they confirmed 33 cameras going like this and that. We thought that was a totally unimaginable high-tech package. Now there’s a globe in Activision with like 167 cameras throughout you that may scan you up, down and throughout. And I’ve achieved quite a lot of Hollywood issues in my time, however this was essentially the most high-tech factor I’ve ever seen.
“To the purpose the place they scanned me so good that if you happen to zoom in shut sufficient, you possibly can learn the bank card data tattooed on my hand. And I used to be like, on the point of get a complete bunch of random payments of individuals hijacking my bank card as a result of they learn it as my character.”
Once we chat about whether or not he’d come again for a Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 remake, or be up for showing in potential future video games, Bam is unequivocal.
“I might like to be, yeah… [THUG 2] I’m not simply saying this, it’s essentially the most enjoyable sport there’s to play. You may skate on something, and the methods are countless. And most video games are, you recognize, race automotive video games, that are enjoyable, however you’re driving round in a circle attempting to win. Sports activities video games the place you’re attempting to hit a aim forwards and backwards, and also you already know the result. You make a aim, and then you definately get some extent.”
Margera says that copies of Tony Hawk video games are the gadgets he’s requested to signal most. He additionally tells us that followers always need to discuss to him about Viva La Bam, his Jackass spin-off which ran from 2003 till 2005. The premise, because the title sequence defined, was that MTV would give Bam a clean cheque to do “Regardless of the fuck I need,” in his phrases.
Whereas this might typically imply turning his kitchen right into a pirate-themed bar, or constructing a tree-top on line casino within the native woods, Viva La Bam would even have a deal with skating, and have lots of the largest execs of the day.
“Viva La Bam, when that got here out, had 65 episodes with a $300,000 price range per week to blow stuff up, fly folks in and fly folks out, and base quite a lot of issues on skateboarding that truly obtained quite a lot of new folks eager to skateboard for the primary time or once more. The identical factor was taking place with the sport.
“There are these methods that you may do even on the primary Tony Hawk sport, these strains of like kick flip, crooked grind to handbook to tre flip to entrance board to nostril handbook to dolly flip out, which might be inconceivable on any actual skateboard the place the skater is doing it. However you recognize, skaters are getting so good as of late. And I feel due to the sport, folks exit and assume that these items are potential.
“I’ve gone by Instagram generally, and I’ve seen such combos that they’re truly making the actual Tony Hawk sport potential in actual life with these methods. Any person did a Nollie flip, crooked grind to nostril handbook to Nollie flip out. I’m like, that is Tony Hawk sport shit.
“Like, if this, if you happen to had proven me this in 1985, my head would have popped off as a result of my thoughts would have been blown.”
Within the mid-2000s, each firm wished a chunk of Margera, which made us marvel, had been there ever any discussions to develop a Viva La Bam sport when the sequence was at its peak?
“There might need been talks, however they tried to do a Jackass online game that I actually couldn’t as a result of I used to be already obligated to be within the Tony Hawk sport and I had some type of contract,” Margera remembers.
“So that they did a Jackass sport with out me that didn’t do very properly. So I feel that when it obtained talked about, we type of realized that the Jackass one didn’t do in addition to we thought so we by no means continued with that.”
The Jackass sport Bam is referring too was a set of themed minigames starring a lot of the crew from the unique sequence and movies. The sport at present holds a Metacritic rating of 58. Bam’s online game debut, Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3, is the seventh highest-rated online game of all time, with a rating of 97 on the positioning.
In Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3 + 4, Bam seems as he seems now. He’s older, has extra tattoos, and is sporting a leather-based swimsuit and stark pink shirt. He’s additionally carrying a necklace that includes a Heartagram, the brand of the Finnish rock band HIM, which Bam made well-known by way of its inclusion on his merchandise, and famously on his Westchester, Pennsylvania house, “Fortress Bam”.
“, some individuals who don’t do analysis are like, ‘is Bam attempting to steal the Heartagram?’ No!, I’m attempting to signify the Heartagram. I’ve it on my entrance door so folks might perform a little research and discover out it’s the brand of my favourite band from Finland referred to as HIM.
“At one level, the label would get type of upset and never know how you can deal with it as a result of when you’ve 65 episodes on Viva La Bam always on rerun on MTV and my entrance door’s a Heartagram, then individuals are gonna begin pondering it’s mine. However what would you like me to do? Not have one? Would you like me to place a Linkin Park poster on it as a substitute? Like, I’m attempting to advertise the band that you simply signed, and also you’re getting mad at me as a result of I’m repping the Heartagram an excessive amount of? Come on. Loopy.”
Bam’s love of music is as inherent to him as his love of skating. CKY, the sequence of stunt movies created by Bam and his pals, featured the music of HIM, CKY, The 69 Eyes, Hanoi Rocks, and extra. These movies, which might later come to the UK within the type of DVD multipacks that had been tough to trace down even on the time, had been a mixtape of Bam’s life, and launched these bands to the world.
We wished to know what Bam is listening to now, and what he thinks ought to be included in a future Tony Hawk soundtrack.
“There’s a band referred to as The Black Capes from Greece that’s actually good, and so they have a brand new album referred to as Appears Like Demise. There’s one other referred to as Unhappy Dolls. I do know they recorded in Finland, however I don’t know in the event that they’re from Finland, however I actually like them. cash
“I like Yelawolf, in fact. Each time I see Yelawolf stay, I at all times come up and sing a music with him. So, I’ve identified him for a very very long time, however it might be good to see Yelawolf have a monitor on a Tony Hawk sport in the future.”
Margera not solely listens to quite a lot of music, however he’s additionally written and carried out with a number of bands over time. Music’s connection to skating as a sport is simple, and it’s one thing that was strengthened by the likes of skating video video games, and skate movies of the early 2000s. To Bam, the music featured in these initiatives is simply as necessary because the methods themselves.
“A skateboarder works for most likely a 12 months it takes to create a three-minute video a part of all of your finest methods, and you need to decide your favourite music to place in your video. Quite a lot of occasions, folks as of late are saving cash as a result of they don’t need to pay for like a cool Metallica music or a band that’s signed to a label that desires cash. So they simply use some actually generic music that makes your whole half look generic.
“In case your music sucks in your video half, then your video half sucks. Image a Bam video half, you’re anticipating to listen to HIM or CKY or one thing, however I placed on Billy Ray Cyrus. ‘Yeah, however take a look at the methods. ‘ I don’t care in regards to the methods. Both shut this audio off or shut the entire thing off as a result of it’s ruined.
“Music is every thing to me. And that’s why I had such a ardour to search out new bands to place in, you recognize, whether or not it’s a online game or CKY movies, as a result of, you recognize, I at all times wished to search out new music. So whenever you hear that music, you consider a CKY video.
“You consider Enter Sandman, you’ve already seen their music video, you’ve already heard it on the soccer sport. So that you’re already reminded about that music. And for me to make use of Enter Sandman in a CKY video simply wouldn’t appear proper. I like to make use of model new music of bands that nobody’s ever heard earlier than to have a complete new outlook on the music. And it’s solely reminding them of skateboarding.”
As we concluded our interview, we requested the way it felt to see such widespread public assist round his inclusion within the sport, and what it meant to see so many followers share how necessary he was to them.
“It felt actually good to be again within the sport as a result of, you recognize, simply to really feel actually hopeless about not ever figuring out if I’m going to get sober and if I’m going to die this manner and, you recognize, my legs are dry rot of rubber bands and I can’t even skate anyway as it’s, you type of lose all hope.
“Whenever you don’t have a objective in life, then you may get actually, actually depressed. And I used to be there. So now that that’s all gone and that darkish period of my life is finished and over with. Now I get up trying ahead to what I’m gonna do as we speak and what skate trick I’m gonna get. I hope it’s actually inspiring for others to assume that, ‘hey man, if Bam might do it, I might do it as a result of Bam’s been hell and again’”
Whereas Bam’s inclusion in Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater 3 + 4 is an enormous second for followers of the sport, his inclusion and the private battles he fought to get there are the actual story. At one level, nearly each teenager thought Bam Margera was the best individual on the planet. To see him wrestle for therefore lengthy was tough, and at its darkest, it felt prefer it was by no means going to enhance.
“Lots of people thought that I wasn’t gonna make it,” Bam grins. “Folks had been taking bets on me like, was he gonna die this week or subsequent week?”
Hours after our interview, Bam posts a video of himself at a neighborhood skatepark, grinning from ear to ear. Bam Margera is again.
