Nick Hornby is known for incorporating pop culture into his novels, not just as passing references but as pivotal plot points. In this case, skateboarder Tony Hawk (“TH” as Sam calls him) is an important symbol in Sam’s life and someone who guides and inspires him:

TH […] wasn’t me. But he was who I wanted to be, so that makes him the best version of myself, and that can’t be a bad thing, to have the best version of yourself standing there on a bedroom wall and watching you. It makes you feel as if you mustn’t let yourself down (8-9).

Sam keeps a poster of Tony Hawk on his wall and reads his autobiography again and again; he admires his perseverance and honesty, and, of course, his skating abilities. Hawk is widely recognized as the world’s most prolific and skilled skateboarder and is credited with helping propel the sport to the mainstream as well as promoting safety within the sport. He has created 80 new tricks, broken at least 30 bones, and continues to be immersed in the world of pro skating decades after he first popularized the sport.