The biggest skateboarder on the planet is without a doubt Tony Hawk, king of vert and creator of the exceptionally popular Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game series—the 2020 re-release of the first two titles saw 1 million copies sold in the first two weeks alone.

The biggest skateboarder on the planet right now is arguably Nyjah Huston, king of street and the highest-paid skateboarder in the world.

Hawk and Huston belong to two different eras, but together they form a more complete story of the history of skateboarding—from its bowl and vert origins to its stylish street dominance today.

And anyone who’s picked up a controller to play Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 since its re-release has no doubt wondered what it would be like to see skateboarding’s biggest legend skate head-to-head with its biggest star.

That’s exactly the concept behind a new Monster Energy streaming series “Live and Unleashed,” which kicks off June 14 with skateboarders Hawk, Huston and Lizzie Armanto and pro gamer Tyler “TeeP” Polchow battling it out in the iconic game. What’s more, the stream will also feature footage of Hawk, Huston and Armanto in a skate session at Huston’s private skate park.

The stream will be hosted by popular snowboard personality and Monster Energy athlete Luke "the Dingo" Trembath and can be watched on Monster’s Twitch channel.

Director Paul Taublieb describes the event as a “full remote TV production, integrating coverage of live, state-of-the-art skateboarding as Nyjah and Tony perform in Nyjah's world-class skatepark combined with them playing themselves as video game characters.”

To accommodate streaming speeds, TAUBLIEB Films is bringing in a high-speed satellite uplink and remote six-camera production fly-pack production gear, and studio lighting and audio capabilities. The goal is to make the event feel more like a network broadcast than a video stream but maintain a grassroots feel that will be at home on Twitch.

“Monster Energy was looking for a way to make an impact in gaming while also staying true to its roots as an action sports lifestyle company,” said Taublieb. He and his business and life partner at TAUBLIEB Films, Susan Cooper, have worked with Monster for almost 15 years, serving as their creative agency and content company.

TAUBLIEB Films’ production efforts will be supported by marketing agency and brand studio Zoned Gaming. The two will partner on executing a strategy to help expand the Monster brand in the gaming entertainment world.

“Our approach is to combine our classic cinematic visuals with a personality-driven approach, and the tweak it all with the right music, style and approach that is sensitive and respectful to culture of gaming and the Twitch audience,” Taublieb said.

In the stream, which will follow a round-robin format, Hawk and Huston will play head-to-head as their characters in game; Armanto and Polchow will also challenge. At the conclusion, Dingo will crown the first-ever “Live Unleashed” champion. Bonus footage of Hawk, Nyjah and Armanto at Huston’s private warehouse will supplement the competition aspect of the stream.

American-Finnish skateboarder Armanto has appeared as a playable character in Tony Hawk's Shred Session, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2. She has long trained with Hawk at his private half pipe in a warehouse in Vista, California.

Huston, now 26, first became a playable character in the Tony Hawk’s series in 2006 with Tony Hawk's Project 8, and also appears in Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, Tony Hawk: Ride, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5—as well as, of course, the re-release of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2.

On Sunday, Huston took second place at the street skateboarding world championships in Rome and qualified to represent the U.S. in the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

“I have literally grown up as a character within the THPS games since I was 12 years old, which is awesome,” Huston said. “Whether a character in the game or skating with Tony here in my park, it's exciting to show the world what we do as skateboarders.”

“I’m proud of how Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater has expanded the skateboarding world,” Hawk said. “It has been one of the highlights of my career to see these games evolve and help inspire an entirely new generation of skaters and gamers.”

Future streams in Monster’s “Live and Unleashed” series will include a UFC-themed show in which Monster Energy MMA fighters Daniel Cormier and Stipe will take their rivalry into the gaming sphere, while pro gamer “Hungrybox” actually gets in the octagon. A third stream will be built around the partnership between Monster Energy and Apex Legends.

Monster Energy is a major sponsor of both skateboarders and gamers; its roster of skaters also includes the USA’s Tom Schaar and Ishod Wair, Brazil’s Kelvin Hoefler and France’s Aurelien Giraud. Its gaming team includes the United States’ Evil Geniuses and Team Liquid and the U.K.’s FNATIC.

“We’re excited to bring together Monster Energy’s amazing athletes and gamers in our new Unleashed streaming series,” said Monster Energy’s CMO Dan McHugh. “We have been fueling both skaters and gamers alike for decades and we’re excited to offer a fun and unique crossover that is representative of our company’s diverse consumer culture.”