If you grew up admiring skateboarding pioneer Tony Hawk in your adolescence (and who among us didn't?), then the one thing you remember most of all was how easy he made it all look.

Tony Hawk Donates First Skateboard to the Smithsonian

From the first-ever 900 to his nine X-Games gold medals, "The Birdman" was always in control of his art, even while attempting the most death-and-gravity-defying feats imaginable. Or at least that's how it seemed, right?

Well, on Wednesday afternoon Hawk posted a photo to Twitter that shows the harsh reality that accompanies a life populated by flying stunts. Apparently a recent skating session went wrong, leaving Hawk with a terribly deep hole in his leg. The injury no doubt require a fair amount of stitches to repair.

Hawk's caption accompanying the picture perfectly sums up the life of a daredevil: "Living the dream! (but today kinda sucked)."

You can see the photo of Tony Hawk's leg injury below. Be warned that it may not be the queasy or faint-hearted:

Tony Hawk Hoverboard Footage

So, remember, don't try that at home. Stay on your couch and play your old Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 on PlayStation instead. Hard to gash your leg doing that.