Tony Hawk-- My Son's a Killer Skater ... 'Better Than Me'

The axle doesn't fall far from the tree ... especially when the tree is a skateboard legend -- so says Tony Hawk who tells us his son Riley is a BETTER skater than he is.

It's hard to believe ... considering Tony is the greatest to ever hop on a board -- but the 46-year-old icon says his 22-year-old son is already a STUD on wheels ... and he's getting better.

"My son is already better than me in a lot of ways," Hawk says ... "He's more of a street skater. He's way more technical. He hits the handrails, the ledges and stuff."

Question is ... could Riley hit a 900 like his daddy??

Check out what Tony has to say about that.

And then watch Riley's skate video below -- the guy can shred.