You're grinding the rails in the Foundry, the heavy metal soundtrack is pumping, and you’ve got one objective left on the list that feels weirdly personal. You have to soak the foreman. It’s one of those classic Neversoft level goals that isn't about high scores or finding a hidden tape, but rather about interacting with the environment in a way that feels just a little bit mean. If you grew up playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3, you know the Foundry is the literal testing ground for your skills. It’s the first level. It’s iconic. But for a lot of players, especially those returning on an emulator or digging out their old PlayStation 2, figuring out exactly how to soak the foreman in Tony Hawk 3 can be a bit of a headache if your timing is off.
The foreman isn't just some random sprite. He’s the guy standing on the elevated walkway, looking down at the hard work being done, probably judging your lack of a 900.
Where is this guy anyway?
First off, let’s find him. When you start the level, you’re facing a massive expanse of steel and heat. You need to head toward the back-right area of the map. Look up. You’ll see a control booth and a narrow metal walkway stretching across the middle of the room. The foreman is the dude in the hard hat standing right there. He’s usually pacing or just standing still, completely oblivious to the fact that he’s about to get drenched.
To get to him, you don't actually need to jump on the walkway—though you can grind the rails nearby for points. The trick lies in the machinery. Specifically, the large tub of water (or whatever industrial coolant they use in a fictional steel mill) that moves along a track above him.
The actual steps to soak the foreman in Tony Hawk 3
Basically, you need to use the valves. There are two specific control valves located on the lower level, near the area where the foreman is perched. If you look at the structure supporting his walkway, you’ll see these circular red handles.
Most people mess this up by just skating past them. You have to actually interact with them. You do this by grinding the pipe or the rail that passes directly over the valve. As you grind over it, your skater’s weight "turns" the valve. You’ll see a message or a visual cue that the crane or the tub has moved.
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One valve controls the horizontal movement of the bucket. The other controls the tilt or the release.
Wait. Timing is everything here.
You need to watch the bucket. It travels on a set path. If you hit the valve and the bucket is on the far side of the room, you’re just wasting your breath. You want to time your grind so that the bucket is positioned directly over the foreman's head. When you hit the second valve while the bucket is in position, it tips.
Splash. Goal completed.
Honestly, it’s one of the more satisfying sounds in the game. The foreman lets out a little reaction, the "Goal Completed" text pops up, and you’re one step closer to unlocking the next level. If you're playing as a custom skater or one of the pros like Rodney Mullen or Bucky Lasek, the process is identical. The game doesn't care who does the soaking, as long as the guy gets wet.
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Common mistakes that drive players crazy
Sometimes the bucket just won't tip. This usually happens because you haven't "activated" the sequence correctly. Make sure you aren't just jumping into the valves; you must be in a grind state. If you're just wall-riding near them, it won't count.
Another thing: the Foundry has a lot of verticality. It’s easy to get distracted by the half-pipe or the "Sick Score" requirements and forget that the bucket has a slow reset timer. If you tip it and miss, you have to wait for it to cycle back around. It's not an instant reset. Patience is a virtue, even in a game about fast-paced combos and revert-manuals.
Also, check your version. While the goal is consistent across the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube versions (the "Pro" versions of the game), the PlayStation 1 version of Tony Hawk 3 is a completely different beast built on the older engine. If you're playing the scaled-down PS1 port, the level layouts are simplified. However, the "Soak the Foreman" goal remains a staple of the Foundry regardless of the hardware.
Why this goal matters for 100% completion
You can't just skip the foreman if you want to see everything the game has to offer. Completing all goals in the Foundry is required to unlock the later, more absurd levels like Tokyo or the Cruise Ship. Plus, it builds your stats. Every goal completed gives you those sweet stat points you need to boost your air, speed, and balance.
If you're struggling with the grind, make sure your "Rail Balance" stat is high enough. Even though the valves are on short pipes, falling off mid-grind can ruin your trajectory.
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Beyond the soak: Master the Foundry
Once you’ve soaked the foreman, don't just quit the level. The Foundry is a goldmine for "Hidden Tapes" and high-score lines. Use the big vats of molten metal to your advantage. There’s a gap called "Hot Foot" that involves jumping over the furnaces. If you can link a grind from the foreman’s walkway into a manual, and then into the half-pipe area, you’re looking at an easy 100k combo without even trying that hard.
Most veterans of the series consider Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 the pinnacle of the franchise because of these environmental interactions. It wasn't just about the skating; it was about messing with the world. Soaking the foreman is the first real taste the game gives you of that "world-bending" mechanic.
Real-world context and legacy
It's funny to look back at 2001. THPS3 was a launch window title for the PS2. Seeing water effects and moving machinery like the foreman's bucket was actually a big deal for tech reviewers back then. IGN and GameSpot both praised the Foundry for how "alive" it felt compared to the static levels of the first two games. The foreman himself became a bit of a meme in the early internet skating forums, purely because of how grumpy he looked before the soaking.
If you are playing the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 remake, you might notice the Foundry is missing. That's because the remake only covered the first two games. This makes the original THPS3 Foundry experience even more special—it’s a piece of gaming history that hasn't been modernized yet. You have to play it the old-school way.
Actionable steps for your next session
To wrap this up and get you back into the game, here is exactly what you should do the second you drop into the Foundry:
- Ignore the score initially. Skate straight to the back-right.
- Identify the two red valves. One is on a low pipe, the other is slightly higher on a connecting rail.
- Wait for the crane. Look up and track the bucket. It moves in a predictable loop.
- Time your grind. As the bucket approaches the walkway where the foreman is standing, grind the first valve to stop/position it, and the second to tip it.
- Listen for the splash. Once you hear it, look for the "Goal Completed" message.
- Save your game. Don't rely on auto-save if you're on an older console. Get that progress locked in before moving on to the "Unjam 5 Valves" goal, which is your next logical step in this level.
The Foreman isn't going anywhere. He’ll be there every time you restart the level, ready to be soaked again. It’s a rite of passage for any digital skater.