I can see why Tas might respond that way. Tony kinda made it implicitly towards him. "Make sure you have a camera and go for it, the legit way!" If Tas was gonna do something big (like the 900), then why not save it for the contest? Especially since vert contests seemed like the norm back then.
I'm not sure if the burned bridges comments make sense. I did watch the doc. a couple months ago (it was an ugly and beautiful one for me). From what I recall, Tas WAS consistently skating those contests that whole year & was a frequent fixture in the best trick portions the whole time. So, it does seem fishy that someone decided to relegate him to the bench arbitrarily out of nowhere. I'm assuming x-games was the hallmark contest for that whole "season" of contests in those times.
I don't buy that Hawk had something to do with it, but on the production end of things I wouldn't be surprised if it was simply the television producers choice (or who ever was in charge) to botch his chances of making it. Maybe he was just the odd man out cause there was too many skaters entering? But, if Tas had photos taken of his attempts, then likely it would have been "locker room" gossip & everyone would have known he was gonna try it).
Doesn't seem like much of an excuse to use his negative image/baggage as reasoning from being thwarted, because it was a live television aired event & HE DID skate in that contest. It showed him have runs & he was getting huge ass airs. He participated, so then why wouldn't they allow him in when it came time for the best trick?
If anything, who ever ran the contest decided to filter/censor who ever they didn't want in, in those crucial moments at making action sports history: with it unfortunately being Tas.
Alot of the times the significance of events are based on timely aspects mixed in with some luck. Tony just caught the perfect time and place to freely go for it, as he was already becoming the poster boy action sports star at the time. So, it worked out for him greatly. Just sucks Tas got shut out.
It's just one of those extremely unfortunate, "what if" moments in sports or contests. Tas was forced out & an explicit answer was never given. I'd be mad if I never got answers myself. If Tas did it or even if he didn't, but was allowed to duel it out with hawk like Hosoi, It maybe could have earned him more exposure and maybe even could have altered the trajectory of his skating career & life.
I bet Tas's 900 would have looked way cooler anyways.