Rodney Mullen
Encyclopedia
John Rodney Mullen is a professional freestyle
and street skateboarder. He is widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative and influential street skaters in the history of skateboarding. Mullen is credited with inventing the flatground ollie (originally named the "ollie pop prop"), the kickflip
(originally called the "magic flip") in 1983, the heelflip, the impossible and a long list of other original tricks. Mullen is credited in numerous skateboarding videos, and has authored an autobiography entitled The Mutt: How to Skateboard and not Kill Yourself.
In a 2009 video Mullen sums up his passion for skateboarding as follows:
When his family moved to a farm in a remote part of Florida, Rodney began perfecting his flatground techniques in the family garage. Mullen cites the isolation and lack of terrain naturally influenced him toward freestyle skateboarding
. Rodney cites 1979 - 1980 as his "most creative time". Mullen put together a string of 30 straight competitive amateur victories in the late 70s, mostly in his home state, Florida
, culminating in a win at the Oceanside
Nationals in June, 1979.
In 1980, 14-year-old Rodney Mullen entered the Oasis Pro competition, defeating world champion Steve Rocco
. Mullen soon turned professional as a member of the Bones Brigade sponsored by Powell Peralta
. Rodney competed voraciously throughout the 80s—often frustrating both competitors and judges with his consistency and progressive ability. By 1990 Rodney had won 34 out of 35 freestyle competitions that he entered, having been beaten only once by fellow Bones Brigade member Per Welinder
. Rodney thus established the most successful competitive run in the history of the sport.
Despite Alan Gelfand's justifiable fame for inventing the ollie air (Gelfand's maneuver being primarily a transition-oriented trick) Mullen is responsible for the invention and development of the street ollie. The ability to pop the board off of the ground and land back on the board while moving has quite likely been the most significant development in modern skateboarding. This invention alone would rank Mullen the most important skateboarder of all time.
Throughout the 1980s, he invented the majority of skating's ollie and flip tricks, including the flatground ollie, the Kickflip, the Heelflip. These tricks are now considered an essential part of modern vertical and street skateboarding.
In early 1989, Mullen left the Bones Brigade to form World Industries
as a principal investor with longtime friend and former rival Steve Rocco.
As the popularity of freestyle skateboarding declined, Mullen was often urged to move his style toward street skating. This is hinted at in the World Industries video Rubbish Heap, where Mullen's sequence ends with team member Jeremy Klein
breaking Rodney's freestyle skateboard, and handing him a note from Steve Rocco, symbolizing the end of freestyle.
. Mike Ternasky, the owner of Plan B, influenced Rodney to transition from freestyle to street skating, and showcased the results in the 1992 Plan B video Questionable. Mullen's segment begins with traditional freestyle tricks done on flat ground, but quickly accelerates across public terrain to shift into standard street skating. In relation to obstacles, he sequences tricks, mixes flip tricks with grinds
and board slides. In the video, Mullen introduced two newly invented tricks, the Kickflip Underflip and the Casper slide.
Mullen's Questionable performance may have marked the beginning of a new era in street skateboarding. His reluctant departure from freestyle to become a street skater was a symbol that legitimized the technical direction street skating had taken over the previous few years. Mullen specialized at this progression in subsequent Plan B videos; noteworthy is 1993's Virtual Reality where Mullen showcases the newly-mastered Darkslide.
Mullen's participation in Plan B dissolved after Mike Ternasky died unexpectedly in 1994. In 1997, Mullen started another company, A-Team, with the intent of forming a super team with the defection of Plan B
from the World Industries
empire. Rodney talked to friend and fellow pro Daewon Song
to plan the video Rodney vs. Daewon, which featured each skater competing in segments from trick to trick.
Since 1999, Rodney Mullen has appeared in most of the console games of the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, Tony Hawk Underground, Tony Hawk Underground 2 ,Tony Hawk American Wasteland, Tony Hawks Proving Ground, and the last game he was in was Tony Hawk: Ride
The A-Team folded in 2000 and Mullen went from company founder to company rider under former Maple rider Marc Johnson
, who started Enjoi Skateboards
. Mullen left Enjoi to head Almost Skateboards
with Daewon Song
, the company which he still helms and skates for. Mullen's role at Almost includes research and development on new designs and technologies, including Tensor truck
in 2000
and experimental and composite deck constructions for Dwindle
brands.
In 2002 the World Industries
companies, under the holding name Kubic Marketing, were bought out by Globe International for $46 million. Kubic's management remained intact and Mullen began working for Globe International under the Dwindle Distribution
brand.
In 2003, Mullen wrote and released his autobiography, entitled The Mutt: How to skateboard and not kill yourself. In late 2003 he was voted as the all-time greatest action sports athlete on the Extreme Sports Channel's
Legends of the Extreme countdown.
From 2007 to 2009, Mullen worked to erase his riding stance, allowing him to move from regular stance to goofy. In an interview with Tony Hawk, Mullen explained that he had developed problems in his right hip joint and that his transition between stances came out of an effort to favor his leg. He goes on to describe that scar tissue had built up in his joint as a result of habitually hyper-extending his leg while skating. Mullen stated that through extensive and consistent stretching he was able to tear away the scar tissue.
In December 2010 Mullen stated in an interview that he is preparing to film a part for the upcoming Almost video.
Freestyle skateboarding
Freestyle skateboarding , perhaps the oldest style of skateboarding, is a type of skating that was popular intermittently from the 1960s until the early 1990s, when the last large scale professional competition was held; it would be 8 years until the next . The emphasis in freestyle is technical...
and street skateboarder. He is widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative and influential street skaters in the history of skateboarding. Mullen is credited with inventing the flatground ollie (originally named the "ollie pop prop"), the kickflip
Kickflip
The Kickflip, Ollie Kickflip, or Ollie Flip is a skateboarding trick where the rider ollies and flips the board over in the air before landing.It was the first of many modern flip tricks to be invented by Rodney Mullen in the early 1980s....
(originally called the "magic flip") in 1983, the heelflip, the impossible and a long list of other original tricks. Mullen is credited in numerous skateboarding videos, and has authored an autobiography entitled The Mutt: How to Skateboard and not Kill Yourself.
In a 2009 video Mullen sums up his passion for skateboarding as follows:
I fell in love with skateboarding because it was individual. There were no teams, there were no captains... it was completely opposite of what I saw in so many sports: It was creative.
Early career: 1977 - 1990
Rodney Mullen began skateboarding at the age of ten after he promised his worried father he would stop the first time he became seriously injured. Rodney began practicing in full pads, and hung out with his sister's surfer friends who skateboarded on the week days. In 1978, having owned a skateboard for less than a year, Rodney took fifth place in Boy's Freestyle at the U.S. Open Championships at Kona Skatepark in Jacksonville. Bruce Walker saw his performance and sponsored Mullen through Walker Skateboards in 1978, 1979, and 1980. Rodney's biggest influence in skateboarding at that time was Walker pro skater Jim McCall. Rodney was coached in his early years by Bruce Walker (who also coached a young Kelly Slater, now considered to be the greatest surfer of all time). In later years, Mullen was coached by Barry Zaritzky, aka SIO Barry.When his family moved to a farm in a remote part of Florida, Rodney began perfecting his flatground techniques in the family garage. Mullen cites the isolation and lack of terrain naturally influenced him toward freestyle skateboarding
Freestyle skateboarding
Freestyle skateboarding , perhaps the oldest style of skateboarding, is a type of skating that was popular intermittently from the 1960s until the early 1990s, when the last large scale professional competition was held; it would be 8 years until the next . The emphasis in freestyle is technical...
. Rodney cites 1979 - 1980 as his "most creative time". Mullen put together a string of 30 straight competitive amateur victories in the late 70s, mostly in his home state, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, culminating in a win at the Oceanside
Oceanside, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Oceanside had a population of 167,086. The population density was 3,961.8 people per square mile...
Nationals in June, 1979.
In 1980, 14-year-old Rodney Mullen entered the Oasis Pro competition, defeating world champion Steve Rocco
Steve Rocco
Steve Rocco is an American businessperson and skateboarder. He founded World Industries with Rodney Mullen which grew into one of the largest and most influential skateboard companies in the world. He has since sold the company and is currently retired....
. Mullen soon turned professional as a member of the Bones Brigade sponsored by Powell Peralta
Powell Peralta
Powell Peralta is an American skateboard company founded by George Powell and Stacy Peralta in 1978. The company rose to prominence in the 1980s as skateboarding began maturing as a sport. The company featured the Bones Brigade, a team of the era's top competitors...
. Rodney competed voraciously throughout the 80s—often frustrating both competitors and judges with his consistency and progressive ability. By 1990 Rodney had won 34 out of 35 freestyle competitions that he entered, having been beaten only once by fellow Bones Brigade member Per Welinder
Per Welinder
Per Nils Welinder , is a Swedish professional skateboarder. He has the distinction of being the only person to have ever beaten Rodney Mullen in a contest....
. Rodney thus established the most successful competitive run in the history of the sport.
Despite Alan Gelfand's justifiable fame for inventing the ollie air (Gelfand's maneuver being primarily a transition-oriented trick) Mullen is responsible for the invention and development of the street ollie. The ability to pop the board off of the ground and land back on the board while moving has quite likely been the most significant development in modern skateboarding. This invention alone would rank Mullen the most important skateboarder of all time.
Throughout the 1980s, he invented the majority of skating's ollie and flip tricks, including the flatground ollie, the Kickflip, the Heelflip. These tricks are now considered an essential part of modern vertical and street skateboarding.
In early 1989, Mullen left the Bones Brigade to form World Industries
World Industries
World Industries is a skateboarding company that offers skateboarding products, accessories and apparel. The company was founded by Steve Rocco in 1987. In 1988, Rocco was joined by skaters Rodney Mullen then Mike Vallely in 1989....
as a principal investor with longtime friend and former rival Steve Rocco.
As the popularity of freestyle skateboarding declined, Mullen was often urged to move his style toward street skating. This is hinted at in the World Industries video Rubbish Heap, where Mullen's sequence ends with team member Jeremy Klein
Jeremy Klein
Jeremy "Playboy" Klein is a professional American skateboarder.Klein rose to prominence as one of the original riders for Steve Rocco's World Industries. He switched to Birdhouse Skateboards team. After being one of the first pros on Birdhouse, Jeremy retired from Birdhouse in 2008...
breaking Rodney's freestyle skateboard, and handing him a note from Steve Rocco, symbolizing the end of freestyle.
1990s - Present
In 1991 Mullen joined the high-profile skateboarding team Plan BPlan B Skateboards
-History:The Plan B Skateboarding team was founded in 1991 by Mike Ternasky, Jackson Kontzer, and Gabriel Torres.In 1994, Mike Ternasky was killed in a car accident, leaving the ownership of the company in the hands of Danny Way and Colin McKay, and Michael Ternasky's wife who temporarily shelved...
. Mike Ternasky, the owner of Plan B, influenced Rodney to transition from freestyle to street skating, and showcased the results in the 1992 Plan B video Questionable. Mullen's segment begins with traditional freestyle tricks done on flat ground, but quickly accelerates across public terrain to shift into standard street skating. In relation to obstacles, he sequences tricks, mixes flip tricks with grinds
Grind (sport)
Grinding is a sliding stunt performed in many extreme sports. Stances in which slides are performed are known as grinds.Grinding is performed by sliding across the top of an obstacle, and can be accomplished in a number of ways...
and board slides. In the video, Mullen introduced two newly invented tricks, the Kickflip Underflip and the Casper slide.
Mullen's Questionable performance may have marked the beginning of a new era in street skateboarding. His reluctant departure from freestyle to become a street skater was a symbol that legitimized the technical direction street skating had taken over the previous few years. Mullen specialized at this progression in subsequent Plan B videos; noteworthy is 1993's Virtual Reality where Mullen showcases the newly-mastered Darkslide.
Mullen's participation in Plan B dissolved after Mike Ternasky died unexpectedly in 1994. In 1997, Mullen started another company, A-Team, with the intent of forming a super team with the defection of Plan B
Plan B Skateboards
-History:The Plan B Skateboarding team was founded in 1991 by Mike Ternasky, Jackson Kontzer, and Gabriel Torres.In 1994, Mike Ternasky was killed in a car accident, leaving the ownership of the company in the hands of Danny Way and Colin McKay, and Michael Ternasky's wife who temporarily shelved...
from the World Industries
World Industries
World Industries is a skateboarding company that offers skateboarding products, accessories and apparel. The company was founded by Steve Rocco in 1987. In 1988, Rocco was joined by skaters Rodney Mullen then Mike Vallely in 1989....
empire. Rodney talked to friend and fellow pro Daewon Song
Daewon Song
David Daewon Song is a Korean-American professional skateboarder, recognized for his technical street skateboarding. He is a co-owner of Almost Skateboards along with Rodney Mullen, and skates for the company-sponsored team.-Career:Daewon Song was first sponsored by Sporting Ideas in Gardena,...
to plan the video Rodney vs. Daewon, which featured each skater competing in segments from trick to trick.
Since 1999, Rodney Mullen has appeared in most of the console games of the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, Tony Hawk Underground, Tony Hawk Underground 2 ,Tony Hawk American Wasteland, Tony Hawks Proving Ground, and the last game he was in was Tony Hawk: Ride
The A-Team folded in 2000 and Mullen went from company founder to company rider under former Maple rider Marc Johnson
Marc Johnson (skateboarder)
Marc Johnson is a professional skateboarder.-Biography:Marc Johnson is one of the pioneers of 1990's style "switch-stance" and "gnar-tech" street skateboarding and is known for his technical skill on a skateboard, including a "supernatural" level of ambidextrousness...
, who started Enjoi Skateboards
Enjoi
Enjoi is a skateboarding company offering skateboard decks as their primary product. They also provide skateboarding accessories and clothing. The company's logo is a stylized panda.-Formation:...
. Mullen left Enjoi to head Almost Skateboards
Almost Skateboards
Almost Skateboards is an American skateboard company owned by Dwindle Distribution.-History:Almost Skateboards is a company that operates under Dwindle Distribution...
with Daewon Song
Daewon Song
David Daewon Song is a Korean-American professional skateboarder, recognized for his technical street skateboarding. He is a co-owner of Almost Skateboards along with Rodney Mullen, and skates for the company-sponsored team.-Career:Daewon Song was first sponsored by Sporting Ideas in Gardena,...
, the company which he still helms and skates for. Mullen's role at Almost includes research and development on new designs and technologies, including Tensor truck
Tensor Trucks
Tensor Trucks is a skateboarding truck company founded and designed by professional skateboarder Rodney Mullen in 2000. Tensor's parent company is Dwindle Distribution. They offer trucks in three different heights tailored for differing wheel diameters; the hi is designed for 58mm wheels and...
in 2000
and experimental and composite deck constructions for Dwindle
Dwindle Distribution
Dwindle Distribution, based in El Segundo, CA, is the largest skateboard manufacturing company and distributor. It is owned by Globe International Limited. It serves seven skate companies: Almost, Enjoi, Speed Demons, Tensor Trucks, Blind, Cliche, Superior and Darkstar Skateboards. Dwindle...
brands.
In 2002 the World Industries
World Industries
World Industries is a skateboarding company that offers skateboarding products, accessories and apparel. The company was founded by Steve Rocco in 1987. In 1988, Rocco was joined by skaters Rodney Mullen then Mike Vallely in 1989....
companies, under the holding name Kubic Marketing, were bought out by Globe International for $46 million. Kubic's management remained intact and Mullen began working for Globe International under the Dwindle Distribution
Dwindle Distribution
Dwindle Distribution, based in El Segundo, CA, is the largest skateboard manufacturing company and distributor. It is owned by Globe International Limited. It serves seven skate companies: Almost, Enjoi, Speed Demons, Tensor Trucks, Blind, Cliche, Superior and Darkstar Skateboards. Dwindle...
brand.
In 2003, Mullen wrote and released his autobiography, entitled The Mutt: How to skateboard and not kill yourself. In late 2003 he was voted as the all-time greatest action sports athlete on the Extreme Sports Channel's
Extreme Sports Channel
The Extreme Sports Channel is a Netherlands-based extreme sports television channel available across Europe and the Middle East. Al Gosling had the idea for the channel in 1998.-History:...
Legends of the Extreme countdown.
From 2007 to 2009, Mullen worked to erase his riding stance, allowing him to move from regular stance to goofy. In an interview with Tony Hawk, Mullen explained that he had developed problems in his right hip joint and that his transition between stances came out of an effort to favor his leg. He goes on to describe that scar tissue had built up in his joint as a result of habitually hyper-extending his leg while skating. Mullen stated that through extensive and consistent stretching he was able to tear away the scar tissue.
In December 2010 Mullen stated in an interview that he is preparing to film a part for the upcoming Almost video.
Filmography
- Powell Peralta: Skateboarding in the '80's (1982)
- Powell Peralta: The Bones Brigade Video Show (1984)
- Powell Peralta: Future Primitive (1985)
- Powell Peralta: Public Domain (1988)
- Gleaming the CubeGleaming the CubeGleaming the Cube is an American movie released in 1989. It featured Christian Slater as Brian Kelly, a 16-year-old skateboarder investigating the death of his adopted Vietnamese brother.The Skating Technical Advisor for the film was original Z-Boy, Stacy Peralta...
("Skate double", 1989) - World Industries: Rubbish Heap (1989)
- Plan B: Questionable (1992)
- Plan B: Virtual Reality (1993)
- Plan B: Second Hand Smoke (1995)
- Rodney Mullen vs. Daewon Song (1997)
- Rodney Mullen Vs. Daewon Song Round 2 (1999)
- Globe: Opinion
- Almost: Round ThreeAlmost: Round ThreeAlmost: Round Three is a skateboarding video released on DVD in 2004 by Rodney Mullen's skateboard company Almost.-History:It features the third part of the Rodney Mullen vs. Daewon Song series, the first two of which are included on this DVD as hidden extras...
(2004) - Transworld: Show Me the Way (Darkslide)
- Tony Hawk's Secret Skatepark Tour (2005)
- John from CincinnatiJohn from CincinnatiJohn from Cincinnati is an American television drama, set against the surfing community of Imperial Beach, California, that aired on HBO from June 10, 2007 to August 12, 2007. It is the result of a collaborative effort between writer/producer David Milch and author Kem Nunn, whose novels have been...
(Skate double, Episode 10, 2007) - Globe: United by Fate (2008)
Further reading
- Brooke, M (1999). Concrete Wave: The History Of Skateboarding. ISBN 1-894020-54-5.