Rodney Mullen

Rodney Mullen
Rodney Mullen
Born	August 17, 1966 (1966-08-17) (age 44) Gainesville, Florida
Education	University of Florida Biomedical Engineering
Occupation	Professional skateboarder, entrepreneur and author
Spouse	Traci Mullen

John Rodney Mullen (born August 17, 1966 in Gainesville, Florida), known simply as Rodney Mullen, is a professional freestyle and street skateboarder considered by many to be the most influential and best skater in the history of the sport.^[1] Mullen is credited with inventing the flatground ollie and at least 2 other distinct skateboarding tricks, including the kickflip (originally called the "magic flip") in 1983, and the impossible, but has a long list of original tricks. Mullen is credited in numerous skateboarding videos, and has authored an autobiography.^[2]

Contents 1 Early career 2 1990s to present day 3 Videography 4 Video games 5 References 6 External links

Early career

"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. I could walk around with my skateboard at the skate park. I love skateboarding" Rodney Mullen, 2003^[3]

Rodney Mullen began skateboarding at the age of eight 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.^[4] In 1978, having owned a skateboard for less than a year, Rodney placed 4th out of a bunch of older, more experienced, pro skateboarders. In 1979 he won first place at a bigger competition and was instantly sponsored.

1990s to present day

As the popularity of freestyle skateboarding declined, Mullen was often urged to move his style toward street skating^[5]. 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.^[6]

In 1991 Rodney joined the high-profile skateboarding team Plan B. Mike Ternasky, the Plan B founder, 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. Staples of freestyle are taken to new heights as Mullen performs a Triple Kickflip, and originates the Kickflip Underflip. The sequence ends with the surprising casper slide, another trick not seen before.

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.

I can't wait to wake up in the morning... A lot of times I can't sleep because I can't wait to try something new. How many people never really experience that feeling? Rodney Mullen, 2003^[3]

Mullen's participation in Plan B dissolved after Mike Ternasky died unexpectedly in 1994. In 1997, Mullen started his own company, A-Team, with the intent of forming a super team with the defection of Plan B from the World Industries empire.^[4] 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.

The A-Team folded in 2000 and Mullen went from company founder to company rider under former Almost 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^[7] and experimental and composite deck constructions for Dwindle brands.^[8]

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.^[9]

In 2003 Rodney wrote and released his autobiography, entitled The Mutt: How to skateboard and not kill yourself. In late 2003 Rodney Mullen was voted as the all-time greatest action sports athlete on the Extreme Sports Channel's Legends of the Extreme countdown.

2007 - 2009 signaled another transition in his skateboarding career as Mullen worked to erase his riding stance, allowing him to move from Regular stance to Goofy Stance.^{[10] [11]}.

Videography

Rodney Mullen has been featured in a number of videos. Here are a list of them:

• 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 Cube (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 Three (2004)
• Transworld: Show Me the Way (Darkslide)
• Tony Hawk's Secret Skatepark Tour (2005)
• United by Fate (2008)

Mullen is the main "skate double" for Christian Slater in the 1989 movie Gleaming the Cube.

Mullen is also featured in Globe's United By Fate episodic skate video series.

He also made a brief appearance in Episode 10 of the 2007 HBO series John from Cincinnati. He appears in a few cut scenes towards the end, wearing a red shirt and freestyle skateboarding in the background.

Video games

Rodney Mullen has appeared in the console games Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, 3, and 4, Tony Hawk's Underground and Tony Hawk's Underground 2 (including the remix edition), Tony Hawk's American Wasteland, Tony Hawk's Project 8 and is in Tony Hawk Ride. He also appears as a featured Rigger Skater in Tony Hawk's Proving Ground. ^[12]

References

• Brooke, M (1999). Concrete Wave: The History Of Skateboarding. ISBN 1-894020-54-5.
• Mullen, Rodney (2004). The Mutt: How to Skateboard and not Kill Yourself. Regan Books. 

External links

• A review Of Rodney Mullen's Autobiography Mutt
• Rodney Mullen Website