| 21st | Top University of Florida people |
| Rodney Mullen | |
|---|---|
 Rodney Mullen |
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| Born | August 17, 1966 Gainesville, Florida |
| Education | University of Florida Biomedical Engineering |
| Occupation | Professional skateboarder, entrepreneur and author |
| Spouse(s) | Traci Mullen |
John Rodney Mullen (born August 17, 1966 in Gainesville, Florida), known simply as Rodney Mullen, is a professional skateboarder considered by many to be the most influential skater in the history of the sport.[1] Mullen is credited with inventing at least 39 distinct skateboarding tricks, including the kickflip (originally called the "magic flip") in 1983, the heelflip, the 360 flip, and the impossible. Mullen is credited in numerous skateboarding videos, and has authored an autobiography.[2]
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"I fell in love with skateboarding because it was cool. 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 skatepark. I love skateboarding" Rodney Mullen, 2003[3]
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. He fell off a 6 story building but somehow survived. Luckily, his dad let it slide. Rodney began practicing in full pads, and hung out with his sister's surfer friends who skateboarded on the week days.[4] In 1977, having owned a skateboard for less than a year, Rodney took third place in the Boy's Freestyle event at Kona in Jacksonville. Bruce Walker saw his performance and sponsored Mullen through Walker Skateboards.
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".[4] Mullen claimed many competitive victories in the late 70s, mostly in his home state, Florida, culminating in a win at the Oceanside Nationals in June, 1979. Rodney enjoyed skateboarding and wanted to go big someday soon.
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[5]. 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.
In early 1989, Mullen left the Bones Brigade to form World Industries as a principal investor with longtime friend and former rival Steve Rocco[5].
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 'focusing' (i.e. 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 darkslide, 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, The 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.
A-Team folded in 2000 and Mullen went from company founder to company rider under former A-Team 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.[citation needed]
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].
Rodney Mullen has featured in a number of videos. Here are a list of them:
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.
Rodney Mullen has appeared in the Tony Hawk console games including 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]
| Rodney Mullen | |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 17, 1966 Gainesville, Florida |
| Education | University of Florida Biomedical Engineering |
Rodney Mullen (born August 17 1966 in Gainesville, Florida) is a professional freestyle skateboarder, and considered to be one of the most influential skaters in the history of the sport.[1] He is credited with inventing many tricks, including the flat-ground Ollie (originally called the 'ollie pop'), the kickflip (originally called "magic flips"), the Heelflip, the 360 flip, and the Ollie Impossible (more often called the Impossible).
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Mullen has invented many tricks. These are:[2]
Rodney Mullen did many of the skateboarding stunts for Christian Slater in the 1989 skateboarding movie Gleaming the Cube. He can be seen performing in order to look like Slater. At the end credits he can be seen from an overhead view riding his skateboard with the camera zooming in on his foot work.[3]
Mullen has appeared in many video games related to the Tony Hawk Pro Skater (THPS) console games. These include:
   | A Review Of Rodney Mullen's Book - Rodney Mullen - How To Skateboard & Not Kill Yourself |
 | Bruce Walker profile - New Page 1 |
| | A Rodney Mullen fansite - RodneyMullen.Net - Videos, Pictures and Forums about Rodney Mullen |
| | Rodney Mullen - Rodney Mullen - Skateboarding Wiki |
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