Rodney Mullen facts for kids
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Mullen in 2013
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Rodney Mullen |
| Born | August 17, 1966 Gainesville, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Skateboarder |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Website | rodneymullen.com |
| Sport | |
| Country |  United States |
| Sport | Skateboarding |
| Turned pro | 1980 |
John Rodney Mullen (born August 17, 1966) is an American professional skateboarder. He is famous for his skills in freestyle skateboarding and street skateboarding. Many people think he is one of the most important skateboarders ever.
Rodney Mullen invented many tricks. These include the flatground ollie, kickflip, heelflip, impossible, and 360-kickflip. Because of this, he is often called the "Godfather of modern freestyle skating."
When he was 14, Rodney Mullen won his first world freestyle skateboard championship. Over the next ten years, he won 34 out of 35 freestyle contests. This is the most successful winning streak in the sport's history. Later, he moved from freestyle to street skateboarding. He used his freestyle skills to invent new street tricks. Some of these are primo slides, dark slides, and Casper slides.
Mullen has been in over 20 skateboarding videos. He also wrote a book about his life. It is called The Mutt: How to Skateboard and Not Get Hurt.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Skateboarding
Rodney Mullen grew up in Gainesville, Florida. His father was a dentist, and his mother was a talented pianist. They lived on a farm. As a child, Rodney had a condition called pigeon-toe. He had to wear special boots to help correct it. Even with this, he had amazing control with his feet.
He started skateboarding on New Year's Day in 1977. He was ten years old. His father was very strict and worried about him getting hurt. Rodney promised to stop if he got seriously injured. He practiced in his family's garage. He wore lots of protective gear, as agreed with his dad. He became obsessed and practiced for many hours every day.
Mullen went to P. K. Yonge Developmental Research School. He earned top grades there. He also studied biomedical engineering and mathematics at the University of Florida. But he later left college because of his busy skateboarding schedule. As a teenager, he was very shy and struggled with anxiety.
Becoming a Professional Skateboarder
In 1978, after only a year of skating, Mullen placed fifth in a big competition. This was at the US Open Championships in Florida. A skateboard maker named Bruce Walker saw him. Walker sponsored Mullen from 1978 to 1980. Mullen was greatly inspired by other pro skaters from Florida.
Later, Mullen's family moved to a farm in a quiet area. This isolation helped him focus on flat ground tricks. He said this time was his "most creative." He won 30 amateur competitions in a row. Most of these were in Florida.
In 1980, when he was 14, Mullen entered the Oasis Pro competition. He beat the world champion, Steve Rocco. At this event, he also met a 12-year-old skater named Tony Hawk. They became good friends.
Joining the Bones Brigade
Soon after, Mullen became a professional skater. He joined the famous Bones Brigade team. This team was sponsored by Powell Peralta, a skateboard company. Another skater, Tim Scroggs, suggested Mullen to the team's co-founder, Stacy Peralta. Mullen looked up to Stacy Peralta a lot.
Mullen competed a lot in the 1980s. He often amazed other skaters and judges with his consistent and new tricks. At that time, skaters often mixed different styles. But later, skateboarding became more specialized. Skaters like Mullen, who focused on freestyle, moved towards street skateboarding.
Mullen started studying chemical engineering at the University of Florida. But he left before finishing his degree. He left to help manage World Industries. This was a company started by his friend and fellow Bones Brigade member, Steve Rocco.
Inventing the Flatground Ollie
One of Rodney Mullen's biggest contributions to skateboarding is the flatground ollie. The ollie was first done on ramps by Alan Gelfand. Mullen figured out how to do it on flat ground. This means popping the board off the ground and bringing it into the air. This invention allowed skaters to jump onto rails and obstacles. It also opened the door for many complex flip tricks.
Mullen explained that he had been doing a similar motion for years. He saw Gelfand do it on a ramp and wondered how to do it on flat ground. He realized it was a "see-saw motion" with a "punch and a little hop." The key was dragging his foot to level the board in the air. This trick became the foundation for modern street skating.
Throughout the 1980s, Mullen invented many flip tricks. These include the kickflip, the heelflip, and the 360-flip. Skaters like Mark Gonzales and Natas Kaupas adapted these freestyle tricks for street skating. Today, Mullen's tricks are basic building blocks for both street and vert skateboarding.
World Industries and Plan B
In 1989, Mullen left the Bones Brigade. He joined World Industries as a main investor with his friend Steve Rocco. This was the first skateboard company owned by professional skaters. It was a risky move, as Powell Peralta was a big company. World Industries later grew into Dwindle Distribution, one of the world's largest skateboard makers today.
As freestyle skateboarding became less popular, Mullen was encouraged to change his style. He was urged to join the growing street skating trend. He was hesitant at first. In 1991, Mullen joined the well-known team, Plan B Skateboards. The owner, Mike Ternasky, helped Mullen switch from freestyle to street skating.
Mullen showed his new skills in the 1992 Plan B video, Questionable. His part started with freestyle tricks. But it quickly moved to street skating tricks over public obstacles. He also introduced new tricks like the kickflip underflip and the Casper slide. This video marked a big change in his career and skating style.
Mullen continued to develop his street skating in other Plan B videos. In 1993's Virtual Reality, he showed off the darkslide. Mullen's time with Plan B ended after Mike Ternasky died in a car crash in 1994. Mullen said, "He was such a great person... it was clear once Mike was gone that it was never the same."
Later Teams and Innovations
In 1997, Mullen started a company called A-Team. The goal was to create a "super team" of skaters. When A-Team closed in 2000, Mullen became a rider for Enjoi Skateboards.
Rodney Mullen also worked on his own skateboard truck design around 2000. This design became the basis for his company, Tensor. He even filed a Patent for his new truck design. Tensor trucks were designed to prevent problems like "hanger-jiggle" and "wheel bite." They also included a special low-friction plate for better performance.
Mullen later left Enjoi to start Almost Skateboards with Daewon Song. Mullen and Song brought in other talented skaters to form the team. In 2002, World Industries was sold to Globe International. Mullen, as a main investor, became a multimillionaire. He then started working for Globe under the Dwindle Distribution brand.
Today, Mullen is still a co-owner and team rider for Almost. He also works on new designs and technologies for skateboards. This includes innovations like Impact Support and Uber Light decks. These designs make boards lighter and stronger.
Other Projects and Appearances
Rodney vs. Daewon
Around 1997, Mullen and his friend, pro skater Daewon Song, planned a video called Rodney vs. Daewon. It showed the two skaters "competing" with their video parts. This idea became a series, and three "rounds" have been made.
Video Games and Books
Mullen became even more famous in 2000. He appeared in the Tony Hawk's video game series. He has been in many games in the series, including:
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
- Tony Hawk's Underground
- Tony Hawk's Underground 2
- Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
- Tony Hawk's Project 8
- Tony Hawk's Proving Ground
- Tony Hawk: Ride
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4
In 2019, he also voiced a character in the video game Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint. In 2022, he released his own mobile game called Rodney Mullen's Skatrix.
In 2003, Mullen wrote his autobiography, The Mutt: How to Skateboard and Not Get Hurt.
Public Speaking and Film
Rodney Mullen has given many public talks. He speaks about his life, skateboarding, and how new ideas are created. The Lemelson Center at MIT invited him to talk about invention. He also spoke at TED events. He shared his ideas on how skateboarding influences him and how the skateboarding community works.
Mullen has appeared in several films and documentaries about skateboarding. He was a stunt skater for actors in movies like Gleaming the Cube (1989) and Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013).
Awards and Influence
...freestyle is directly responsible for street skating. Rodney Mullen figured out how to ollie on the flat ground, and street skating wouldn't exist without the ollie. Every time you ollie, you should get on your knees and thank Rodney or take him out to eat if you see him skating around Los Angeles. The vert tricks done now, like a heelflip frontside Cab, wouldn't be possible without the heelflip, which thanks to Rodney comes from freestyle. The kickflip Indy? Rodney invented the kickflip. Ollie Impossible? Rodney. Rodney, Rodney, Rodney.
In 2002, Mullen won the Transworld Skateboarding Readers' Choice Award for Skater of the Year. In 2003, he was named the greatest action sports athlete ever by the Extreme Sports Channel. Transworld also put him on their "30 Most Influential Skaters of All Time" list in 2011. He was ranked third, after Tony Hawk and Mark Gonzales.
In May 2013, Mullen was added to the Skateboarding Hall of Fame. Fellow pro skater Steve Caballero said Mullen changed the "face" of skateboarding. Many top skaters, like Paul Rodriguez, say Mullen invented almost every modern flat ground trick.
Transworld has called him possibly the most important skater ever. They said, "Rodney Mullen built the house skateboarding lives in."
Tricks Invented by Rodney Mullen
Mullen is credited with inventing many skateboarding tricks, including:
- The flatground Ollie
- Godzilla rail flip (1979)
- 540 shove-it (1979)
- 50/50 Saran wrap (1979)
- 50/50 Casper (1980)
- Helipop (1980)
- Gazelle flip (1981)
- No-handed 50/50 (1981)
- Kick flip (1982)
- Heel flip (1982)
- Impossible (1982)
- 360 flip (1983)
- Casper slide (1992)
- Darkslide (1993)
- And many more!
Rodney Mullen's Thoughts on Skateboarding
Mullen says that skateboarding is one of the greatest blessings in his life. He sees it as an art form and a way to express himself. He believes the skateboarding community is like an "open source" group. Everyone shares ideas and builds on each other's tricks.
He also talks about how important it is to learn from mistakes. He says that focusing too much on failures can stop you from trying new things. Mullen loves the feeling of trying something new. He says, "I can't wait to wake up in the morning to try something new."
Personal Life
Rodney Mullen lives in California. He enjoys skating at night by himself. He feels more comfortable without people watching. He says, "Everyone expects me to do certain things. It puts a ceiling on your progress."
Besides skateboarding, Mullen is interested in math, physics, and computer coding. He has been invited to speak at several TEDX conferences. He is also a Director's Fellow at the MIT Media Lab. He is a research scholar with the Smithsonian Institution.
Mullen has close friends like musicians Ben Harper and Lee Hartney. He has also helped Ben Harper learn to skateboard. Mullen has spoken about his spiritual beliefs. He sees skateboarding as a form of prayer.
Images for kids
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"The biggest obstacle to creativity is breaking through the barrier of disbelief." —Rodney Mullen, 2013
See also
In Spanish: Rodney Mullen para niños
