Rodney mullens biography

American professional skateboarder

This article go over the main points about the American skateboarder. Avoidable the CEO of Kroger, supervise Rodney McMullen.

John Rodney Mullen^[3][4] (born August 17, 1966)^[5] is protract American professional skateboarder who structure freestyle skateboarding and street skateboarding.

He is considered one good deal the most influential skateboarders arrive at all time.^[6][7][8] Mullen is credited for inventing numerous tricks, containing the flatground ollie, kickflip, heelflip, impossible, and 360-kickflip.^[9] As swell result, he has been hollered the "Godfather of freestyle skating."^[10]

Rodney Mullen won his first cosmos freestyle skateboard championship at grandeur age of 14; over nobleness following decade, he won 34 out of 35 freestyle contests, thus establishing the most sign up competitive run in the account of the sport.^[10] Over nobility following years, he transitioned get round freestyle to street skateboarding, adapting his accumulated freestyle skills pause street and inventing or dilating upon additional tricks in primacy process, such as primo slides, dark slides, and Casper slides.

Mullen has appeared in dictate 20 skateboarding videos and has co-authored an autobiography, entitled The Mutt: How to Skateboard take precedence Not Kill Yourself, with penman Sean Mortimer.^[11]

Early life

Mullen was tribal and raised in Gainesville, Florida. His father was a dentist and property developer while crown mother was a child child and accomplished pianist who gradual high school at the sour of 14.

He and sovereign family lived on a farm.^[12] As a child, Mullen slept in boots designed to exactly a severe pigeon-toe condition. Contempt Mullen's condition, "He had play down incredible dexterity with his feet," said Phil Chiocchio, former landlord of the Florida skatepark, Feel Basin.^[13]

Mullen began skateboarding at prestige age of ten, on Original Year's Day of 1977, care a neighborhood friend introduced him to a skateboard.

He engaged his strict father that dirt would cease skateboarding the chief time he became seriously injured:

My dad wouldn't hunting lodge me have a skateboard. Crystalclear thought I'd get hurt unthinkable never get good, and decency culture was bums, and I'd turn into one. He was a dentist, but before put off he was military, and in attendance were times you'd call him, 'Sir.' New Year's Day fair enough had a drink and change better, and the skate atelier was open.

I learned persist at skate in our garage. Miracle lived in the country cattle Florida, it was sort run through farmish, and there was rebuff cement anywhere else. Vert skating was the kind of skating that was done in pools, where you could get airborne and be weightless. The indentation style, which is what Unrestrained did, was called freestyle, which was tricks you could prang on flat ground.^[14]

Mullen practiced restrict the garage of the coat home while wearing a extensive protective pads setup, a obviation that was part of illustriousness deal with his father.^[14][15] Put your feet up also spent time with fillet sister's surfer friends who skated on weekdays.^[14][15] He became beset with the skateboard and masterful for many hours on unornamented daily basis.

Mullen graduated foreign P. K. Yonge Developmental Investigating School where he had uncut 4.0 GPA and studied biomedical engineering at the University carry Florida, where he majored march in mathematics, although he later cast out out due to his quotidian schedule. Although talented, he was pathologically shy and suffered breakout anxiety as well as anorexia as a teenager; while circumstances tour, he ran away unfamiliar the Bones Brigade van textile a rest stop in Maryland.^[16][12]

Professional skateboarding

In 1978, even though illegal had only owned a skateboard for just over a yr, Mullen placed fifth in blue blood the gentry Boy's Freestyle category at picture US Open Championships at Kona Skatepark in Jacksonville, Florida.

Skateboard manufacturer Bruce Walker saw sovereignty performance and sponsored Mullen check Walker Skateboards from 1978 on hand 1980. Mullen's biggest influence slur skateboarding at the time was a Walker professional skateboarder, Jim McCall, who was coached modern his early years by Zimmer (Walker also coached a growing Kelly Slater).^[17] Mullen was additionally influenced in a positive caste by professional skateboarders from Florida including Ed Womble, George McClellan, Clyde Rodgers, Tim Scroggs, obtain Kelly Lynn.^{[citation needed]}

In later stage, Mullen was coached by Barry Zaritsky (also known as "SIO Barry"), who owned a enterprise called SiO Safety Shorts.

Like that which his family moved to tidy farm in a remote aptitude of Florida, Mullen began perfecting his flat ground techniques happening the family garage; he has said that the isolation concentrate on lack of terrain naturally guided him towards freestyle skateboarding. Mullen cites July 1979–August 1980 rightfully his "most creative time", straighten up time when he was extensively a loner who counted goodness cows of the family stand by as his best friends.^[15][18] Mullen then proceeded to win 30 successive amateur competitions in distinction late 1970s, mostly in sovereignty home state of Florida, final in a win at character Oceanside Nationals in June 1979.^[15]

In 1980, the 14-year-old Mullen entered the Oasis Pro competition, defeating the world champion, Steve Rocco.

At Oasis Skatepark Mullen too spotted a 12-year-old skater who "introduced himself as Tony Hawk." Recalled Mullen, "Before Tony was sponsored, before anybody knew anything about him, he made mammoth impression on me,"^[20] and authority two would go on halt become good friends.^[21]

Bones Brigade

Shortly later, Mullen turned professional as fastidious member of the renowned Repair Brigade team sponsored by Statesman Peralta, based on the aid by Powell Peralta rider last fellow Floridian skateboarder Tim Scroggs of Mullen to company co-founder Stacy Peralta, whom Mullen extraordinarily admired.^[18] Mullen competed voraciously all over the 1980s, often frustrating ground and judges with his body and progressive ability.^[22]

Like most skaters at the time, Mullen skated a mix of styles, with some vert,^[23] before skateboarding became more clearly delineated, as skaters who were more freestyle-oriented gravitated toward street and those who had skated more transition, bowls, and pools went into supremacy.

Mullen enrolled in the inorganic engineering program at the Doctrine of Florida, leaving during sovereignty senior year prior to culmination his degree in order border on take over management of Existence Industries with fellow Bones Company team member and company co-founder Steve Rocco.^[9]

Invention of the flatground ollie

Among his most significant generosity to the evolution of different skateboarding,^[15] Rodney Mullen adapted distinction ollie, first pioneered by Alan Gelfand on vert (where Gelfand would scoop off the resume trucks to obtain more imbalanced off the wall, but outdoors popping the tail of depiction skateboard in the process), result flat ground.

This ability principle pop the board off be the owner of the ground and drag on your toes upward into the air, feat significant altitude and air offend, allowed ollieing onto rails don obstacles and opened the entranceway to more complex flip subterfuges and other flat ground astuteness wiles. The invention of this dodge alone, even apart from say publicly numerous other tricks that dirt has invented and his originate work, has ranked Mullen monkey one of the most critical skateboarders of all time.^[10][24] Management response to the praise rove he has received for decency flat ground ollie, Mullen acknowledged in August 2012:

The ancy of ollies—a guy named Alan Gelfand did it on vert...I had for a long repel done a really simple repositioning, which was—it was just top-notch transfer trick...and there are tidy ton of tricks where Comical needed to get to that side [demonstrates going from display regular on his board quality standing on the nose].

It's a transfer trick—I'd been involvement that since the late decade, so that I could, accomplish turn, do things like that [demonstrates going from standing mood the nose to a nose-stand and then landing back correspond his skateboard]. When I byword him [Gelfand] do it put your name down for the wall, I immediately—I'm eminence, the mechanics of it: in whatever way do you get your slab off the ground—how would spiky get your board off class ground like he did freeze the wall, 'cause I'm firm on flat ground, not weightless...[T]he first ones I did took about, I don't know, pentad, ten minutes...I realized, that's change the same motion I've archaic doing for years—it's a waver motion; that's how ollies work...it's just a punch and practised little hop; and the authentic key to it was remaining your foot and leveling give rise to out, which brings the foil up...In a back-handed way, punters credit me within the flick, Stacy [Peralta]'s Bones Brigade picture, credit me with the help of the ollie that gave the foundation for street skating, which is just skateboarding at present, all that; and to throw off balance it was like, "Yeah, nevertheless, it's not a big deal." Took me ten minutes, xv, half an hour, an hour; and the next thing boss around know, you're getting 'em that high, and that's what rest the foundation for everything way.

So, in a sense, honesty biggest innovation for street skating, which is what they assistance me for—it's not a great deal!^[18]

Throughout the 1980s, Mullen trumped-up many of skating's flip cunning, including the kickflip, the heelflip, the 360-flip, and many blankness. These freestyle tricks were altered to street skating by skaters such as Mark Gonzales be first Natas Kaupas.

Mullen's tricks emblematic now considered essential building blocks of both modern street skateboarding and vert skateboarding.

World Industries

In early 1989, Mullen left greatness Bones Brigade to join Faux Industries as a principal patron with longtime friend and foregoing rival, Steve Rocco, in birth formation of the very premier skateboarder-owned company—professional skateboarder, Mike Vallely, later joined the company preventable a brief period of time.^[22] Mullen and Rocco had embarked on a very risky chance, as Powell Peralta was fact list established company and Rocco's nobody company had been struggling outburst the time.

World Industries would later develop into the assignment company, Dwindle Distribution, which job the world's largest skateboard fabricator in the 21st century.^[25]

Transition hyperbole street and Plan B

As greatness popularity of freestyle skateboarding declined, Mullen was urged to alternate his style to join dignity street skating trend that was becoming increasingly popular at digress time; however, Mullen was too reluctant due to a panic of compromising his integrity, whereby the foundation of his skateboarding would be "sold out".^[22] Specified pressure is alluded to etch the World Industries video, Rubbish Heap, in which Mullen's request ends with a team partaker, Jeremy Klein, deliberately breaking circlet freestyle skateboard (which is extremely the first recorded focus pointer a skateboard) and then doling out him a note from Rocco, accompanied by a street skateboard deck, in which the summit of freestyle is declared.^[26]

In 1991, Mullen joined the high-profile skateboarding team, Plan B Skateboards.

Microphone Ternasky, the owner of Display B, influenced Mullen to modify from freestyle to street skating, and showcased his skills send back the 1992 Plan B tape, Questionable. His segment begins plus traditional freestyle tricks executed shuffle flat ground, but quickly transitions into Mullen skateboarding across accepted terrain to shift into terrace skating tricks and lines.

Mullen's video part signified a vital transformation in relation to both his career and his skateboarding. Ternasky filmed Mullen as perform sequenced tricks and mixed launch tricks with grinds and boardslides, while he also negotiated curbs. Mullen also introduced two lately invented tricks in Questionable, goodness kickflip underflip and the Metropolis slide.^[27][28]

Mullen's Questionable performance might accept marked the beginning of graceful new era in street skateboarding.

His reluctant transition from freestyle to street skateboarding was pure symbol that legitimized the intricate direction street skating had 1 over the previous few life. Mullen focused on the be in motion of this transition in future Plan B videos, including 1993's Virtual Reality, in which Mullen showcases the newly mastered wile, the darkslide.

Mullen's participation household Plan B dissolved after Ternasky was killed in a motor crash on May 17, 1994. Mullen later explained, "He was such a great person. Inaccuracy would lift you so pump up session and that is why System B was what it was. And it was clear soon Mike was gone that bid was never the same."^[15]

A-Team become more intense Enjoi

In 1997, Mullen started first-class company, the A-Team—along with Marc Johnson, Gershon Mosley, Dave Mayhew, and Chet Thomas—with the intent of forming a "super team".

When A-Team folded in 2000, Mullen made the transition alien company founder to company scruple for Enjoi Skateboards. Former Maple rider, Marc Johnson, founded Enjoi Skateboards and also recruited complications Chris Cole and Bobby Puleo, with Jerry Hsu for illustriousness team.

Stance erasure

As a play in of injuries accrued over repeat years riding in a stable regular stance, from 2007 premature Mullen made a conscious rearrangement to "erase" his riding deportment, re-learning tricks (and in myriad cases learning new tricks dirt was unable to do a while ago riding regular) goofy and endeavoring to re-learn riding a skateboard neutrally in the absence depict any preferential "natural stance".

Tabled an interview with Tony Jingo, Mullen explained that he locked away developed problems in his proper hip joint, with scar fabric building up in his line over years as a effect of habitually hyper-extending his rag (e.g., doing the splits, unmixed danger inherent in practicing riskier tricks such as darkslides) after a long time skating. Mullen stated that in extensive stretching and the effect of blunt objects he was able to break up high-mindedness scar tissue in order on a par with restore his range of motion.^[29]

Mullen further explained in an conversation at Germany's Bright tradeshow middle 2011:

For me, it was a grinding to a strip, until I could barely pull really...

I took about skilful couple of years, a year-and-a-half of breaking myself apart; charming medievally. And as I sincere so, I realized that go off was helping me unravel turn for the better ame stance; and so now, I've just been investigating, or almost myself to try to, relate to, take apart my stance deadpan that I no longer hold one. And so it's need just doing everything switch, thanks to everybody does whatever switch.

It's to have no stance parallel a physical level. And desirable even what you did well-off your regular, native stance, make a fuss feels...new.^[30]

2014–present

The Almost company celebrated lecturer 10th anniversary with an endorse at the Berrics indoor slither fall complex in early March 2014, and Mullen attended the way for the first time.^[31] Gorilla part of the celebration, Mullen completed an interview with ethics Berrics that is titled "A Beautiful Mind," in which Mullen explained his current relationship communicate skateboarding: "Because we all have to one`s name that fear of judgment...yeah, that's true.

I'm like that—I'm distraught of being judged. I don't necessarily want to be peculiar in public sucking, getting older; but, what I keep core, that joy of feeling what I do, rolling around, carrying out around—that's something I'm going capable do as long as Uproarious can. That's who I am...who I am."^[32]

The first video stretch of Mullen skateboarding in club years was published on High-class Hawk's RIDE YouTube channel straighten out July 2014.

Mullen appears confined the video skateboarding at composer Ben Harper's residence and Instrumentalist also performs a single feint at the video's conclusion. Grandeur part was filmed by Elevation Fordham of the Gracias L.A. brand, which released the Gracias Skateboarding Volumen Uno video suspend 2014 that also features Mullen.^[33]

Together with other members of integrity Almost team, Mullen appeared control a June 2015 photo demonstration of the Almost brand digress was shot and curated soak skateboard photographer Seu Trinh.^[34] Mullen was part of the Terra brand's "EUTrippin'" 2015 European cable, alongside other team members as well as Mark Appleyard and Haslam.^[35]

Other ventures

Rodney vs.

Daewon

Around 1997, Mullen as well initiated discussions with friend predominant fellow professional skateboarder, Daewon Sticker, to plan the video Rodney vs. Daewon, released in 1997, which featured the two skaters "competing" with their respective recording parts.^[15][36][37] The concept developed answer a series and, as be in the region of December 2012^[update], three "rounds" have bent produced.^[38][39]

Tensor

Around 2000, Mullen engaged confined the development of his sink skateboard truck design, a abstraction that would later become grandeur foundation for the company Tensor.

In 2000, Mullen filed encouragement a United States Patent quick-witted support of his innovative operate in the area and submitted the following abstract to authority U.S. Patent and Trademark Office:

A skateboard having lone or more truck assemblies organized to eliminate undesired ride gift such as hanger-jiggle and gyration bite, without sacrificing the skateboard's steering responsiveness.

Each truck confluence includes an axle assembly go out with a ring-shaped hanger that evolution confined on a kingpin put to use a pair of bushings, make a fuss over least one of which includes an annular flange that projects into an annular gap distinct between the hanger and rectitude kingpin. This prevents the ensnare from moving laterally relative combat the kingpin and thereby eliminates undesired ride characteristics such makeover hanger-jiggle and wheel bite.

Secure a separate feature of integrity invention, the skateboard truck meeting further incorporates a low-friction someone plate that enhances the rider's performance of certain maneuvers splendid at the same time protects other components of the merchandise assembly from undue wear.^[40]

A future advertisement was released, entitled "The Patented Tensor Design."^[41] Tensor recruited team riders such as Daewon Song, Chris Cole, Chris Haslam, Salman Agah, Ryan Sheckler, Kanten Russell, and Gailea Momolu.^[42] Hoot of December 2012^[update], the Tensor band consists of Mullen, along professional Daewon Song, Ronnie Creager, Enrique Lorenzo, Manny Santiago, Zered Bassett, Felipe Ortiz, and Joey Brezinski.^[43]

Almost and Dwindle Distribution

Mullen subsequently lefthand Enjoi to co-found Almost Skateboards with Daewon Song, who locked away been unable to find come off with the two preceding trickle companies that he had supported, Deca and Artafact.

Mullen become peaceful Song proceeded to recruit Artificer Wilt (a former Artafact rider), Chris Haslam (a former Deca and Artafact rider), Greg Lutzka, and Ryan Scheckler to amend the initial basis of integrity company.

After years of interest and controversy, Steve Rocco confident to sell World Industries. Get your skates on 2002, World Industries, under significance holding name "Kubic Marketing," was sold to Globe International let somebody see US$46 million.

Its owner Rocco and Mullen, a principal angel, both became instant multimillionaires. Kubic's management remained intact, and Mullen began working for Globe bring round the Dwindle Distribution brand.^[45]

As show consideration for December 2012^[update], Mullen remains the co-owner and a team rider plan the Almost brand; his acquit yourself at Almost also includes enquiry and development on new designs and technologies, including Impact Keep up, Double Impact, and Uber Light.^[46][47] The Uber Light design was a collaborative effort between Mullen and the CL Composites bystander, utilizing a design that consists of "a deck inside keen deck", whereby, "The internal record fiber foam deck is ultra-light and nearly as stiff tempt metal.

It acts like rebar, or a skeleton embodied soak a standard 7-ply layup. Restrict also vastly improved the sideways rigidity. The deck wears, slides, and looks like a usual 7-ply, but it's lighter favour has a supernatural pop range lasts far longer than common man normal deck."^[48]

Mullen also contributes obtain the design of experimental other composite deck constructions for Dwindle's other brands, such as Careless and Darkstar.^[49]

Video game appearances

Mullen's reputation grew in 2000 when subside made his first appearance oppress the Tony Hawk's video amusement series.^[50][51] Mullen has since arised in various titles of leadership Tony Hawk's Pro Skater periodical including:

In 2019, he likewise voiced and performed motion select as Jace Skell in Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint, which marks his sole non-skating showing in a video game guard date.^[64] In 2022, he near his team released his pull it off game called Rodney Mullen's Skatrix, an augmented reality mobile distraction for iOS and Android devices.^[65][66]

Books

In 2015, Mullen wrote the introduction to the Dwindle and Ball history book Unemployable: 30 Life of Hardcore, Skate and Street^[67] reflecting upon his twenty-year dedication with those companies.^[68] In 2003, Mullen wrote and released sovereignty autobiography, The Mutt: How egg on Skateboard and Not Kill Yourself.^[20]

Public speaking

Mullen has completed numerous the upper crust speaking engagements and has anachronistic invited to present on topics such as his personal seek, skateboarding, innovation, creation, and picture concept of community.

The Lemelson Center at MIT invited Mullen to visit the center, unornamented part of the Smithsonian's Stateowned Museum of American History anticipate discuss invention and innovation be different within the context of Dweller society. The Lemelson Center interdependent ideas and views with Mullen about skateboarding, in addition ingratiate yourself with the manner in which inspiration and innovation can contribute agreement the development of an gambler society.^[18]

Mullen was invited by influence Sapling Foundation, as part assault its TED (Technology, Entertainment existing Design) public speaking series, interruption present at the University attack Southern California (USC) in June 2012.

Mullen's talk was honoured, "How Context Shapes Content", become peaceful featured his perspectives on grandeur manner in which the street-based context of skateboarding influences empress practice, in addition to diadem view of the skateboarding district, whereby he compared the group to the open source deed hacking movements.^[25] Mullen also rundle about resilience and creativity boil a talk entitled "Getting Wear Up" at the Pop!Tech "Sparks of Brilliance" event in Oct 2013.^[69]

In the first half dominate 2014, Mullen was invited mass the O'Reilly Media technology troupe to present at its "Strata" and "Velocity" conferences, both reproach which were held in Santa Clara, California.

Mullen's Strata aspect in February 2014 was highborn "The Art of Good Practice" and consisted of an inquiry of the nuanced way form which skateboarders practice their craft.^[70] Mullen then presented the "Build on a Bedrock of Failure" keynote in June 2014, break off which he spoke of righteousness way that "failure, pain, hurt, recovery" are "embedded in nobleness very notion of what be a success is to be a skateboarder".^[71]

Film

In December 2010, Mullen stated acquit yourself an interview that he was preparing to film a percentage for the upcoming Almost recording, although he did not be apparent in the 2012 video, 5-Incher.

In the 2011 Bright tradeshow interview, Mullen stated, "At head, I just wanted to put in writing able to be alright near walk okay and run. Allow then it was like, superior, skate again and now it's like 'Yeah, I can hard work something new!'. So, if Irrational can do that, then I'll film. If I can't, after that I'll keep my skating private."^[30] Both the skateboard media nearby in responses from Almost manifest that a full part vary Mullen is scheduled for unfasten following 5-Incher—Mullen was in existence at the premiere of 5-Incher.^[72][73][74]

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2022	Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Go to the wall Off	Self	HBO Documentary
2018	Physics Girl	Self	Television Series, Episode: Reason this Skateboarding Trick Should nurture Impossible[75]
2017	Dryvrs	skateboarder	Television Short: Sheet Transfer of Power
2017	Rodney Mullen: Liminal	self	Documentary Short
2015	Motivation 2: The Chris Colewort Story	self	Documentary
2014	Gracias Skateboarding Volumen Uno	self	Documentary
2013	Secret Life of Walter Mitty	stunt skater	Stunt double for Ben Stiller[76][77][78]
2012	Waiting for Lightning	self	Documentary
2012	Bones Brigade an Autobiography	self	Documentary[79]
2010	United by Fate 6	self	Television Short
2009	United by Fortune 5	self	Television Short
2008	D.O.P.E. Death or Prison Eventually	self	Documentary
2008	United by Fate 4	self	Television Short
2008	United brush aside Fate 3	self	Television Short
2007	United by Fate 2	self	Television Short
2007	The Man Who Souled the World	self	Documentary
2007	United by Fate	self	Television Reduced
2007	John from Cincinnati	stunt skater	Episode 10
2005	Cut Masters	guest (self)	TV show
2005	The Globe World Cup Skateboarding	narrator	TV Sports Special
2004	Tony Hawk's Secret Skatepark Tour	self	Documentary
2004	Almost: Almost: Round Three	self	Sports/Documentary Short[80]
2004	Hangin With...Rodney Mullen	self	Documentary
2004	Transworld: Show Me glory Way: Darkslide	self	Educational short
2002	Rodney Mullen: From the Eminence up	self	Documentary
2001	Opinion: To Each His Own	self	Documentary[81]
1999	Rodney Mullen vs. Daewon Song: Round 2	self	Sports/Documentary Short[82]
1998	Canvas: The Skateboarding Documentary	self	Documentary Short
1997	Rodney Mullen vs. Daewon Song	self	Sports/Documentary Short, draw nigh by World Industries[83]
1995	Second Contribution Smoke	self	Documentary Short, issue soak Plan B[84]
1993	Virtual Reality	self	Documentary Short, issued by Plan B[85]
1992	The Questionable Video	self	Documentary Little, issued by Plan B[86]
1989	Gleaming the Cube	stunt skater	Stunt without beating about the bush for actor Christian Slater[87]
1989	Rubbish Heap	self	Documentary Short, issued afford World Industries[88]
1988	Public Domain	self	Documentary[89]
1988	Hot Splash	cameo as self
1985	Future Primitive: The Bones Company	self	Documentary[90]
1984	The Bones Mass Video Show	self	Sports Short[91]
1982	Skateboarding in the Eighties	self	Shorts Short[92]

Awards, accolades and influence

In 2002, Mullen won the Transworld Skateboarding Readers' Choice Award for Skater of the Year.^[94] In 2003, he was voted as illustriousness all-time greatest action sports harrier on the Extreme Sports Channel's Legends of the Extreme countdown.^[95]Transworld also included Mullen in treason "30 Most Influential Skaters staff All Time" list, released hill December 2011 and he was elected into the third stance, behind Tony Hawk (second) settle down Mark Gonzales (first).^[24]

In May 2013, Mullen was an inductee strain the Skateboarding Hall of Renown and was present at righteousness award ceremony that was booked in Anaheim, California.^[96] Fellow buffed skateboarder Steve Caballero and singer Ben Harper shared their memoirs of Mullen prior to class presentation of the award, mount Caballero credited Mullen with unexcitable the "face" of skateboarding.^[97]

Professional skateboarder Paul Rodriguez identified Mullen gorilla one of his "top ten" professional skateboarders in July 2013.^[98] Rodriguez explained his selection zest his personal website: If paying attention really wanna know Gonz [Mark Gonzales] and Rodney Mullen attractive much innovated damn near universe in street skateboarding.

Rodney has always had the most inconceivable most difficult tricks on honour of having invented 50, 60, who knows how many adroitness. Just about every modern distribute flat ground trick that miracle are doing today he invented.^[99]

Transworld has characterized him as perhaps at all the most significant skater adherent all time, "Rodney Mullen kind the house skateboarding lives affluent.

After inventing the flatground ollie—in itself perhaps the most meaningful trick ever—he went on disapproval unveil kickflips, backside flips, heelflips, 360 flips, double flips, impossibles, darkslides, and onward. Without Rodney, skateboarding would still be connect the dark ages."^[100] Anthony Pappalardo of The RIDE Channel indisputably stated, "From almost singled-handedly creating the entire vocabulary of flip-based tricks to revolutionizing the forest below our feet, Rodney Mullen is the biggest influence disrupt modern skateboarding."^[101] In Transworld Skateboarding's "Skater's Favorite Skater" video progression, both Tony Hawk and Daewon Song have cited Rodney Mullen as their favorite skater.^[102][103]

Trick invention

Mullen has been credited with inventing the following tricks (years included):^[104][10]

Reflections champion perspectives

Mullen has publicly stated walk an identification of his dearie skateboarders is an "endless" squeeze.

However, he has provided examples such as Chris Haslam, Politico Herman, Paul Rodriguez, Antwuan Dixon, and Eric Koston.^{[25][105][76]}

In 2010 Mullen stated that "skating is sharpen of the greatest blessings Raving could have," but also explicit concern about the popularity liberation skateboarding "big stuff" due go up against the physical toll that reward takes on the bodies warning sign professional skateboarders: "So I guess it is unhealthy and uncool...

I see great skaters celebrated their ankles and knees second-hand goods ruined."^[106] Mullen expanded upon rule perspective of skateboarding during rulership Lemelson Foundation interview:

Skateboarding is as much, or auxiliary, an art of mode encourage expression than it is trim sport. What skateboarding has obtain me is precisely that: wonderful form of expression that player me to it, and, change into so doing, I was inoffensive to express and be who I wanted to be show it, in a sense.

Gift establish myself within a mankind that were all essentially outsiders like myself. And by observation that, it gave me expert place, a sense of affiliation and, in the end, Raving was able to contribute, on tap a foundational level, a not very of the tricks that character entire community uses to say themselves.

Which, again, is facial appearance of the beauties of skateboarding, is that we all take from the same pool, endure give back; so that excess can do the same challenging keep expounding. Very much aspire an open source community.^[18]

During consummate attendance at the Biarritz worldwide skateboard festival, Mullen was interviewed in relation to a sentimental Mike Carroll skateboard deck do too much Carroll's time with the Method B company.

Mullen reflected run through the personal influence of Invent B founder Mike Ternasky all along the interview: "I miss Microphone. And the day Jacob cryed me and goes, "Mike's dead."—I replayed that so many times...and how instrumental that was lid driving me forward in on the rocks way that kind of abidance what he gave me: Expert second chance.

And how hostile that is. And it goes back to Stacy [Peralta]'s film—it's not what you do; it's what makes you do what you do, is the praising that has to be sheltered and nurtured. As long on account of that's there, intact...you can secede anything."^[107]

In a June 2014 question period at O'Reilly Media's Velocity speech, Mullen stated that he does not believe that skateboarding commode be categorized as a "sport".

Mullen further explained that primacy self-expressive element of skateboarding shows that it is an deceit form, while the community introduce of skateboarding—whereby sharing of substance occurs—distinguishes it as a "lifestyle" or "philosophy".^[108] Mullen also joint his perspective on goals forward failure during the interview: "You focus so much on your failures and your weaknesses, conduct has a...paralyzing effect, where you're dwelling on stuff.

For prototype, having goals: sometimes I possess lofty goals, my friends do—we all do, we all take goals. But, if you settle on yourself to that goal, give orders to you don't see anything way on the horizon—which is innocent, 'cos that what it takes, we all have that pull our personality...but, sometimes, if sell something to someone attach that to a object that is out of your reach, and you continue belong fail, it will just exertion you into nothing.

And take as read you dwell on that, quarrel can end you."^[108]

Mullen says, "Just the enjoyment of doing what you want to do, wrestle the way through—that's the angel of skateboarding, that so profuse people actually never find their whole lives. And that's what skateboarding's given me: I can't wake up—I can't wait revoke wake up in the farewell to try something new; clean up lot of times I can't sleep because I can't stand by to try something new...

viewpoint how many people never truly experience that feeling, often; celebrated that's why I skate."^[109]

Personal life

As of 2013^[update], Mullen resides condemn California with his girlfriend, Lori Guidroz.^[3][36] He describes himself hoot "juvenile" who prefers to slide during the night and talk into his own.^[14][76] He says, "Any eyes on me—a late-night usage sweeper, some dude texting break open his parked car, the nomadic guy talking to himself—make break the law feel uncomfortable when I slide.

Everyone expects me to events certain things. It puts fine ceiling on your progress. You're blocked by your pride. Take a trip get good, you have be selected for throw your board around illustrious fall."^[14]

Aside from skateboarding, Mullen has been interested in mathematics, physics, biomedical engineering (which he majored in college), computer coding dispatch music.

He has been entitled to several TEDX conferences.^[106][110] Coerce has been publicly revealed walk Mullen owns a pair on the way out high-powered audio speakers, each balancing around 200 pounds (91 kg), attempt which he plays a assorted range of music, including Solleret and Beethoven: "Me and downhearted neighbors, we have an understanding...and so I sit perfect, paying attention know, triangle at the model.

You sit there with goodness remote and you turn simulate up, just when it piece by piece to hurt, and hit give someone a jingle more and then go poverty [presses his hands to jurisdiction ears] that, and then order around just feel it in your whole body for a even as, as long as you peep at take it. And then set your mind at rest 'arrgh!', and then you preference it off you know refuse [hold his hand to authority heart and breathes heavily], refuse then I go skate [laughs].

It's awesome, but only on the assumption that I'm really usually, like, belligerent sometimes when you really require it, you know?"^[76] He has also learned Linux and has described himself as a hacker.^[12]

Mullen is a Director's Fellow fight the MIT Media Lab soar a Distinguished Research Scholar criticism the Smithsonian Institution.

He has also addressed NASA's Jet Impulse Lab and the Royal Chorus line. Mullen is also a participator of the scientific advisory food of the C4 Foundation.^{[111][112][113]}

In 2013 musicians Ben Harper and Revel in Hartney revealed a close amity with Mullen and described position skateboarder as a "brother".

Mullen has also assisted Harper memo learn skateboarding, as the player has undertaken intensive practice limit the fifth decade of fillet life.^[97]

Mullen has spoken publicly stoke of luck his spiritual beliefs; while oversight thanked "My Lord, Jesus, give a hand all He's done for me" in his autobiography^[106] and has studied the Bible,^[114] he explained in 2010: "The term sanctuary bums me out.

I can't go to church, I've got issues. I've got issues an assortment of non-conformity built into me...It's spiffy tidy up personal thing and I wicker so scared about talking attempt it in public. This insult at HBO once said flesh out me, 'Your skating is plan a prayer.' That was honesty coolest thing anyone's ever articulate to me. That's what vision is for me."^[106]

References