He's the skateboarding legend who invented most of your favorite skate tricks and is a character in Tony Hawk's Underground. Kidzworld looks at pro skateboarder, Rodney Mullen.
Rodney Mullen's First Skate
John Rodney Mullen was born in Gainseville, Florida on August 17th, 1966. He wanted to skateboard, almost as soon as he could walk, but his dad (a doctor) wouldn't let him because he was scared Mullen would get hurt and fall in with the "wrong crowd." When Rodney Mullen was 10, his dad finally agreed to let him have a skateboard, on two conditions; The first time he was caught skateboarding without pads, or the first time he was injured, he would have to quit. Rodney Mullen managed to avoid any early injuries and became sponsored by the Inland Surf Shop nine months after he started skating. Mullen won the first freestyle contest he entered in 1977 and at the age of 13, he turned professional with the legendary Powell-Peralta skateboard company.
Rodney Mullen Rules
Rodney Mullen kept winning freestyle skateboard contests, but his dad still wanted him to give up skateboarding and move on to something else. But when skateboard magazines kept calling Mullen and companies started sending him money, his dad said he could keep skating. After 10 years skating freestyle and winning dozens of competitions,
Rodney Mullen began developing new street tricks and making skateboard videos. He also started World Industries Skateboards with Steve Rocco in 1992.
Rodney Mullen Revolutionizes Skating
Rodney Mullen has invented hundreds of skateboard tricks and has revolutionized the world of skateboarding. The tricks Rodney Mullen introduced to the world include the kickflip, the heelflip, casper slides and the 540 shuvit. Mullen still skateboards at least 2 hours every day and is always inventing new tricks. From tricks to videos, to designing skateboards, Rodney Mullen has done it all.
Rodney Mullen - Did U Know?
- Rodney Mullen has two nicknames: the King and the Mutt.
- Rodney Mullen is married. He and his wife, Traci, have two pet cats.
- Rodney Mullen is a bit of a science nerd. He says if he wasn't a pro skateboarder, he would be a nuclear physicist.
- When Rodney Mullen was a kid, his dad told Rodney that he "would be like the short kid across the street who played basketball day and night: No matter how hard he tried at skateboarding, he'd never be any good." Obviously, his dad's unsupportive attitude didn't stop Mullen from becoming a skateboarding legend.
To watch videos of Rodney Mullen doing his favorite skateboard tricks, click here.
