Skateboarding was introduced to the world by surfs that put roller skates on the bottom of a board. Since then many people, including Rodney Mullen, have improved upon the sport of skateboarding. In Rodney’s Life he has inspired people around the world with his freestyle and technical street skateboarding. He has also impressed people with inventing new and original tricks.
Johnny Rodney Mullen was born in 1967 in Gainsville, Florida. Johnny, who goes by Rodney, wanted a skateboard when he saw other kids in his neighborhood who had skateboards. Rodney asked his dad on many occasions for a skateboard, but his father told him no because he knew that children got hurt skateboarding. One day, when Rodney was eleven years old, he asked his father again for a skateboard. His father said yes, but the first time that he got hurt or caught without his pads, he would have to quit skateboarding. Rodney went to his local mall and got his first skateboard, and started learning Freestyle tricks on it. Very careful to keep his promise to his dad, he wore pads when skateboarding.
Rodney first started winning contest in his home state, and won fourth in the Kona contest in California. After skateboarding for nine months, he got his first sponsor, Inland Surf Shop. In 1979, he won at Oceanside contest in California and was automatically sponsored by Walker. In 1980, he was invited to compete with Stacy Peralto. It was a close run the whole time; the judges kept on giving them about the same points, but in the end Rodney won. After he won, he started riding for Powell Peralto, and his father was finally happy with his son skateboarding.
Rodney’s presence in the sport of skateboarding started in 1979 and is still know today. He invented many tricks, which include: Godzilla Rail Flips, 540 Shove-Its, 50/50 Saran Wraps, 50/50 Casper, Helipops, Flat Ollies, Gazelles, No handed 50/50, kick flip, heel flip, impossible, Sidewinder, 360 Flips, 360 Pressure Flips, Casper 360 Flip, Half Cab Kick Flips, 50/50 Sidewinders, One Footed Ollies, Backside 180 flip, Ollie Nosebone, Ollie Finger flip, Airwalks, Varial heel flip, Switch Stance 360 Flip, Helipop heel flips, Kick Flip Under Flip, Casper Slides, and Half Flip Darkslide.
Currently Rodney is 35 and lives in Hermosa Beach ,California. His current sponsors are Globe Shoes, Enjoi Skateboards, Monkey Business Hardware, Matix Clothing, Tensor Trucks, Darkstar Wheels, and Speed Demon Bearings. He has won over 35 contest and has only lost once against Steve Cabellero. Rodney’s advice to fellow skaters is “Do what you love and try not to look at what other people occupy themselves with. Most people seem restless and bounce around too much to focus or even pay attention enough to themselves to figure out exactly what they really love, as opposed to what the people that surround them are doing.”
Rodney has invented numerous tricks that have changed the style of skateboarding and will continue doing so. Each trick is unique and reflects his personal style and experiences he has encountered in his lifetime. Skateboarding is Rodney’s life and he will continue mesmerizing people around the world with his creative style and ability.
