Man, he was my idol back when I skated. Dunno what happened to skating, just kinda did it less and less.. This makes me want to start again
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This blows my mind every time.
- Thread starter Mark Wilson
- Start date
Yeah, he's one of the best ever. I've had the chance to see him skate in person a few times. My son and I even jumped in on a session with him.
-Mike
-Mike
NO! That was Mark "Gator" Rogowski. There's a pretty good documentary about him called "Stoked"
bc
I realised that as soon as I started watching the Nitas documentary you linked to. I have never really heard of him before, always liked hit art, but never knew he could skate like that.
lowsound
I think mullen's greatest accomplishment was the invention of the kick flip to indy grind on a cat.
bc
Actually Mike Money taught him that one time when they were hanging out, vacuuming parrots and yelling at Mike's mom. Rodney was only credited with being the first one to do it because he got it on video before Mike's mom took the camera away.
lowsound
I remember the day when Gator and Hawk were the two biggest names in skateboarding back when I was a kid and I was a huge Gator fan. Then he "disappeared" for awhile and I would always wonder "Whatever happened to Gator?" when Tony Hawk blew up big time. This was before the internet. When I found out about the whole girlfriend thing a few years back it was truly a "***?" moment.
Mullen is amazing and blows everyone out of the water, and Natas Kaupas is a legend. And any dude that can inspire kids like this is great in my book.
That kid is good, so don't get me wrong, but he isn't doing anything that Mullen wasn't doing in the late 70s. Mullen is still pushing boundaries every day that he goes out and skates. Just watch the "United by Fate" video that Globe put out last year.
lowsound
Oh I didn't mean to say that the kid was better than Mullen. Far from it. I don't think anyone will reach Mullen's level for a long time, especially since he still skates and still comes up with new tricks. I'm just glad that he's inspired so many kids to take their skills to the next level.
Masher88
Believe in absurdities and you commit atrocities
Yeah, Mullen used to be what was known as a "freestyle" skater. The skateboards were very skinny (about 5 or 6" and very short, about 24"). It made all those kickflips, heel flips and Caspers easier to do. Noone did that stuff on the streets! That was way back when street boards were very large (about 10" wide by 30" long...on average) and had different shapes.
A freestyle skateboarder wouldn't use his board for any means of transportation as the wheels were very hard and the trucks were set up to not be able to turn. Very little rolling along the ground was done...it was more like gymnastics on a board.
Then...one day...(early 90's?) Rodney Mullen (king of the freestyle) started a company (World Industries) and made a street board (yeah, all us old schoolers were like, "WHAT?...the freestyle guy has a street board??"). It was longer than a freestyle board but a bit shorter than the street ones we were all used to. It had very little shape...the nose and tail were almost the same size and had the same kick to it.
(side note: previous attempts at a double kick (nose and tail the same) board were made, but never really took off)
AND...Rodney Mullen was doing those same crazy freestyle tricks during street competitions...while rolling along and off of ramps!!!! He KILLED in every competition.
Thus, he changed the direction of skateboarding...not just in tricks being done, but the equipment used too.
I put some pics of his old freestyle board compared to the "transitional" board.
A freestyle skateboarder wouldn't use his board for any means of transportation as the wheels were very hard and the trucks were set up to not be able to turn. Very little rolling along the ground was done...it was more like gymnastics on a board.
Then...one day...(early 90's?) Rodney Mullen (king of the freestyle) started a company (World Industries) and made a street board (yeah, all us old schoolers were like, "WHAT?...the freestyle guy has a street board??"). It was longer than a freestyle board but a bit shorter than the street ones we were all used to. It had very little shape...the nose and tail were almost the same size and had the same kick to it.
(side note: previous attempts at a double kick (nose and tail the same) board were made, but never really took off)
AND...Rodney Mullen was doing those same crazy freestyle tricks during street competitions...while rolling along and off of ramps!!!! He KILLED in every competition.
Thus, he changed the direction of skateboarding...not just in tricks being done, but the equipment used too.
I put some pics of his old freestyle board compared to the "transitional" board.
Attachments
Masher88
Believe in absurdities and you commit atrocities
I can get that same board with no graphic for $10. Any graphic deck is overpriced. Every good board comes out of the same factory in Southern California and you can find the A-grade ones for 10 for $100. That would be the EXACT same deck as the Almost decks, WI, Element ect. All the boards are the same now, so there is no point in buying graphic ones if you are going to skate it.
lowsound
The last board I ever had was a freestyle board. I was 11. Never did get back into skateboarding after that though I've always wanted to since it's a nice way to get around and it helps maintain good balance for other things like surfing and snowboarding.
If you just want to cruse around, buy a longboard. They are a lot of fun, but soon you are going to be thinking of all the things that you can make longboards out of.
lowsound
Masher88
Believe in absurdities and you commit atrocities
Yeah...that was the downfall for me. I liked when each deck was unique. It was like art. I once got 10 blank decks for under 100 bucks and sold them one at a time on ebay for 25 bucks each. Turned a nice profit, I did! They are all made by the same place with the same shape and concave. No fun!
One of my pals makes experimental/custom skateboards to order. Has his own presses and stuff. I had him experimenting with exotic woods a while back. Not to ride, just to look at! I never got the money together to try a Buckeye Burl bottom board!!!
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