Rodney Mullen
American skateboarder who invented foundational street skating tricks.
John Rodney Mullen was born on August 17, 1966, in Gainesville, Florida, and grew up on a family farm. His father, a dentist and property developer with a military background, and his mother, a child prodigy pianist who finished high school at 14, raised him there. As a child, Mullen wore corrective boots for a severe pigeon-toed condition, yet he had remarkable foot dexterity, according to Phil Chiocchio, who once owned the local Sensation Basin skatepark. He first stepped on a skateboard on New Year’s Day 1977, at age ten, after a neighbor showed him one. His father only allowed it under a strict condition: Mullen had to quit if he ever got seriously hurt. So he practiced in the family garage, wearing full protective pads, and became obsessed, logging hours daily. He also skated with his sister’s surfer friends on weekdays. In school, Mullen graduated from P. K. Yonge Developmental Research School with a 4.0 GPA, then studied biomedical engineering and mathematics at the University of Florida, but dropped out because of his packed schedule. Despite his talent, he was pathologically shy, suffered from anxiety, and battled anorexia as a teen—once even running away from the Bones Brigade van during a rest stop in Maryland.
Mullen’s competitive career took off early. In 1978, just over a year after starting, he placed fifth in the Boy’s Freestyle category at the US Open Championships in Jacksonville. Skateboard manufacturer Bruce Walker saw him and sponsored him through Walker Skateboards from 1978 to 1980. Mullen’s biggest early influence was Walker pro Jim McCall, and he also looked up to Florida skaters like Ed Womble, George McClellan, Clyde Rodgers, Tim Scroggs, and Kelly Lynn. Later, Barry Zaritsky (known as “SIO Barry”) coached him. When his family moved to a remote part of Florida, Mullen perfected flatground tricks in the garage, saying the isolation naturally pushed him toward freestyle. He called July 1979 to August 1980 his most creative period, when he was a loner who counted the farm’s cows as his best friends. He won thirty straight amateur contests in the late 1970s, mostly in Florida, capping it with a win at the Oceanside Nationals in June 1979. At age 14, in 1980, he entered the Oasis Pro competition and beat world champion Steve Rocco. There, he also met a 12-year-old skater who introduced himself as Tony Hawk, and the two became close fri
- born
- August 17, 1966
- field
- Professional skateboarding
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Inventing the flatground ollie, kickflip, heelflip, impossible, and 360-kickflip; winning 34 out of 35 freestyle contests over a decade
Lore & Background
Mullen was born and raised in Gainesville, Florida. His father was a dentist and property developer, his mother a child prodigy and accomplished pianist. As a child, he slept in boots to correct a severe pigeon-toe condition, yet had incredible dexterity with his feet. He began skateboarding at age ten on New Year's Day 1977 after a neighborhood friend introduced him, and practiced in the family garage wearing comprehensive protective pads as part of a deal with his strict father. He graduated from P. K. Yonge Developmental Research School with a 4.0 GPA and studied biomedical engineering and mathematics at the University of Florida, but later dropped out. He was pathologically shy and suffered from anxiety and anorexia as a teenager.
In 1978, after owning a skateboard for just over a year, Mullen placed fifth in the Boy's Freestyle category at the US Open Championships. Skateboard manufacturer Bruce Walker sponsored him from 1978 to 1980. Mullen cites July 1979–August 1980 as his 'most creative time,' when he was a loner who counted the cows on the family farm as his best friends. He won thirty successive amateur competitions in the late 1970s, culminating in a win at the Oceanside Nationals in June 1979. In 1980, at age 14, he entered the Oasis Pro competition and defeated world champion Steve Rocco. He turned professional as a member of the Bones Brigade team, recommended by Tim Scroggs to Stacy Peralta. Mullen competed voraciously throughout the 1980s, winning 34 out of 35 freestyle contests over a decade, establishing the most successful competitive run in the sport's history.
Reader's Guide
Rodney Mullen's significance lies in his transformation of skateboarding through the invention of the flatground ollie, which adapted Alan Gelfand's vert ollie to flat ground by using a see-saw motion and foot drag to lift the board. This trick became the foundation for modern street skating, enabling ollies onto rails and obstacles and opening the door to flip tricks. Mullen also invented the kickflip, heelflip, impossible, and 360-kickflip, among others, and later adapted freestyle skills to street skating, inventing or expanding tricks like primo slides, dark slides, and Casper slides. His competitive dominance—34 wins out of 35 freestyle contests—demonstrated unprecedented consistency and progressive ability. Mullen's tricks are now considered essential to skateboarding, and his influence is reflected in his being called the 'godfather of modern street skating.' He has appeared in over 20 skateboarding videos and co-authored an autobiography, The Mutt: How to Skateboard and Not Kill Yourself, with Sean Mortimer.
Did You Know?
- Mullen won his first world freestyle skateboarding championship at age 14.
- He invented the flatground ollie after seeing Alan Gelfand do an ollie on vert, and said it took him about five to ten minutes to figure out.
- Mullen studied biomedical engineering and mathematics at the University of Florida but dropped out before completing his degree.
- He ran away from the Bones Brigade van during a rest stop in Maryland while on tour.
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