Rodney Mullen

About Rodney

• Grew up in a small town with a strict father who didn't like the idea of his son taking up skateboarding.
• He kept begging and begging for a skateboard until finally he got one for Christmas, but his dad told him, "if you get hurt, you quit."
• After he wiped out for the first time, his dad asked why he was crying, and Rodney replied, "I don't want you to make me quit."
• Because of that tenacity, his father realized that his son had found his passion, and after that, he encouraged his skating.
• Professional skateboarding seemed unattainable from his small hometown, so he went to the University of Florida to study biomedical engineering.
• However, his love of skateboarding kept pulling him away from his studies, and eventually, it became a full-time gig.
• Since then, he's been skating for over 20 years, and he's credited with inventing just about every trick in the book, including the heelflip and kickflip.
• Says his "world champion" title almost drove him crazy; he never wanted to have fame or fortune-he just wants to skate and be at peace.