Picture this: a 14-year-old kid practicing skateboard tricks for nine hours straight in the Florida heat, determined to prove his disapproving father wrong. Inventor of the ollie, kickflip, heelflip, and more. The foundation of skate tricks. He has transformed skateboarding into what it is today: a means of creating more tricks, a form of art, and a community of inclusivity, among other things.

Alan Gelfand first did the ollie on vert in 1978. However, in 1982, Mullen first invented the flat ground ollie. This is the trick that single-handedly evolved into every other trick we see today. There’s no kickflip, varial flip, heelflip, 360 flip, etc, without the ollie. Connor Upton says in an article, “While Alan Gelfand invented the original ollie on vert, it was Rodney Mullen who adapted it to flat ground in 1982, creating what we now call the street ollie. Mullen, widely regarded as one of the most influential skaters in history, took Gelfand’s concept and brought it to the streets. By learning how to pop the board on flat ground, Mullen unlocked an entirely new realm of possibilities for skateboarding.” This evidence demonstrates just how well-known it is that Mullen changed skateboarding permanently. Like Upton said, the ollie created a whole new stream of trick possibilities, which was only the beginning.

During the 1990s, Mullen really started showing off all of his skills. Before the 90s, the style he did was known as“freestyle”. Freestyle was not popular in the 70s-80s. However, because Mullen lived in a secluded, flat area in Florida, he was unable to do the ramps. So, he participated in freestyle. According to “longboarderlabs, “in the early years, Mullen took to freestyle, a discipline focused on intricate footwork and technical tricks. By age 14, he won his first world skateboard championship, which is insanely impressive, defeating world champion Steve Rocco, which marked the beginning of an unmatched competitive run in freestyle, winning 34 out of 35 competitions over the next decade.” This quote provides evidence that he was a master of freestyle at just the age of fourteen. The dedication, persistence, and joy he had for skateboarding were something all skaters admire.

Mullen’s mindset is a massive factor in why he’s such an essential figure in skateboarding. When he was a kid, his father was highly offended by it. According to “angelfire”, “In an article written for Thrasher (January 1996 issue), Rodney recalls his father’s response that evening: “He reluctantly made a deal: The first injury I got, or the first time he had caught me without my pads, I had to quit”.  This provides information that he would’ve really preferred not to do, but he gave him the chance anyway. Rodney made sure to make it worth it. He practiced for multiple hours every single day, which is something rare that not many skaters do. Once Mullen started winning competitions, his father couldn’t stop him.

Overall, Rodney Mullen has had a profound influence on all skaters in multiple ways. And even skaters who have somehow never heard of him incorporate his skills just by doing a simple ollie. He embodies perseverance, passion, creativity, and much more. He represents how, no matter what you want to do, if you put your mind to it, it can 100% be done. No matter if it’s sports, school, or discouragement from others, if you want to do something, you can.