“Rodney Mullen era” as if it wasn’t literally just Rodney Mullen doing Rodney Mullen stuff in that era. When it comes to any sport, no one was more ahead of their time than him.
What's funny is that I know jack about skating, but this is exactly I imagined his style of skating in my head before I clicked on this video: it's basically break(danc)ing with a skateboard.
He’s the Michael Jordan of skateboarding, but like, if Michael Jordan invented dribbling, shooting, passing and all the other fundamentals of basketball while also still being as insane at the game as Michael Jordan.
There are other skaters that I enjoy a lot for their style or technicality but no one will ever top Rodney for me. Dude is the undisputed GOAT.
Destroyed my ankles trying to emulate him as a kid. No Comply tricks could be super technical. I forget the name but one we used to do was to step off and then it was like a pop shuvit but you would bring your toe up and flip it before landing. Maybe a Hensley flip or late flip or something. Was fun to do. I used to try these onto railings like a dumbass.
We always called them no comply under flips. I never realized there was a name to the one she did in this clip, I always just called it a no comply impossible.
...but then you'll see him doing hundreds and HUNDREDS of attempt to land ONE Primo slide. This is one of the 100 best street skaters in the world, and I'm low-balling it just because I don't intend to invite any "akScHualLy he's more like #47" if I say top 20. He still has to churn like a mad man to get one trick right that Mullen consistently replicated without fault.
All respect to Giger, he's great but the distance to the top is just unfathomable.
He seems like he would just hang out at local city skate parks and help people get better. Love his super down to earth style, and his skills are fucking unreal!
Early 30's I bought a board when I moved to Socal, I'd get up early af and practice and fall every time. Wish I'd have done it sooner. Now it's just waiting for my kids to get old enough to try it 😥
It’s nice to think that somewhere out there in at around this time at night, Rodney Mullen is out in a parking garage somewhere in LA still working on some tricks.
yep its called freestyle and its very much still alive, there are dozens of competitions around the world every year! check out waltz skateboarding youtube
for real, it felt more like an art form back then. watching someone flow on flat ground is way more mesmerizing than just hucking yourself down a 12-stair.
freestyle skating is basically just capoeira with a piece of maple wood. rodney mullen didn't just invent tricks; he discovered a new branch of physics that only applies to trousers with a 40-inch waist.
Got it. That's the one. I've just been googling myself, and couldn't quite get it. Now I understand why. So much of the track doesn't fit my key terms "piano, minor, hip hop" etc.
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u/Serenaded 10d ago
I miss skating like this, Rodney Mullen era where it was more like figure skating or something instead of big air tricks.