Rodney Mullen
Almost Skateboards
Los Angeles, CA USA
"Love the simple things; don't expect to be put in a special position."
Career Roadmap
Rodney's work combines: Action Sports, Education, and Being Physically Active
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap Quiz
Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Mathematics, General
University of Florida
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Grew up in a small town with a strict father who didn't like the idea of his son taking up skateboarding.
2.
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."
3.
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."
4.
Because of that tenacity, his father realized that his son had found his passion, and after that, he encouraged his skating.
5.
Professional skateboarding seemed unattainable from his small hometown, so he went to the University of Florida to study biomedical engineering.
6.
However, his love of skateboarding kept pulling him away from his studies, and eventually, it became a full-time gig.
7.
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.
8.
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.
