Rodney Mullen

Rodney Mullen, born John Rodney Mullen on August 17, 1966, is an American professional skateboarder who practices freestyle and street skateboarding and is considered one of the most influential skateboarders of all time. Raised in Gainesville, Florida, he began skating at ten on New Year's Day of 1977. He is credited with inventing numerous tricks, including the flatground ollie, kickflip, heelflip, impossible and 360 kickflip, and has been called the godfather of modern street skating. He won his first world freestyle championship at fourteen and went on to win 34 of 35 freestyle contests, has appeared in over 20 skateboarding videos, and co-authored the autobiography The Mutt: How to Skateboard and Not Kill Yourself.