John Rodney Mullen, the American professional skateboarder, entrepreneur, inventor, and public speaker, is known best as the Godfather of Skateboarding.
He prefers freestyle and street skating. Mullen is widely regarded as the sport’s most influential street skater. He was recognized for his exceptional skating abilities and for inventing amazing stunts such as the kickflip and heelflip.
About Rodney Mullen
Rodney Mullen was born in Gainesville, Florida, on August 17, 1966. He is 56 years old right now. His parents are John Mullen and Ann P. Mullen. Rodney Mullen married Traci Mullen but divorced her after being together for 13 years. He is dating Lori Guidroz at the moment.
He began skating at the age of ten after obtaining permission from his father. Mullen attended the University of Florida and majored in engineering. He dropped out after only one year to concentrate on his skateboarding career.
Career
Rodney Mullen began skateboarding as a 10-year-old and began winning medals at the age of 14. Despite the fact that he had a pigeon toe, his passion for skateboarding did not fade.
He was already well-known in his Florida neighborhood by 1978. Bruce Walker, a skateboarding legend, saw more in him and became his first sponsor. Mullen then began using Walker Skateboards. Mullen, then 14, competed in the Oasis Pro competition in 1980. He defeated the world champion, Steve Rocco, there. This Tournament also marked Mullen and Tony Hawk’s first meeting.
Rodney Mullen made his professional debut in 1980 and went on to win 34 of his first 35 competitions. In the 1980s, he dominated skateboarding competitions while also inventing new tricks. His best tricks include the flat ground ollie, kickflip, heelflip, impossible, 360-flip, and others.
He began to lose interest in professional skateboarding around 1990 and started to focus on street skating. Rodney Mullen started working for Plan B Skateboards in 1991. The skateboarder made a complete shift from park skating to street skating at this point. Rodney Mullen would join the organization’s A-team in 1997. His standout moment with this team was the same year’s “Rodney vs. Daewon” video.
He joined the firm as a rider in 2000 and helped found Enjoi and Tensor Trucks. Yet after only two years, he departed the business because of issues. Around 2010, Mullen joined the Nearly Skateboards crew and emerged as a company co-owner.
His responsibilities were to research and develop new designs and technology for the company. He supported the production of the company’s Impact Support, Double Impact, and Uber Lite skateboards. Since then, he has been employed by the business.
Later, documentaries, movies, and the Tony Stark video game series featured Rodney Mullen. As far as we know, he has left the sport. His achievements include earning Skateboarding Hall of Fame 2013, the Transworld Skateboarding Readers’ Choice Award for Skater of the Year 2002, and being in the Top 30 Most Influential Skaters of All Time (2013), etc.
Rodney Mullen’s Net Worth Details
Rodney Mullen’s net worth is estimated to be $30 million as of 2025.
Income
Rodney Mullen earns over $4 million per year. His primary source of earning was skating. However, he also generates money through endorsement deals and other sources of income.
Endorsements
Almost skateboards, Tensor trucks, Matix clothing, Globe Skate Shoes, Bones Wheels, Powell Peralta, Oust bearings, Enjoi skateboards, Darkstar skateboards, Speed Demon wheels, CCS.
Personal Details
| Full Name | John Rodney Mullen |
| Nickname | Godfather of Skateboarding |
| Birth Date | August 17, 1966 |
| Age | 56 years old |
| Birth Place | Gainesville, Florida, United States |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Chemical engineering Drop out |
| University | University of Florida |
| Father | John Mullen |
| Mother | Ann P. Mullen |
| Height | 5’11” (181 cm) |
| Weight | 73 kg (161 lb) |
| Marital Status | Divorced Traci Mullen |
| Profession | Skateboarder, Entrepreneur, Inventor & Public Speaker |
| Debut Year | 1978 |
| Skateboarding style | Freestyle, Street Skateboarding |
| Net Worth | $30 million |
| Social Media | Facebook
|
| Merch | Shoes
Skateboard |
Spouse
Rodney started dating Lori Guidroz after the dissolution of his first marriage with Traci Mullen. He and Traci Mullen married in 2000, and in 2013, they separated after being together for 13 years! Lori is a makeup artist who has worked for Hollywood celebrities. They got together in 2014 and live together in Mullen’s house in California.
FAQs
1. Who is Rodney Mullen and why is he considered so influential in skateboarding?
Rodney Mullen, born August 17, 1966, in Gainesville, Florida, is widely regarded as the most influential skateboarder in history. He began skating at age 10 despite having a pigeon-toe condition that required corrective boots. Mullen revolutionized skateboarding by inventing most of the fundamental tricks used today, transforming the sport from freestyle to modern street skating. His technical innovations and creativity earned him the title “Godfather of modern street skating.”
2. What are the most important skateboarding tricks Rodney Mullen invented?
Rodney Mullen invented numerous skateboarding tricks that form the foundation of modern skateboarding. His most significant innovations include the flatground ollie (allowing skaters to get the board airborne without using hands), the kickflip (originally called “magic flip”), heelflip, 360-flip, and the impossible. He also created primo slides, darkslides, casper slides, and handstand flips. These tricks revolutionized skateboarding and are still essential to the sport today.
3. What is Rodney Mullen’s competitive record in skateboarding?
Rodney Mullen won his first world freestyle skateboard championship at the incredibly young age of 14. He established the most successful competitive run in skateboarding history by winning 34 out of 35 freestyle contests over the following decade. His performances often earned perfect scores, including his first major competition where a 12-year-old Tony Hawk was in the audience. This remarkable consistency cemented his status as a skateboarding legend.
4. What business ventures has Rodney Mullen been involved with throughout his career?
Rodney Mullen co-founded World Industries with Steve Rocco in the late 1980s, which became the largest skateboarding company of the 1990s. He later created Tensor Trucks, earning a patent for his advanced truck design. After leaving Plan B following Mike Ternasky’s death in 1994, he founded A-Team. In 2002, Mullen and his partners sold their company to Globe Shoes for $46 million. His net worth is estimated at $30 million.
5. How does Rodney Mullen approach skateboarding philosophy and innovation?
Rodney Mullen approaches skateboarding as both an art form and science. He believes skateboarding teaches unique resilience through normalizing falling and getting back up. Mullen often speaks about how creativity flourishes when freed from defensive posturing, famously stating he “only won once” while the rest was “just defending.” His analytical mind combines technical precision with artistic expression, allowing him to connect skateboarding principles to innovation in technology and other fields.
