Rodney Mullen: The Importance of THPS & Video Parts

Today is 8/17/23 and it's the legend himself, Rodney Mullen's Birthday! So here is a piece cut from Rodney's full 45 minute interview, shot during "Tony Hawk: The Perfect Storm", Rodney breaks down the importance of the "Tony Hawk Pro Skater" video game and video parts as a whole. He talks about his days filming for Plan B, World Industries, Rodney Mullen Vs. Daewon Song, Chris Cole's Sponsor Me Tape and more.
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@thestrivecollaborative

[@UserAteThatName]

“Popularity is like eating styrofoam, there’s nothing in it” this man is a gem!

[@joshdillon9637]

When I was a kid everyone knew who Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, Lance Mountain and Christian Hosoi were but none of us had ever heard of Rodney Mullen. I'm so glad he was added to the roster on THPS2 and onward. It was what finally gave him the recognition as the inventor of a ton of the tricks we see today, and solidified his legacy as the father of street skating.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌

[@tylerdean42]

Listening to Rodney Mullen talk is alway so inspiring. Respect to such a legend 🙌

[@storied_skateboarding]

It’s unreal

[@chaseingabor]

❤

[@gregoryjames174]

His voice is so calm and soothing I would join his cult any day.😂

[@storied_skateboarding]

@@gregoryjames174 haha we already did

[@GeeZeeX3]

Indeed... if I had to put it in words.. I'd say. You'll see the world differently once you've seen it though the eyes of a street skater. 💯

[@GeeZeeX3]

I don't think Mullen will ever realize that He is the reason street skating exists.

[@CircleEF]

"When people are immersed they feel in a way that's beyond words. And when they connect with you in a way that's beyond words you feel it in your spirit and soul." - Rodney Mullen

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🤝

[@test-tl8dt]

great quote. i can definitely relate to it from the other perspective of the guy that was never that much of an active skater personally, but through the videogames learned the vocabulary and concepts, and further on through videotapes (also found through the games) learned the culture. 20 years on i still have respect and interest for the culture, and here i am still watching skateboarding videos and what not. there is a real spiritual connection like he describes from growing up around these games and rest of the culture that really shape one as a person. the games were basically a love letter to the skateboarding culture, its hard not to fall in love with it if you liked the games and millions did. my personal main fixation and hobby is something else but still, skateboarding 4 life. theres nothing else like it that combines athletics and artistry in such a raw and cool way with so much room for personality.

[@BulletProofBacon]

@@test-tl8dt COULDN’T HAVE SAID IT BETTER ‼️

[@BadgerOff32]

I was never a skater, but I am a gamer, and I played (and loved) the Tony Hawks games, and the first time I saw Rodney Mullens highlight reel on the first game, it absolutely blew my mind! I never knew the things he could do were even possible in real life! Yet here he was, doing casper slides and darkside grinds and pogo-ing in real life! Absolutely incredible dude, incredible talent, and an absolute legend. I hope he knows just how highly even non-skaters like myself think about him! He's like the Pele or the Michael Jordan of the sport. He has no equal.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🎮🛹

[@18ps3anos]

True that, altough Rodney only first appeared on Pro Skater 2. Been replaying the first one lately, there aren't even manuals.

[@heroclix0rz]

As a skater who grew up hours from a city, in a flat town, Rodney was an inspiration. He showed it was possible to get creative even if all you have is your board, a friend's board, and an empty parking lot.

[@Mirokuofnite]

I remember not being all that impressed with his video in THPS2. But his video in 3 blew my mind and still does.

[@MOB_JD]

And yet...he's so humble.

[@carlossoares712]

Everything this dude says is deep, he looks to the world with very special eyes

[@storied_skateboarding]

Indeed

[@golazo1266]

Rodney Mullen is so down to earth man because of him i found out my favorite trick in skateboarding which is the darkslide 😊

[@storied_skateboarding]

Love a good darkslide

[@macewhite7340]

Absolute legend. Thank you Rodney. For everything.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌

[@TheFishnetBandit]

Happy belated birthday, Rodney. Thanks for everything!

[@storied_skateboarding]

🛹

[@mikeballard8152]

Literally one of the greatest to ever do it and hes just so humble. You can really see his passion for what he has done and what the sport has done for him. I spiritually want to be on his level.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌

[@lightningfarronxp8899]

I remember watching an interview where rodney said he had never played the tony hawks games despite being in them and that disappointed me because I assumed he didn't really understand the impact that THPS had on the world of skateboarding. its cool to hear that not only does he understand the impact THPS had on skateboarding but also how the games evolved skateboarding and the impact it had on his life. even if he's never played THPS, he understands the importance of THPS.

[@HotGritz910]

This dude is incredibly deep..what he is saying is really simple, but you can tell its not simple to him by the way he describes the feeling.

[@QuincyKane]

This is easily becoming one of the best skate channels on KZbin; I have immensely enjoyed all these interviews with Rodney!

[@storied_skateboarding]

Thank you! 🙌

[@EthanChase]

This a good video for Rodneys birthday. This is my favorite channel on KZbin, been really enjoying these Mullen videos, my favorite skater of all time, can’t wait for what this channel has in store for the future.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🙌🙌 Thank You

[@L1VE3V1L]

Mullen talking about himself like he’s nothing is astonishing as it’s always been his videos I show other people who think skating is kids stuff and frivolous. Pure mastery of the board. Nothing less. He’s the king.

[@palmeristo]

He's so humble that he doesn't realise how much he changed skateboarding forever ❤

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🛹

[@ruipacheco2939]

On the other side of the Atlantic, in the late 80 s, me and my friends where completely in awe with what Bones Brigade, and specially Rodney, was doing on a skateboard... To this day, I still think that Rodney is one of those very few (Aly, Senna few ) athletes that will never be surpassed, no matter how much the sport evolves. Thank you, Rodney! Cheers from Portugal

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🙌🙌

[@ekojar3047]

I can 100% say, Tony Hawks Pro Skater, and pro skater 2 specifically that made me want to do this in real life and beg my parents to find me a skate board. And it was not the big ramps and big air, that still scares me. But it was Rodney Mullen's videos I unlocked in the games, that showed me something I felt like I could do, the flatground tricks from Rodney's videos and the tricks i the game is what made me go out and skate. And I lived in Oklahoma on a terrible street. I started out practicing tricks on grass, I had to learn to Ollie or I was going to bail every 5 feet on the road. Eventually me and 3 friends all had boards and all played THPS together. After a year of of us bailing face first onto raod 1,000s of times from these little tiny pebbles, I was fed up and asked my mom for a broom and started sweeping the street on our block to get all of those little rocks out of our way, before I knew it we had 4 brooms out there and really gave us some space to finally cut loose and go full speed for a block We had curbs too, and most of the time we would just ride straight towards a curb and try to figure out new new tricks to land on the curb then Ollie or do a trick out. The curb trick I always tried to do but only landed once, was a kick flip going up to the curb, land in a premo o the curb, then do a premo flip off of the curb and back on the street. I wish I had a camera back then! My favorite trick that I got pretty good to where it was my normal warmup everyday. The board isn't moving anywhere. Tip it up to a premo, a premo kickflip style flip straight into a Casper, then a Casper flip that spins in 2 directions. Then.... Just repeat it over and over. I always wanted to do it while riding and sliding but I never got to that far I was just better at staying flat in the middle of where I started. I haven't skated in like 10 years. I want to get a new board because my nephews just got a board and I tried to show them a few things and I sucked again! XD if you don't use it, you loose it for sure in skating.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🎮🛹🙌

[@tylerseabook9423]

He’s such a beautiful soul

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙏

[@ellisd3165]

if you do something for 9 hours a day, every day, you will get really good at it after a few years. Rodney has amazing willpower and is doing what he loves.

[@wc6046]

"All these dudes that skated a zillion times better than I" says the best skater of all time lol

[@storied_skateboarding]

😂

[@dustinmartinson1234]

Mr Mullen you sir, are an incredible human being. Skateboarding wouldn’t be as progressive without you. You were the missing link man. We are we are because of you brother.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🙌🙌

[@jonb5310]

the only person who can actually skate like a character in tony hawk's video games is this guy right here.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🎮🛹

[@the6ig6adwolf]

Andy Anderson 😉

[@Casual_OP]

@@the6ig6adwolfwould love to see Andy and Rodney connect and have a conversation

[@MichaelSilverMedia]

Rodney is the Godfather. He speaks with conviction.

[@storied_skateboarding]

He does

[@zachaddington5264]

He invented the kick flip didn’t he

[@bryandaves1005]

⁠@@zachaddington5264he invented the: Frontside & backside 180 kickflips 50-50 saran wrap Varial heelflip 50-50 sidewinders 360 Flip 360 pressure flip 540 double kickflip 540 Shove-it Casper 360 flip Casper slides Darkslides (Adapted from Mark Gonzales' idea) Double heelflips Flat-ground ollie Godzilla rail flip Gazelle Heelflip Helipops (360 Nollie) Half-cab kickflip underflip Half-cab impossible Helipop heelflips Handstand flip Kickflip underflip No Handed 50-50 Ollie Kickflip Ollie Impossible Ollie nosebone Ollie fingerflip One footed ollie ……….. among others. He basically invented modern street skating. He is the godfather of modern skateboarding.

[@QuillyMundo7]

The best of Rodney Mullen from Almost Round 3 will forever be the best video compilation of this man. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🙏

[@ondresproduction2404]

🤟❤️‍🔥Happy belated Birthday Rodney 🛹💨💨

[@storied_skateboarding]

🛹

[@skatedurr]

I'm 40 & thinking of skateboarding again because this guy is inspiring af

[@storied_skateboarding]

Do it!

[@blakegriplingph]

The world owes a lot to Rodney Mullen no doubt. Not only is he the Einstein of skateboarding, he's also an open source advocate and a man of wisdom.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌

[@kamb8s]

I hope I can meet this man some day.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙏

[@haroldking6105]

After the game Rodney Mullen was the bar, we watched skaters for years and even up to this day and say They ain’t got s*** on Rodney. We would watch his video over and over again, absolutely epic

[@storied_skateboarding]

💪

[@gregfarley7976]

Every time I listen to Rodney Mullen I want to cry, this man needs protecting at all costs

[@tofitiedemann5184]

Dope and mad relatable, I did a Tre and my cousin who played the video game growing up called it out and it tripped me out that he knew what it was. Skate or die.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🎮🛹

[@ThisIsMyFullName]

Going from being all but forgotten, to be recognized as the godfather of skateboarding. What a mind trip that must have been! I have so much respect for this man.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌

[@jackwatson7323]

I love how he paints a perfect picture for you, you feel the struggle and hard work it took him

[@briandenison7608]

Great content! But the sound seems doubled up and one or two frames out of sync. U less that's my phone, but I don't think so. Either way, great stuff!

[@YesOkayButWhy]

Yeah sometimes the audio doubles up like it's phased or something. But annoying.

[@storied_skateboarding]

Ok ok we know

[@storied_skateboarding]

But thank you sir

[@oldschoolm8]

Rodney is like a Zen master. He's so humble yet he invented some of the most important tricks in skating history. I'm a total lamen, but I LOVE watching him as an artist, and art can be manipulating the laws of physics on a plank of wood as much as it can be painting on a canvas. Tony changed the game too, and through a video game, skating evolved to the point where, I don't think, it'll ever die.

[@storied_skateboarding]

He is truly amazing

[@ScamLikely9327]

A true master knows he is never done learning.

[@ctambush1]

I’m that 2nd generation of kids that fell in love with skating through the Tony Hawk games (THUG to Proving Ground) l always like to say that Tony Hawk introduced me to skateboarding while Rodney Mullen made me fall in love with it. Seeing all of his video parts at such a young age made me realize that even the unimaginable was possible. To this day I still do Casper flips, primo slides and pogos whenever I can. Thank you to the man who inspired multiple generations 🙏🏼

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌

[@erutne]

i love this dude

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌

[@jamesmoore9001]

He is so clearly a genius. The level of depth in his thoughts is incredible.

[@storied_skateboarding]

Agreed!

[@Musubi-Azeyma]

Rodney is one of those dudes that I could listen to for hours just talk about his stories and experiences.

[@storied_skateboarding]

Same!

[@Justlivin00]

I love this guy so much. Love listening to him speak.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🙌🙌

[@thesnapper84]

I hope you stopped trashing yourself Rodney, never once in my younger years did anyone around me complain about your “style” or trick selection… It was sooo outside the box it pushed us to try the stuff that seemed impossible… What your were adding to conventional tricks was out of this world…I don’t care what anybody says, that pre, during and post A-Team era was magic… I also wish that version of World Industries you were apart of was still around… 🙌🏽

[@harveybrooks2597]

People talk about Tony Hawk but never about the developers that made the games happen, Neversoft.

[@TheAnimeist]

It appears that Rodney's loneliness was a result of his own actions. The basic ollies, flips, dark slides, casper slides, and primo slides-firsts. If there's no one present to witness or comprehend it, does it hold true? Is the feat confirmed? As more individuals grasp the terminology through the video game, the confirmation transforms into a tangible reality.

[@greenh609]

Watching Rodney speak about this in this manner just confirms that he is a genius that was working at a different level for the beginning.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🧠

[@ScamLikely9327]

Shout out to the wisest man in skateboarding.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌

[@YaleStewartArt]

I could listen to Rodney talk about anything for hours. This was great.

[@storied_skateboarding]

So can we!

[@KENKANIFF666]

i read his book at least once a year and i've always wished there was an audiobook version spoken by rodney.

[@Zakster90]

He makes it look so easy. There will never be another

[@EthanLeeV]

Every time I hear him speak, I am so inspired by him.

[@storied_skateboarding]

We agree

[@hiddentape2911]

Rodney is so intelligent but far too humble!

[@storied_skateboarding]

🧠

[@JimmyZeroMOA]

Mullen/Vallely 2024!!!

[@storied_skateboarding]

Haha

[@brandenarnett7162]

So prolific, i could listen to Rodney talk for hours about anything.

[@storied_skateboarding]

Check out the 45 min interview on this page

[@craigstewart8123]

It’s so true. Before the tony Hawk game, Thrasher normalized skating, just slower. The perfect picture of the nth try made it possible, attainable. The camera angle made it look bigger and normalized how big you would try.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🤝

[@ReplayBoardshop]

I never realized how a video game helped staple the names of certain tricks in the community!

[@storied_skateboarding]

Crazy right

[@jahseiah]

I love how much he still loves skating man.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🐐

[@altruistx]

He's exceptionally wise

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌

[@mfdebian]

Happy birthday to the GOAT!

[@storied_skateboarding]

🐐

[@RSXVPS]

so humble... "they are all better than i was!"... He was absolutely the GOAT at that time for street

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙏🙏🙏

[@campsitez2355]

rodney mullen will go down as one of the greatest influences of art in the modern era, period.

[@exotik4123]

Rodney Mullen + Andy Anderson goats

[@storied_skateboarding]

Need those two in a room!

[@sharedacc]

I love Rodney and listening to him he microdosed for a long time or fully dosed to have opened his subconscious up to this level

[@martinramirez9647]

I aspire to be just 1/100 of a man like Rodney Mullen, and I would be a great person.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌

[@The_Freestyle_Skater]

Happy Birthday Mr Mullen

[@storied_skateboarding]

🍻

[@dwolivas]

happy birthday rodney

[@joseguzman9448]

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag nachträglich lieber Herr Mullen ;)- ❤

[@AllThatRemains6661]

pure legend in the truest form of the words

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌

[@robweissman5952]

Oh come on Rodney... Nobodies ever been better than you.

[@matt984]

Rodney was always my favourite skater growing up. His tricks blew my mind but all my buddies were like “nah some of his tricks are corny. Andrew Reynolds or Eric Koston is way better” and I could never understand it…

[@storied_skateboarding]

🐐

[@PitBullPlaysGames]

Mullen is the GOAT. Love hearing him talk, comes off like a really nice guy too. I picture him as that one friend who always gets hyped for you when you land something no matter what it is.

[@storied_skateboarding]

He is the best

[@jesuscontreras124]

This man understands the meaning of transcendence in a deeper level. We can see how important is he in this field by listening to the level of apretiation he has for his peers and art/discipline. Thanks for this great upload.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🙌🙌

[@davidj009]

The games were brilliant. Never had an interest in the real thing myself but can always respect it. Especially guys like Rodney.

[@icychill105]

there were other skateboarding games but i loved the thps series, ill never be that good but i can play like a pro skater

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🎮

[@danielbeaird6264]

There would be no street skating without Rodney

[@NecronomJ]

Rodney is the Jordan Peterson of skateboarding.

[@austin.valentine]

He really doesn’t know he’s the GOAT

[@TheCameraBro]

Brilliant talk from Rodney. I recently picked up skateboarding and watching a lot of these pros talk about why they do it is truly inspiring to me and really helping me stay motivated to get better and better. Such an amazing sport

[@storied_skateboarding]

Amazing!!

[@D-J-1-1-1]

Rodney Mullen is why i skate i'm old now and still love his videos

[@storied_skateboarding]

🛹

[@AvnerRosenstein-ULTRA-LXV]

I played the shit out of Tony Hawks pro skater late 90's and early 2000's. I mean I played the shit out of them. I stopped playing right after Tony Hawk's underground on Xbox because I didn't want to continually buy new consoles and crap and I was way more into PC at that point. In 2020 they remastered the first two games and re-released them and this time there was a PC version. Yeah, I've played the shit out of that too lol. Probably one of the best remastered games ever...not just the game but the remaster itself was amazingly done.

[@SPlRlT1]

Random af but I Thought I recognized that voice outside of the little bit of knowledge I have on skateboarding. He plays Jace skell in GR breakpoint

[@elimcfly350]

Rodney was always my favorite to play as on THPS! Legend. It's also crazy to see how the sport has progressed. People are doing things these days that you could ONLY do in video games back in the day. It's awesome.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🎮🛹

[@Fausto_4841]

who let this man's soul be this beautiful?

[@DravenxEyeless]

Great interview for the archive of the many that he has had. Now the only thing we need is to give this man a controller and see how he fares lol

[@itachi_han]

I would never be good at fingerboarding tricks if it wasnt for rodney.

[@jjojehong]

why is no one talking about the audio being doubled up this shit is driving me crazy

[@chesteradams7423]

Rodney is easily one of the most humble people ever to exist. If I actually tried skating, I would fall and break my neck trying to stand on the board lol, but I just loved playing these games as a kid.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🙌

[@temujin7975]

0:47 did he just fs crook Nollie flip, didn’t think that existed then let alone pinch

[@brian_mighty9663]

They need a Rodney Mullen game!😊

[@luisanaya9327]

Couldnt have chosen a better face of skating than rodney and tony

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌🙌🙌

[@GetSchanked]

Tony Hawk has the Popularity, but Rodney Mullen has the Respect. Especially in street/tech skating. That is no bash on Tony, he has his respect and scaled out skateboarding with his videos and branding, but Mullen was that Engineer behind he scenes doing remarkably technical shit.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙏💪

[@Tridley21]

What an inspiring video. So much of that resonated with me as a skater growing in through that phase. I remember distinctly when skating became popular, I was already a skater and suddenly everyone was buying boards and in turn I became popular. Such a weird time. And such a powerful display by Rodney. Brb gunna watch Rodney vs daewon 🙂

[@storied_skateboarding]

Thanks for sharing!

[@TacticalXRays]

SO MUCH LOVE - autistic genius

[@redonk1740]

He said one thing here that was for sure not true that really bugs me. He said he was surrounded with a bunch of guys that skated better than him. BS. They skated different, not better. Dude practically inadvertenly invented street skating against his own will. He's probably the most humble skater you'll ever hear about. If Rodney Mullen and Tony Hawk never existed, skateboarding would absolutely not exist the way it does today.

[@storied_skateboarding]

No lies!

[@jdportwerks6795]

This guy is what made skateboarding what it is today! There wouldn’t be any skateboarders like Naija or Jocelyn or P Rod or Costin or my crank Tom penny Andrew Reynolds…. Even Mark Gonzalez notice all of those guys were doing what they did because of this certain individual that made up more than half the flip tricks that are out there!

[@storied_skateboarding]

Truth!

[@R3TR0J4N]

with how eloquent Rodney talks like it caresses somone's soul. as soon as he mentioned "Socrates" my brain never doubted and just went straight to the Greek Philosopher 😂w/ how much an intellectual Rodney is, its believable.

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌

[@JA-pf2my]

Can we nominate this guy for a Nobel prize?

[@djoglala]

If you don't know who this is, he invented the kickflip.

[@johncahill1985]

Getting him to go to street skating from freestyle was genius I ride bmx I ride street love skating to and seeing in the old plan b videos from being in the bones brigade skating would be so much different different without that video and video days them two videos changed it all shit in bmx I can’t think of any thing like that I guess Matt Hoffman he’s like are Tony Hawk but shit that plan b video changed bmx to BMXers started jumping on bigger rails and doing things in the street way more crazy to think about

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌

[@daniellesiak6209]

Myself like millions more im sure, love skateboarding because of this man. And the humbleness he talks with is mindblowing. "Im just the flatground dude and literally all of them are better than me" says literally the greatest to ever do it, the genius, the inventor, the pioneer, the inspiration, that still to this day very few can reach the level of

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌❤️

[@israeloliveira2083]

It's magical and lovely he's way in skateboard and the way he talks about skateboarding and freestyle . 😁✌🏾

[@storied_skateboarding]

🙌