What they think of when they hear the term flatland and they will probably say Rodney Mullen, skateboarder and master of flatland. Let's drop-in to the life of Rodney Mullen a.k.a. Mutt. We will manual from his first board to his start with Powell Peralta and then 360 Flip into the current years. This is the line that is Rodney Mullen.
Rodney was born on August 17 1966 in Gainesville Florida, where he grew up. As a child Rodney was quite the genius, he always did well in school. Rodney had always wanted to skate board, but his father, who was a doctor wouldn't let him. Not only did his father fear injury but he also told Rodney "The kids that you would hang out with would make you a bum." Rodney just about gave up hope, but then on New Years Eve 1976 he asked his father one last time and finally his father agreed to get him a skate board. With the board came strict rules; first he must always wear padding and the first time he's spotted without them, he must quit. Another rule was that the first time he got hurt he had to quit. Rodney agreed and then his father said something he still regrets; "You"ll never be any good no matter how hard you try." .
Rodney knew his father was wrong and set out to prove it. Not only did he get good, he got good really fast. After only 9 months of skate boarding he was already sponsored by Island Surf Shop and won a few contests too. Rodney had no idea of what was to come, but at these contests Steve Rocco the owner of World Industries the biggest skateboard company was there watching Rodney.
Rodney won a professional contest in 1980 at the age 13, and simultaneously turned professional. Rodney was a 13-year-old boy who was beating the cream of the crop. People said this kid was amazing, and many said he knew tricks people had never seen before. A couple weeks later Rodney got a package in the mail, this package was from Stacy Peralta one of the owners of Powell Peralta.
