We had a sparse couple of days this week, so I thought I should do another Saturday Starrs, Digging into the Scott Starr archives this week for a segment from a news feature show called Evening Magazine that originally aired in 1983, two years from the release of the Bones Brigade Video Show. Peralta was one smart cookie. I’m sure he engineered getting this thing on air. There’s about the same amount of footage of Stacy talking about Rodney as there is actual footage of Rodney. Two points of interest: This is possibly the first public video evidence of the flatground ollie, and Rodney Mullen sounds a little like Michael Jackson in these clips. Listen to the squeaking of those truck bushings.
11 comments
ericcherry
It was cool just to see the 360 board setup, never woulda thought of that.
I first saw Rodney skate live back in 1987 at the Hickory Ridge Mall in Memphis, TN. Put on by Gadzook’s, some clothing store that sold boards in the mall (lot of memories of seeing Powell & Peralta Time Warp clocks there). They brought their portable mini ramp with Steve Saiz, Mike Vallely, Lance Mountain and some other forgettable dude was on the flyer. Rodney Mullen was a surprise guest.
He killed it!
His routine was almost flawless, well actually flawless… he was doing a long nose manual run hit a pebble while doing so, instead of stepping off or falling, he did a cartwheel. What showmanship! Don’t care if he sounded like MJ back in 82, he still kills.
ssk
Modern street skating and its dad before either of their balls dropped.
skaterhusseindave
Saw him as a half-time show at the Chicago Blowout. Primo and Diane were there as well. Primo had way faster footwork and excellent showmanship, but Rodney seemed more innovative somehow. I wished I could translate his ideas to vert, my friends laughed at me.
kevin
and then there was duane peters, making skating what it
is today harcore and rebellious. thanks duane we love you. stacy is such a fucking goody homo , who would hang with him , such a metrosexual.
Sheabones
This footage totally reminded me of something kinda rad! Two friends and I brought our freestyle set-ups to Valley Fair mall in San Jose around 1985 or 1986 after reading in the newspaper that Rodney was going to skate a Swatch demo. I remember his skating was flawless and he had like three watches on his arm. After the demo he saw the three of us little dorks – Keith with a Welinder and Todd and I with the Chess King Mullens – and asked us if we wanted to skate. Dude was the coolest and nicest guy ever, trying to show us how to do seran wraps and rail flips and shit. Reminds me of that episode where Bobby Brady gets to play catch with Joe Namath….
Betsy
Is that duct tape on his shoes? Sop hating on Mullens. Nicest guy ever. Humble. Big hearted. Loves to skate. Can’t fault a guy for that. Especially with duct tape on his shoes.
houseofneil
fucking legend. Enough said.
kilwag
I don’t see (or read) any “hating” on Rodney in this post. He is rad, and he does sound like MJ in this clip.
Grover wears duct tape on his shoes two. nice guy, literally big hearted. He’s tall you know…
curtis
but some serious Peralta hate. is he really that bad? I a assume houseofneil is talking about Mullen, but he could also be talking about Peralta. sure he has dorky hair in this era, but what was your hair like in ’83? who would hang out with Peralta aside from the best skaters in the world when he owned the company?, I don’t know who he hangs with, but I’d be willing to bet he has his pick from an assortment of smokin’ hot ladies. let’s give Stacy some credit, with out him there is a good chance Rodney would have never been beyond his driveway.
much respect to Duane, he’s more my kind of skater and he deserves serious credit , but his contribution is small compaired to Rodney’s. Rodney’s contributions have almost carried skateboarding single handedly to the place it is today trickwise, even on tranny (duanes realm). and I’d be willing to bet Duane spends more time in front of the mirror than Stacy. hate who you wanna hate, but metrosexual? come on , look it up, and choose words that reflect what you mean to say.
johnny the boy
my favorite part was that funky clav break that kicks in about 1:34: sounds like an outtake from stevie wonder’s “music of my mind” record.
ruben
actually the video was from maurice meyer but the guy who posted this video stole it