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Stoked - The Rise and Fall of Gator

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Like a dark version of Stacy Peralta's excellent documentary "Dog Town and Z-Boys," "Stoked" examines the Southern California skateboarding scene, but it focuses primarily on one tragic figure, Mark "Gator" Rogowski, a skating superstar in the late '80s.

Rogowski had charisma, good looks and talent to burn and he quickly grew wealthy from skate tours and endorsement deals. He had everything he needed to succeed, it seems, except guidance, and when skateboarding styles abruptly shifted gears in the '90s, he found himself adrift, a has-been at 21.

Broke and depressed, he went into a tailspin and "Stoked" follows his sad decline all the way to prison. Despite his cocky demeanor, Rogowski initially comes off as a likeable guy, which makes the mind-boggling crime he eventually committed all the more horrifying.

Director Helen Stickler incorporates interview footage (of Peralta and skaters such as Tony Hawk, Lance Mountain and the hilarious Jason Jessee) with a surprising amount of great skate footage and home video (clips of half-pipe expert Rogowski trying and failing to master street-style skating are particularly sad).

By balancing images from the past with perspectives from the present, Stickler makes "Stoked" into a surprisingly objective study of how gifted people shouldn't handle fame and fortune.

Helen Stickler's Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator (2002) is an energetic, responsible, and riveting documentary about the tragic life of Mark 'Gator' Rogowski, the Eighties vertical skateboarding champion who violently raped and murdered an ex-lover's close friend after he was abandoned by the sports world and his long-stirring inner demons rose to the fore.

Stickler makes a brief but important mistake when, in the accompanying bonus feature, "Stoked: Uncovered," she questions "how one reconciles someone who has so much greatness in him and so much evil," since nothing in the film or accompanying material supports the hypothesis that Rogowski, who is today serving a life sentence in a California prison after pleading guilty to the crime 1992, was anything but a very talented and increasingly troubled young man who was suffering from an undiagnosed bipolar disorder, alcoholism, and a rapid series of emotionally devastating defeats at the time of the murder. Already brash, self-directed, and handsome at fourteen, Rogowski had literally grown up in the sport's private and public arenas, and known little else but being on object of adulation and fanfare.

While much of the Eighties footage presents Rogowski as a preening, arrogant, and narcissistic teenage rebel manque, he was clearly also highly intelligent, clever, well spoken, industrious, creative, and amazingly charismatic, in Max Weber's use of the term. While none of the factors in Rogowski's life prior to the crime excuse the murder of Jessica Bergsten, there's no evidence that Rogowski was inherently "evil" in any sense of the word, if the word is actually applicable at all. In fact, after his meteoric fall from popularity in the late Eighties, Stoked pragmatically documents how Rogowski became a zealous and sincere "Born Again" Christian who fervently preached the bible to young skateboarders both in person and in print, behavior that his friends and associates responded to only with cynical amusement and disdain.

While it could be argued that Rogowski had evidenced sociopathic tendencies in the years before the crime (an argument that could apply to a small percentage of the skateboarding subculture from the Seventies onward), it could equally be argued that Rogowski, who began skating professionally at fourteen, was a fatherless boy whose athletic popularity was both carefully and carelessly exploited by corporate sponsors, who quickly cast Rogowski aside when trends in skateboarding passed him by, leaving him tragically unable to evolve in his chosen field while only in his early twenties.

Rogowski and the other vertical skating stars were hardly the first people in the history of modern popular culture, from the vaudevillians, the stars of the silent film era, and the Doo Wop singers of the Fifties to momentarily beloved but subsequently typecast television performers, to find themselves confronted with a sudden reversal of popularity and thus of fortune; even a cursory viewing of Stoked reveals that Rogowski's life was already spiraling downward into chaos well before Bergsten's murder.

Though there is no doubt that Rogowski often made foolish personal and business decisions during the peak years of his fame, there were also repeated signs that he was greatly in need of several kinds of professional help, as well as the firm guidance of a dedicated, selfless, and financially disinterested mentor. Nothing underscores this more than an incident which took place in Germany in 1990, when Rogowski, apparently in a drunken stupor, leapt from the top of a "construction crane" and landed on a fence, severely lacerating himself; the next morning, awakening in a hospital bandaged, drugged, and sutured, he had no memory of his desperate action, which was suicidal, whether consciously so or otherwise. If this event precipitated an intervention by employers, friends, or family, Stickler does not include the related material in the film; sadly, the incident in Germany is absent from the timeline of pivotal events in Rogowski's life, suggesting that the episode is as little comprehended today as it was in 1990.

There were other warning signs: famous within the worldwide skateboarding arena as Mark 'Gator' Rogowski, he changed his name to 'Mark Anthony' while at the height of his popularity, and his fervent, potentially desperate, but enduring conversion to fundamentalist Christianity also suggests a crisis of identity--and conscience. Additionally, while touring Australia, he is widely believed to have publicly struck a persistent young fan in a fit of rage, an incident that caused significant damage to his already stricken reputation. Stoked suggests that Rogowski, as a errant taboo breaker, had been a willful source of mischievous entertainment for so many people for so long a period that a certain portion of his associates found his personal disintegration and has-been status a form of continued entertainment-in addition to a well deserved comeuppance.

The fact that Rogowski turned himself in to authorities of his own volition after the murder, which was simultaneously an act of displacement, a crime of passion, and a eruptive manifestation of a psychotic breakdown, also supports the theory of his fundamental decency. Though California law prevented Stickler from filming Rogowski, he appears in Stoked as a disembodied voice, hauntingly, hypnotically, and grimly discussing the events of his past in an eerily monochromatic tone. At no point does he lay the blame for the events of his life on anyone's shoulders but his own.

Like Dogtown And Z-Boys (2002), Stoked is a fascinating examination of a dynamic American subculture that has remained stubbornly misunderstood by the general public, a misunderstanding that the skateboarding community has both decried and perversely acerbated. Stickler treats her specific subject with intelligent objectivity, which insures that Stoked never becomes a for-or-against polemic. Rogowski's is an quintessentially American tragedy, and one that could easily have been lost to wider history without Stickler's exhaustive contribution. Like the boyish Icarus, the vertical skaters of the Eighties attempted to liberate themselves from the forces of gravity and propel their bodies into space; they succeeded, however temporarily, making Black Flag's 'Rise Above' a fitting anthem for their obsessive, poorly appreciated, and frequently heroic efforts.

There are plenty of "rise and fall" stories out there ---some fact, some fiction--- but this documentary is one of the best told of such stories. One of the most chilling, too.

The story of pro skateboarder Mark "Gator" Rogowski is told in this docu through the mouths of his friends, love interests, and business associates. Add the wealth of video footage of his glory days and news footage of his fall from grace, and we have a complete look at a subculture that encountered unlikely and unexpected success.

One of the main reasons that this documentary works so well is that Helen Stickler was able to show a viewer who knows zilch about the pro skateboarding scene (i.e. Me!)a clear picture of the smash success the industry underwent in the 1980s, and the various image changes it underwent in a rapid amount of time.

Through interviews with Rogowski's fellow skaters, we learn how these young enthusiastic skateboarders became counter-culture icons with rough-around-the-edge attitudes overnight, how commercial success made them rich, and how many of them were not prepared for such a radical lifestyle change. While the "fame element" put many of the skateboarders in this flick in a dangerous line of fire via delusions of grandeur, Gator seemed most ill equipped to handle the baggage that goes along with being in the public eye.

You see so many different faces of Mark Rogowski, from law-scoffing bad boy to an enthusiastic rock-star celeb on MTV to the arrogant know-it-all of the skateboarding world. His fall from fame is tough to watch, especially because pieces of it are caught on tape, namely his attempt to shift from showcasing his talent on traditional competition ramps to the raw "new wave" of street-style skateboarding.

While we've heard similar stories, the intensity of Rogowski's personal demons combined with the sudden skateboarding industry boom makes this story stand out. His battles with his professional image, alcoholism, and childhood traumas short-circuit him, and he desperately grasps onto an extreme school of Christianity to grab a balance. The end result of his born-again stance seems to have done more harm than good, as people in his church told him his problems were purely Satan's doing, and discouraged him from seeking counseling. Sadly, his depression and rage toward his ex-fiance results in him taking the life of an innocent woman who had just befriended him.

In the end, it's hard to feel empathy for Mark Rogowski, yet his tragic fall sinks into your gut. The film does much more than tell his story; it clearly illustrates the potential hazards of being cast into the public eye so quickly, and the delusions that fame can bring. Many of Rogowski's fellow skaters add great insight into the subject, especially Steve Caballero and Stacy Peralta, who seem to really keep the "fame baggage" in perspective.

This is a tough film to watch, but it is a must-see.

Start in the late afternoon and watch Dogtown and Z Boys.

Then go online and read the Sports Illustrated feature of May 2004 on Christian Hosoi - an 80s skate icon in jail for (thankfully only) drug trafficing.

Then go have some dinner, freshen up and come back and watch Stoked.

At the end of the evening you will never again envy someone who appears to have had it made while you struggled along in your own little world - whether it be skateboarding, surfing, school, business, marriage, whatever. Things are rarely as they seem on the surface and if you are getting up each day to some semblance of success and happiness you will come to value that even more from this trilogy.

Personally I found Dogtown more fascinating than Stoked. But that's probably because it covered more ground and featured more varied charachters and footage, and I mean that comment with no disrespect. The films had different goals.

Stoked has one purpose - the life of Gator - the tragedy of Gator, and it tells both very well. After watching it you will find yourself counting your blessings for days and days.

stoked was a fantastic movie that basically had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

i never thought gator was as good as the other 80s skaters like stevie or mountain... or blender, ruff, magnusson and numerous other del mar locals. i thought he had a boring style. but this movie made me respect him a lot more as a skater because of what he meant to skating from a corporate standpoint. i remember the kids just loved this guy for whatever reason.

but stoked also portrays a man with an ego gone wild. changing your name so you can make it big in hollywood? he went from rad vert skater to thinking he could be the next rock hudson. that had me laughing. and the 80s nostalgia was top notch.

as a skater i liked watching it because it had some great skate footage and it had me longing for the days when life was simpler -- one big skate session if you will....

overall, i'd say anyone who grew up during the 80s and even had limited knowledge about the skate scene would be very entertained by this film. if you skated back then, it's a must see.

hope this helps....

As someone who was an insider in the 1980's pro skateboarding scene, I can tell you that this film is an accurate portrayal of just how it was back then. It's also an accurate representation of the ugly capitalists who preyed on skateboarding and this young man's image in particular for their own personal gain and then turned him into a joke in the eyes of his peers. Then in the end, they abandoned him. Gator is a very complex individual and I think this documentary does an awesome job of capturing the different facets of his personality. Despite his obvious rage and mental illness which eventually led to his murdering an innocent young woman, you couldn't help but like Gator. He wasn't all good or all bad. In this film, his recorded prison phone messages leave us with hope that his bipolar disorder is being treated and that God is now helping him with his life struggles. He sounds truly remorseful for his horrific crime. If he is ever released from prison, I hope he doesn't let us all down. And I pray for peace for the family of his victim.

I saw this documentary not knowing anything about skateboarding or Mark "Gator" Rogowski, so I was surprised when I was affected so much by this story. I have never seen a "true crime" story where I actually feel sorry for the perpretator as well as the victim.

There were two sides to this documentary. First, there is the glamour, fame, hot guys, fun times, etc. of the rise of the skateboarding superstars of the 80's. This aspect is thoroughly entertaining and one cannot help but be impressed at the athletic talent of these young men, not to mention they are not bad to look at!

Then there is the incredible story of the meteoric rise of Gator Rogowski and all of the success and excess that he was exposed to at such a young age. This would be difficult for any kid, but he was particularly vulnerable because he had no father figure and not a strong parental/authoritative influence in his life. The only "elders" in his life with any influence seemed to be the executives who hired him to promote their products, and they just used him to make money off of him. They and all of his adoring fans gave him a God-like complex for a time, it seems. When you are that revered and that young and that misguided, there is only one way to go and that is down. Once the executives used him up for all they could, they discarded him. Once his fans decided that vert was out, they discarded him. His pitiful fiance, who everyone admitted used him for his fame and money, discarded him once the fame and money was gone. It seems like he was used by everyone and that all he wanted all along was acceptance and to be loved. Isn't that what we all want? His struggle to fulfill this basic human need was magnified in the limelight and he was being ridiculed. No one seemed to get that he was searching and desperate and that he was looking for a new identity outside of skating. He received no support from anyone, it seems. You can see how he slowly started to disconnect from people and reality, just by the interviews and snippets of him in film in the later years, where he started to act a little different. It is sad that he wasn't close enough to anyone or no one cared enough to try to help him during this slow, maddening spiral of manic depression and identity crisis.

On another note, I also feel that Jessica would not have died if it had not been for Brandi. She seemed so pathetic, self-involved, self-centered, unsupportive and unempathetic. He was so needy and vulnerable, I think that was the final crush for him, when she blatantly left him and flaunted her new "hot surfer guy" to him. That is just cruel to do to someone who is hurting. I think that rejection along with everything else was what made him break. These ragefull and painfull issues mixed with his bi-polar and manic depression led him down a path to the darkest places a soul can know. He turned himself in and has expressed nothing but deep remorse ever since. My point is not that it justifies what he did, but that it was not his true self. It was the extremeness of his situation. I think it is sad, because I honestly feel that if he got the help he needed and had people who genuinly cared for him and looked out for his best interest, this would have never happened. He could live a free life and Jessica wouldn't have had to be the victim of his outlet of hurt and rage.

I defanitely recommend this film- it really makes you think and stays with you for a long time.

As a friend of Mark, I was very skeptical that anyone could tell his story. But I was impressed that the movie portrays Gator as a real person, and not just a celebrity gone bad. It captures the energy and culture of skateboarding in the 1980s, and follows Gator's life from his childhood until his incarceration for murder in 1991. It makes no assumptions or judgments, and tells the story through friends, family, and an interview with Gator while in prison.

It's a must see if you're a skateboard fan, but you'll appreciate the power of the story even if you know nothing about skateboarding.

My girl and I couldn't tear ourselves away from this film. I skated most of my life and idolized Gator and other pros in the '80s, but you don't have to be a skateboarder to be completely captivated by his story. Great job by the director, and a fascinating look at a complex personality who couldn't handle losing everything that defined him. It's a great lesson: don't believe in your own hype, the consequences are tragic.

Way back in 1992, I happened across an article in the Village Voice that told an amazing tale. It was about a professional skateboarder named Mark "Gator" Rogowski who had murdered a woman, dumped her body in the desert, and subsequently plead guilty to the crime. The dramatic tale has stuck with me through the years.

When I saw that there was a documentary about Gator, I jumped at the chance to watch it. Stoked is a great time capsule about 1980s skate culture. Though not a skater, I remember that time quite well and the film brought back a lot of fond memories. (There is even a clip of Gator appearing on MTV with "Downtown" Julie Brown). Stoked includes a lot interviews Gator gave during the 1980s as well as more-recent interviews with his ex-girlfriend and many professional skaters.

Stoked is great for 1980s nostalgia, but it is not as good at discussing Gator's crime. Some of the most-interesting information is missing completely (particularly the role that Gator's spiritual advisor and court-appointed attorney played in the case). Stoked is pretty good, but those who want to know more about Gator's crimes should seek out the original Village Voice article. (It is by Cory Johnson, titled "Free Fallin'" and appeared in the December 8, 1992 issue).