The Mutt: How to Skateboard and Not Kill Yourself (Paperback)

by Rodney Mullen (Author), Sean Mortimer (Author) "THE CADILLAC CUT THROUGH THE THICK AUGUST HUMIDITY AND PARTED swarms of nickel-sized horseflies..." (more)
Key Phrases: freestyle contest, pro contest, freestyle board, Tony Hawk, World Industries, San Francisco (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The world–champion freestyle skateboarder and the man who brought the ollie – the trick that revolutionised the sport by taking it from the ground to the air – to street skating shares the history of skateboarding, as he tells the dramatic story of his life.

At the age of 13, Rodney took the freestyle skating world by storm. He won 35 world titles in less than five years. But through it all, his father looked down on his son's love for skating and pressured him to walk away from the sport and leave behind his fans and status as the most famous skateboarder of his era. After years of stress and conflict, Rodney gave in and promised his father he'd quit for good. But by the time he finally broke free from his suffocating and abusive home life, the popularity of freestyle had waned and given way to vert and street styles. So Rodney picked up his board and started from scratch. With the help of mentor Mike Ternansky, Rodney used his freestyle background to usher in a whole new era of street skating.

Today Rodney is more popular than ever. The videos in his series Rodney Versus Daewon are among the most popular skateboard videos ever produced. He won the 2002 Transworld Skateboarding readers' choice award for favourite street skater and is the most popular character on the top–selling Tony Hawk's Pro Skater video games.

About the Author

Rodney Mullen is a former freestyle world champion with the best contest record in professional skating. He’s credited with laying the foundation for street skating and was voted the 2002 Skater of the Year. And he hates horses. He lives in Los Angeles, California, with his wife.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperEntertainment (August 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060556196
• ISBN-13: 978-0060556198
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #298,282 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #10 in

  Books > Sports > Individual Sports > Skateboarding

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for skate fans, July 26, 2004

By	P. G Lee "paullee52" (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Mutt: How to Skateboard and Not Kill Yourself (Hardcover)

What a great story. For those of you who don't know, Rodney Mullen is arguably the most influential and important skater in modern street skating. This story isn't so much about a misfit becoming one the greatest skaters of all time, as it is about a person's struggle to win the respect and love of a demanding and intimidating father, who can't accept him for who he is. This is a sad, courageous, and inspiring story that is most of all, a very human story. A very quick read that's hard to put down. There's not a boring page to be found.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspriational Story, July 30, 2005

By	Keith R. Lammon (Fort Payne, AL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Mutt: How to Skateboard and Not Kill Yourself (Hardcover)

The first time I saw Rodney Mullen was in 1986 at the University of Florida. I was between classes and, obviously Rodney was too. I was a skateboarder from 1976 to 1980 and had kept up with what was going on after that so, I knew who Rodney Mullen was. For about 30 minutes, I watched him do the most amazing tricks I had ever seen. He was skating by himself and I was the only one watching him.

Now that I am 40, my 11 year old son is getting into skateboarding. I wondered, "Whatever happened to Rodney Mullen?"

I found this book through a search for "Rodney Mullen" on Amazon. His story is very inspirational. I'm glad that he was able to find peace with his father and find happiness.

I can't imagine anyone doing for skateboarding what Rodney Mullen has done.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Important book on Skateing you shall ever read!, August 24, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Mutt: How to Skateboard and Not Kill Yourself (Hardcover)

This is the story of Rodney Mullen, the most important street/freestyle skater ever. In this book you read about his life, from his birth, to first skateboard, to winning the world championship in freestyle. You will also read about how he started four of the most known skate companies ever; Enjoi, Almost, World Industries, and Tensor Truck co.. Included in this book is his story of growing up with a father that made his children give up there favorite pass times to pursue the fathers dreams of growing up succesfully. This is, no doubt, the most important book on skaeting ever; From Rodney Mullen inveting the flat ground ollie (or just ollie) to making the 'magic flip' (kickflip) to then creating of 30 of todays most popular tricks.