Rodney Mullen

The tell of a future great: intensity, not joy

Asked how he spots young skaters who will make it, Tony says they can't quench their desire. They attempt the hardest things with a look of intensity rather than joy. He points to Rodney Mullen, who invented the flatground ollie, kickflip and 360 flip and immediately moved on to the next trick.

“There's a— they can't quench Their desire, and they do some of the craziest stuff. They do some of the hardest things, and they just have this look of intensity—not joy. It doesn't look joyous. That's what it is. You know, Rodney, like he—he created the flat ground ollie. He created the kickflip, the 360 flip, the impossible, and he did it, and he was on to the next one.”