FREESTYLERS RUN THE
(SKATEBOARD) WORLD
Of course, to most standard non-skateboarding humans, any adult rolling around on a skateboard may be a strange and childish sight, but it's hard for anybody to look at picture of a heavily tattooed Duane Peters doing a massive frontside air with a broken arm and cigarette in his mouth and call him a pussy (Ok, after recent events, Duane is probably a bad example of what a 'real man' is, but you get the gist).
So when [ironically] Rocco simultaneously killed off both freestyle and vert skating, what would those that had practised for years do instead? Well, the vert guys threw away their Rectors and tried to keep collecting paycheques by awkwardly learning to ollie over flat hips and killing their ex girlfriends, or simply continued searching for Chin until they weren't paid anymore. The freestylers however chose a different route. Now the laughing stock of skateboarding, they could easily have packed up their headbands and finger tape (yeah, the grip was a bit harsh for their poor little hands to handle) and got jobs as hairdressers or dog walkers, but no - they fucking took over.
Without doubt, the smartest guys (I would mention girls, but Diane didn't really crack it like the rest of them) in the whole industry. A select group of freestylers started companies, most of which you still know today, and proceeded to run skateboarding from the inside.
Ask any of the guys below what they think of the death of freestyle - and they will all tell you that they had the last laugh... as they daintily pogo away atop of stacks of dollar bills.
RODNEY MULLEN
An excellent yet strange (read up on the shit he does with his leg and a car tyre in the middle of the night) human and a truly deserving millionaire. Rodney owns Almost and Tensor and was one of the founders of World Industries. Plus if it wasn't for him (and Alan of course), you would never even think to ollie up a curb. Respect.
PER WELINDER
Pierre AndrE
STEVE ROCCO
Plan B, Big Brother and Duffs - easily some of the most inspirational and important skateboard companies of all time - and left a mark on skate history forever. After deliberately making World ridiculously shit with the cartoon characters, everybody thought he had lost his mind, but instead he was a hatching a cunning plan to literally sell out. Soon after, Steve reportedly Souled the World for a shit load of millions (around 29 of them).
I truly hope Steve Rocco is happy on an island somewhere doing 360s in diamond shoes, he deserves to be. Thank you for everything, Steve!