MovieChat Forums > Dogtown and Z-Boys (2002) Discussion > first ollie? (and first skateboard?)

first ollie? (and first skateboard?)

posted 19 years ago by pconterulez
22 replies | jump to latest

while watching this documentary I was waiting at one time or another to see something about the skater(s) who pulled the first ollie.. I thought, being Peralta the author, that there'd be a stronger focus on tricks, but leaving aerials apart there was nothing on the topic.
probably it wasn't someone from the Zephyr team to ollie first, as well as it wasn't anyone of the guys on screen to actually come up with the first skateboard (about this as well I would like know more) but I'd really like to know who ollied first and where.

[–] UNCTarheel0 19 years ago

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. I don't think the word 'ollie' was even said in the entire documentary.

[–] AFfatwreck13 19 years ago

The first ollie was by Allan "Ollie" Gelfand. The reason it was not covered in the movie was simply because he was not from the dogtown scene. He grew up in Hollywood, Florida, inspired by the pool-skating of the z-boys. He is credited with doing the first ollie in a pool in 1977. However, the first person to do it on flat land was rodney mullen in 1981. Basically, the ollie was invented on the east coast, after the bulk of the movie takes place.

[–] movieman5000 19 years ago

What about the grind?

[–] antiflagknup-2 19 years ago

well alot of the grinds we're in pools you know like carving on the coping but I think the first "street" grind was probobly in the early eightes along with the ollie and progession of other flatland tricks

[–] movieman5000 19 years ago

oh ok, cool.

[–] m3mn0n 19 years ago

i heard that it was mark gonzales (dont know if thats spelled right) who took the ollie to street first.

[–] masterqtip 18 years ago

nobody knows who did the first grind, because alot of kids did them while messed around with boards, although they just rode along the edge of a ledge, then grinded, then just slid off. i feel a documentary should be made about skating from the 80's and 90's.... if there is one, could somebody tell me the name?

[–] crhavens 18 years ago

There's a Duane Peters documentary which is quite good, both for punk and for skating. I think it was called Who Cares: The story of Duane Peters.

Loads of late 70's early 80's skaters (Salba, Steve Olson, Blackhart etc.) are interviewed throughout.

Less so, but still entertaining is the Gator movie, except for the era when he was pimping Vision Street Wear.

[–] jcole9 17 years ago

As far as grinds go, board slides, lipslides, and 50-50s were invented from pool skating, as a 50-50 meant half in and half out of the pool. Eric Koston invented the crooked grind, and Tony Hawk invented the nosegrind.

As far as documentaries go, I know there is an 80's documentary centered around Mark "The Gator" Rogowski, and of course there are the Bones Brigade Videos.

[–] noob_powa1 17 years ago

mark gonzales was the first to ollie up a curb!

[–] earthboy92 18 years ago

Rodney Mullen actually invented the flat-ground ollie, as before it had been more of a vert or pool trick, made popular by Alan "Ollie" Gelfand (hence the name).

[–] mullenistheking 17 years ago

i know that mullen invented most of the flip tricks that are still used today, like the kickflip (first called the magic flip i think) and then the heel flip and the shove it ect ect

[–] mullenistheking 17 years ago

and the first boards were invented in like the 50's when the surf was crap, so the surfers would skate instead

[–] jake_stephans 17 years ago

Rodney Mullen should have his own documentary... he's the inventor... the one who should be credited for the main progression in skateboarding. Compared to these losers this man is God. If you have doubts watch a skateboard vdeo from the early 90's called 'The Questionable Video'. I know these guys are older -- but they don't come close to what others have contributed to skateboarding... aside from crappy attitudes.

[–] mullenistheking 17 years ago

yea mullen is the king (thts y its my email addy) but still the original guys still gave alot to skating, i mean....it wouldnt be wot it is today with out them

[–] jake_stephans 17 years ago

no...you're right. i was a little harsh in my last post (calling them losers). it seems like they brought in the rock star element that's still to this day eats away at the sport... but i guess every sport has that problem.

and i guess too when -- and if you are a skateboarder -- you look at your own influences... your style... what appeals more to you on a stick... i'd have to say mullen helped push street skating and opened doors. when vert went dead way back and the new school street style became popular and gave birth to a whole new scene it literally changed skateboarding. so without people like mullen (plan b and blind), regardless of these dogtown surfers, skateboarding would be dead.

anyways, rodney mullen is the man. have you read his bio 'mutt'? i heard it's good.

[–] mullenistheking 17 years ago

no, i didnt even know he had one!, but ill look it up, its preety hard for me and my freinds, to have like anything to do with skateboarding, although i do skate, because not only do we live in england, but we live in a tiny village about 20-30 miles away from the nearest city, and for some reason we have like one of the best bmx tracks in britain, so nearly everones a biker. what can you do?

[–] mightyreds07 17 years ago

Rodney Mullen is credited with inventing the ollie, kick flip, heel flip, and the pop shove it. Gelfand popularized the ollie during competitions as Mullen's mother woulden't let him compete in any at the time he was inventing these tricks. Cool story, rodney mullen's mother wouldent let him leave the driveway while skating because it was too dangerous so thats what inspired him to create so many flat ground tricks, the small space he had to work with. Thats what also made him so gnar at flatland skating, he revolutionized skateboarding just as much as the Z-boys did.

[–] Akusokuzangatots 17 years ago

Dude rodney mullen invented a lot more tricks than just the ollie kickflip heelflip and pop shovit. he also did like double flip tre flip air walk and etc.

[–] cremefresche 16 years ago

The reason Rodney Mullen invented so many flatground tricks is because HE WAS AND IS A FREESTYLE SKATER!!!! How many of you newbies are going to get off the Mullen jock and realize he was a freestyle skater and their specialty is doing flatland flip tricks?!?! NATAS is a TRUE street skate pioneer, MULLEN was a freestyle flatground skater. Both are good, but Mullen was NOT a street skater you know of today. Get it right.

[–] fathersonholygore 11 years ago

Totally agree. The Bones Brigade documentary that came out a little while ago has some really great stuff with Rodney (my favourite skater of all time), and especially regarding his personal life. Although I'd love to see a full hour & a half (or more) documentary on him, as I'm sure there is more than enough about Mullen to fill out an entire film. He probably has the most heart & soul out of any skateboarder ever.

[–] sk-leb 11 years ago

The support you get is from the people who are skateboarding with you...
http://youtu.be/jSfoOfiiX1Y?t=3m20s