About

Mike Vallely has been referred to as skateboarding’s everyman. He helped launch an entire style of skating, impacted design and manufacturing of skateboards, and has travelled the world over. He has broadened his reach into the global conscience through musical ventures, television, film, writing, and charitable work. While those facts are truly remarkable and historical on their own, they are merely details on the surface of the story. The true heart of the matter, deep inside the soul of the Mike Vallely legacy is much more enriching than accolades. The crux of the Mike V. narrative is how a man can be driven early in his teen years and beyond with an intrinsic dutiful purpose for life. Mike set out to and continues to live a life of freedom and creative expression outside the doldrums and pitfalls of conforming to outside influences. It is the ultimate irony then, that his pursuit of liberty and spirit in life has at times drawn ire and resentfulness from peers and critics alike. He has lived under the spotlight of an entire culture which at times magnified moments of disquiet throughout his career. Every step taken has been dissected and at times dismissed, but never to the derailment of Mike’s visceral mission: To live an authentic life of original experience and pay back on a daily basis every ounce of guts he has to skateboarding and his ever expanding fanbase.

Mike grew up in Edison, NJ. It was a far cry from your typical white picket fence environment. While his involvement in extra curricular activities like music and sports gave the outward appearance of a fulfilling childhood, Mike felt socially and emotionally disconnected from mainstream suburban teenage life. Rather than taking the reclusive and somber path that many an unsettled teen languishes down, Mike used his angst as a fuel to propel himself towards a more righteous and fulfilling journey. He sought refuge in two different worlds that shared a similar uncompromising attitude, skateboarding and punk rock music. Every single bump, bruise, and crash, provided Mike a literal and figurative opportunity to overcome adversity and strengthen his resolve. Whether it was cops, jocks, or his own family that looked down upon his lifestyle with disdain, Mike defiantly forged ahead. With a raucous and relentless soundtrack of hardcore punk anthems setting the tone for his warlike approach to street skating, Mike would quickly jettison himself above convention within the world of skating. He rode up walls, slid across park benches, and grinded down railings. His dire quest to break from the stagnant oblivion of Edison, NJ translated directly to the approach on his board. It was as direct and overt as a metaphor can be. Skateboarding was his means to thrash through the life. By the age of 16, a buzz that had been swirling and building around Mike earned him his first sponsorship with Powell Peralta. Less than a year later at 17, Mike turned pro joining the ranks of the world renowned Bones Brigade.

Most folks keeping tabs on Mike V. to this point would say he reached the pinnacle of his career. Skating for the biggest and most recognized company in the world would make just about any kid on earth sit back and soak in the lustrous glow of stardom and celebrity. That is the problem with most folks keeping tabs on the Mike V. story. Their only view is of the surface. They can not see the fire raging in his gut or the conscience burning bright in his heart. Mike learned early in his career and accepted that there is a business side to skateboarding. It is an aspect of the professional world that can be conflicting for many in such an underground and free spirited culture. Mike knew he had to come to peace with this reality, but could not accept his day to day being guided by anything less than the stringent values embedded deep in his core. There were certain moments at this juncture of his young career that simply did not fit with the vision he had laid out for his future. With that in mind, Mike did what was deemed the unthinkable and left Powell Peralta. He joined a start up company founded by and led by a fellow skater. It was a company focused on fostering the substance and essence of the talent on it’s roster. While Mike initially found the solace he was searching for, the following years were met with hardships and trying emotional obstacles. An overall declining climate in the world of professional skating changed the landscape of the industry. Mike stayed steadfast in his desire to endure and made the necessary career moves to ensure that he did. He weathered a disheartening split with a personal friend over business, mounting financial debt, and the overwhelming weight of the world on his shoulders while he and his wife prepared for their first child. Mike’s ability to maintain his undying faith in the spirit of skating and family while navigating the treacherous business landscape allowed him to brave a gauntlet of doomsayers and improbable odds.

While some of his peers began to fade and drift from the scene, Mike remained a fixture in professional skating through it all . The fans, who always gravitated towards his aggressive and pioneering style of skating, now began to elevate him far above the status of professional athlete. Mike became an ambassador for all that is good in skateboarding. He travelled to Russia, Brazil, Israel, and Africa, to name just a few places. He was a featured skater on several of the wildly successful “Tony Hawk Gigantic Skatepark Tours”. After years of grinding with conviction, sometimes seemingly against the grain of the universe, the world had finally arrived at his doorstep. His career decisions and manner in which he carried the day, while often the source of debate, ended up proving to provide the ultimate in staying power. He established himself as the genuine article, a bastion of authenticity. His iconic status in skateboarding also paved the way to other arenas of creative and physical expression. Each opportunity Mike took on within or outside of skateboarding was either met full on with an unbridled exuberance, or it was not taken on at all. As a result, his fanbase grew exponentially and beyond the realm of skateboarding. Mike became a regular feature on the Tony Hawk video game series, including Tony Hawk’s Underground, which was inspired by Mike’s own rise to stardom from Edison, NJ. One of his musical projects, the band Revolution Mother, toured the world several times and earned a coveted spot on an entire run of the Vans Warped Tour. His tried and true persona landed him acting roles in major blockbuster films like “Paul Blart Mall Cop” and “The Hangover”. He had a critically acclaimed TV show, “Drive”, which aired on FUEL TV. Perhaps more meaningful and impressive than all these achievements combined, was the deep-seated and earnest relationship Mike developed with his fans. They continually come out to support Mike in droves and he repays their loyalty with every fiber of his being. One has to look no further than the interaction between Mike and the 1,500 fans on average that attended his Zumiez promotional tour completed early spring 2010. The energy at the signings was electric. The kids gleamed inspiration off of Mike while he focused his entire attention on each individual kid who approached him. Some people in the public eye talk the talk of fan appreciation. Mike exudes gratitude with his actions of sincerity and uncanny ability to make a meaningful and instant connection with fans of all ages and all walks of life.

While Mike Vallely has been referred to as skateboarding’s everyman, perhaps that description is a bit too limiting. Sure, skateboarders have and will continue to draw down inspiration from Mike’s triumphant tales of street skating, but there is more to be shared here. For every employee rotting in a cubicle, every kid feeling out of place, or any person staring down the bottomless pit of conforming to other’s wishes, there is a beacon of hope in the story of Mike Vallely. Seek out your own pursuit of glory, stay relentless in the face of adversity, and you may find the world at your doorstep one day. For that sort of inspiration, Mike V. is the everyman for everyone.