Mark "Gator" Rogowski was born and raised in California and, as a teenager growing in the mid-'70s, became a passionate skateboarder. With time, he became quite good on a deck and, by the early '80s, his skills on the vertical ramp, combined with his cocky charm and surfer-dude good looks, helped to make him one of the top professionals on the skating circuit. Between endorsement deals and performance fees, he was earning more than a hundred-thousand dollars per year by the time he was 18. Not surprisingly, Rogowski soon found himself living a fast-lane lifestyle, partying all night, and dating supermodels. But when the popularity of ramp skating fell in favor of street skating, Gator found his career going into a skid. Over several years, he struggled to get his demons under control, trying, with no real success, to reinvent himself and regain his place in the public eye. In 1991, the bottom finally fell out of Rogowski's life: At the age of 24, he found himself behind bars, confessing to rape and murder charges .
This is a pretty good documentary about what can go wrong when you make your living as an athlete, then find yourself falling behind the curve as younger athletes start to steal the spotlight and the income you depend on. I liked Lords of Dogtown a little better because it dealt with the skateboarding movement as a whole compared to this film which focused on one individual. However, by focusing on a single person, you are able to really see how money and fame at a young age can really mess up a persons life if they let it go to their head. This should be required watching for any young person who decides to dedicate their life to a sport and starts to have some success. Lesson learned - diversify your interests because nothing lasts forever (of course, kids don't want to hear that :).
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Gator Rogowski, Tony Hawk, Stacy Peralta
I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.
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