Mark Rogowski
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Mark "Gator" Rogowski (b. 1966 in Brooklyn, New York) was a figurehead of professional skateboarding in the 1980s and very early 1990s. His career ended when he was convicted of assaulting, raping and murdering a young woman in 1991. His life was chronicled in a critically acclaimed 2003 documentary titled Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator by the American filmmaker Helen Stickler.
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[edit] Rise to prominence
Rogowski was one of a group of elite skaters who enjoyed "rock star" status in the 80s, alongside Christian Hosoi, Tony Hawk, Lance Mountain, Steve Caballero and a few others. He was a charismatic, flamboyant personality who received fame and fortune during skateboarding's return to popularity with the advent of "vert" or ramp skating, which, in some ways, was the precursor for a growing interest in extreme sports during the nineties that has lasted to present day. He had endorsement deals with Gullwing Trucks and Vision Street Wear, and his business card read: "Skateboarder Extraordinairre." (SIC)
At a 1987 skate show in Arizona, Rogowski was introduced to Brandi McClain and her good friend Jessica Bergsten, an aspiring model. He soon began a tumultuous long-term relationship with McClain. Together they shared a freewheeling lifestyle, appearing together in many skate-gear advertisements and promotional videos for Rogowski's sponsor Vision Street Wear, one of the top selling brands of the 80s.
Rogowski worked as a stunt double on the 1989 film Gleaming The Cube, which starred Christian Slater.
[edit] Downhill slide
Rogowski's popularity began to wane as the "vert" skating of the 1980s gave way to the street skating of the 1990s. He changed his name to "Gator" Mark Anthony, explaining that "Rogowski" was the name of his father, whom he had never really known. Arguably, this also contributed to his downfall, since many people began to view him as a sell-out. He converted to a strict Evangelical form of Christianity after a severe accident in Germany (he jumped out of a hotel window while drunk and landed on a fence). At the same time, spurred by girlfriend McClain leaving him, Mark began a period of severe alcoholism.
Rogowski said he had considered seeking psychiatric help at the time, but the born-again Christians he was involved with discouraged this.
[edit] Murder
After McClain left him, Rogowski became obsessively jealous: breaking into her home to steal the things he had given her, calling her new boyfriend's home with threats, and threatening McClain directly. She reported him to the police, who filed a report but did little to follow up.
One night, Rogowski got a call from Jessica Bergsten (whom he had not spoken to in years), who had recently moved to California. Bergsten asked Mark to show her around San Diego. They spent a day together, on March 21, 1991, shortly after which Bergsten was reported missing.
According to Rogowski, he had come up behind her and hit her in the head with a Club (a metal auto anti-theft device). After knocking her semi-unconscious by way of several strikes, he dragged her to his bedroom on the 2nd floor and raped her. Afterward, he placed her in a surfboard bag because he was concerned about the neighbors hearing the noise. He placed his hand over her mouth until she stopped breathing. He then drove out to the desert to bury her body in a shallow grave.
A few weeks later, her body was found, but because of the state of decomposition, her identity remained unknown. Plagued by guilt, Rogowski confessed what he had done to his "spiritual advisor", an ex-surfer turned born-again Christian, who encouraged him to confess his crime to the police - which Rogowski did, waiving his legal rights. The police searched his home and found evidence of blood, which had soaked through the carpet padding and into the floorboards in two small spots, adjacent to where Bergsten's head had allegedly rested. In his confession, Rogowski conveyed that he had killed Bergsten in a misplaced act of revenge towards McClain, calling Bergsten the "mold Brandi was made out of." Upon entering prison, he was diagnosed with a severe case of bipolar disorder.
Rogowski pleaded guilty to rape and murder, and received a 31-year prison sentence.[1] He will be eligible for parole in 2010.
[edit] Contest history
- Placed in top 5 in 1980 Vans/Offshore Amateur State Finals (California) in boys 11-13 division.
- 1st Place Del Mar NSA Contest, 1984
- 1st Place Vision Bluegrass Aggression Session, 1988
[edit] References
- Johnson, Cory (1992). "Free fallin': How skateboard king Mark "Gator" Anthony was born again as a rapist and a murderer." The Village Voice, 1992-12-08 (Internet Archive copy, viewed 2008-08-17).
- Brooke, Michael (1999). Concrete Wave: The History Of Skateboarding. ISBN 1-894020-54-5.
- Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator (2002, Palm Pictures). Helen Stickler wr/dir/pr. (imdb)
- Skate Punk group Feet First recorded a song entitled Gator about Rogowski.
- ^ A Skateboard King Who Fell to Earth by Lola Ogunnaiake, New York Times, August 21, 2003.
