Jump to content

Mike Vallely

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Materialscientist (talk | contribs) at 06:17, 19 May 2020 (Reverted edits by 92.15.116.174 (talk) (HG) (3.4.10)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Mike Vallely
Vallely performing a head-high frontside air at a demo at Doc*36 Skatepark in Jackson, Mississippi.
Personal information
NicknameMike V
Born (1970-06-29) June 29, 1970 (age 54)
Edison, New Jersey, United States
Occupation(s)Skateboarder, musician, actor, stuntman
Spouse
Ann Vallely
​
(m. 1992)​
Websitemikevallely.com
Musical career
GenresHardcore punk
InstrumentVocals
Sport
SportSkateboarding

Mike Vallely (/ˈvæləliː/ VAL-ə-lee; born June 29, 1970), also known as Mike V, is an American professional skateboarder, musician, actor, television personality, stuntman, and FHL hockey player. Since November 2013, Vallely has been the lead singer of the hardcore punk band, Black Flag.

Early life

Vallely was born in Edison, New Jersey, United States[1] to Art and Mary Vallely.[citation needed] Vallely has an older brother, Joe, and a younger sister, Amy. Growing up, Vallely played little league baseball, but, in 1984, at age fourteen, Vallely discovered skateboarding and punk music, [citation needed] borrowed a skateboard from a friend and proceeded to dedicate his life to skateboarding.[1]

At Christmas in 1984, Vallely's parents purchased a Jeff Phillips professional signature model skateboard for him. Besides street skating, Vallely also began vert skateboarding, and often skated at Tom Groholski's ramp, as well as The Barn Ramp, both of which are located in New Jersey. Vallely also skated at the Brooklyn Banks, a well-known skateboarding location under New York's Brooklyn Bridge.[citation needed]

In 1986, Vallely moved with his family to Virginia Beach, Virginia, for a brief period and, while living there, befriended some local skaters at Kempsville High School. Skating with a local team called "Subculture", in the Kempsville area of Virginia Beach, Vallely tested his street skills in local contests, as well as on neighborhood quarter-pipe and launch ramps. In the spring of 1986, the Virginia Beach Skate park, Mount Trashmore, hosted a professional vert skateboard contest. Vallely and his friend began skating in the car park, adjacent to the vert ramp, during practice, and drew the attention of professional skateboarder, Neil Blender, from atop the ramp. Lance Mountain and Stacy Peralta, both of Powell Peralta and the Bones Brigade, were also impressed with Vallely. Seeing Vallely skate on a worn board, Mountain provided him with a brand new skateboard. Following the impromptu demo, Peralta offered Vallely an amateur sponsorship deal with Powell-Peralta Skateboards.

Professional skateboarding

Thrasher Magazine photographed Vallely performing in the handplant circle, one of the photographs appearing on the cover of magazine's August 1986 issue. In July 1986, Vallely's new sponsor flew him to California to compete at the "Street Attack" contest, in Oceanside, California. Vallely won the amateur division, which led to a full-page spread in Transworld Skateboarding's September issue.[citation needed] Also in 1986, Vallely appeared in the third Powell-Peralta video, The Search for Animal Chin, which was released in 1987. Later that year, Vallely became a professional skateboarder at a vert contest in Toronto, Canada on May 31, 1987.

In 1988, Powell-Peralta released Vallely's first professional signature model skateboard. Initially adorned with graphics of a large bug, which was later changed to a graphic that featured an elephant.[2] In 1989, Vallely left Powell-Peralta, at which time the company was the largest skateboarding brand in the world.[citation needed] Following this departure, Vallely became involved with World Industries, a skater-run brand that was conceived of and launched with peers Steve Rocco, Jesse Martinez, and Rodney Mullen. World Industries created the second ever double-kick skateboard design (a skateboard deck with a kicktail at both ends). The first was the Vision Double Tail, which Vallely's double kick was modeled after but with a mellower kick and shorter tail than nose which would become the industry standard. A Vallely signature board was used for the new design's introduction into the retail market.[3]

Vallely was a part of World Industries until early 1991, when he joined New Deal Skateboards, where he stayed until January 1992, before starting the short-lived TV Skateboards with friend and professional skateboarder Ed Templeton. Due to health concerns and financial setbacks, TV Skateboards folded later that year, and Vallely returned to the newly reformed Powell Skateboards in 1993, where he stayed until 1997.[citation needed] Vallely then briefly rode for Transit Skateboards, before joining Black Label Skateboards in 1998, a company that he rode for until 2002. Vallely appeared in the Black Label video Label Kills.[4] Vallely founded Vallely Skateboards in 2002, after he left Black Label. Vallely Skateboards were distributed through Giant Distribution and eventually folded in 2003 due to poor growth.[citation needed]

File:Mike Vallely on cover of the March 1994, Transworld Skateboarding magazine.jpg
Vallely on the cover of the March 1994 issue of Transworld Skateboarding, addressed to the Powell corporation, part of the Look Back Library

From 2003 until 2010, Vallely rode for Element Skateboards, before leaving to start yet another company, By The Sword, with fellow skateboarder Jason Filipow.[citation needed] However, the company was short-lived, as Vallely joined the roster of a rejuvenated Powell Peralta Skateboards in late 2010 – his third time with Skate One Distribution – along with Airwalk Footwear and Bones Bearings.[citation needed] In mid-2011, Vallely joined Iron Fist Clothing,[5] as well as Tork Trux as their first team rider,[6] after noticing the company's innovative assembly method; however, Vallely quickly left Tork. A press release from the Swedish skate shoe company, Servant Footwear, was published in February 2013, announcing that Vallely was the first American ambassador and team rider for the brand.[7]

Elephant Brand

In late 2011, Vallely again resigned from Powell-Peralta and founded Elephant Skateboards in December 2011.[8] In April 2012, Jason Adams – formerly of Black Label and Enjoi[9] – was added to the team roster.[10] On a late June episode of the Ride Channel's Weekend Buzz, the addition of Kyle Berard to the Elephant team roster was revealed.[11]

Street Plant

In early 2015, Vallely launched a new skateboard company called "Street Plant."[12] As of 2016, the Street Plant team roster includes Vallely, Kristian Svitak and Joey Jett.[13] The company was inspired by the DIY ethic, which influenced Vallely deeply, and the constant pressure from sponsors which constrained his values. After cutting all ties with sponsorships, he established Street Plant along with his family, completely independent of industry financial, distribution and marketing support.[2][12] Vallely is involved in the addition of personal artwork on the decks and complete skateboard ordered from his house in Long Beach, California.[14]

Music

Vallely joined a band called Resistance in 1985, although he only played one live show with the group, in which the bands 7 Seconds and Aggression also played. Vallely was asked to leave the band for spending too much time on skateboarding.[citation needed] In 2003, Greg Ginn invited Vallely to sing for Black Flag at its 2003 reunion shows in Los Angeles, where he performed the entire My War album. Vallely was the lead singer for Mike V and the Rats, and the band's song, "The Days", appeared in the video game, Tony Hawk's Underground (THUG),[15] and their song, "Never Give Up", appeared in THUG's successor, Tony Hawk's Underground 2.[16] In 2013, Vallely formed a band called Good For You with Greg Ginn. Their debut album was released on SST Records in February 2013.[17] In November 2013 during a Black Flag show in Australia, singer Ron Reyes was fired mid-show by the band with Vallely doing the duties of informing him and replaced him on vocals for the remainder of the show. Reyes said that his mic was taken and he was told to get off the stage by musician Vallely. "You're done, party's over get off it's over..." He said something else to me but it was a lie so I won't repeat it here. So with a sense of great relief that it was finally over I left the stage and walked to the hotel room. They finished the set with Mike V on vocals."[18]In January 2014, founding member Greg Ginn announced Mike Vallely would be the new lead singer of Black Flag.[19] In July 2015, Vallely put together the Switchblades & Urethane Music Fest taking place at Alex's Bar in Long Beach, CA.

Good For You
  • "Life Is Too Short to Not Hold a Grudge" (2013)
Mike V & The Rats
  • "Fist 3 Songs" (2002)
  • "Mike V & The Rats" (2002)
  • "The Days" (2003)
Revolution Mother
  • "Glory Bound" (2007)
  • "Rollin' With Tha Mutha" (2009)
Solo career
  • "Weekend In Pittsburgh" (2002) with Joe Grushecky
  • "California Angel" (2006)
  • "Alone" (2006)
Guest appearances

Video game appearances

Vallely appears in the successful Tony Hawk Pro Skater skateboarding video game series, from the fourth release onwards. He appears as a secret character in the fourth release, but has been a major character since the fifth release. The storyline of the fifth game in the series Tony Hawk's Underground is based on Vallely's skateboard career, and the Vallely character teaches the flamingo trick in the game.[citation needed] Vallely has launched his own skateboarding video game for the iPhone and the iPod Touch, entitled Mike V: Do or Die – Skateboarding.[citation needed]

Hockey

Vallely signed a contract to play professional hockey for the Danbury Whalers of the Federal Hockey League, on June 23, 2010. In his first career game (October 23, 2010), Vallely fought Joe Pelle of the Brooklyn Aviators, a career minor-league enforcer. Several seconds into the fight, Vallely lost his footing and landed awkwardly, breaking his right arm.[20]

Podcasting

In 2015, Vallely started his own podcast, The Mike V Show, with his friend, author and podcaster Daniele Bolelli.[21]

Films

Vallely has appeared in several films, including Gleaming the Cube, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, The Hangover, The Hangover Part III and XXX.

Personal life and activism

Mike Vallely has been married to his wife Ann since 1992. The couple have two daughters: Emily, born in December 1992, and Lucinda, born in September 2001.[12] His family has been key in the establishment of some of his ventures, such as Street Plant.[2] They reside in Long Beach, California.[12]

As of 2016, Vallely only agrees to give interviews about animal rights and safety of children athletes.[2]

Veganism and animal rights

At the age of seventeen, Vallely watched a television program about endangered African elephants which impacted and made him reflect on the harm that humans do to other species. This led him to become a vegetarian and subsequently vegan. His 1988 debut skateboard model had an African elephant as the artwork, because he wanted "to remind people" of them.[2] His third signature model skateboard, 1989's "The Barnyard", had emblazoned the words "Please Don’t Eat My Friends" and was one of the firsts models that promoted vegetarianism.[2][22] Vallely's vocal opinions on this subject were typically met with derision by both skaters and promoters.[2] In 1999, he and his family abandoned this lifestyle. He later stated that this decision was partly due to compromising himself to please his sponsors and that he felt "lost" for the next fifteen years.[2]

In 2014, Vallely was touring with Black Flag as vocalist and before a show in Louisville, Kentucky he walked through the city and accidentally came across an open slaughterhouse, which "completely crumble[d]" him and motivated to change his diet again. After sharing this decision with his family, they all became vegans in 2015.[2][23] In 2016, his two daughters and wife started the blog "The Vintage Vegans" which shares cruelty-free fashion and American cuisine options.[23]

Vallely inspired his friend Ed Templeton to become a vegan in the early 1990s.[24]

References

  1. ^ a b "About". mikevallely.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Weber, Kerry (July 1, 2016). "Mike Vallely – Veganism, Street Plant, and what started it all". Veganskateblog.com. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publicationdate= ignored (|publication-date= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Chris Nieratko (March 21, 2011). "Marc McKee: the art of graphics". ESPN Action Sports. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  4. ^ Conceptskatemedia (July 20, 2009). "MIKE VALLELY – Black Label – Label Kills – 2001 | Full length video in descr ..." (Video upload). YouTube. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  5. ^ "POSTS TAGGED 'MIKE VALLEY'". Iron Fist Clothing. February 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  6. ^ "Tork Trux Mike Vallely Solid Kingpin 5.0" Mid Raw Skateboard Trucks Includes Hardware – 7.75" Axle (Set of 2) Item # 1TTRKVALS077500". Warehouse Skateboards. Warehouse Skateboards, Inc. 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  7. ^ "Mike Vallely X SERVANT Footwear". Servant Footwear. February 4, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  8. ^ Templeton Elliot (December 22, 2011). "Elephant Brand Skateboards From Mike V". The Skateboard Mag. Strictly Skateboarding. Archived from the original on January 8, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  9. ^ "Jason Adams – bag of suck" (Video upload). Enjoi on Vimeo. Vimeo LLc. February 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  10. ^ "Good News: Jason Adams Joins Elephant Brand Skateboards". Elephant Brand Skateboards. March 1, 2012. Archived from the original on October 27, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  11. ^ Ride Channel (June 28, 2013). "Jordan Hoffart & Kyle Berard: Zolar, Jessica Biel & Going Blind! Weekend Buzz ep. 68 pt. 1" (Video upload). YouTube. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  12. ^ a b c d "History". Streetplantbrand.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2018. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  13. ^ "Mike V returns to Killer Skate Park in Evansville". Evansville Courier & Press. September 7, 2016. Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publicationdate= ignored (|publication-date= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ The Vallely family. "Hand Built Public Domain Complete: Burgundy: Explained". Streetplantbrand.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  15. ^ Thorson, Tor (October 24, 2003). "The Sounds of Tony Hawk's Underground". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 3, 2013. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  16. ^ Altizer, Roger. "Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Aims to Rock Action Sport Gamers". About.com. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  17. ^ "punknews.org". Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  18. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (November 27, 2013). "Black Flag Singer Ron Reyes Fired Mid-Show". Billboard. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  19. ^ "Black Flag Appoint New Vocalist Mike Vallely, Apologize for Shitty 2013 - Pitchfork".
  20. ^ Wyshynski, Greg (November 3, 2010). "Video: Pro skater Vallely loses fight, breaks arm in hockey debut". Yahoo!. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  21. ^ "Street Plant - Engineered For The Streets - Since 1984 - Never Comply". Archived from the original on 2015-02-22.
  22. ^ Moore, Tim (August 3, 2016). "Never comply – How a vegan badass changed the skateboard industry". Thrive magazine. pp. 22–25. Retrieved May 4, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publicationdate= ignored (|publication-date= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ a b "About". TheVintageVegans.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  24. ^ Weber, Kerry (February 1, 2013). "Ed Templeton Interview pt. 2". Veganskateblog.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2018. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publicationdate= ignored (|publication-date= suggested) (help)
Wikiquote has quotations related to Mike Vallely.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mike Vallely.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mike_Vallely&oldid=957510604"