Rob Dyrdek

Dyrdek was born on June 28, 1974 in Kettering, Ohio to Gene and Patty Dyrdek.[10] Dyrdek was involved in sports as a child and began skateboarding at the age of 11, when he received his first skateboard from professional skateboarder Neil Blender.[11] Of his early interest in the sport, Dyrdek has stated, "I was so focused on becoming a pro skateboarder. I would sit in school and think about all the tricks I was going to do, then I’d get out of school and skate until they made me come inside."[12]

Dyrdek is the founder of the Street League Skateboarding (SLS) skateboard competition enterprise and the series has grown from a domestic to international event.[22] The league offered the highest overall purse in the history of the sport, at $1.6 million for its championship event broadcast on ESPN in 198 countries.[23] The league also partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of America to develop new skate parks in California.[24] The organization was also the focus of Dyrdek's documentary film The Motivation, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.[25]

Dyrdek first starred in the MTV reality series, Rob & Big (aired November 2006 to April 2008), with his best friend and bodyguard Christopher "Big Black" Boykin,[26] as well as his cousin, Chris "Drama" Pfaff and friend Rashawn "Bam Bam" Davis.[27]

In February 2009, Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory, featuring Dyrdek, Pfaff, and his Dyrdek Enterprise staff, was first broadcast. It covered Dyrdek's "Fantasy Factory", a converted warehouse where Dyrdek runs his businesses.[28] He also built a music studio for his cousin Pfaff inside the factory.[29] During the course of the first season, he also opened his first SafeSpot SkateSpot.[30] At the grand-opening, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa rode with Dyrdek on the world's largest skateboard.[31] Fantasy Factory aired a total of seven seasons, with the season finale airing on March 13, 2014. The show mainly featured a cast of Dyrdek, Chris Pfaff, Boykin, Scott Pfaff, Chanel West Coast, and Sterling Brim.[32] Episodes included seeing Dyrdek bitten by a shark,[33] and being attacked by a trained tiger.[34] Other stunts that Dyrdek filmed included performing the first kick flip with an automobile, filmed as a part of a television advertisement for Chevrolet.[35] As a part of the show, Dyrdek also co-invented the first “skateboard car”, and exhibited the customized Ford Mustang on an episode of the series.[36]

Dyrdek was also featured in the video games skate., and Skate 2 (which also featured Boykin). In Skate 2, the player is able to purchase an early version of the Fantasy Factory as an add-on, allowing the player to skate within the factory premises.[37] In 2008 Dyrdek appeared in the film Righteous Kill, playing the character of Rambo alongside Robert de Niro and Al Pacino.[38]

Dyrdek made a movie entitled Street Dreams in 2009. The idea was developed by Rob and Nino Scalia in response their belief that modern films focused on skateboarding were not realistic enough. Dyrdek and then Scalia completed the script over the span of six months. While pitching the script he decided to fund the film with his own money. He also appeared in the film as one of the main characters.[39]

In 2011, Dyrdek appeared in Jackass 3.5, in a scene with Johnny Knoxville.[40] Later that year, on August 29, 2011, Dyrdek started another show with the MTV network, called Ridiculousness, where he comments on internet videos that are mainly mishaps.[41] Dyrdek hosts this show alongside two friends, Chanel West Coast and Sterling Brim.[42]

In 2012, Dyrdek was on the TV show Punk'd—Justin Bieber tried to execute a prank on Dyrdek and failed.[43] Dyrdek was also featured in the 2012 documentary, Waiting for Lightning, about his friend and fellow skater Danny Way.[44]

Through his production company Superjacket Productions he has produced Ridiculousness; as well as the CMT series The Dude Perfect Show,[45] based upon the work of the eponymous Internet video comedy troupe;[46] Crashletes and Jagger Eaton's Mega Life on Nickelodeon;[47] and Snack-Off.[48] In 2017, Dyrdek served as a judge for the talent show series Amazingness. His production company produced the show.[49]

Dyrdek set twenty-one separate Guinness World Records for skateboarding as part of his former show Rob & Big. Big Black also set two eating records on the show: most bananas eaten in one minute and the most number of powdered donuts eaten in three minutes.[50]

As part of the Fantasy Factory series, Dyrdek set the record for the largest skateboard (according to the Guinness World Records website, it is listed as the "Longest Skateboard in the World"), but, according to the "World Records Academy" website, this was broken in 2010.[51]

Dyrdek's personal bests—some of which have since been surpassed—include:

• Longest 50-50 rail grind: 100 feet 5.75 inches (30.62 m) (2007, WR)[52]
• Longest board slide: 100 feet 5.75 inches (30.62 m) (2007, WR)[53]
• Highest skateboard ramp jump into water: 10 feet 8 inches (3.29 m) (2007, WR)[54]
• Farthest reverse ramp jump by a car: 89 feet 3.25 inches (27.21 m) (2014, WR)[55]

Dyrdek's first business was Orion Trucks. During his time with DC, Dyrdek began his exploration of entrepreneurship through shoe design and this led Dyrdek to launch various short-lived companies, including a hip hop record label and a skate shop.[14] Dyrdek's properties have included Wild Grinders (an animated series on the Nickelodeon network),[56] and Street League Skateboarding (SLS).[22] In addition, Dyrdek has partnerships with various brands, including Rogue Status (with musician Travis Barker).[57]

Wild Grinders, a fictional cartoon skate crew, is Dyrdek's venture into toys based on him and his group of childhood skateboarding friends.[58] Dyrdek is also the founder of the business incubator Dyrdek Machine,[59] and acquired DNA Distribution, the holding company of Alien Workshop, before returning the company back to its founders.[23] Dyrdek is also an investor in the UFC,[60] Beach Whiskey (where he also serves on the Advisory Board),[61] Beatbox Beverages,[62] and Stance.[63] In 2017 Dyrdek became a cofounder of Black Feather Whiskey.[64] Dyrdek is also a co-founder and board member of Ultracast,[65] which has partnered with NASCAR to produce live 360 virtual reality broadcasts.[66]

In an episode of Fantasy Factory, Dyrdek jockeyed a race horse for his friend Joe Ciaglia Jr. This led to his own run as a race horse owner, owning up to thirteen horses at a time during his career. His horses have raced in stakes including the Breeder's Cup.[67][68]

Dyrdek has one sister. His cousins Christopher "Drama" Pfaff and Scott "Big Cat" Pfaff are featured in Rob and Big and Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory.[69] He also has two bulldogs named Meaty and Beefy, and Pomeranian dog named Gretchen Weiner.[57] Dyrdek became an ordained minister through the Universal Life Church in order to perform his sister's wedding in December 2011.[70] The ceremony, which was featured in an episode of Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory, took place at the Fantasy Factory in Los Angeles. He became engaged to his girlfriend Filipino–American model Bryiana Noelle Flores after proposing to her at Disneyland. They married, and had two children.[71][72][73]

• Official website
• Rob Dyrdek at IMDb