Mike Vallely

Born in 1970,{{Cite web |last=McLeod |first=Kembrew |date=2024-03-07 |title=Legendary pro skater, punk rocker and Des Moines local Mike Vallely is living his teenage dream |url=https://littlevillagemag.com/mike-vallely-pro-skater-black-flag-des-moines/ |access-date=2024-12-01 |website=Little Village}} Vallely grew up in Edison, New Jersey.{{cite web|url=http://mikevallely.com/about/ |access-date=September 25, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100910235952/http://mikevallely.com/about/ |archive-date=September 10, 2010|title=About|website= mikevallely.com}} He has an older brother, Joe, and a younger sister, Amy. Growing up, Vallely played little league baseball, but, in 1984, aged 14, Vallely discovered skateboarding and punk music,{{Citation needed|date=February 2013}} borrowed a skateboard from a friend and proceeded to dedicate his life to skateboarding.

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|date=February 2013}}

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.

File:Mike V.jpg

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|date=February 2013}} 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.{{cite web|access-date=May 5, 2018|url=http://veganskateblog.com/interview/mike-vallely|title=Mike Vallely – Veganism, Street Plant, and what started it all.|date=July 1, 2016|first=Kerry|last=Weber|website=Veganskateblog.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702015606/http://veganskateblog.com/interview/mike-vallely|archive-date=July 2, 2016}} In 1989, Vallely left Powell-Peralta, at which time the company was the largest skateboarding brand in the world.{{Citation needed|date=September 2012}} 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.{{cite web |title=Marc McKee: the art of graphics |url=https://www.espn.com/action/skateboarding/news/story?page=marc-mckee-skateboard-graphics |work=ESPN Action Sports |publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures |access-date=September 15, 2012 |author=Chris Nieratko |date=March 21, 2011}}

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|date=February 2013}} 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.{{cite web |title=MIKE VALLELY – Black Label – Label Kills – 2001 {{!}} Full length video in descr ...|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg1MX5_Epas|publisher=YouTube|access-date=February 6, 2013|author=Conceptskatemedia|format=Video upload|date=July 20, 2009 }} 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|date=May 2013}}

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|date=February 2013}} 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|date=May 2013}} In mid-2011, Vallely joined Iron Fist Clothing,{{cite web |title=POSTS TAGGED 'MIKE VALLEY' |url=http://ironfistclothing.co.za/tag/mike-valley/ |publisher=Iron Fist Clothing |access-date=February 6, 2013 |date=February 2013}} as well as Tork Trux as their first team rider,{{cite web |title=Tork Trux Mike Vallely Solid Kingpin 5.0" Mid Raw Skateboard Trucks Includes Hardware – 7.75" Axle (Set of 2) Item # 1TTRKVALS077500 |url=http://www.warehouseskateboards.com/tork-trux-mike-vallely-solid-kingpin-5.0-mid-raw-skateboard-trucks-includes-hardware-7.75-axle-set-of-2 |work=Warehouse Skateboards |publisher=Warehouse Skateboards, Inc |access-date=February 6, 2013 |year=2013}} 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.{{cite web |title=Mike Vallely X SERVANT Footwear |url=http://servantfootwear.com/ |publisher=Servant Footwear |access-date=February 6, 2013 |date=February 4, 2013}}

In late 2011, Vallely again resigned from Powell-Peralta and founded Elephant Skateboards in December 2011.{{cite web |title=Elephant Brand Skateboards From Mike V |url=http://theskateboardmag.com/2011/12/elephant-brand-skateboards-from-mike-v/ |work=The Skateboard Mag |publisher=Strictly Skateboarding |access-date=September 9, 2012 |author=Templeton Elliot |date=December 22, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108040447/http://theskateboardmag.com/2011/12/elephant-brand-skateboards-from-mike-v/ |archive-date=January 8, 2012 }} In April 2012, Jason Adams – formerly of Black Label and Enjoi{{cite web |title=Jason Adams – bag of suck |url=http://vimeo.com/25691409 |work=Enjoi on Vimeo |publisher=Vimeo LLc |access-date=February 6, 2013 |format=Video upload |date=February 2012}} – was added to the team roster.{{cite web |title=Good News: Jason Adams Joins Elephant Brand Skateboards |url=http://elephantbrandskateboards.com/home/good-news-jason-adams-joins-elephant-brand-skateboards/ |publisher=Elephant Brand Skateboards |access-date=February 6, 2013 |date=March 1, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027024853/http://elephantbrandskateboards.com/home/good-news-jason-adams-joins-elephant-brand-skateboards/ |archive-date=October 27, 2012 }} On a late June episode of the Ride Channel's Weekend Buzz, the addition of Kyle Berard to the Elephant team roster was revealed.{{cite web |title=Jordan Hoffart & Kyle Berard: Zolar, Jessica Biel & Going Blind! Weekend Buzz ep. 68 pt. 1 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yPo9VJAreQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/-yPo9VJAreQ |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|publisher=YouTube |access-date=June 29, 2013 |author=Ride Channel |format=Video upload |date=June 28, 2013}}{{cbignore}}

In early 2015, Vallely launched a new skateboard company called "Street Plant".{{cite news|access-date=May 4, 2018|title=History|newspaper=Street Plant|date=December 19, 2017 |url=http://www.streetplantbrand.com/history/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504162609/http://www.streetplantbrand.com/history/|archive-date=May 4, 2018 |last1=Wallace |first1=Rob }} As of 2016, the Street Plant team roster includes Vallely, Kristian Svitak and Joey Jett.{{cite web|access-date=May 5, 2018|url=https://www.courierpress.com/videos/life/2016/09/07/89985426/|date=September 7, 2016|title=Mike V returns to Killer Skate Park in Evansville|website=Evansville Courier & Press|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160909195050/https://www.courierpress.com/videos/life/2016/09/07/89985426/|archive-date=September 9, 2016}} 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. Vallely is involved in the addition of personal artwork on the decks and complete skateboard ordered from his house in Long Beach, California.{{Cite web|author=The Vallely family|url=https://www.streetplantbrand.com/shop/hand-built-public-domain-complete-burgundy/|title=Hand Built Public Domain Complete: Burgundy: Explained|website=Streetplantbrand.com|access-date=May 5, 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317143459/https://www.streetplantbrand.com/shop/hand-built-public-domain-complete-burgundy|archive-date=March 17, 2017}}

file:Black Flag performing at the Electric Ballroom Camden 2019.jpg

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 Agression also played. Vallely was asked to leave the band for spending too much time on skateboarding.{{Citation needed|date=February 2013}}

Vallely was the lead singer for Mike V & The Rats, and the band's song "The Days" appeared in the video game Tony Hawk's Underground (THUG).{{cite web|last=Thorson |first=Tor |url=http://au.gamespot.com/news/the-sounds-of-tony-hawks-underground-6077293 |title=The Sounds of Tony Hawk's Underground |publisher=GameSpot |date=October 24, 2003 |access-date=December 14, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003044502/http://au.gamespot.com/news/the-sounds-of-tony-hawks-underground-6077293 |archive-date=October 3, 2013 }} Their song "Never Give Up" appeared in THUG's successor, Tony Hawk's Underground 2,{{cite web |last=Altizer |first=Roger |url=http://playstation.about.com/od/news/a/thug2soundtrack.htm |title=Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Aims to Rock Action Sport Gamers |publisher=About.com |access-date=December 10, 2012}} while another of their songs, "Vendetta", was featured in the following game, Tony Hawk's American Wasteland.

In 2003, Greg Ginn invited Vallely to sing for Black Flag at their 2003 reunion shows in Los Angeles, where he performed the entire My War album.{{Cite news|title=Greg Ginn of Black Flag and Skateboarder Mike Vallely Form Good For You, Will Release Debut Album 'Life Is Too Short to Not Hold a Grudge' in February 2013|url=https://www.verbicidemagazine.com/2013/01/17/greg-ginn-black-flag-mike-vallely-good-for-you-2013/|access-date=October 25, 2020|website=Verbicide}}

In 2013, Vallely formed a band called Good for You with Greg Ginn. Their debut album was released on SST Records in February 2013.{{cite web|title=Black Flag's Greg Ginn joins skateboarder Mike Vallely in new band|url=http://www.punknews.org/article/50301/black-flags-greg-ginn-joins-skateboarder-mike-vallely-in-new-band|access-date=January 15, 2013|website=punknews.org|date=January 15, 2013 }}

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 replacing him on vocals for the remainder of the show. Reyes said that his microphone was taken and he was told to get off the stage by 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."{{cite news|last1=Lipshutz|first1=Jason|title=Black Flag Singer Ron Reyes Fired Mid-Show|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5800890/black-flag-singer-ron-reyes-fired-mid-show|access-date=June 18, 2016|publisher=Billboard|date=November 27, 2013}}

In January 2014, founding member Greg Ginn announced Vallely would be the new lead singer of Black Flag.{{cite news|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/53776-black-flag-appoints-new-vocalist-mike-vallely-apologizes-for-shitty-2013/|title=Black Flag Appoint New Vocalist Mike Vallely, Apologize for Shitty 2013 - Pitchfork|website=Pitchfork }} In July 2015, Vallely put together the 'Switchblades & Urethane' music festival taking place at Alex's Bar in Long Beach, California.{{Cite web|title=Switchblades and Urethane|url=http://www.confuzine.com/tag/switchblades-and-urethane/|access-date=October 25, 2020|website=Confusion Magazine: International Skateboarding Magazine|date=July 23, 2015 }}

;Good for You

• "Life Is Too Short to Not Hold a Grudge" (2013)

;Mike V & The Rats

• "First 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

• Jasta (2011) – "Heart of a Warrior"

Vallely appears in the Tony Hawk's skateboarding video game series, from the fourth release (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4) onwards. He appears as a secret character in Pro Skater 4, but has been featured more prominently in the subsequent releases. In the fifth game of the series, Tony Hawk's Underground, Vallely's ingame character teaches a special trick in the game.{{Cite web|date=March 28, 2012|title=Tony Hawk's Underground Wiki Guide|url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/tony-hawks-underground/Walkthrough:_New_Jersey|access-date=October 25, 2020|website=ign.com}}

Vallely released his own skateboarding video game for the iPhone and the iPod Touch, entitled Mike V: Do or Die – Skateboarding, in February 2010.{{Cite web|title=Mike V: Do or Die for iPhone (2010)|url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/mike-v-do-or-die|access-date=October 25, 2020|website=MobyGames}}

In 2010, Vallely signed a contract to play professional hockey for the Danbury Whalers of the Federal Hockey League, becoming the first-ever professional board sport athlete to play a traditional team sport at a professional level.{{Cite web|date=June 23, 2010|title=Vallely to play on professional hockey team|url=https://www.espn.com/action/skateboarding/news/story?id=5320385|access-date=October 25, 2020|website=ESPN}} In his first career game (October 23, 2010), he 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.{{cite web|last=Wyshynski|first=Greg|date=November 3, 2010|title=Video: Pro skater Vallely loses fight, breaks arm in hockey debut|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/video-pro-skater-vallely-loses-fight-breaks-arm--nhl.html|access-date=April 28, 2012|publisher=Yahoo!}}

In 2015, Vallely started his own podcast, The Mike V Show, with his friend, author and podcaster Daniele Bolelli.{{cite web|url=http://themikevshow.com/|title=Street Plant - Engineered For The Streets - Since 1984 - Never Comply|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222094413/http://themikevshow.com/|archive-date=February 22, 2015}}

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

Vallely has been married to his wife Ann since 1992. The couple have two daughters, born in 1992 and 2001. His family has been key in the establishment of some of his ventures, such as Street Plant. They have resided in Des Moines, Iowa since early 2021.{{cite news |last=Opsahl |first=Robin |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/business/retail/2021/03/17/pro-skater-mike-vallely-and-his-brand-street-plant-move-des-moines-skate-board/6920863002/ |title=Pro skater Mike Vallely is living in Des Moines and he brought his company, Street Plant, with him |work=The Des Moines Register |date=March 17, 2021 |access-date=May 18, 2023 |archive-date=March 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210318064433/https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/business/retail/2021/03/17/pro-skater-mike-vallely-and-his-brand-street-plant-move-des-moines-skate-board/6920863002/}}

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

One of Vallely's daughters, Emily, has been married to former Black Flag drummer Brandon Pertzborn since October 8, 2022.{{Cite web |last=Vallely-Pertzborn |first=Emily |date=October 12, 2022 |title=❤️ 10/8/22 |url=https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fp%2FCjn0e03udRO%2F%3Figshid%3DMzRlODBiNWFlZA%253D%253D |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=www.instagram.com}}

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. His third signature model skateboard, 1989's "The Barnyard", had emblazoned the words "Please Don't Eat My Friends" and was one of the first models that promoted vegetarianism.{{cite web|access-date=May 4, 2018|title=Never comply – How a vegan badass changed the skateboard industry|pages=22–25|url=https://issuu.com/originmagazine/docs/thrive6_issue6|first=Tim|last=Moore |magazine=Thrive magazine|date=August 3, 2016 }} Vallely's vocal opinions on this subject were typically met with derision by both skaters and promoters. 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.

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.{{cite web|access-date=May 4, 2018|url=http://www.thevintagevegans.com/about/|title=About|website=TheVintageVegans.com|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160211052417/http://www.thevintagevegans.com/about/|archive-date=February 11, 2016}} In 2016, his two daughters and wife started the blog "The Vintage Vegans" which shares cruelty-free fashion and American cuisine options.

Vallely inspired his friend Ed Templeton to become a vegan in the early 1990s.{{cite web|access-date=May 3, 2018|url=http://veganskateblog.com/interview/ed-templeton-interview-pt-2|date=February 1, 2013|title=Ed Templeton Interview pt. 2|first=Kerry |last=Weber|website=Veganskateblog.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130207234012/http://veganskateblog.com/interview/ed-templeton-interview-pt-2|archive-date=February 7, 2013}}

{{Reflist}}

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• {{Official website}}
• [http://streetplantbrand.com/ Street Plant]
• {{IMDb name|0885018}}
• {{Discogs artist|1116085-MIke-Vallely}}

{{Black Flag}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vallely, Mike}}

Category:1970 births

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