He has set 21 Guinness World Records for Skateboarding. He is also the founder of Street League Skateboarding. You can safely say that Rob Dyrdek has changed the landscape of skateboarding.
However, in 2016, he did not renew his sponsorship deals with DC shoes and he gave up his ownership of Alien Workshop. Alien Workshop was formed by Neil Blender, the professional skateboarder who gave Rob his first skateboard. In 2009, Rob acquired ownership of the skateboarding company.
Rob understands that he owes his success to skateboarding, but explains xplained, “… that’s also part of my history and what made me who I am, but just has no part in my future.“
Rob has decided to concentrate on his businesses and home life. Some of his business ventures are still related to skateboarding. One of them is Wild Grinders, an animated series that is shown on Nickelodeon, which is loosely based on his life. He is still involved with SLS and he built the Rob Dyrdek Foundation to build legal skate parks in smaller communities. Rob may no longer be a professional skateboarder, but his heart remains close to skateboarding.
Apart from his skateboarding ventures, he owns Megahorse Racing. Rob also holds stakes in the following companies: Bill My Parents, ISX(TM) (Instant Scoring Experience), and DTA Rogue Status.
Rob Dyrdek: Beyond Skateboarding
On another hand, Rob has achieved mainstream fame with reality shows like Rob & Big, Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory, and Ridiculousness.
The other half of the Rob & Big tandem is his friend and former bodyguard Christopher “Big Black” Boykin. Together, they have achieved 23 Guinness World Record.
On May 9, 2017, Big Black passed away due to cardiac arrest. Rob addressed Big Black’s death on social media by saying, “My heart is broken. I don’t want write this post. I don’t want to believe that this is reality. I am so thankful for you.“
