Mark ‘Gator’ Rogowski was one of a group of elite skaters who enjoyed rock star status in the late 1980s. Alongside Hosei, Hawk and Caballero, Gator’s charismatic, flamboyant personality and hard-partying lifestyle earned him a shedload of cash and was directly responsible for skateboarding’s return to popularity with the arrival of vert skating.
However, his drug and alcohol addiction was prevalent, and in 1992 he raped and murdered a young girl, resulting in him being jailed for life. This tragic and evil end to his career, shouldn’t however take away from his talent and influence on the ramp, and his place in where skateboarding is today.