Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator

Theatrical Release Date: 2003 08 22 (USA - Limited)

UPC: 031398112549

Studio: Palm Pictures

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence]

Summary: As a teenager growing up in the mid-'70s, Mark "Gator" Rogowski became a passionate skateboarder. With time, he became quite good on a deck and, by the early '80s, his skills on the vertical ramp, combined with his cocky charm and surfer-dude good looks, helped to make him one of the top professionals on the skating circuit. Between endorsement deals and performance fees, he was earning more than a hundred-thousand dollars per year by the time he was 18. Not surprisingly, Rogowski soon found himself living a fast-lane lifestyle, partying all night, and dating supermodels. But when the popularity of ramp skating fell in favor of street skating, Gator found his career going into a skid. Over several years, he struggled to get his demons under control, trying, with no real success, to reinvent himself and regain his place in the public eye. In 1991, the bottom finally fell out of Rogowski's life: At the age of 24, he found himself behind bars, confessing to rape and murder charges . Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator is a documentary which chronicles Rogowski's personal successes and private failures. The film includes interviews with fellow skating legends Tony Hawk, Stacy Peralta, and Jason Jessee. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: History [nf]

Awards: Film Presented – Sundance Film Festival Film Presented – Chicago Underground Film Festival

Features: ccRare unseen bonus footage from decades past: candid interviews
Radio mic demo
Home movies
Pool and ramp skating
Arresting extended scene
Shenanigans ... and more!
Stoked timeline with links to scenes from the movie
Bonus footage 'Stoked: Uncovered' FUEL television special Official Stoked trailer, and more...

Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator

Format: DVD

Release Date: 02/17/2004

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo

Runtime: 81 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
1. 1966 - 1979 [4:39]
2. 1982: Small Local Skate-Scene Thrives [3:55]
3. 1984: Gator Wins Del Mar National; Becomes Top Pro on Vision Skateboards [:43]
4. 1985: SkateVisions Video Released, Starring Gator [2:28]
5. 80's Fashion [:56]
6. 1986: Vision Street Wear [3:03]
7. Gator Arrested at Mt. Trashmore [5:46]
8. Chicago Blowout Contest [1:33]
9. 1987: Thrasher European Tour [1:58]
10. Contest Parties [3:29]
11. Betties [1:24]
12. Gator & Brandi [1:12]
13. Fallbrook Ramps [:31]
14. Arena Events Draw Thousands [7:27]
15. "Psycho Skate" Vision Video [4:18]
16. 1988: "Inside Out" Gullwing Video [1:24]
17. Impact Management and Tour / Skaters as Rock Stars [:34]
18. Gator Changes Name to 'Gator' Mark Anthony [2:16]
19. Street Skating Gains Popularity [:55]
20. "Full Power Trip" Gullwing Video [2:27]
21. Vert Era Wanes [2:25]
22. Pro Skaters Leave Fallbrook [1:18]
23. Gator Allegedly Hits a Fan in Australia. Sales Plummet [2:36]
24. 1990: Gator Accident at Titus World Cup [5:24]
25. Gator is "Born-Again" [3:39]
26. Gator & Brandi Split Up [3:44]
27. Gator Confesses to Murder [3:15]
28. 1992: Gator Pleads Guilty [3:02]
29. 2000: Gator In Prison [3:29]
30. Skateboarding Today [3:29]

Josh Ralske

Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator is a consistently compelling documentary about the tragic downfall of early skateboard star Mark "Gator" Rogowski, who brought short-lived celebrity and glamour to the skating world before crashing and burning as styles changed and he failed to adjust. Gator eventually ended up in prison for rape and murder, and the film includes a telephone interview in which he expresses his remorse. Filmmaker Helen Stickler tells the story with compassion and insight, interviewing friends and fellow skaters in an effort to piece together how the talented, charismatic young man could have fallen to such depths. She captures the way skater culture -- rooted in antiauthoritarian, youthful rebellion -- turned on Gator when his success made him a more corporate figure, and changing styles rendered his brand of skating (in addition to the actual brand that sponsored him) obsolete. There's a sardonically funny clip of Gator's ill-fated appearance on Club MTV, during which he reportedly got upset because hostess "Downtown" Julie Brown wouldn't speak to him off-camera. By then, however, both of their respective career paths had started on a downward trajectory. Stickler offers an absorbing and valuable analysis of skate culture and its discontents, but doesn't spend quite enough time on the young man himself. While there are passing references to the father Rogowski never knew, the film spends surprisingly little time exploring his home life and the forces that shaped him. Still, overall, Stoked is a near-perfect time capsule of a specific moment in our culture, and a telling analysis of instant celebrity and the fickleness of youth culture in general. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Helen Stickler  Director 
Helen Stickler  Producer 
David Reid  Composer (Music Score) 
Gator Rogowski  Actor 
Tony Hawk  Actor 
Stacy Peralta  Actor 
Jason Jessee  Actor 
Steve Olson  Actor 
MoFo  Actor 
Carol Leggett  Actor 
Ed Templeton  Actor 
Tod Swank  Actor 

Country: USA