Born on May 3, 1949 in Dallas, Texas, Bob Mohr was a legendary mid 1960s skater, world record-holding high jumper and Bahne pro who would bridge the divide to the 1970s and go on to win the World Freestyle Championship in Long Beach in 1977. Known for his signature blond locks and mustache, Bob also placed third in senior men’s freestyle at the first Bahne-Cadillac Del Mar Nationals in 1975, a contest made famous by the Dogtown and Z-Boys documentary. Bob also appeared in the cult classic Skateboard Kings documentary in ’78, and rode for OP Sunwear, memorably sharing his ad in Skateboarder with Bahne teammate and fellow ’77 freestyle world champion, Ellen Berryman.
An accomplished musician, Bob later worked at Sterling Sound in Encinitas, a few doors up from La Paloma Theater. He continued to follow his passions up until he passed away on May 28, 1996. After issuing his iconic Bob Mohr Bullet model in the ’70s, Bahne reissued it in 2008 to the joy of skaters and collectors worldwide. In tribute to Bob, fellow La Costa staple and longtime friend Denis Shufeldt said, “Rest in peace, Bob Mohr, and thanks for your incredible contributions to skateboarding.”
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Bob Mohr
Another holdout from the early days of skateboarding, Bob Mohr hung up his skate-board for eight years before things got roll-ing again and he’s glad to see it back.
Regarded as one of the old experts and a specialist in high jumping, Bob, a skater for the Bahne team, is reaping rewards anew.
Active in the skateboard movement, Bob has helped organize skateboard events, writ-ten articles, and put in a lot of time coach-ing and refining the Bahne team.
Strength and style are at the core of Bob’s skateboard routine. His jumps are breathtaking the highest and most graceful. He goes from an L-sit to a handstand without blinking an eye, throwing in a few fast-paced maneuvers between each peak sequence. Experience has taught him how to choreograph his routines, and he understands and makes use of the music for his routines, building the tricks and the sequences tightly with the music.
Bob’s other major interest is music. With his band, Heat Treatment, he plays sax, flute, and harmonica, and he sings.
Source: Laura Torbet, The Complete Book of Skateboarding (Funk and Wagnalls, 1976), p. 99
