Why Rob Dyrdek Stepped Out of The Spotlight
Rob Dyrdek truly is a jack-of-all-trades. At the age of 16, he dropped out of high school and moved to Southern California, chasing his dream of becoming a professional skateboarder. Once he achieved that goal, it seems he still wasn't satisfied and wanted more out of life. After starting his own skateboard company, Orion Trucks, he began to dabble in entrepreneurship and other business pursuits. However, his life changed after he scored a reality show with his best friend, "Big Black" Boykin called Rob & Big. From there, he continued to expand his brand and his presence on television, becoming one of the biggest names in the industry. However, in recent years, Dyrdek has stepped out of the limelight and is hardly mentioned anymore, check out why.
He Married His Long-Time Girlfriend
In September 2015, Dyrdek finally married his long-time girlfriend, Bryiana Noelle Flores. The couple was engaged at Disneyland Resort in April 2015 after Rob literally put on a show. While watching the Aladdin performance, Dyrdek made the excuse that he had to go to the bathroom.
He then went behind the stage and carried out a public proposal that was only fitting for his level of energy and over-the-top nature. He came out on stage riding an elephant, asking Bryiana to be his wife.
He Became A Father
After enjoying some time together and having a "babymoon" in Bora Bora, Dyrdek and his wife welcomed their first child on September 9, 2016. They named their son Kodah Dash Dyrdek, and his father couldn't be more thrilled.
To show his respect for his wife, Dyrdek wrote on Instagram, "As much as I love this woman with all of my being, I could never express how proud I am of how strong she is [...] "I have been in awe of how well she has handled the difficult task of growing a child and preparing to become a mother."
He Had Another Child Not Long After
Just a year after the birth of their son, in 2017, the couple announced the birth of their second child, a baby girl they named Nala Ryan Dyrdek. Currently 45 years old, Dyrdek took his time to start a family, but he's made it clear that he's happy with his decision.
His career had always been his top priority, but as he got older, he decided that it was time to make a change and dedicate time to his wife and children.
He Keeps His Personal Life Private
Although almost every aspect of Dyrdek's life used to be filmed and shown to the public, after settling down, he's been making an effort to keep his personal life and business life separate.
However, his issues with the cameras started back during the days of Rob and Big when he felt that MTV wasn't giving him enough space. After the final season aired in 2008, MTV asked if he wanted to shoot one more, but he knew that he wanted to do something different.
Taking The Cameras Out Of The House
Dyrdek knew that he wanted to continue making reality TV and being in front of the camera, he just wanted to do it somewhere less private.
In an interview with ThoughtCo. he admitted, "My businesses were being affected, my skateboarding was being affected, and I hated that it was being filmed at my house [...] "So, once we had a little break, it evolved. I thought, what if I added a skatepark to my business? This was the beginning of Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory and a new era for Dyrdek.
His Relationship With DC Shoes Came To An End
At the beginning of his professional skateboarding career in 1995, Dyrdek was sponsored by Droors Clothing, which would become DC Shoes. Being one of the first skateboarders DC ever sponsored, the two had a symbiotic relationship.
The company helped support and promote Dyrdek, even helping him land a reality show, and Dyrdek acted like a walking advertisement. However, the relationship came to an end when the parent company Quicksilver filed for bankruptcy in 2015. Quicksilver went on to reject Dyrdek's contract and hired on a new team of skaters.
He's Been leaning More Towards Entrepreneurship
Although he got his start in skateboarding, it's clear that he had caught the entrepreneurship bug early on in his skating career. Dyrdek started his first skateboarding company when he was just 18 years old, selling skateboard parts under the name Orion Trucks.
Although the company had success, he honed his skills over the years eventually built an empire off his mind for business. Today, he spends much of his time and energy helping others scale up their business, something that's not as entertaining as Fantasy Factory.
He's Busy Running The Dyrdek Machine
The reason Dyrdek's life doesn't completely revolve around skateboarding and reality television anymore is that he's heavily involved with running his venture studio, Dyrdek Machine. The company served as a legal holding company for all of Dyrdek's various adventures.
He best describes it as a part branding agency and part venture capital firm. The Dyrdek Machine was officially launched in 2017 and is key to having a hold of all the new companies he takes on.
He Has A Lot On His Plate
Running the Dyrdek Machine, Dyrdek typically has more than a dozen different companies in the works at all times and all different sizes. On top of that, he still works closely with the companies that are still in development.
Although he's known to be picky when he chooses the projects he wants to work on, he still has an incredibly diverse portfolio. However, he is known to make exceptions for other entrepreneurs who are equally as excited about building brands as he is.
He Was Over Reality Television
Like most other reality TV stars, Dyrdek felt that reality television was taking a lot out of him. It's a lot of work to have cameras in your face for the majority of the day, especially when you're trying to run a business.
However, he isn't completely done with television altogether. He is still involved with the show Ridiculousness, which he hosts along with Sterling Brim and Chanel West Coast. The show has been on-air since 2011. Today, most of his responsibilities focus on finding and curating content.
He Co-Founded Black Feather Whiskey
Dyrdek may be picky about the companies that he chooses to work with, but he's also no stranger to playing favorites. One of his current favorite ventures is Black Feather Whiskey, which he became a co-founder of. Their whiskey is currently available in Utah, California, Texas, Colorado, and Florida, with plans to spread nationwide.
He notes how Black Feather became one his favorites stating, "Black Feather immediately rose above, due to the innovative and passionate group of individuals driving the brand that embody this 'do-or-die' spirit."
He's Dipping Into The Virtual Reality Market
Dyrdek is currently involved with another eccentric company. Although many people might not have heard of it, that might change very soon. Dyrdek is now the owner of Ultracast, a virtual reality content platform in order to create "immersive experiences" for their customers.
Even though the company is still in its early stages of development, Dyrdek has high hopes for the company, especially since virtual reality technology is definitely on the rise. We have to wait and see where it goes.
He's Interested In All Kinds Of Technology
Ever since Rob & Big, it's been clear that Dyrdek always likes to have the newest toys and was always interested in experimenting with new technology. Whether it was the net guns or indoor high-speed go-carts, Dyrdek had to have them and had to play around with them.
He's no different when it comes to investing in technology, and is always on the lookout for the next big thing, willing to spend his time and money to get involved.
He's Following Trends
In recent years, it's clear that living a healthy lifestyle has become incredibly popular, especially among young adults. So, Dyrdek being the person he is, knew that there would be a place in the health market for him if he worked hard enough.
There are so many different products on the market geared toward health, he figured that it wouldn't hurt to try his hand at it. He decided to take his talents to the "clean eating" side of the industry and created a unique snack.
Getting Into The Health Industry
Dyrdek's response to the recent health craze was the brand Momentous. He refers to it as "the premium Ferarri of supplements," a protein made from plants, and what he considers to be a safer alternative to the other questionable supplements out there.
In addition, he's also working with Oustanding Foods, a company putting out plant-based to grocery stores. One of the products they make includes "pigless bacon chips," along with other healthy and tasty snacks made strictly from plants.
He Struggled With The Death Of His Best Friend
Although they may have had their fair share of arguments off-camera during the filming of Rob & Big, Dyrdek and "Big Black" Boykin always shared a special bond. Unfortunately, in 2017, Big Black passed away from a sudden heart attack at the young age of 45.
The two had been side-by-side for years and his death took a toll on Dyrdek. After Big Black passed away, Dyrdek had to take some personal time to grieve for his friend.
Losing A Brother
Even after Rob & Big had wrapped up filming in 2008, that didn't mean that the two went their separate ways. They stayed incredibly close with Big Black making several appearances on Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory and Ridiculousness as well. Dyrdek took to social media after he passed to share his feelings with his friends.
He posted on Twitter: "We truly were brothers that lived an unexpected unforgettable adventure [...] I just can't fathom that it would end so suddenly. You will forever be in my heart."
He Runs A Foundation
As successful as Dyrdek is, he uses his influence and money to do good in the community as well. In 2003, Dyrdek founded the Rob Dyrdek Foundation that has since merged with the Street League Skateboarding Foundation. The foundation goes around building sanctioned skate parks for skaters across the country, something Dyrdek is especially passionate about.
Dyrdek understands the plight of being a skateboarder and how they don't always have the resources they need to do to practice their passion. So, he decided to try and help.
He Prefers To Be Behind The Scenes
Although at the beginning of his career, Dyrdek may have relished being the center of attention and in front of the camera, times have definitely changed. Now, he prefers spending time with his family and working on his various businesses and ventures off-camera, following his passion for entrepreneurship.
Although you may still catch him on Ridiculousness, today, he much rather prefers to be working behind the scenes, executing ideas and putting his plans into motion.
A Bright Future
Although Rob Dyrdek may no longer be putting out professional skateboard videos or harassing his friends and family with a tennis ball gun, his career is far from over. If anything, it's just getting started.
In recent years, he's made a few lifestyle changes that he feels are the right thing to do for he and his family's future, but he's still Rob Dyrdek. You never know, in the future, some of the biggest products on the market might be because of Rob Dyrdek.
Being A Family Man Looks Good On Him
It's been three years now since Dyrdek first became a dad and clearly, he's a natural. His first son, Kodah Dash, was born in 2016, and Nala Ryan followed in 2017. Here they are at the pumpkin patch for Halloween 2019.
If his boys turn out to be anything like him, it's going to be one rowdy household! The boys are a quarter Filipino since their mother Bryiana is half.
