Mark 'Gator' Rogowski was a figurehead of professional skateboarding in the late 1980s. He gained fame and fortune alongside others such as Tony Hawk and Steve Caballero, and was partially responsible for the first big wave of popularity for vert skating in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Rogowski was a flamboyant figure, with a personality that many of his associates considered volatile. He was one of a group of proteges of ex Zephyr team skater and documentarian Stacy Peralta to gain lucrative contracts with the Gullwing and Vision, fashion companies that sought to capture the clothing and gear styles of southern California skateboarders and their fans.

As his fame progressed and his money continued to roll in, Gator's behavior started to become more erratic. Gator began abusing alcohol and became violent toward spectators, culminating in an incident in Germany on a tour sponsored by Swatch Watches, in which Rogowski assaulted a young autograph seeker. It was during this tumultuous period that Rogowski dropped his surname and adopted the name "'Gator Mark Anthony".

After returning from the Swatch tour, Gator sank deeper into depression and moved away from the semi-rural avocado grove districts in which he and many other of his skating peers had settled. Sales of his merchandise were rapidly declining due to a new variation on the classic "flatland" style of boarding, now known as "street", a style that emphasized kicktricks, grinds and finesse, none of which were skills Gator possessed. He broke up with longtime girlfriend Brandi McClain and turned to an extreme version of evangelical Christianity to fill the void. It seemed to work, for a time.

In the spring of 1991, "Gator" was introduced to a 21-year-old named Jessica Bergsten, a skating scene regular and best friend of Gator's ex-girlfriend Brandi McClain. She mysteriously disappeared.

Miss Bergsten's body was discovered in the California desert. She had been bludgeoned, raped, and, finally, strangled inside a surfboard bag. Shortly afterward, Gator confessed to her murder, claiming that he killed her during a round of rough sex that went too far, fueled by his rage over his ex's new relationship.

'Gator' Mark Anthony, formerly Mark 'Gator' Rogowski, is now serving a 31-year prison sentence in the state of California penal system for the rape and killing of Jessica Bergsten.

Extra

Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator is a 2002 documentary directed by Helen Sticker about Mark Rogowski's life.