Revisit is a new series, and I’m starting it off with P-Rod, since he inspired it. Last month this Paul Rodriguez | 20 and Forever video was released. This piece did an amazing job of highlighting the 20 years of Paul’s professional skate career and it did so in an emotional way. There’s some of Paul’s career that I didn’t live through, and other parts that I remember clearly, like watching Me, Myself and I right when it released. As this piece ended, you can both hear and see the emotion in Paul as he finishes reflecting on the incredible career he’s had thus far, and I felt the emotion myself. It gave me this feeling of being proud of Paul for everything he’s accomplished, as if he’s a close friend of mine, and all that he’s done for skateboarding. I guess the easiest way to put it is that it was incredibly inspiring to see all that P-Rod has set his mind to and done.
Fast forward a couple weeks – I’m driving to work in the morning, sitting in traffic on the 5, listening to The Nine Club Experience. On the show, they begin to discuss this recent P-Rod 20-year piece, and as I was listening, my mind started to wander. I started to think again about all that P-Rod has done in his career; and was beginning to obsess over the video parts he’s released over the years, and the lasting impact that they’ve had on countless skateboarders. As I was having these thoughts, it hit me that I need to write about skateboarders who have contributed so much to skateboarding through their video parts. I’m sure this is very clear by now; but skate videos are my favorite thing, ever. The reason that I love to write about skate videos is because of how much effort goes into making them, I feel like they deserved to be discussed. With that being said, the point of this series is to revisit a skaters video parts, spanning over different periods of their career. I’m not going to necessarily highlight every video part that a skater has released, or give a full timeline of their parts, but just highlight a few of them, as a nod of respect to what they contributed to skateboarding. To kick it off, here are some clips from 7 video parts that Paul has released, think about that for a minute, 7 video parts.
It felt right to start out with Paul’s part in Street Cinema, a video that was released when he was only 16 years old. Watching this part is amazing because you get to look at it from the perspective of knowing how Paul’s career has played out. You can see that same P-Rod style back in his 16 year old self, who was already piecing together tech ledge tricks, doing perfect Varial Heels, and flipping into handrails.
This Nollie Flip Noseslide is shocking to me, and seems like at the time it was foreshadowing what was to come. As I watched this part, I just couldn’t wrap my head around the tricks Paul was doing as a 16 year old. He very clearly is a kid in this part, but he is not doing kid tricks. He follows up the Nollie Flip Noseslide with a FS Flip at 2:21, which is done to a T. He flicks it proper, has his legs extended in front of him, and catches is so high. Not everyone could skate to Jackson 5 and Outkast, but Paul for sure can.
Going back to the Paul Rodriguez | 20 and Forever video, Paul makes it very clear that Eric Koston was his hero, and to hear the words Koston says leading into this part, it’ll gives me chills. Going from Paul’s Street Cinema part to this one, you’ll begin to notice some spots that he’s going back to, which I love. One example of that is the Chino 4 Block, which you see multiple tricks on in both of these parts. I’ve always been a fan of someone really just going in on a spot, whether it’s in one part, or throughout multiple.
The list of names for those who can make a Switch Hardflip look regular might be short, but Paul’s name is definitely on there. As I was watching this part, I immediately paused it as he rode away from this Switch Hardflip and rewinded it. It rotates behind him, like most people’s Regular Hardflip’s do, then comes right up to his feet, slightly tweaked, and he stomps it. That’s as good as it gets.
A classic part in a classic video, with even more amazing song choices. There are multiple sections of this part that just give off a special feeling. From 1:13-1:34 it’s just trick after trick; jumping, skating ledges, gap to rails; it gets me hyped. Then, at 2:14, Made You Look comes on, a song that became synonymous with Paul. From here on out, the song and the skating just seems to make your heart race, as it gets more and more exciting. The 180 Fakie 5-0 at 3:11 is a favorite of mine, he rolls away right on beat, and that’s such a dope trick.
This Switch Front Heel is iconic. Not only is this one of Paul’s go-to tricks, which he can do better than just about anyone, but doing it down Hollywood is amazing. At this point, Paul’s skated Hollywood in parts a few times; he Switch Flipped it and Switch Heeled it in Street Cinema, and also did a Nollie Boardslide down it just a few clips before the Switch Front Heel in Yeah Right. There’s something so beautiful about a Switch Front Heel; the way that they flip, and specifically how Paul managed to catch this one and bring it down. Being able to hear the catch of a flip trick is the most amazing thing to me. When I think of Switch Front Heel’s, this will always be one of them that comes to mind.
As I went back to rewatch Paul’s Forecast part, there were two tricks that really stood out. First, this Switch Shuv Crook Half Cab on the table. Although it almost seems random to film a single table trick fisheye, I’m really stoked that it was captured like this. The way that he Half Cabs out, towards the fisheye, is part of what makes this look so good. I’ve always loved when someone gives a little extra nudge out of a ledge trick, and this is a great example of that.
If I had to pick one spot that comes to mind when someone says P-Rod, it’d be this one. Paul snapped on this loading dock to close out his Forecast part. So much so, that it was tough to decide which trick that he did on the spot was my favorite, but using the Switch Tre just seemed to check every box; P-Rod’s signature trick at his signature spot. As I mentioned earlier, I love the idea of someone killing off a spot, and Paul really did that here. Looking at the clips that I pulled from each part, it seems like Paul just seems to stomp everything with such authority, and this Switch Tre is no different. It always looks like he has complete control, and he knows that he’s going to roll away.
Me, Myself & I dropped right around the time that I started skating, making this one a bit more personal to me. I remember buying this on iTunes, then watching it over, and over and over again. It was almost too much to even comprehend, which is why it deserved a few viewings. The best video parts are the ones that you want to talk about, and the ones that give you a feeling; and I still get the same feeling inside of myself when I watch this part now as I did the day it dropped.
This Switch Heel tail is another example of the power that Paul skates with. Regardless of the fact that he Switch Heel’d in, just look at the pop-out. It looks like he’s trying to break through the ground, I love it.
Earlier I mentioned how Switch Tre’s are a P-Rod staple, well regular ones are too. You know the Javier Sarmiento Frontside Flip where he pauses time with the catch? You know the one. That’s how Paul caught this Tre Flip. It hits his feet and is just glued there. Special.
Sometimes parts have an after-black ender, try an after-black part. Trent McClung seemed to have closed the curtains in Primitive’s Never video, but then Paul got in on the action. I can’t remember anyone else doing a Switch back Smith Switch Back 3, that’s a wild one. It has just the right amount of pivot…
P-Rod kicks off DEFINE. and his presence is felt immediately. Huge shoutout to Alan Hannon for the song choice, reusing “Made You Look” was incredible, we dove deeper into that in this interview. This shifty flip over the can might not be the most mind-blowing clip in this part of Paul’s, but I think that’s what stood out about it. It almost seems out of character for him, and I like that. Also, Bailey Schreiner got in there with the fish got an amazing photo of this one.
Rewatching these parts was incredibly fun, and something that I think everyone should take the time to do. I feel like Paul has set the bar and shown everyone what a professional skateboarder can accomplish, huge congrats to you, P-Rod! Let me know whose video parts I should revisit next…
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