History of Paul Rodriguez (skateboarder) in Timeline

Paul Rodriguez, nicknamed P-Rod, is a celebrated American professional street skateboarder and actor. He is best known for his achievements in skateboarding, particularly his success at the X Games. Rodriguez has secured a total of eight X Games medals, including four gold. His most recent gold medal win was in Los Angeles in July 2012. He is a prominent figure in the skateboarding world.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

December 31, 1984: Paul Rodriguez's Birth

On December 31, 1984, Paul Martin Rodriguez, also known as P-Rod, was born. He later became an American professional street skateboarder and actor.

1988: Meeting Mr. T

In 1988, around the age of three and a half or four, Paul Rodriguez met Mr. T at a Christmas Day parade in Pasadena, California. Mr. T carried Rodriguez on his shoulders amidst his gold chains when Rodriguez needed to go to the bathroom.

1999: DNA Skateboards Sponsorship

In 1999, Paul Rodriguez's first company sponsor was DNA Skateboards, and he appeared in their video Microanalysis.

September 2002: Joins Girl Skateboards and turns pro

In September 2002, Paul Rodriguez joined Girl Skateboards and turned professional. Eric Koston, whom Rodriguez called his all-time favorite skateboarder, asked him to join the team.

2002: Rodriguez receives "Rookie of the Year" award

In 2002, Paul Rodriguez received the "Rookie of the Year" award from the Transworld SKATEboarding publication.

2002: Featured in Transworld Skateboarding's In Bloom Video

In 2002, Paul Rodriguez was featured in Transworld Skateboarding's video, In Bloom, which showcased talented skaters at the start of their careers.

2002: First Pro Board Release

In 2002, Rodriguez's debut signature skateboard with Girl was released, featuring the original Girl logo, his name (written in English), and the Spanish word "Muchachita".

2005: Primitive established

Around 2005, the Primitive retail store was established in Los Angeles.

2005: First Signature Nike Shoe

In 2005, Paul Rodriguez released his first signature Nike shoe following his departure from éS Footwear.

2006: Primitive established

Around 2006, the Primitive retail store was established in Los Angeles.

July 27, 2008: Primitive store opening

The Primitive store officially opened on July 27, 2008, as a retail outlet that also sells products outside of skateboarding subculture.

2008: Launch of Primitive Skateboarding

In 2008, Paul Rodriguez launched Primitive Skateboarding.

August 13, 2010: Joins Target Sponsorship Ranks

On August 13, 2010, Target announced that Paul Rodriguez had joined its sponsorship ranks, becoming the second professional skateboarder to have a sponsorship deal with Target.

August 2010: Rodriguez's family life

As of August 2010, Paul Rodriguez's partner was Rainbow Alexander, and they are the parents of daughter Heaven Love.

2010: Release of Me, Myself, and I

In 2010, Paul Rodriguez released a solo Plan B video part, entitled Me, Myself, and I.

December 2011: Transworld SKATEboarding names Rodriguez one of the most influential skaters

In December 2011, Transworld SKATEboarding selected Paul Rodriguez for the thirtieth position of its "30 Most Influential Skaters of All Time" list.

July 2012: X Games Victory

In July 2012, Paul Rodriguez won a gold medal at the X Games in Los Angeles, California. This was one of his eight X Games medals, four of which were gold.

September 2012: Welcomes Luan Oliviera to Nike

In September 2012, Paul Rodriguez was responsible for welcoming Luan Oliviera to Nike.

2012: Participation in AT&T Competition

In 2012, Paul Rodriguez participated in a competition with AT&T that allowed the winner to participate in the filming of a promotional video featuring Rodriguez. The video also featured Manny Santiago and was directed by Nigel Alexander.

February 2013: Departure from City Stars

In February 2013, Paul Rodriguez explained that he quit City Stars before they spent money to print up his signature skateboard deck, featuring his name on the grill of a Mercedes-Benz.

February 2013: Rodriguez admires Tupac

In February 2013, Paul Rodriguez revealed that he admires Tupac Shakur and would like a skateboard deck graphic featuring Shakur.

February 2013: Favorite deck graphic reveal

In February 2013, Rodriguez identified his debut professional signature skateboard with Girl as his favorite deck graphic of all time.

February 2013: Favorite skateboard graphics

In February 2013, an interview revealed that seven out of Rodriguez's top ten skateboard graphics of all time are Plan B Rodriguez signature designs. A Plan B and Nike SB collaboration, a Bruce Lee "Fury" deck, and a Muhammad Ali deck were included in the list.

April 2013: Rodriguez names Tom Penny as influential

In April 2013, Paul Rodriguez mentioned that Tom Penny, Eric Koston and Andrew Reynolds were some of the skateboarders he considered influential in his career.

April 2013: Reflecting on his time with Girl

In April 2013, Rodriguez explained that he "loved" his time with the Girl company and considered them a lifelong sponsor before receiving contact from Danny Way to join Plan B.

April 2013: Rodriguez describes himself as a "certified workaholic"

In an April 2013 interview, Paul Rodriguez described himself as a "certified workaholic", and stated that skateboarding and fatherhood are his primary concerns in life.

July 2013: Confirms Departure from Plan B

In July 2013, Paul Rodriguez confirmed his departure from Plan B during a radio interview with Big Boi on Los Angeles' Power 106. He stated he is seeking to "own a little bit more of myself."

July 2013: Interview about skateboarding passion

In a July 2013 interview, Rodriguez admitted that as a child, he slept with new skateboard products because of his passion for skateboarding. He also admitted that he slept with his first Street League Skateboarding (SLS) trophy.

July 16, 2013: Signs of departure from Plan B

As of July 16, 2013, Paul Rodriguez's personal website had removed the Plan B logo, and he rode a skateboard deck with the Plan B logo painted over during a Street League Skateboarding contest in Portland, Oregon.

November 2013: Rodriguez resides in Northridge, California

As of November 2013, Paul Rodriguez resides in Northridge, California.

December 2013: Nyjah Huston's opinion on Rodriguez

In December 2013, Nyjah Huston provided his opinion on Paul Rodriguez.

2013: Rodriguez Foregoes Tampa Pro to Visit Grandmother

In 2013, Paul Rodriguez chose to visit his grandmother after her cancer diagnosis, foregoing the Tampa Pro contest. He only trusted Berra to accompany him to his grandmother's home during this visit in 2013.

2013: Joining Girl Skateboards described as a dream come true

In a 2013 interview, Rodriguez described being asked to join the Girl team by Eric Koston as the most significant event in his skateboarding career, as it was "the moment that my dream happened."

2013: Release of Paul Rodriguez 7

In mid-2013, Paul Rodriguez released his seventh signature model shoe, entitled the "Paul Rodriguez 7," with Nike. It was designed with Shawn Carboy, and its primary feature is impact protection.

March 2014: Ownership of Plan B

In March 2014, it was noted that the Plan B skateboard deck brand was under the ownership and guidance of original riders Danny Way and Colin McKay.

April 2014: Rodriguez Identified as President of Primitive

In April 2014, Paul Rodriguez was identified as the president of Primitive, with Netkin as CEO and founder, and Jubal Jones as creative director.

April 2014: Primitive Apparel popularity

In April 2014, it was noted that the popularity of Primitive Apparel grew rapidly.

April 2014: Primitive Skateboarding established

In April 2014, the Primitive brand expanded into a skateboard deck company called "Primitive Skateboarding".

May 2014: Eighth Nike skate shoe model release

In May 2014, Rodriguez released his eighth skate shoe model with Nike.

May 2014: Release of The P-ROD 8

In May 2014, Rodriguez's eighth signature shoe "The P-ROD 8" was released. It features three of Nike's shoe technology developments: "Lunarlon", "Flywire" and "Hyperscreen".

May 25, 2014: Promotion of P-ROD 8 with Lance Mountain

On May 25, 2014, Paul Rodriguez and Lance Mountain promoted the P-ROD 8 in a video interview, discussing the history of Nike shoes in skateboarding culture. Rodriguez described himself as a "Jordan baby" and explained that the shoe is an "homage" to his childhood influences.

June 2014: Managed by Circe Wallace

As of June 2014, Paul Rodriguez is managed by Circe Wallace.

June 2014: Rodriguez owns skateboard brands

As of June 2014, Paul Rodriguez owns or invests in skateboard brands Primitive, Markisa, and Andale, the latter in partnership with Joey Brezinski.

June 2014: Rodriguez's perspective on the future

In June 2014, following the launch of his own skateboard deck company, Primitive Skateboarding, and his eighth signature shoe with Nike, Rodriguez shared his perspective on the future.

June 2014: Rodriguez on entrepreneurship

In a June 2014 interview, Paul Rodriguez said he is a "young, beginning entrepreneur learning the ropes", highlighting the importance of finding passionate people.

June 24, 2014: Pappalardo encourages Habitat to recruit Rodriguez

On June 24, 2014, Anthony Pappalardo stated that he encouraged Joe Castrucci, cofounder of the Habitat skateboard brand, to recruit Rodriguez before he was officially sponsored, but Castrucci declined.

December 16, 2014: Details about personal skateboarding park

On December 16, 2014, Rodriguez revealed that his personal skateboarding park is scheduled for remodeling. He also stated that his daily caffeine fix brings "happiness," and that the only time his mind is clear is while he is skateboarding.

2014: One of four Nike athletes with eight signature shoes

In 2014, Paul Rodriguez was informed by a Nike executive that he is one of only four Nike athletes to have produced eight signature shoe models, along with Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. Rodriguez stated that he feels intertwined with Nike and that their stories are together.

2014: Magical time at City Stars

In 2014, Rodriguez described his time at City Stars as "the most magical," noting the contagious enthusiasm and passion of the team.

2014: Rodriguez Explains Song Choice

In 2014, Rodriguez explained that he was initially opposed to Kareem Campbell's use of the Jackson 5 song "I Want You Back" for his part in the video Street Cinema but conceded that he "was oblivious to the statement he [Campbell] was trying to make by choosing that song."

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February 2015: Signature Sunglasses Model

In February 2015, Paul Rodriguez's signature sunglasses model was released with Glassy Sunhaters, a brand co-owned by Mike Mo Capaldi.

January 19, 2016: Sponsorships

As of January 19, 2016, Paul Rodriguez is sponsored by Primitive Skateboarding, Nike Skateboarding, Target, Nixon Watches, Incase Designs, Primitive Skateshop, Glassy Sunhaters, Markisa, Venture, and Andalé Bearings.