Digital Social Hour | Paul Rodriguez Explains Why Social Media Made Skating Progress EXPLODE

Episode #1804, February 2, 2026
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Paul Rodriguez ("P-Rod")

Episode Overview

In this vibrant and candid episode, pro skateboarder Paul Rodriguez—one of the most influential figures in street skating—joins host Sean Kelly in Los Angeles to discuss how social media has rapidly accelerated the evolution of skateboarding, the business realities for pros, the nuances of competition, and the ever-adaptive spirit of skate culture. The conversation is packed with personal anecdotes, thoughts on innovation and resilience, and reflections on skateboarding’s place in today’s culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sneaker Launch and Skate Business (00:35 – 02:49)

• Paul's New Sneaker Release:
  Paul details the re-release of his iconic P Rod 1 Nike SB sneaker, originally launched in 2005, sharing behind-the-scenes challenges:

  • Nike discards shoe molds after 5 years, so the team had to reverse-engineer the design from an old pair he’d saved.
    • “For them, it was actually harder to remake this shoe again than it was just to make a shoe from scratch.” (01:55, Paul Rodriguez)

• Making a Living in Skateboarding:

  • Rodriguez highlights that most skaters rely on sponsorships, apparel, and product collaborations, as contest payouts are limited.
    • “...In our world, that's really where we make our living.” (02:12, Paul Rodriguez)
    • “These are definitely like passion sports for sure...The industry isn't big enough to support as many people.” (04:53, Paul Rodriguez)

2. The Subjectivity and Challenges of Skateboarding as a Spectator Sport (05:12 – 09:05)

• Understanding Skateboarding’s Mass Appeal and Limitations:

  • Skateboarding attracts a massive young audience but suffers as a spectator sport due to its complexity and subjectivity.
    • "With skateboarding, it's hard to tell because it's subjective. You can see a trick, you might not understand why it was difficult..." (05:39, Paul Rodriguez)

• Scoring and Competition Innovations:

  • Discussion of new competition formats (like the PSL) to make skateboarding more digestible by using ‘horse’ or baseball-inspired innings, shifting toward skills-matching between contestants.
    • “...One guy has to do a trick and then the guy on the other team has to do that exact same trick...it's like a strike, three strikes and they switch over...after three or four rounds, then you find out who has the most points.” (07:13–08:01, Paul Rodriguez)

• Should Finesse Matter in Scoring?

  • Rodriguez thinks making tough tricks look easy is a sign of mastery and should be factored into judging.
    • “I think the best people in any field...are the people who can make something very difficult look easy...that shows they've really reached a level of mastery.” (08:36, Paul Rodriguez)

3. AI Judging & The “Sport-Art Hybrid” (10:25 – 11:53)

• Paul is curious about AI’s potential for nuanced skate judging, noting that skateboarding is as much art as sport.
  • “In skateboarding...it's more relatable to music than it would be to sports, in my opinion. It takes athleticism, but it's really an art.” (10:25, Paul Rodriguez)
• Compares differing yet masterful styles to Jimi Hendrix vs. Mozart—subjective but equally valid.

4. Cultural Impact and Icons (12:49 – 14:16)

• Acknowledges Tony Hawk as a mainstream icon who changed public perception, even if he personally skates a different style.
  • “He's the reason why a lot of us have careers today...there is no, in my opinion, there's no right or wrong answer. Tony's your favorite. Tony's your favorite.” (12:59, Paul Rodriguez)

5. The Mentality of a Lifelong Skater (14:19 – 16:23)

• Obsessive Passion:
  • Even today, Rodriguez habitually scouts potential skate spots.
    • “...when I walk up any set of stairs, I count them. It's just like a habit...” (14:19, Paul Rodriguez)
• Shares story of clearing a 15-stair set with a 360 flip, emphasizing both physical thrill and the perception of time while performing big tricks.

6. Acceleration of Skill: The Social Media Effect (16:23 – 18:11)

• How Social Media Exploded Skate Progression:
  • Social feeds expose skaters to new tricks daily, quickening the learning curve and sense of what’s possible.
    • “Now social media, every single day a brand new video is dropping...so every day these kids now are seeing something new...so I think they're processing...on hyperspeed.” (17:10, Paul Rodriguez)
    • “By the time you wake up tomorrow, what the level was yesterday is now a little bit higher.” (17:50, Paul Rodriguez)

7. Constant Adaptation: No “Standard Court” (18:17 – 20:16)

• Unlike traditional sports, skateboarding courses (especially in street skating) constantly change, requiring intricate adaptation to surfaces, textures, and environments.

8. Life Lessons from Skating (22:43 – 24:25)

• Resilience and Grittiness:
  • Skateboarding is an education in falling and getting back up—an analogy for perseverance in life.
    • “...you have to fall and get up, you have to fail over and over and over until you succeed.” (23:40, Paul Rodriguez)
• Even at his level, mistakes outnumber successes:
  • “Even no matter what level you're on, most likely you mess up way more every day than you land.” (23:57, Paul Rodriguez)
  • “If you're not messing up more than you're succeeding, then you're not challenging yourself enough.” (24:10, Paul Rodriguez)

9. Still Getting Better, Always Pushing (25:14 – 25:42)

• Despite age, Rodriguez feels he’s continually improving technically.
  • “I really do. In different ways...I'm definitely pushing myself in different ways. Technically.” (25:15, Paul Rodriguez)

10. Hardest Challenge: The Five-Year Trick (25:46 – 27:12)

• Nollie Front Foot Flip Crooked Grind:
  • Took him around five years of intermittent effort to land and film this pioneering move.
    • “I was the first one to do that one.” (27:08, Paul Rodriguez)
    • “That was a great feeling...and I never did it again.” (27:12, Paul Rodriguez)

11. Innovation and the Modern Scene (27:34 – 28:18)

• New tricks now emerge as fresh combinations or applications—“reiterations” on classic moves.

12. Staying Inspired and Motivated (28:21 – 29:56)

• Surrounds himself with younger, ambitious skaters to keep motivated and evolving. Admits to natural waves of burnout but has learned to ride them out.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “For them, it was actually harder to remake this shoe again than it was just to make a shoe from scratch.”
  (01:55, Paul Rodriguez)
• “With skateboarding, it's hard to tell because it's subjective...It's kind of a language that you have to learn.”
  (05:39, Paul Rodriguez)
• “I think the best people in any field...are the people who can make something very difficult look easy.”
  (08:36, Paul Rodriguez)
• “In skateboarding...it’s more relatable to music than it would be to sports...There’s no right or wrong.”
  (10:25, Paul Rodriguez)
• “Now social media, every single day a brand new video is dropping...these kids now are seeing something new that hasn’t been done happen every single day.”
  (17:10, Paul Rodriguez)
• “You have to fall and get up, you have to fail over and over and over until you succeed.”
  (23:40, Paul Rodriguez)
• “Even no matter what level you’re on, most likely you mess up way more every day than you land.”
  (23:57, Paul Rodriguez)

Other Highlights & Timestamps

• On the Evolution of Skateboarding and Its Perception: (21:40 – 22:43)
  The stigma surrounding skating has faded, with skateboarding now as common as traditional sports, especially in California.

• The Mental and Physical Demands of the Sport: (23:40 – 24:25)
  Falling—and learning from those falls—is an essential part of becoming a great skater.

• Paul’s Lifelong Focus: (30:12 – 31:19)
  Despite having other interests (like boxing and Muay Thai), Paul stays devoted to skating, knowing his one-track dedication drives his excellence.

• Brief Boxing Tangent: (31:19 – 36:22)
  Paul discusses his fandom of boxing, thoughts on Canelo vs. Crawford, and the growing spectacle of influencer fights—demonstrating his passion for high-level athleticism in general.

• Where to Find Paul's Products and Support Him: (36:27 – 36:57)
  “You can find my shoes at any local skate shop...and online at Nike...You can check out my brand, Primitive Skateboards and Apparel at any local skate shop as well.”

Conclusion

Paul Rodriguez delivers a wealth of insight into the lived reality of modern professional skateboarding, explaining how social media has exploded progression, how scoring and competition may evolve, why resilience is so critical, and how ongoing adaptation is part of the skater’s ethos. His energy and devotion are contagious, and the episode offers rare, grounded wisdom for enthusiasts and newcomers alike.