Paul Rodriguez was born on December 31, 1984 in the city of Tarzana, CA. He grew up in Chatsworth, CA and received his first skateboard at the age of 13 from his father, famous comedian Paul Rodriguez. Three years later, at the age of 16, Paul was already skating competitively. He began gaining recognition by appearing in skateboarding videos distributed by a friend. In 2002, Paul officially turned pro upon joining Girl Skateboard Company and was named the 2002 Rookie of the Year by Transworld Skateboarding Magazine. He performed at the X Games for the first time in 2003, where he competed in the Street competition and won a bronze medal. He performed again the following year in 2004, and this time he took home the gold.
In 2004, Paul made history as the first professional skateboarder to be recognized by Nike with a signature shoe. In addition, he was also the first Hispanic. So far, Nike has released seven shoe series under the Paul Rodriguez name, the latest being the Nike SB Paul Rodriguez IV. Other sponsorships include Mountain Dew, Amp'd Mobile, Plan B Skateboards, Silver Trucks, Hubba Wheels and many more.
In addition to skateboarding, Paul Rodriguez has also appeared in various movies and TV shows, including "The Brothers Garcia," Street Dreams, and Vicious Cycle. He has also appeared in the Tony Hawk video game series.
Paul Rodriguez's Career Highlights
2002 - Paul Rodriguez becomes pro, signing with Girl Skateboard Company
2002 - Rookie of the Year, Transworld Skateboarding Magazine
2003 - Bronze Medal, X Games
2004 - Nike offers signature shoe line to Paul Rodriguez
2004/2005 - Gold Medal, X Games
2004/2005 - GvR Contest Winner
2008 - Silver Medal, X Games
2008 - Baltimore Stop Champion
2008 - Maloof Cup Champion
2009 - Silver Medal at Tampa Stop
