Paul Rodriguez reps The Valley. HARD.
Interesting tidbit: Casanova and I both grew up in the San Fernando Valley, a northern suburb of Los Angeles County that’s just a stone’s throw away from the bright lights and fast cars of Los Angeles and Hollywood itself. Take Sepulveda or the 405 freeway 10 minutes south over the hill, and you’re transported to the glitz and glamour that couldn’t be any more different from the working-class leanings of the Valley.
Everyone that grows up in the Valley dreams of escaping it. It’s not the prettiest or most exciting place in the world, but it’s still one very important thing to us: it’s home. And it’s home to P-Rod as well, who’s pretty much the ebola virus on four wheels (read: he’s NASTY on a skateboard, son).
Hypebeast interviewed P-Rod briefly about his new store, Primitive, located in the good ol’ SFV. More words and pics after the jump.
“I still live and skate in the same general area where I grew up. I love where I live, So it made sense to open the store here (San Fernando Valley).” – Paul Rodriguez on Primitive
P-Rod actually went to Bishop Alemany High School, a rival of my alma mater Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. My friend used to tell me stories about how he’d stunt at school with his Mercedes CL500 (keep in mind he was only 17 or 18 at the time, and just turned pro) but would still throw down for sessions with the other kids there. That’s illy.
We here at the Steel Closet never forget our roots, and we’re ardent supporters of those who do the same. P-Rod’s definitely doing it huge now, as the posterchild for Nike SB and darling of the X-Games, but considering how easy and trendy it would have been for him to open up shop on Melrose or Fairfax or something similar, it’s sick to see kids who graduated from The Valley still repping it and holding it down.
BONUS: Video interview from skateboard.com @ Primitive’s Grand Opening party. (Vid would be embedded, but the server seems to hate me and refuses to do it).
Primitive
17060 Ventura Blvd., Encino CA 91316
Photos by way of hypebeast.com
Video by way of skateboard.com
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[...] Hundreds hits up the Primitive shop, with a futuristic-meets-ancient-ruins interior design. That’s another point for the Valley. [...]
The Steel Closet | A Blog for Fashion, Film, Food and Friends| Have You Got Any Soul? added these pithy words on Nov 03 08 at 11:36 amAdd a Comment
