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Skater Paul Rodriguez at the Dew Tour in Portland, Ore.

Added on by Thomas Boyd.

I have to admit, I had never heard of Paul Rodriquez until I shot the Dew Tour. The only skater I'd heard of to that point was Shaun White and Tony Hawk. I know that's really lame, but I just don't follow the sport. I've never skated in my life. I found out right away this cat is famous in the skating world. A bus load of mostly women (girls?) and boys followed him through the crowd asking him for his autograph after he won. I followed him into the portable NBC Sports studio and shot him waiting for the live television interview. The producers herded the fans into the studio and prompted them cheer on command. The whole thing was surreal. One thing for sure though, what these guys do on a skateboard is nothing short of magical. They have courage and skill beyond my comprehension.

Paul Rodriguez signs autographs after winning the  Skateboard Park Finals on the third day of the Dew Tour competition at the Rose Garden in Aug. 13, 2010, in Portland, Ore.. Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian