RODRIGO’S FIRST DAY IN LA — With Colin Kennedy, 1999

I recently spent a few days filming with Rodrigo TX in the streets of LA and it reminded me of the first time I met him way back in September of 1999. At the time this footage was shot I was working for 411VM and Bob Burnquist had called me up to see if I could film with one of his new Firm team riders, an unknown fifteen-year-old kid from Brazil named Rodrigo Teixeira. Bob is the kind of guy who knows a great skater when he sees one so of course I said yes, and that afternoon I met up with Bob and Rodrigo in downtown LA.

When we met up, Bob had to act as an interpreter for Rodrigo because he didn’t speak any English. We skated around DTLA for an hour or so before the afternoon was cut short by an unfortunate rolled ankle. In that brief session, I caught a glimpse of the legendary skater Rodrigo would eventually become. It’s crazy to think that this footage is from his very first day skating in Los Angeles, if not his first day skating in the U.S. —Colin Kennedy