PATRICK RYAN

INTERVIEW BY CHRISTIAN HOSOI

PHOTOS BY ERIC GROFF & JAY SMILEDGE & WILLY SIONS

Little Patrick has some serious skills combined with a natural fluent style. He's one of those kids who was just born to ride. With access to the pools and concrete of Huntington Beach, Patrick lives and breathes skateboarding. This is just a taste of things to come for this young ripper.

What’s up, Patrick?
Hello.

Are you getting ready to skate?
Yeah.

I’m just going to start asking you some questions, all right, Patrick?
Yeah.

Right on. So how old are you?
I’m 8 years old.

Man. You are young.
Thanks.

When did you start skateboarding?
I started skateboarding when I was six.

You’ve been skating for two years?
Yeah.

What got you interested in skateboarding?
Watching the “Dogtown” documentary.

Watching the “Dogtown” documentary?
Yeah. I watched it like a hundred times.

Do you have a favorite character in the movie?
I liked Jay Adams and Tony Alva.

What’s your favorite part of the movie?
The pool part.

The one at the end?
Yeah.

So I know you have a ramp in your backyard, but what is your favorite skate spot?
I have a couple. I skate the Santa Monica Park, Vans, Etnies and Chino.

I know you skate everything. You skate street, pools, and ramps but is there anything that’s your favorite?
No, not really. Everything is my favorite.

So you are an all-around skater then?
Yeah.

Is there anything else you like to do besides skateboard?
No not really.

Just skateboard, huh?
Yep.

Do you have any favorite pros or amateurs that you look up to?
Yeah. I like you, Christian, Omar Hassan, Austin Seaholm, Ryan Sheckler, and Tony Alva.

Are there any amateurs that you like?
I like David Loy and Chris Shmeka.

What are you going to be when you grow up?
A pro.

A pro huh? You’re just going to skateboard for the rest of your life?
Yeah.

All right. You know, when I was your age, I said the exact same thing. I said, “I’m going to be a skateboarder the rest of my life.” And here I am, 38 years old, and I still skateboard. How about the mega ramp? Are you going to do the mega ramp?
I don’t know.

I think you could probably bust it next year. Do you think you want to try it?
Yeah.

What kind of new tricks are you working on right now?
Right now I’m working on heelflips and rails.

Do you have a favorite trick?
I like to do frontside airs out of a pool.

I like backside ollies. Do you have one that you like the most?
No. I don’t have one that I like the most.

So I know you come to church. Why do you come to church? I know you told me this once.
I come to church because I want to.

That’s a good enough reason right there. So if you could have anything in the whole world, what would it be?
Going pro.

Going pro, huh? When do you think you’re going to turn pro? How old do you think you’ll be?
Um, like, 29.

[Laughs.] 29. Well, I guarantee it’s going to be a lot sooner than that. I turned pro at fourteen.
Whoa!

Yeah. I think you are going to be pro even before that, depending on how much passion and determination you have and how bad you really want it. How bad do you want to be pro?
Real bad, bad bad.

I know you’re going to get there even sooner than I did. Do you have any sponsors?
I have a couple of sponsors. Element, Etnies, Momentum Surf Shop, S-One Helmets, Z-Flex Griptape and Bones Wheels.

Do you want to give thanks to your family, and anyone who has helped you in your skateboard career?
Well, mostly my dad and mom. Thanks to Ryan Dewitt, Mark Holder of Etnies, Butch Sturbins of Z-flex, Juice Magazine, Michael Furukawa from Bones and Evan Caples, and you, Christian.

Is there anything else you want to say?
No.

All right. It was good talking to you. Go skate, and have fun.
Okay. Thanks.

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