I've watched my fair share of skateboard videos over the past two decades and a lot of them just kind of all blend together, but I was really floored when someone slipped a random short segment of P.J. Ladd into the VCR here at éS Footwear. It was a promo clip from a then-unreleased video called P.J. Ladd's Wonderful, Horrible Life made by Coliseum—a shop in Boston P.J. rides for. I was instantly taken aback by the very technical tricks P.J. was clicking off with way natural ease, maximum momentum and total power. It was almost comical. I had never heard of him before that minute, but P.J. Ladd is a definite standout in my mind now.

Twenty-one year old Patrick John Ladd hails from Rockland, Massachusetts, where he started skating in 1990. Early on, P.J. found a lot of inspiration from the Plan B team—a unit he still holds in high regard. P.J. has always been a well-rounded skater—treating vert ramps, bowls, flatland and anything else with the same enthusiasm as a huge staircase or ledge. He has even clocked in session time at classic Boston area old school spots like Turtles, The Metals and the Boston Hospital volcano. Surprisingly—even after joining the esteemed teams of Flip and éS—P.J. has no plans to make the typical move to California anytime soon: "I don't know—it's back and forth, you know? A lot of back and forth," he comments on his frequent Boston-to-LA visits.

"Not necessarily a contest-style skater, P.J. does the most obscure tricks in the world and makes them look fantastic, like kickflip feeble grinds down handrails."—Paul Zitzer, monsterskate.com P.J. is known as something of a recluse, skating by himself more often than not. He is obsessed—almost haunted—by skateboarding. He can't stop thinking about it—new trick ideas and dream spots constantly occupy his head—and twelve hour sessions from noon to midnight with few breaks are not uncommon. It's P.J.'s deep love of (and dedication to) skateboarding, as well as his outstanding, one-of-a-kind tech ability maintained at high speeds that has recently landed him on the ever-exclusive éS team. Not just anyone can get on éS—it's a very elite team featuring only the world's best skateboarders. That should say a lot about P.J. Ladd right there. He's a mind-blower—you'll definitely be hearing more about this young lad in the future.