Nothing makes me happier than seeing the condition of present day PJ’s shoes. It tells you a lot about the man. Forever respect for PJ. One of the few true innovators.
About 20 years ago, I was at a house party with a friend who was an incredible skater (and skate nerd) - we were talking skate stuff and he mentioned Pj Ladd's Wonderful, Horrible Life part. As we sipped the cheapest beer available to us at the time, he boldly noted 'nobody will be that good for 10 - 20 years. It's that good.' I remember being shocked at the statement, then instantly excited to see what he was talking about. Needless to say, I, like many others, had it on repeat for many years attempting to replicate those shifty tricks. I have rewatched it several times over the past 2 decades. 'Nobody will be that good for 10 years' was an outrageous statement. Technical skateboarding progresses at a rate that '10 years' doesn't fit into any logical equation, barriers are broken monthly - anyway, he was pretty much right. Thank you PJ and Storied for making this.
I think that P.J. has released more information than Tom Penny, but I do hope that Tom Penny does something similar to this one day. A full-on retrospective with him speaking about it. One can only hope and pray :) I am grateful for P.J.!
I was lucky enough to be a 14 year old kid living in Boston who was just getting serious about skateboarding when Wonderful Horrible Life came out. My Dad lived walking distance from the Coliseum in Back Bay and it became my de facto shop. After the video hit, for my friends and I, WHL became our bible. The spots we skated. The tricks we wanted to do. The pride we felt about being skaters from Boston. It had a huge impact on our lives at the time. We'd occasionally see PJ skating at Window Sills or Skater's Island and just watch in awe as he would riffle off insane ledge tricks, humbly keeping to himself. He was celebrity-status in our eyes. Nowadays I'm much older and living in Cali but I still skate. I ran into PJ at a park a couple years ago. After sitting down and watching in awe for a little bit (just like I used to), I went up and said something like "I don't usually do this but I just wanted to say how much that video meant to me as a young skater from Boston." We chatted for a bit longer and he was so cool and gracious about it. Made me appreciate how rare it is in life to be in the right place at the right time. Glad I got to experience this special part of skateboard history on a personal level.
I never comment on TH-cam videos, but had to say something here. This video came out when I was 16. I wasn't skateboarding when Questionable or Second Hand Smoke came out, but I'd imagine the impact was the same. The tricks PJ was doing were unfathomable at the time. His style, trick selection, the editing and soundtrack - it was all so iconic. I'm staring down 40, and I still listen to Pulp's "Like a Friend" regularly. Thank you PJ and thank you Storied for sending this old man on a trip down memory lane. Also, the humility of PJ at the end of this and wanting to highlight the rest of the team speaks volumes to his character. And he wasn't lying - Ryan Gallant's part (and others) were so good, too. Beautifully done, Storied!
I could not have said it any better, i was also 16 when this came out, and you’re right, it was unfathomable. Cheers brother. Thank you PJ. Thank you Storied.
Being so inundated with footage these days, it’s hard to describe what it was like seeing this video for the first time. My brother got it for his birthday from some kid at his party. I popped it in and it set off a bomb in my mind. I must’ve watched it four times and it transformed the way I approached skating. Thanks for this! Tapped back into that energy for sure.
What makes that line stand out to me is the fact that he picked maybe the hardest trick to try on that ledge. There's no end to help with the spin or anything, there's literally a window behind it. Ridiculous.
I never like when you can tell the line supposed to keep going but in this case it looks just so good the push and then black screen, gives goosebumps. ❤
I used to say his part was so good they couldn’t decide what trick to be his last. So a push would have to do. PS I still emulate that push to this day.
Crazy crazy story: I went to high school with PJ and knew his dad well because I buy auto parts at his dad's shop, EB Ladd's. Anyway, his dad asked me to talk to PJ, Because he was literally skipping school and skating the band stand right im front of the school. I literally stopped PJ one day and said, hey man, you gotta knock this off. You're literally skipping school and skating right out front. I mean it's blatant isn't it? I remember him respecting me saying something to him, but I also told him. "Come on man. It's not like you're gonna make any money at this!" I'M SO GLAD HE PROVED ME WRONG! I always thought PJ was such a good kid. So proud of you man! -Matt Arnold
Ayeeee I know this is a true story cause you mentioned the Rockland high band stand. PJ really was legendary back then, I grew up down the street from him. Nicest guy, we were a few years younger and he would give us boards and lend us vhs skate tapes. We all looked up to him. I have never seen a more talented skater in person and it's no surprise he went on to such great things.
@@destructionman1 its a real word and some people actually used it correctly for decades and probably centuries before people used it too much and often incorrectly ... it wasnt popular yet ... that wins the internet for the dumbest thing ill read today im sure , congrats !
So on point when he's talking about the pure skate energy of the video. The hometown videos we made as kids had that same energy. PJWHL and Chomp On This were huge inspirations. It wasn't just about the tricks, but the extra footage, the funny clips you got while filming the tricks, the random stuff you'd quote years later.
I was 15 when his video came out. I remember never seeing anything like it before... My friend and I would watch it every morning really early before going out and skating. To this day, anytime "Like A Friend" comes on my playlist it makes me want to grab my board and go push the limits. I still have the blue VHS. Nothing still has topped what that video did to influence my skateboarding growing up. Thank you PJ for positively effecting my skateboarding in such an impactful way.
I had the pleasure of skating with PJ at the USC ledges before they put the sand. I was teenager tripping that he and I were goin back & fourth practicing flat ground tricks. We’d clap for eachothers make. Such a humble dude, recognized him from like a block away just by the way he pushed & looked. My friend was like wtf ? 😅 I was and still am a big fan
The fact that i was watching this video in the early 2000's on the other side of the planet, is truly a testament on what kind of reach & impact it had. Remember there wasnt TH-cam or social media back then, and information in general travelled slower because the majority of people didnt use internet. If you ask me, PJ Ladds Wonderful Horrible Life is on the same class as This Is Skateboarding, Sorry or Baker 3. ✌️
This skate video changed my life when I was young. That sounds exaggerative but that’s the best description I can explain. Me and my cousin watched this video a thousand times minimum. It was so influential! Thank you all who was in this skate vid!
I'm very grateful that i got an opportunity to see the video close to the time it released. As 8 million people have said, it was soooo ahead of its time. I'd watch the entirety of the video. Gallant and Rogers are both insanely good, Alexis had the best street footage I'd seen of a female skater skating street, the dude who did the sketchy fs flip down the 12, then (naturally) PJ. I really like the bit about how it was organic and just what they were doing anyway, it was just on film. It has a very natural pacing/vibe/ whatever. Last part of my novella: Ryan talking about a teenage PJ flying through the streets of Boston, at night, destroying everything in his path, then disappearing into the night like Batman just adds to the lore 😅
I get grew up in MA. We used to see PJ all the time as little groms. One of the craziest times was when me and a friend pretended to go to school but skated instead. 7AM in the freezing cold winter we go to some ledges. PJ is already there sweating and doing the craziest stuff alone. After the WHL video I moved to CA. Then I used to see him everywhere here as he got much bigger. Always a class act. Always progressing. Thanks for all the inspiration PJ
Incredible homage to one of the most iconic productions. You remember those living room video premieres with all of your friends, and you never forget PJ Ladd’s Wonderful Horrible Life!
Skaters, punks, real rebels of any kind, will always find what's true and genuine. PJ is as real and humble as it gets, and that, combined with the most extreme level of talent and ability anyone could hope for, made him an instant legend who deserved every bit of success that he's had. Dude is one of those figures who's so genuine and works so hard at what they love to do that you just can't help getting caught up in it. You ever found yourself watching a video about some random place you've never been and probably will never go to, but you're just so caught up in it that you're suddenly passionate about something you'd never even heard of 10 minutes beforehand? That's what PJ is for skating. He's just so in it, and for all the right reasons, that it's hard not to respect the hell out of the guy.
This video brings back nostalgia and a deep sadness as well. Just seeing PJ hitting those ledges draws me back to when I was like 13 and watching this to get amped up to go skating everyday.
I watched this video hundreds of times with my friends as a teenager. I remember tripping on the shifty tricks from PJ and really analyzing everything trying to understand how it was even possible. It seemed like he was opening the door to things that seemed impossible before. Legendary stuff.
I’ve been telling this to everybody for 22 years now that this is the best part ever and how much it means to me. It literally changed my life! It’s beautiful!
@@bovedli LMFAO..yeah been stoked on way better parts before and after p.j..just being honest.its a great part but not mind blowing or legendary status..but whatever floats your boat..who cares about your or my opinion.
It's so amazing to look back and see all this. Coliseum was the local shop where I bought my first board and I had the stickers for Wonderful Horrible Life all over my entertainment center in my room when it was about to come out. I remember sitting with kids at school talking about how PJ was like the best local skater and that he was better than this pro and that pro... and then he joined Flip and the whole world ended up agreeing with us.
Amazing episode, I grew up in this era, it was surreal watching Horrible Life, also to mention sablone killed it so hard - and this really changed how we saw skateboarding. At some point we all wanted to skate as clean and tech as PJ - really had a huge impact to the culture
I met PJ when I was about 14-15yrs old I went to go buy a brand new board setup at the Coliseum in Boston. Me and a group of buddies were skating the area and we seen some guy pulling off insane tricks off ledges and window sills. We thought to ourselves he’s gonna go pro instantly. Sure enough it was PJ himself. He was to himself and super chill. Even got a chance to skate with him for a bit.
Desde Chile, aquí una historia más. Fui a un skateshop con la edad de 15 o 16 años y compré este VHS sin tener ninguna información. Al llegar a casa quedé loco y desde ese día PJ ladd se convirtió en mi skater favorito. Al día de hoy, con 37 años, siento que este VHS llegó a mí como un regalo de la vida.🤘
@storied_skateboarding This video literally changed my life, I can't even lie...I teared up in the last 5 minutes. Thank you so much for this. That's a capsule in time I cannot ever forget. The wait was worth it, Storied.
This single video part was the foundation for how I carried myself as a skateboarder. I remember rocking accels for dayssss. Because pj did it. I would rock my beanies like him, I would try to time my tricks between ledges like him. It looked truly like magic
I remember when this part came out. My brother owned a small skate shop and I was a very new skater at the time but the part dropped and we got a vhs of it, a bunch of the guys watched it the day it came in and we were all cheering and oooing and aaahing. It was such a cool moment. That video played on repeat for literally months at the shop. To this day I could name every trick before it happens. Such an iconic skate part and such a nice thing to reminisce on.
This was so good when it came! We watched this continuously in Finland and tried to replicate everything from super loose crooked to ss switch tre with hard speed!
i still have this blue tape in my house. i remember as a kid when i first saw it, completely blow my mind. i skated a lot of accels because of pj, learned treflip in them and that era was so fucking gold, good old times. i ordered this board. thank you guys. truly best nostalgia for older generation 30+
I worked for skate shops between Natick and Boston 97 - early 2000’s and this whole crew of folks was around Copley, the bank and financial district all the time as we all grew up. Wish someone would do a small piece on Kyle Vadeboncoeur. Dude kind of lost his mind. RIP
I've seen a lot of amazing parts in the 25 years I've into skating but PJs part was the one time I sat there completely slack jawed at what I had seen. That last line was a thing of beauty. And Ryan Gallant's style is a thing of beauty, top 3 favorite skater for me.
I feel like it was too cuz I never saw anyone do that before, then into a half cab noseslide nollie 270 heelflip out! Two mindfucks in a row! The fakie ollie onto the curb at the start was a sick style even lol
Its crazy how technically ahead he was, his introversion allowed him to fully utilise his mind for skating or something, coupled with his work ethic made him legendary
This came out when I was in 6th grade, my homie and I watched this on repeat, couldn't even comprehend the level of tricks he was doing. In my 6th grade class we had to write an autobiography, and come up with a clever title for it. I called mine "Gerald Ericksens wonderful horrible life", and my teacher gave me bonus points for the "originality" of my title😅. One of the best skate vids/parts of all time, PJ will always have one of the best, most timeless styles, and most original and innovative trick selections
The first time I watched this video, it felt like I was watching something that was recorded in the future. The level of it was so out of this world compared to its time, and it's crazy that the part was so out of left field that PJ wasn't even considered for Skater of the Year that year. It reminded me of the first time I saw Rodney - it was just jaw-dropping.
My friends and I had to skate pretty far to get to the nearest skateshop, but we always went with whatever video they recommended. I remember buying this VHS and being unable to list off a lot of PJ's tricks. I watched it everyday for a long time and also made me a Pulp fan. Wish I never lost that blue tape.
I haven't skated serious like I did everyday before I was 14/15 years old. Got moved around a lot. But that culture and the style is still with me to this day. I won my first comp at 10 years old and got sponsored by Beach Scene Skate Shop in Longwood Florida and won my spot on their skate team. Went to a few comps and won 3rd in a statewide comp. Them my pops moved me to the boonies... Nothing to do if you didn't have a dirt bike. At least I still had my guitar. That was 200 years ago.
@@storied_skateboarding My babysitter in the 80's was a 16 year old High School kid named Matt. He had a car and would pick me up after school and take me to local half pipes and skate spots. He even took me to Kona Skate park, in the 80's... It felt like visiting heaven even though I was so small the entire park looked like a scary mountain of doom. He was my mentor and he was the coolest. He coached me for my first comp and I won as the youngest in my age group. Now we were on the same skate team. It was awesome. I miss it so much.
i am forever grateful for the skateshop dude that told me to buy this instead of the new 411 that month..... forever grateful. not to mention it was all local.
It's one of those videos that you just had to be there at that time in skateboarding history to understand. My friends and I watched that Blue VHS tape so many times over and over. Game changer for sure, hyped on getting a board. Need this for my wall!
wow thank you for this video... Really enjoyed these interviews and re-watching these clips. pretty cool to hear some raw context around the whole project and how it came about. This video truly is timeless.
The kid said one day when I asked him why he only had 3 bolts per truck (offset not mirrored for anyone curious) "to change boards faster". Legend. Pride of MA. Gallant and Bachinsky both close behind IMHO but he still holds the crown because of how much he changed the game. 🙏
Pj's nollie heel shifties are the most stylish thing ever. Nobody did them them like that after either...they could not match them. Wish this documentary was longer.
I work in Boston/Cambridge and ride my bikes all over the city. I always think of PJ Ladd whenever I'm at certain spots -- especially when I'm at Long Wharf which is a lot because I take the ferry home. PJ is also in the November 2020 street view of Nashua Street Park in Boston... face is blurred out but not many skaters wear a royal blue turban!
I’ve been anxiously awaiting for you guys to put this one out. So damn good! I remember watching this at a close friends house when it came out and I was seriously blow away.
Man I was like 11 watching that video on vhs couldn’t even Ollie at the time, but that tape showed me the levels and what was possible. Trying to show my kids anything close to that feeling now and get pumped and obsessed over whatever they’ll be into.
Nothing makes me happier than seeing the condition of present day PJ’s shoes. It tells you a lot about the man. Forever respect for PJ. One of the few true innovators.
So cool
100 % ❤
What eS model is that? I cannot ID it
@@stefanohbellote9948 those are es eric koston 1 and es accel OG (in original coliseum video)
About 20 years ago, I was at a house party with a friend who was an incredible skater (and skate nerd) - we were talking skate stuff and he mentioned Pj Ladd's Wonderful, Horrible Life part. As we sipped the cheapest beer available to us at the time, he boldly noted 'nobody will be that good for 10 - 20 years. It's that good.' I remember being shocked at the statement, then instantly excited to see what he was talking about. Needless to say, I, like many others, had it on repeat for many years attempting to replicate those shifty tricks. I have rewatched it several times over the past 2 decades. 'Nobody will be that good for 10 years' was an outrageous statement. Technical skateboarding progresses at a rate that '10 years' doesn't fit into any logical equation, barriers are broken monthly - anyway, he was pretty much right. Thank you PJ and Storied for making this.
@@hynenick so awesome, thank you!!
Pj never does interviews, super psyched for this
Thanks!
He conceded an interview to Danny Gonzales recently, check it out, he's a pretty mellow dude.
I think that P.J. has released more information than Tom Penny, but I do hope that Tom Penny does something similar to this one day. A full-on retrospective with him speaking about it. One can only hope and pray :) I am grateful for P.J.!
I was lucky enough to be a 14 year old kid living in Boston who was just getting serious about skateboarding when Wonderful Horrible Life came out. My Dad lived walking distance from the Coliseum in Back Bay and it became my de facto shop. After the video hit, for my friends and I, WHL became our bible. The spots we skated. The tricks we wanted to do. The pride we felt about being skaters from Boston. It had a huge impact on our lives at the time. We'd occasionally see PJ skating at Window Sills or Skater's Island and just watch in awe as he would riffle off insane ledge tricks, humbly keeping to himself. He was celebrity-status in our eyes. Nowadays I'm much older and living in Cali but I still skate. I ran into PJ at a park a couple years ago. After sitting down and watching in awe for a little bit (just like I used to), I went up and said something like "I don't usually do this but I just wanted to say how much that video meant to me as a young skater from Boston." We chatted for a bit longer and he was so cool and gracious about it. Made me appreciate how rare it is in life to be in the right place at the right time. Glad I got to experience this special part of skateboard history on a personal level.
Awesome
I never comment on TH-cam videos, but had to say something here. This video came out when I was 16. I wasn't skateboarding when Questionable or Second Hand Smoke came out, but I'd imagine the impact was the same. The tricks PJ was doing were unfathomable at the time. His style, trick selection, the editing and soundtrack - it was all so iconic. I'm staring down 40, and I still listen to Pulp's "Like a Friend" regularly. Thank you PJ and thank you Storied for sending this old man on a trip down memory lane. Also, the humility of PJ at the end of this and wanting to highlight the rest of the team speaks volumes to his character. And he wasn't lying - Ryan Gallant's part (and others) were so good, too. Beautifully done, Storied!
Amazing
I could not have said it any better, i was also 16 when this came out, and you’re right, it was unfathomable. Cheers brother. Thank you PJ. Thank you Storied.
Being so inundated with footage these days, it’s hard to describe what it was like seeing this video for the first time. My brother got it for his birthday from some kid at his party. I popped it in and it set off a bomb in my mind. I must’ve watched it four times and it transformed the way I approached skating. Thanks for this! Tapped back into that energy for sure.
❤️❤️❤️
The Push is the Best Ender EVER!
Iconic
What makes that line stand out to me is the fact that he picked maybe the hardest trick to try on that ledge. There's no end to help with the spin or anything, there's literally a window behind it. Ridiculous.
I never like when you can tell the line supposed to keep going but in this case it looks just so good the push and then black screen, gives goosebumps. ❤
I still remember when I started skating I always imagine that push to look stylish and good.
I used to say his part was so good they couldn’t decide what trick to be his last. So a push would have to do.
PS I still emulate that push to this day.
Crazy crazy story: I went to high school with PJ and knew his dad well because I buy auto parts at his dad's shop, EB Ladd's. Anyway, his dad asked me to talk to PJ, Because he was literally skipping school and skating the band stand right im front of the school. I literally stopped PJ one day and said, hey man, you gotta knock this off. You're literally skipping school and skating right out front. I mean it's blatant isn't it? I remember him respecting me saying something to him, but I also told him. "Come on man. It's not like you're gonna make any money at this!" I'M SO GLAD HE PROVED ME WRONG! I always thought PJ was such a good kid. So proud of you man! -Matt Arnold
Sick
Ayeeee I know this is a true story cause you mentioned the Rockland high band stand. PJ really was legendary back then, I grew up down the street from him. Nicest guy, we were a few years younger and he would give us boards and lend us vhs skate tapes. We all looked up to him. I have never seen a more talented skater in person and it's no surprise he went on to such great things.
There's no way you were saying "literally" back then, it wasn't close to being popular yet.
@@destructionman1 its a real word and some people actually used it correctly for decades and probably centuries before people used it too much and often incorrectly ... it wasnt popular yet ... that wins the internet for the dumbest thing ill read today im sure , congrats !
@@destructionman1 this was common vernacular before it became a trend
I still have the VHS and I still watch that video 👊 greetings from Italy
Awesome
Not an easy one to get done! Thanks y’all! 🎉
What wasn’t easy?
@@ItsJustRyan89In order to get an interview with him
You from the berrics?
Who are you thanking and for what? 😂
You are the best Chase!
Thank you for all the good and hard work 🔥❤
This video always brings back memories of skating in November in the midwest with the crew only wearing hoodies and everyone has a runny nose.
Hell ya
PJ Ladd's name alone is legendary
❤️
So on point when he's talking about the pure skate energy of the video. The hometown videos we made as kids had that same energy. PJWHL and Chomp On This were huge inspirations. It wasn't just about the tricks, but the extra footage, the funny clips you got while filming the tricks, the random stuff you'd quote years later.
Couldn't agree more
I was 15 when his video came out. I remember never seeing anything like it before... My friend and I would watch it every morning really early before going out and skating. To this day, anytime "Like A Friend" comes on my playlist it makes me want to grab my board and go push the limits. I still have the blue VHS. Nothing still has topped what that video did to influence my skateboarding growing up. Thank you PJ for positively effecting my skateboarding in such an impactful way.
❤️❤️❤️
This part and Tom Penny's bonus footage were my go to parts to get pumped up
The Menikmati DVD bonus part of Tom was definately the best inspiration, seeing him get better in every clip
Hell ya
I had the pleasure of skating with PJ at the USC ledges before they put the sand. I was teenager tripping that he and I were goin back & fourth practicing flat ground tricks. We’d clap for eachothers make. Such a humble dude, recognized him from like a block away just by the way he pushed & looked. My friend was like wtf ? 😅 I was and still am a big fan
🙌🙌🙌
When a video holds up over decades you know it’s something special. It blew my mind then and still does to this day🤘
🙌🙌
Why wasn't that great by any means.
@jessiemartinez3056 what year were you born?
@@mikemccool7575 1990)
@mikemccool7575 1995 and you?
The fact that i was watching this video in the early 2000's on the other side of the planet, is truly a testament on what kind of reach & impact it had. Remember there wasnt TH-cam or social media back then, and information in general travelled slower because the majority of people didnt use internet. If you ask me, PJ Ladds Wonderful Horrible Life is on the same class as This Is Skateboarding, Sorry or Baker 3. ✌️
💪💪💪
This skate video changed my life when I was young. That sounds exaggerative but that’s the best description I can explain. Me and my cousin watched this video a thousand times minimum. It was so influential! Thank you all who was in this skate vid!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I'm very grateful that i got an opportunity to see the video close to the time it released. As 8 million people have said, it was soooo ahead of its time. I'd watch the entirety of the video. Gallant and Rogers are both insanely good, Alexis had the best street footage I'd seen of a female skater skating street, the dude who did the sketchy fs flip down the 12, then (naturally) PJ.
I really like the bit about how it was organic and just what they were doing anyway, it was just on film. It has a very natural pacing/vibe/ whatever.
Last part of my novella: Ryan talking about a teenage PJ flying through the streets of Boston, at night, destroying everything in his path, then disappearing into the night like Batman just adds to the lore 😅
Rad
It was the only VHS I bought without watching it first. The hype was real.
Sickk
SILENCE IS GOLDEN ! Best skateboarding part ever !
🙌
PJ’s been my favourite for almost 2 decades and he still kills it!
100% ❤
Rad
I recently watched it again and it's still just as good. From the shifty nollie heels to the best line ever done on a skateboard it's just amazing.
LMFAO.nope never
Couldn't agree more!
@@jessiemartinez3056What part of that was incorrect?
@@ashleybrown4754 that is was amazing.and that it's still just as good why do you ask?
@@jessiemartinez3056Because you're an idiot, that's why.
Pj is such a household name in the skateboarding world. Thank you for his part. Taught me a bunch of tricks.
💪💪💪
I get grew up in MA. We used to see PJ all the time as little groms. One of the craziest times was when me and a friend pretended to go to school but skated instead.
7AM in the freezing cold winter we go to some ledges.
PJ is already there sweating and doing the craziest stuff alone.
After the WHL video I moved to CA. Then I used to see him everywhere here as he got much bigger. Always a class act. Always progressing.
Thanks for all the inspiration PJ
🙌🙌🙌
I remember going to the premiere at Davis Square cinema. So much fun.Thanks to Coliseum and crew. Special time in skateboarding history
Sick
Incredible homage to one of the most iconic productions. You remember those living room video premieres with all of your friends, and you never forget PJ Ladd’s Wonderful Horrible Life!
🙌🙌🙌
So wild that beyond Pj. It was also the first time a lot of people saw Jeremey Rogers, Ryan Gallant and Alexis Salbone
Nuts
Skaters, punks, real rebels of any kind, will always find what's true and genuine. PJ is as real and humble as it gets, and that, combined with the most extreme level of talent and ability anyone could hope for, made him an instant legend who deserved every bit of success that he's had. Dude is one of those figures who's so genuine and works so hard at what they love to do that you just can't help getting caught up in it.
You ever found yourself watching a video about some random place you've never been and probably will never go to, but you're just so caught up in it that you're suddenly passionate about something you'd never even heard of 10 minutes beforehand? That's what PJ is for skating. He's just so in it, and for all the right reasons, that it's hard not to respect the hell out of the guy.
🙌🙌🙌
I'm just glad copyright's are not that strict back then. Them soundtracks fits perfectly.
Lol
This video brings back nostalgia and a deep sadness as well. Just seeing PJ hitting those ledges draws me back to when I was like 13 and watching this to get amped up to go skating everyday.
❤️
Absolutely the most consistent and skilled street skater of all time 🔥
!!!
100% ❤
I watched this video hundreds of times with my friends as a teenager. I remember tripping on the shifty tricks from PJ and really analyzing everything trying to understand how it was even possible. It seemed like he was opening the door to things that seemed impossible before. Legendary stuff.
Same
I’ve been telling this to everybody for 22 years now that this is the best part ever and how much it means to me. It literally changed my life! It’s beautiful!
Lmfao.you must have not seen many parts then.its not that great .
@ if you don’t get it, you don’t get it. It’s your problem man.
@@bovedli LMFAO..yeah been stoked on way better parts before and after p.j..just being honest.its a great part but not mind blowing or legendary status..but whatever floats your boat..who cares about your or my opinion.
🙌🙌🙌
It's so amazing to look back and see all this. Coliseum was the local shop where I bought my first board and I had the stickers for Wonderful Horrible Life all over my entertainment center in my room when it was about to come out. I remember sitting with kids at school talking about how PJ was like the best local skater and that he was better than this pro and that pro... and then he joined Flip and the whole world ended up agreeing with us.
Yes!!!
Amazing episode, I grew up in this era, it was surreal watching Horrible Life, also to mention sablone killed it so hard - and this really changed how we saw skateboarding. At some point we all wanted to skate as clean and tech as PJ - really had a huge impact to the culture
Thank you!!! It is an iconic part
Loved seeing the old footage. This is sick. Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
I met PJ when I was about 14-15yrs old I went to go buy a brand new board setup at the Coliseum in Boston. Me and a group of buddies were skating the area and we seen some guy pulling off insane tricks off ledges and window sills. We thought to ourselves he’s gonna go pro instantly. Sure enough it was PJ himself. He was to himself and super chill. Even got a chance to skate with him for a bit.
Rad
glad that you mentioned the last push
Iconic
Love PJ, grew up watching him, much love PJ
Hell ya
the "i cant even remember the tricks that are in the part" does it for me.
he just wanted to skate.
Awesome quote
@storied_skateboarding when all you've done is "it all"
Watched this video a thousand times when it came out, unreal!
Same!
My first skate video ever and by far my favorite skate video ever, watched it religiously growing up
Awesome
Desde Chile, aquí una historia más. Fui a un skateshop con la edad de 15 o 16 años y compré este VHS sin tener ninguna información. Al llegar a casa quedé loco y desde ese día PJ ladd se convirtió en mi skater favorito. Al día de hoy, con 37 años, siento que este VHS llegó a mí como un regalo de la vida.🤘
🙌
Standing on the shoulders of giants. He showed us what was possible. He also gave us a magnitude of trick tips. Thank you PJ
🙌❤️‼️
This video is pure magic for me. Thank you Storied and thank you PJ!!! 🙏
Glad you enjoyed it!
@storied_skateboarding This video literally changed my life, I can't even lie...I teared up in the last 5 minutes. Thank you so much for this. That's a capsule in time I cannot ever forget. The wait was worth it, Storied.
100 % ❤
Watching from Ireland 🇮🇪
PJ rules, love this, many thanks 🤘
Awesome! Thank you!
so happy watching this. PJ deserves all credit, hope he is doing well.This part truly changed my life.
❤️❤️❤️
This single video part was the foundation for how I carried myself as a skateboarder. I remember rocking accels for dayssss. Because pj did it. I would rock my beanies like him, I would try to time my tricks between ledges like him. It looked truly like magic
🙌🙌🙌
This was so worth the wait. Thanks a lot Chase. I'll be coming back to this one a lot
Thank you!
Love this! The front 360 heel down the stairs is my favorite clip of all time!
Insanity
@storied_skateboarding People can't even hang that today......nor have we even seen anybody do it since PJ 😭😭
100% ❤
I remember when this part came out. My brother owned a small skate shop and I was a very new skater at the time but the part dropped and we got a vhs of it, a bunch of the guys watched it the day it came in and we were all cheering and oooing and aaahing. It was such a cool moment. That video played on repeat for literally months at the shop. To this day I could name every trick before it happens. Such an iconic skate part and such a nice thing to reminisce on.
Awesome
Love PJ, what a gift to the skating community.
❤️
This was so good when it came! We watched this continuously in Finland and tried to replicate everything from super loose crooked to ss switch tre with hard speed!
❤️❤️❤️
Best video part ever!
🙌
LMFAO not even close
i still have this blue tape in my house. i remember as a kid when i first saw it, completely blow my mind. i skated a lot of accels because of pj, learned treflip in them and that era was so fucking gold, good old times.
i ordered this board. thank you guys. truly best nostalgia for older generation 30+
Epic, thank you
It's always nice to see legends taking about each other, legendary stuff!
💯‼️
That was fantastic. So much old my
Early days. I miss the 90’s
Thank you!
No offense, homie, but i was 100% for sure in 10th grade when this came out, so it's no older than 2002. I do miss the '90s, though.
I worked for skate shops between Natick and Boston 97 - early 2000’s and this whole crew of folks was around Copley, the bank and financial district all the time as we all grew up. Wish someone would do a small piece on Kyle Vadeboncoeur. Dude kind of lost his mind. RIP
Such humble and incredible talent.
💯
100% ❤
One of the greats. Seems like he'd be a great fit for April.
💪
I've seen a lot of amazing parts in the 25 years I've into skating but PJs part was the one time I sat there completely slack jawed at what I had seen. That last line was a thing of beauty.
And Ryan Gallant's style is a thing of beauty, top 3 favorite skater for me.
🙌🙌🙌
1:18 I don’t know if that was the first cab big flip ever filmed but just throwing that out at the beginning of that line was so ahead of its time
I feel like it was too cuz I never saw anyone do that before, then into a half cab noseslide nollie 270 heelflip out! Two mindfucks in a row! The fakie ollie onto the curb at the start was a sick style even lol
‼️
Well worth the wait. This is probably my favorite video that yall have made.
Thank you!!!
Was truly an honor to grow up with this guy as a role model. 26 years later I’m still skating and still just as in love with it.
🙌🙌🙌
Its crazy how technically ahead he was, his introversion allowed him to fully utilise his mind for skating or something, coupled with his work ethic made him legendary
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This was awesome. PJ is awesome. Skateboarding is awesome!!
🙌🙌🙌
I watch this video part at least once per year. Nothing will ever top this as my favorite video part!
Awesome
This came out when I was in 6th grade, my homie and I watched this on repeat, couldn't even comprehend the level of tricks he was doing. In my 6th grade class we had to write an autobiography, and come up with a clever title for it. I called mine "Gerald Ericksens wonderful horrible life", and my teacher gave me bonus points for the "originality" of my title😅. One of the best skate vids/parts of all time, PJ will always have one of the best, most timeless styles, and most original and innovative trick selections
🙌🙌🙌
The first time I watched this video, it felt like I was watching something that was recorded in the future. The level of it was so out of this world compared to its time, and it's crazy that the part was so out of left field that PJ wasn't even considered for Skater of the Year that year. It reminded me of the first time I saw Rodney - it was just jaw-dropping.
Amazing
I remember watching that video with my friends before we would go skate in middle school. Crazy that part still holds up today 😮
Insane
This video was so good, Colin Fiske is terribly underrated
!!!
I had the dark brown es accels with the Boston B on the side... The PJ Ladd color way... They were sick af
Epic
I wanted those and the tan accel plus ! This era that’s all anyone wore accels or koston 1s
Great content! It’s crazy to think that PJ Ladd’s skateboarding video was the start of the viral sensation era. So nostalgic! ❤
@@Danilyn_Livao thank you!!!
@@storied_skateboarding You're welcome! I'm thrilled to see what you'll come up with next! 👌
@ thank you!!
so glad i had the opportunity to skate with the legend himself .
Awesome
one of those parts that helped me understand skateboarding even further 🔥
That's awesome!
When it came out a friend who was the biggest Koston fan told me I had to watch it and he said "he's better than Koston" and I was like "Damn". 😂
Your friend was wrong
Haha
@@jessiemartinez3056 I don't think koston would disagree
@jessiemartinez3056 It’s not even a debate PJ is better. Stop.
No way kiddo..Koston a Legend for the ages. Pj came and went..
My friends and I had to skate pretty far to get to the nearest skateshop, but we always went with whatever video they recommended. I remember buying this VHS and being unable to list off a lot of PJ's tricks. I watched it everyday for a long time and also made me a Pulp fan. Wish I never lost that blue tape.
So cool
I haven't skated serious like I did everyday before I was 14/15 years old. Got moved around a lot. But that culture and the style is still with me to this day. I won my first comp at 10 years old and got sponsored by Beach Scene Skate Shop in Longwood Florida and won my spot on their skate team. Went to a few comps and won 3rd in a statewide comp. Them my pops moved me to the boonies... Nothing to do if you didn't have a dirt bike. At least I still had my guitar. That was 200 years ago.
🙌🙌🙌🙌
@@storied_skateboarding My babysitter in the 80's was a 16 year old High School kid named Matt. He had a car and would pick me up after school and take me to local half pipes and skate spots. He even took me to Kona Skate park, in the 80's... It felt like visiting heaven even though I was so small the entire park looked like a scary mountain of doom. He was my mentor and he was the coolest. He coached me for my first comp and I won as the youngest in my age group. Now we were on the same skate team. It was awesome. I miss it so much.
That gallant kickflip nose blunt was a thing of beauty.
Agreed
Yes and yes, No other words needed. Miss you Dawg 🤛🏿!!
🙌🙌🙌❤️
@storied_skateboarding y'all really came through and did an amazing job.
@ thank you!! We got some signed boards left if you’re interested!
i am forever grateful for the skateshop dude that told me to buy this instead of the new 411 that month..... forever grateful. not to mention it was all local.
Hell ya
It's one of those videos that you just had to be there at that time in skateboarding history to understand. My friends and I watched that Blue VHS tape so many times over and over. Game changer for sure, hyped on getting a board. Need this for my wall!
💯
wow thank you for this video... Really enjoyed these interviews and re-watching these clips. pretty cool to hear some raw context around the whole project and how it came about. This video truly is timeless.
Our pleasure!
I probably watched it like 💯 times 🤣 rewind 📼and play it back. It was excellent.
All of us
I loved that video so much, I had tears in my eyes the first time I watched it. 🤣 It was too good.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Always loved Ryan galants skate style.shits clean and his hard flips are one to remember
Legend
We had this extreme sport channel on our satelitte tv in Europe. PJ's part was playing all the time between the different shows. Legend 🙏🏼
Sickk
This was sick! Thanks guys!
Glad you enjoyed it!
The kid said one day when I asked him why he only had 3 bolts per truck (offset not mirrored for anyone curious) "to change boards faster". Legend. Pride of MA. Gallant and Bachinsky both close behind IMHO but he still holds the crown because of how much he changed the game. 🙏
Lol sick
This video is very special to many many people.
Yes!!!
Epic, this was so well done🙏
Thank you!
Pj's nollie heel shifties are the most stylish thing ever. Nobody did them them like that after either...they could not match them. Wish this documentary was longer.
So sick
I work in Boston/Cambridge and ride my bikes all over the city. I always think of PJ Ladd whenever I'm at certain spots -- especially when I'm at Long Wharf which is a lot because I take the ferry home. PJ is also in the November 2020 street view of Nashua Street Park in Boston... face is blurred out but not many skaters wear a royal blue turban!
Epic
I’ve been anxiously awaiting for you guys to put this one out. So damn good! I remember watching this at a close friends house when it came out and I was seriously blow away.
Us too 😂
@@storied_skateboarding 😂
Man I was like 11 watching that video on vhs couldn’t even Ollie at the time, but that tape showed me the levels and what was possible. Trying to show my kids anything close to that feeling now and get pumped and obsessed over whatever they’ll be into.
Epic
Legendary part! I had this on VHS
Rad
Legendary, thanks storied
Thank you 🤝
This all happened in the 20 years that I took a break from being a likable human, def going back to watch that part... thanks for making it!
❤️
This was amazing and much needed! I love pj ❤️
🙌🙌🙌