Welcome to Living Legends, a new eight-part video series presented to you exclusively by Push.ca and Degree. The idea behind Living Legends is a simple one: we want to honor and document the careers of professional skateboarders and snowboarders that have a significant impact on their sports but remain in the game.

Over the coming months you can expect a flurry of historical photos, footage, interviews and back-stories on every individual featured. A new episode of Living Legends drops every two weeks, so keep your eyes peeled for features on some of your all-time favorite pros. This week's legend is none other than Paul Machnau.

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Living Legends: Paul Machnau (By: Frank Daniello)

"I thought he was this gnarly, crazy dude because I only knew him through his RDS/FSU/2002 video part," Darkstar Skateboards pro Ryan Decenzo remembers about first meeting Vancouver's Paul Machnau. "I was intimidated, but he's actually a really nice guy. Paul would always lead the skate sesh and if he wanted to do something, it would be done. Handled. He's just on-point, and I've learned so much from him."

1984 was the first time skateboarding became a blip on Paul's radar back in his hometown of Cranbrook, BC. Many moons later, fresh out of high school, he relocated to Kelowna to expand his skate-horizons, picking up Island Snow as a shop sponsor. Paul paid close attention to how the business was run, and in 1997 he decided to move back home and open Boarder's Choice with his college fund. He ran the shop very successfully for three years before selling it to further pursue what would become an eventful skate-career that continues to this day.

In early 1999 Paul went down to Florida and placed second in Tampa AM, which he considers to be the point of realization that becoming a pro in the big-picture U.S. market was possible. Reaching that goal didn't take him long, and by 2001 he got his first pro model with Powell. "I wasn't the most technical or marketable guy out there," he recalls, "so I had to prove why I deserved it." And he did just that in 2002, when ‘Machnau' and ‘machine' became two words uttered in the same breath by many. Not only did he put out a banger-laced ender part in RDS/FSU/2002, he also had a solid section in Digital's Difference. This productive video output of no-holds-barred skating led to a long-term deal with Globe (that put five pro model shoes on his feet), and a sponsorship with Darkstar that would span a decade and see him skate-mentor fellow Canadian rippers Ryan Decenzo and John Hanlon into the brand's ranks. Paul appeared in Darkstar's Battalion in 2003, and kick-started Globe's episodic United By Fate campaign in 2007 with an epic two-in-one part that further exemplifies the high standards, confidence and uncanny work ethic that goes into his skateboarding. As Darkstar pro Adam Dyet puts it: "You see the fire in his eyes."

"I've always liked the fast, powerhouse kind of skating, but I'm smarter about it these days and approach things a little differently," says the 33-year-old, who signed on as a pro and team manager for Canadian board brand Red Star in 2010. "I just look at skateboarding as something that's always changing and something that will always be part of my life."

The first four Living Legends were from the snow world: Dennis Bannock, Shin Campos, Martin Gallant and Kale Stephens, but don't worry, we've also covered Montreal Big-O skater Barry Walsh.

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