The man behind the lens: how Patrick O'Dell accidentally changed skateboarding forever

Before YouTube algorithms, before Instagram skate edits, before every brand had a documentary series, there was a blog. In a time when the internet was in its infancy and social media wasn't a thing, Patrick O'Dell created a blog called Epicly Later'd — his photos showcasing what was going on in the Downtown New York scene. Nobody planned for it to become anything. It just did.

O'Dell's origin story is about as accidental as it gets. He grew up in Ohio, got into skating after watching Back to the Future — took a slam into a mail truck trying to skitch, naturally — and eventually ended up in San Francisco for art school, shooting photos of whoever would let him. By his own admission, he was a shaky skater and an average skate photographer. What he was actually good at was something else: documenting people.

He served as the photo editor for Vice, was on staff for Thrasher, and has shot for various brands and other publications over the years. Even though he'll tell you that he prefers his portrait work, he's taken some great skate photos as well. He left Thrasher for Vice right when skate photography went digital — couldn't afford the gear anyway, so he pivoted. That pivot changed everything.

From blog to Vice's longest-running series

Epicly Later'd began in 2006 as a simple photo blog and evolved into Vice's longest-running series, leaving an undeniable mark on skateboarding and beyond. The transition from blog to show wasn't exactly grand — it happened because a Vice editor named Jesse Pearson thought they should have a skate show, the blog already had an audience and O'Dell happened to be in the building. He didn't even want to keep the name.

Heath Kirchart came on as a producer along the way, lending the series more credibility within the skate world.

What made it work was his approach. O'Dell's signature method — combining intimate interviews with rare archival footage — provided an in-depth look into the lives of both underground legends and household names and his lens treated skateboarding with the same reverence as fine art, a stark contrast to the DIY punk energy that defined much of the skate media at the time. He fought hard to keep music out of the episodes, refusing the lifestyle-video formula that made everything feel like a commercial. Spike Jonze backed him up on that call, which helped. With big names like John Cardiel, Alex Olson, and Jason Dill being featured in early episodes, Epicly Later'd quickly became the most popular skate-related show on the internet.

O'Dell's own life was never exactly quiet either — the New York years involved a lot of going out, a drinking problem he's been open about, a string of notable party friends and relationships that put him deep inside the culture he was documenting. In some ways, he wasn't just filming the scene. He was living it.

The special that closes the loop

After creating Let It Kill You in 2022, filmmaker Ben McQueen set out to tell the story of one of his greatest inspirations: Patrick O'Dell. This documentary offers Epicly Later'd fans a rare peek behind the curtain while serving as a heartfelt tribute to Patrick and the impact he's had on skateboarding, filmmaking, and culture over the last two decades. It's the kind of full-circle moment that feels earned — the documentarian getting documented, the guy who spent years asking skaters about their lives finally getting asked about his own.

watch the full Let It Kill You episode here

If you've ever watched an Epicly Later'd episode and felt like you actually understood someone's career for the first time, that's the whole point. That was always the whole point.