Documentary Highlights a Deaf Black Skateboarders’ Journey At World Famous DIY Skatepark

Documentary Through My Board Profiles Burnside Legend Paul Johnson

PORTLAND, OR, UNITED STATES, March 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A new documentary set to screen at the Panorama Film Festival in Portland next month chronicles the 33-year skating journey of Paul Johnson, a Black, Deaf skater navigating life and community at Portland's iconic Burnside Skatepark. Through My Board takes viewers into Paul’s world and the lives of the park’s OG skaters as they face aging, addiction, and the challenges within skate culture.

The film was directed and produced by Dan Eason, a skater from the Cincinnati Tri-State area who moved to Portland two decades after the first wave of his peers descended upon Burnside in the early 1990’s. From music videos and documentaries to community arts, Eason’s production work spans the U.S., bridging the gap between commercial media and narrative storytelling.

Over the course of his career, Eason has worked with a range of respected production companies, including 4th Row Films in New York City, World of Wonder, and Kamp Grizzly. His feature film credits include Eagle Eye (starring Shia LaBeouf and Billy Bob Thornton), The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (starring Robin Williams, Mila Kunis, and Peter Dinklage), I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (starring Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood), The Night Always Comes (starring Vanessa Kirby, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Julia Fox) and in television, Dan contributed to several seasons of NBC’s hit series Grimm, as well as Netflix originals’ The OA and Everything Sucks!.

Through My Board was a cathartic experience for Eason. He bonded with Paul by the fire outside of the old Doug Fir Lounge when he first moved to Portland. “Skateboarding has always been grounding for me - to connect with my community, myself, and to be outside away from screens. Paul and the Burnside family are as authentic as you can get… his dedication to connecting through skateboarding, and the tenacity to communicate with hearing people, is inspiring.”

Paul started skateboarding around age 10, and what began as a simple pursuit quickly became a way of life that helped shape him into the man he is today. He was initially introduced to skateboarding after following his cousin to a skate shop, where they both bought skateboards. Due to being deaf, and with no interpreter at the time, Paul learned to skate by observing other skaters, and watching his friends and cousin skate at parks like Burnside.

“Skateboarding taught me persistence and patience, and made me eager to learn, practice more, and learn things like a kickflip by constantly trying and never stopping," Paul said. “I learned slowly by watching others' movements and studying like it was homework, which also helped me with my schoolwork.”

As Burnside grew, people from all over the world came to skate. The Burnside culture was notoriously gritty and territorial in the 1990’s, but it evolved into a more welcoming space that now supports skaters of varying abilities.

Paul found belonging and acceptance at Burnside: “They are my family and I think the film will show that. I think that hearing people will definitely like [Through My Board] and I hope it will show people how the director and interpreters worked together, demonstrating something never seen before about deaf culture.”

Eason says he believes audiences will feel more inclusive to deaf communities, Burnside and to Portland as a city that listens to communities and accepts subcultures. “I wanted to remind the world what community looks like when diversity, altruism, and unity occur naturally... and when it's not just lip service.”

The world premiere for Through My Board will screen on April 16, 2026, at 5 PM at the Hollywood Theatre during the Panorama Film Festival in Portland, Oregon.

Em Fergusson
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