In Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, one of the more creative objectives in the San Francisco level is saving Painter Neil from a circling shark. While he’s clearly in danger, figuring out how to help him isn’t obvious at first. This guide walks you through the exact steps needed to trigger the event and complete the goal, from finding the key boulder to performing the crucial wallplant.
How to Save Painter Neil in San Francisco
In the San Francisco level of THPS 3+4, there’s a goal that involves rescuing Painter Neil who is working on a sign positioned on a deck that extends over the water right of the spawn point. Talk to him, and he’ll ask you to grind the bird droppings off the railing surrounding him. Once you do, a surprise shark attack launches you back up to where Painter Bob is.
Beside Bob, there’s a noticeable boulder. Unlike the others resting freely on the ledge, this one has a kind of rail or rope wrapped around it, which turns out to be important. To save Neil, start by moving forward from the spawn and take a left to climb the stairs that lead up to the path behind Neil’s companion. Continue along this route until you reach the boulder. It’s secured with something that can be grinded, either ropes or chains.
Use the grindable surface to circle around the boulder. After completing the grind, the rope breaks, and a prompt appears: “GIVE IT A PUSH!” At this point, move back a bit, angle your skater so they’re lined up with the rear side of the boulder (facing away from the water), and skate toward it. As you reach it, ollie into the rock and immediately press ollie again on contact to execute a wallplant. Doing this successfully will trigger a cutscene: the boulder rolls down the dock, slamming into the shark just in time to rescue Painter Neil. Once the scene finishes, the goal is marked complete.
