“Growing up in Santa Cruz was awesome. I still to this day find myself thanking my parents for us ending up here. I can’t imagine growing up anywhere else.” Emmanuel Guzman fondly remembers his upbringing in Santa Cruz.

No doubt a place of many firsts for him and where he would eventually find Santa Cruz Skateboards. The company has been a huge influencer in the skateboarding culture that pays homage to its surroundings. Santa Cruz has become a crossroads for skateboarding culture and the city’s inhabitants are more than okay with that.

Santa Cruz has a “very unique energy and personality, unlike anywhere else that I’ve traveled,” says Guzman. He also mentions that the climate is always perfect. It’s so ideal, Guzman explains, “[When I] I get caught in any extreme heat or cold I struggle because I’ve been exposed to this beautiful climate.” I’d call that a good problem.

Emmanuel Guzman also takes us to his local skate park, we get to see it at 3:30, a place where he can have solitude and “just skate.” Guzman genuine love and enthusiasm about his hometown Santa Cruz can make a trek there attractive to anyone.

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