santa cruz california Archive

Christian Hosoi drops in to Santa Cruz Skate Shop/Skateboards.com HQ

– October 11, 2008Posted in: Action Sports, Interviews, Media, eCommerce

A couple of weeks ago I interviewed Christian Hosoi on 102.5 KDON’s The Morning Madhouse for the Tim Brauch event (which he took 1st place by the way) and we kind of hit it off. Yesterday, I got a text from my boy Barry at Pocket Pistols that Hosoi, Chris Hammrock, Chicken and a few am’s were floating through Santa Cruz and wanted to drop by Santa Cruz Skate Shop to say whats up, sign some autographs and eat some food. About 3pm Hosoi and the crew pull through after skating the Santa Cruz Skate Park for a couple of hours so we proceed across the street to Hank’s to get some grinds and a coffee at the Verve right after. I have to admit its a bit surreal to be having chicken strips then a coffee with a legend like Hosoi…but those are the perks of being in this business. Back at the shop people were already buzzing about Hosoi being in the area and boards start being flung under the mighty sharpee. While that was going on I was chatting up Chris Hammrock (also a Pocket Pistol team rider) about the new websites Hosoi had going on, new technology he was implementing to get the word out that Christian Hosoi was back with a vengeance. Of course, I felt obliged to show him a few tricks that I had up my sleeve and proceeded to show him Skateboards.com TV channels that we use when we are Live Streaming and my Nokia N95 Mobile Streaming . Once Hosoi saw this we did a little impromptu interview for Skateboards.com TV and blasted it out for the world to see.



Overall, Hosoi is a legend…there is no debating that if he hadn’t fallen down the skateboard world would have seen Christian Hosoi video games and the like…BUT..he would have never found GOD and his love to help him along and guide him. I like the Christian Hosoi I see in front of me now…SKATE OR DIE!

2007 Grind Out Hunger winner Empire Academy

– April 14, 2008Posted in: Action Sports, Charity, Grind Out Hunger

Grind Out Hunger is really having an impact on the skateboarders and the youth. As I have already mentioned in previous posts, Grind Out Hunger is setup to challenge area elementary, middle and high schools to raise the most pounds (cash counts $1 = $9 worth of food) per student. 2006 champion Aptos High raised 20,000 pounds and equal to about 14lbs per student and won overall poundage, but it was Empire Academy that stepped it up and managed to wrangle 125 pound per student raising a little over 4600 pounds. Empire Academy got creative and did gift wrapping, bake sales and other out of the box ideas. So Second Harvest brought pizza’s and we went and spoke at Empire Academy to award them with their $600 gift certificate to Santa Cruz Skate Shop and answer any questions. The kids were very humble and stoked to have won the challenge…they also stated that in 2008 they are not only going to win the per pound challenge, but the overall total pounds raised. It looks like Aptos High has something to worry about as Empire Academy is looking to take a title Aptos High has held for three years. 2007 Grind Out Hunger raised 130,000 pounds of food for the Second Harvest Food Bank through the local elementary, middle and high schools. Don’t forget to join the Grind Out Hunger Facebook cause.