Avoiding the Dark Path through Skateboarding & Family: The Emmanuel Guzman Story

Here is a peek into the life and career of one of skateboarding’s most enduring figures. With a career spanning more than two decades, Emmanuel Guzman has become known for his bold style, fearless approach to skating, and enduring passion. We sat down to interview Eman, his family, and fellow skaters, for a behind-the-scenes look at the highs and lows of a life spent on the board. From his early days as a kid skating the streets of Santa Cruz, to his rise to the top of the skateboarding world, Eman’s story is one of perseverance, dedication, and True Grit. 00:00 Introduction by Ron Whaley / Santa Cruz Style 00:46 EMAN Ripping! 💥 01:23 Rhea Guzman, Emmanuel’s Mother 01:50 How Eman’s family came to Santa Cruz 04:13 The Land 04:41 Eman’s Birth 06:17 Isaiah Guzman, Emmanuel’s Brother 06:44 How Eman got into skateboarding 07:12 Jarrod Allen, Eman’s Best Friend 07:30 Eman’s childhood 07:47 After a Soccer Tournament, Eman decided he was a skateboarder 08:05 Eman gets his first board 09:34 Childhood Spots 10:28 Jake Johnstone, Friend of Eman 10:57 Eman’s Crew 11:58 Avoiding the Dark Path 17:03 Where Eman grew up 18:28 Emmanuel’s Father 19:21 Natalie Guzman, Emmanuel’s Wife 19:53 Eman’s relationship with his Father 20:34 Young Eman getting BUCK! 20:48 Bill Ackerman, Owner of Bill’s Wheels 21:05 Eman discovers sponsorship 22:41 Zack Richesin putting in a good word to Bill about Eman 22:57 Eman gets to skate his first demos 23:08 The B Team 23:19 Eman finds his calling 23:30 Skate progression 23:46 From the B to the A Team 24:56 Jose Ave Park aka The Bedpan 25:51 Eman’s Sponsor Me Tape 26:56 Santa Cruz Skateboards 27:25 NHS, Inc 27:40 Eman hands off sponsor me tape 27:59 The Call 28:27 So... Free Boards?? 28:38 Grabbing Boards 28:49 Jeff Kendall - CEO, NHS 29:24 Becoming AM / Guarte 30:52 Eman’s First Trip 31:02 Holly Anderson, Sales Director NHS 32:54 Making things right 34:06 Eman’s first NHS video was for Krux 34:22 Ron wanting to put Eman on Krux 34:56 SC Guarte 35:08 Turning PRO! 36:02 Noah DAF Quale, friend of Eman 36:26 Transworld Let’s Do This 36:42 Maurio McCoy, Teammate 37:22 Eric Palozzolo, Santa Cruz TM 38:01 Transworld cover 38:30 Raw, Uncut Skateboarding 39:04 Tom Asta, Teammate 39:32 Loyalty on both ends 40:02 Pro skaters from SC 41:30 Helicopter Dad 41:49 Eman’s family life 42:21 Cairo Guzman, Emmanuel’s Son 42:45 Parallels between Eman and his father wanting to win for family 43:38 Eman’s Bloodiest Battle 44:22 Eman learns to forgive 45:22 Advice from Eman 46:01 TRUE GRIT Produced & Directed by: Joe Perrin @thekillatapes Co-Produced by: Trevar Cushing @trevarcushing Camera Op: Joe Perrin Trevar Cushing Edited By: Brendan Zipfel @bzip023 Hit up our US Dealer Locator to find a shop near you! See the latest at our official store 🏁 WATCH “Bae“ on THRASHER HERE! 💥 Santa Cruz Skateboards, located in Santa Cruz California, was established in 1973 by then owners, Richard Novak, Doug Haut and Jay Shuirman who founded NHS Inc. Santa Cruz Skateboards has long been revered as one of the original skateboard companies that has not only survived over the years, but contributed to the innovation and modernization of skateboards and skateboarding. From the beginning, ’TIL THE END. Santa Cruz Skateboards Team: Blake Johnson, Devin Flynn, Emmanuel Guzman, Eric Dressen, Erick Winkowski, Fabiana Delfino, Henry Gartland, Jake Wooten, Jereme Knibbs, Justin Sommer, Kevin Braun, Rob Pace, Maurio McCoy, Steve Alba, Tom Asta, Tom Knox & Yndiara Asp Visit The Henry Gartland Foundation 💜 Check us out on TikTok! Try our SCREAMING HAND Filter on Instagram! Learn more about Santa Cruz Skateboards at: Follow Santa Cruz Skateboards on Instagram! Follow Santa Cruz on Twitter! ’Like’ Santa Cruz Skateboards on Facebook!