Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz Skateboards & Cruisers

Santa Cruz stands as the world's oldest continuously operating skateboard company, founded in 1973 by three surfers who initially struggled making surfboards until a Hawaiian order for 500 skateboards changed their trajectory forever. Richard Novak, Doug Haut, and Jay Shuirman revolutionized skateboarding with their Road Rider wheels in 1974, introducing the first precision ball bearings that transformed performance and generated the revenue that funded Santa Cruz's evolution into a skateboard empire. Their innovations continued with the first concave deck designs, Independent Trucks (co-founded in 1978), and collaborations with legendary artist Jim Phillips, whose Screaming Hand logo became not just skateboarding's most recognizable symbol but a legitimate piece of American pop culture. The brand's legendary roster has included virtually every significant name in skateboarding history, from transition legends like Christian Hosoi and Steve Caballero to street icons like Natas Kaupas and Jason Jessee. Fifty years later, Santa Cruz continues supporting skateboarding's most innovative riders while maintaining the rebellious spirit that made them legendary in the first place.