A Lindenhurst, Long Island man, Chad Caruso, who skated from Venice Beach, CA to Virginia Beach, VA, received an official Guinness World Record on Tuesday, for the “Fastest crossing of America (USA) on a skateboard (male).”
Caruso traveled from March 24 to May 19, for a total of 57 days, 6 hours, and 56 minutes, solely on his skateboard on a meticulously planned route looking up common paths that people had done previously and the weather.
His story caught the attention of professional skater Tony Hawk, and was invited to speak on his podcast, Hawk. vs Ellis.
Caruso created a post on social media about his achievement. “It’s been a crazy trip these past 7 years,” Caruso wrote in the post. “Went from a drunk and jobless high school dropout facing jail time to being a Guinness world record holder. Having the record is an honor, but the real meaning for me comes from all the experiences had and challenges overcome since getting sober. Best choice I’ve ever made.”
During his trip, Caruso raised a total of $50,121 and donated 25 percent to Natural High, a drug prevention nonprofit that inspires and empowers youth to find their natural high and develop the skills and courage to live life well.
The rest of the money covered food, hotels, and other expenses on throughout this two-month long trip
An avid skateboarder with a YouTube following of more than 76,000 subscribers, he also recorded and published vlogs for each day, to share the trials and tribulations of his journey.
This is not his first challenge. He has previously skateboarded in other parts of the globe. In 2019, he traveled to all 50 states, learning a new skateboarding trick in each one. The film that resulted from that, Across America, won an award at the Montauk Film Festival in 2023.
Caruso also spent time skating in Central and South America, and recently spent a month in Moldova with the nonprofit Skate Aid, teaching Ukrainian refugee children to skateboard.
He continues to advocate for skateboarding in his hometown of Lindenhurst. This year, he fought for its renovations this year and to have the village create a new cement park.
Every September, he also hosts “Tanner Skate Jam,” in addition to multiple skateboarding contests throughout Long Island.
The United States Post Office also celebrated Caruso in the release of their new skateboard-themed stamps.
“It’s been such an honor to be acknowledged for the skate across America by the United States Postal Service, Guinness World Records, Tony Hawk and more, but for me the real meaning lies within all the meaningful interactions I had throughout the trip,” Caruso told Patch via email.
“Hearing about how the skate was helping people in their day-to-day lives is worth more to me than any accolade.”
