Road to the Tokyo Summer Olympics with Skateboarder Manny Santiago

Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Massachusetts, Manny Santiago has normally been a skater’s skater. 

The 35-yr-previous fell in love with the sport more than two decades back, choosing up his very first skateboard at 14. Brimming with positivity and an unbridled enthusiasm for mastering new tips, Santiago went from mastering an Ollie to being a sponsored within just three many years. 

Santiago was only obtaining started. 

It was not very long just before he attained the nickname, “Manny Slays All,” due to his wild and reckless strategy to skating. Soon after getting rid of a front tooth during a 2009 skating accident, he embraced the missing tooth as aspect of his trademark grin. Armed with an omnipresent smile and pleasurable-loving temperament, Santiago rapidly became a lover-favored as he climbed the ranks of experienced skateboarding. 

Around the many years, he’s competed in major skate competitions all-around the globe, together with Dew Tour, X Games and Road League. Over and above opposition, the Puerto Rican skater has developed quite a few well-known skate videos, together with his most new video, “California,” which he filmed in 2020 at some of his favored California skate places. 

In 2021, Santiago has shifted his target throughout the Pacific. Skateboarding is established to make its Olympic debut in Tokyo this summer season and Santiago is heading for gold. Over and above the historic option to elevate experienced skating on to the global stage, Santiago can become the very first male Gold Medalist in Puerto Rican background. 

Our friends at Stomp Periods not too long ago caught up with Manny Santiago to study additional about his very long street to the Olympics and how he’s making ready to contend in the historic contest. Test out the total job interview in this article.  

To study your next skateboard trick from an Olympian, check out out Manny’s Trick Idea Video clips on Stomp.