VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Jackalope Festival is still a couple of weeks away, but one skateboarder is already here for it. He might be early, but his 3,000-mile cross-country journey was done entirely by board!
Chad Caruso started his trip from Venice Beach, California on March 24 with the goal of getting to Virginia Beach in time for the action sports Jackalope Festival, which starts June 2 at the Oceanfront.
During his trip, Caruso posted social media videos of the different places he skateboarded through, as well as the people he met along the way. He has also posted vlogs of his trip on his YouTube channel.
Caruso traveled through the southwestern states before making his way through Texas and ultimately, the southeastern United States. His Instagram post on Wednesday showed him skateboarding through Emporia, Virginia, less than 100 miles from his destination.
He arrived at his destination of Neptune Park on Friday afternoon, where a large crowd cheered and greeted him.
"Unreal, honestly, I wasn't expecting this many people!" Caruso said on his arrival.
Caruso has used his cross-country trip to raise money for addiction awareness among youth. His GoFundMe campaign has nearly hit his goal of $45,000, a portion of which will support Natural High, a drug prevention nonprofit organization.
With his journey now over, Caruso has become a Guinness World Record holder for the fastest crossing of America on a manually powered skateboard for a male.
“It's been an unforgettable journey and Chad has truly become a living legend by fearlessly embracing this colossal challenge," Micah Desforges, a producer with Jackalope Festival, wrote in a news release. "We applaud his unyielding determination and are beyond proud to have him as an ambassador for this year’s Jackalope festival in Virginia Beach.”