The tires squealed to a halt on the Virginia Beach perimeter sand. Chad Caruso, soaking with sweat and smiling, grabbed his battered skateboard and hurled it into the Atlantic Ocean. It was May 19, 2023, the end of a gruesome 3,162-mile odyssey that had taken to task each wisp of his being. Clusters of hometown skateboarders rejoiced, cameramen snaped, and police escorted him in. Caruso at that moment was not finishing a ride, he was staking a claim to a Guinness World Record.
Chad Caruso, Long Island native with 25 years of board experience, set out from Venice Beach, California, on March 24, 2023. It was a no-frills mission ride solo by skateboard from the West Coast to the East Coast, faster than anyone ever. No retiring-on-a-bunch-of-high-end-road-bikes assist team, but a hard-wearing, 10-15 pound pack with bare necessaries a change of attire, provisions, water, and snacks. Goal ride an average of 55 miles a day, one foot at a time, through seven states California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Virginia.
A tweet from X.
What motivated him? Nine years sober, Caruso was brought back from addiction by skateboardind.
“Skateboarding rescued me from addiction as well as mental illness,”
He said in interviews, in hopes that his kick would motivate everyone to find their own recovery. To learn more about his history, visit his personal website.
The course threw the works at him. Deserts pounded his skin, rainstorms pounded him for 27 days, and mountain ranges like the Rockies and Appalachians demanded grind, grind, grind. Caruso dodged 18-wheelers on busy highways, all too frequently sliding with traffic for safety. Physical fines were racked up shin splints, blisters, a re-torn meniscus, and a moth stuck in his ear.
According to reports, he did not change the hardware skateboard wheels, trucks, or bearings around the trip, however, he transported spares as an afterthought. He changed positions to offset the stress, meditating through long, boring expanses of farmland. Daily routines consisted of sunrise beginnings, midnight endings, fast food refuels, and scouring for Wi-Fi to post vlogs.
Strangers were friends, providing food, shelter, and encouragement.
“All I experienced while skating from sea to shining sea was kindness,”
Caruso wrote on social media. Check in with his continuing dispatches on Instagram.
Beyond the miles, Caruso’s mission centered on mental health and sobriety. Skate culture, he believes, fosters resilience. His journey raised funds for groups like Natural High, directing 25 percent to addiction awareness. By sharing raw updates online, he connected with thousands facing similar battles, turning personal triumph into community uplift.
As a journalist covering endurance stories, it’s clear Caruso’s feat underscores how passion can fuel recovery verified by his Guinness documentation and vlogs, available on the Guinness World Records site. Detailed accounts appear in features from Jenkem Magazine and SurferToday.
Guinness confirmed the record fastest male skateboard crossing of the U.S. Virginia Beach Mayor Robert M. Dyer proclaimed May 19 “Chad Caruso Day.” Public response was electric skaters joined his final miles, and media from Jenkem to TransWorld Skateboarding covered it. No major sponsorships came, sparking skate community debates on support for raw efforts like his.
The story lives on in the documentary “Across America,” directed by friend John Testa, capturing the raw highs and lows. Watch it on YouTube. A 2025 U.S. tour screened it coast to coast. Caruso’s book, “Pushing Through America,” shares photos and tales available for purchase on Amazon or his site. He continues advocacy through talks and grassroots work.
In the end, Caruso’s ride reminds us that endurance isn’t just physical it’s mental. Like sobriety, it demands one push at a time, proving anyone can cross their own vast distances.
