How my Brazilian friend’s skimboarding dreams came true in Santa Cruz

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His teeth were chattering. That is what I remember when I looked up at my friend, the Brazilian skimboarder, Leo Freitas, as he stood on Seabright State Beach waiting for the final to commence at the July 20 Tac Skimblast, which is the second of six stops on the United Skim Tour (UST), the world’s main international professional skimboarding tour and the premier skim competition for Northern California.

Leo was one of 23 of the world’s best skimboarders, from the West Coast, East Coast, Mexico, and Brazil, who gathered at picturesque Seabright Beach amid hundreds of spectators to battle for their ranking on the tour. The contest also featured divisions for amateur men, amateur women, professional women, and even the “old guys.” But, it’s the professional contest that draws the attention.

Leo stood in his thin wetsuit, teeth vibrating, as the chilly Santa Cruz evening settled in. Leo is from Rio de Janeiro and wasn’t used to the cold. 

It was a historic moment in our small, but tight-knit skimboarding world. Leo, 25, was facing off against the three-time world champ, Lucas Fink, also 25, also from Rio. Never before in the history of the UST had two Brazilians faced off in the final of an event.

Leo had already exceeded his expectations by making the final. The chance to compete in the storied land of skimboard heaven – California – was already his dream come true. I was one of the contest judges, but as Leo’s friend, I also knew how important this moment was to him. 

I met him when I lived in Brazil in 2021. Every day, he would wake up at dawn and traverse the chaotic streets of Rio de Janeiro on his e-bike to find the best conditions for skimboarding. He’d bombard our Whatsapp group to encourage more skimboarders to get out of bed and join him.

With the iconic granite monoliths of Rio framing his videos, he’d shamelessly post selfies to his 42,000 Instagram followers. Through his infectious smile and wavy, sun-bleached hair, he’d speak in a Portuguese that best compares to hard-core Californian surf slang. And his online persona wasn’t for show. He has a gregarious energy that attracts people. You feel it as soon as you enter his orbit. He isn’t afraid to strike up a conversation and invite you to share some waves.

When I’d run into Leo, he’d ask me questions about the famous skimboarding spots in California. He’d sit, listening incredulously as I would tell him stories about skimming with professionals he regarded as deities.

For most, skimming is just a pastime, even a lifestyle. But for Leo, skimboarding is a job, how he earns his living. And more importantly, a key to the world. It was the catalyst to make his California beach dream come true.

Through clever marketing and self-promotion, Leo has mustered enough sponsorships to make a living off the sport. His skills on a board give him a revenue stream – and both this year and last year, got him a visa to the United States. Tough U.S. immigration policies have squashed many skimboarders’ dreams. 

But, not Leo’s. Not yet, anyway. The vagaries of immigration law mean no visa is ever safe; the top Mexican skimboarder Yahir Valencia — a good friend of Leo’s — had his visa revoked this year and cannot compete on the tour. 

In 2023, Leo kickstarted his dream of skimboarding on the pro tour, which is mostly based in the U.S. I was abroad in Africa when he first came to Santa Cruz with the tour in June 2023, but he stayed with my mom. 

His weekend trip at my mom’s house transformed into weeks, then months. He ended up spending the 2023 summer in Santa Cruz, falling in love with the waves at 26th Avenue Beach and developing an affinity for the American junk food. He became a staple in the Santa Cruz skimboard community, even teaching the local riders common phrases in Portuguese that I still hear them using.

After finishing eighth in the world in 2023, Leo returned to compete on the tour in July 2024. 

This time, I was home to be his host. When we arrived at the beach for his first session, the skimmers joyously ran over to greet him with hugs and high-fives. I was not surprised his genuine friendliness had created lasting connections with the other Santa Cruz skimboarders. He was one of us. 

For the next 10 days Leo lived with me. He wouldn’t stop gushing about how much he loved life in the U.S., particularly in Santa Cruz. He frequented Sampa Brazilian Kitchen, where he would trade meals for Instagram promotion. He also raved about the quesadillas and horchata served at Taqueria Santa Cruz. 

Leo was a character in a dream he had created for himself, which I admire. Only several of the sport’s most high-profile athletes have ever been able to make a living off it. 

Thus, as Leo stood on the slope of Seabright Beach waiting for the final against his compatriot, Lucas Fink, his jaw uncontrollably shook from nerves and the unfamiliar cold. But he had nothing to lose.

At one point, he walked over to me to clarify the rules in Portuguese. I hadn’t talked to him all day. His English had vastly improved since his first visit to Santa Cruz, but I also picked up some Portuguese during my time in Rio. “How long is the final heat?” Leo asked me in his overly Rio de Janeiro-accented Portuguese.

I responded, careful not to show overt signs of friendship that could suggest bias, since I was a judge. But as he walked away, I couldn’t help but mutter a quick phrase: “Cara, final do errejota!” (“Dude, an all-Rio de Janeiro final!”)  

I had seen his journey firsthand. I was proud.

Leo was bested by the favored and reigning champion, Fink. But even with second place, he was ecstatic. It was his top finish ever on the UST. He had made history for himself, the sport and his country. 

I went to find him after the final to congratulate him. Even though I was one of the judges who determined he was not the winner, he didn’t show a drop of disappointment. With his classic, on-brand smile, he hugged me, still elated about what he had accomplished.

As I drove Leo to the airport the day after the contest, he was still blabbing about Santa Cruz and what this town meant to him. We had adopted him as one of our own, so it was only fitting that his historic performance took place in our community. 

Santa Cruz is forever etched in his story, as his story is forever etched in Santa Cruz. Every time I hear a local skimmer yell “Bora!” (which means “Let’s go!” in Portuguese), I’ll be reminded of my Brazilian friend who found his home away from home here in Santa Cruz.

Evan Quarnstrom is a Santa Cruz native with an affinity for surfing, the outdoors, traveling and studying languages. He graduated from Harbor High School in 2010 and went on to study international business at San Diego State University. After seven years working in the surfing industry, Evan now works as a freelance writer and online English teacher. He has been to 35 countries and counting.