Eric Cruz
Powerslide Fitness Pro
Name: Eric Cruz
Country: USA
Current Location: Austin, TX
Loving to skate since: Since the summer of 2000. Riding for Powerslide since 2017
Current Skate Setup: Arise SL, Elite Magnesium 12.5" frames, 125mm Matter Image, Wicked HCR bearings
Favorite boot: Arise SL is my favorite boot I've skated to date, super solid boot and just meshes with kind of skating I do
Favorite frames: Elite Magnesium 12.5" frames! I've had them on so many boots at this point
Favorite wheels: For training, the Matter Image wheels can't be beaten! I skate them on all road conditions and they hold up excellently and provide a good feel at 86a
Favorite bearings: I use a lot of Wicked ABEC 9 for training, they are solid workhorses and can take a beating while allowing speed
Why do you love to skate? I just love to roll! I can't imagine my life without skating in so many ways. I have met so many people, found opportunities to challenge and improve myself as a human, skater, and athlete. I get to use my photography and video skills! It keeps me in shape! Tell us about your personal philosophy, ethic, and value as a skater! I just want to be the best version of myself as a skater, a human, and an athlete. There are no shortcuts on this path. If you haven't been putting in the work it becomes evident. Skating has given me an avenue to pursue this best version of me both on and off skates. I feel I have shown other skaters that it's possible to change one's health and physicality through skating no matter who you are or where you are starting from. We are not all going to be "the best" but we can all "be the best" version of ourselves and I'd like to think I have shown people that with my journey in skating and fitness
What keeps you pushing forward in skating? The simple joy and feeling of rolling! Other than that I really don't know, I just want to go, and when I'm going I want to keep going, there's something inside me that always wants that extra mile or 20
What is your favorite place to skate? I just like the open road, when I can zone out and listen to the sound of my skates rolling, my breathing, just feeling the roll, moving forward unimpeded
What was your greatest success? I think for me my greatest success has been my 3 Athens to Atlanta Finishes and improving my finish time every completion. It shows me my work on skates and crosstraining is paying off and that my skills are improving. An extremely close second would be my first podium finish. It was at the Bear Creek Inline and Quad Challenge an actual speed event so it was pretty cool for me to place 2nd and take the silver against actual speed skaters!
What is your favorite race? Athens to Atlanta, I discovered this race early on into my distance skating and dubbed it as a personal Everest. It is such a challenging course and such an accomplishment to finish. Love the fact that all the crazy distance skaters get together for it! Everyone is so supportive and the camaraderie between participants is so cool.
What advice would you like to give? Just keep skating, speed is relative. No matter what as long as you are skating you are going faster than you would have on the couch. Just have fun with it! It is skating and it is fun!
Any hobbies outside of skating? I am a garage gym rat! Love my kettlebells! I love being out on the trails either trail running or walking/running my dog Levi. I also do a little cycling. Creatively I enjoy photography, video editing, attempting to write short stories and making short films with friends. Love watching some horror movies/shorts in my downtime
Do you have a life philosophy or phrase that inspires you? "If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them."-Bruce Lee. I have found myself going back to this quote so many times in my life and it so apt for everything especially skating
What is your favorite moment in skating? My favorite moment in skating will always be the very first hill I bombed. I had got some skates at a thrift store a few days before, the skates were cheap clunky and way too big, I had absolutely no business being on that hill as a complete and total beginner but I tried bombing it anyways. I remember the speed I felt, I had never felt anything like that before, it was different than on a bike and I could never run that fast. I was flying! For a glorious little bit at least because my inexperience on skates quickly revealed itself! I was going way too fast, didn't know how to do anything about it, my feet started to get speed wobbles and I knew I was in trouble! I attempted to jump some dirt/rocks and land in the grass...well I didn't even come close! According to my cousin, I did a couple of flips. I was pretty mangled, bleeding all over, body aches, torn clothes, but there was just this huge smile on my face and I knew I would be skating forever.
