Famous Arizona YouTuber gives away skateboards, gear to Phoenix-area skating community

Famous YouTuber gives away skateboards and gears to Phoenix area skating community

The YouTuber behind ThatWasEpic, Juan Gonzalez, used $24,000 of his own money to help over 100 local skateboarders, in addition to helping a local business that opened months before the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic. FOX 10's Marissa Sarbak reports.

TEMPE, Ariz. - A famous YouTuber gave away thousands of dollars in skateboards and gear to the Phoenix skateboarding community after buying out every item at a Chandler skate shop.

Juan Gonzalez is the man behind the YouTube channel ThatWasEpic. He used $24,000 dollars of his own money for the skateboards and gear, and not only did he help over 100 local skaters, he also helped Desert Valley Skate Shop, a local business that opened two months before the pandemic hit.

"Alright guys, we're here to buy the place!" said Gonzalez in a YouTube video.

"It's been hard with the pandemic, so a sale like this just makes it so worthwhile," said the skate shop's owner.

After Gonzalez cleaned out the store, he gave his purchases all away.

"It's always something we've wanted to do. I grew up skateboarding for 10 years, and I have a huge passion for it and I love the community," said Gonzalez. "We just always wanted to give back to it."

The social media star is originally from Mexico, but now calls Tempe home. ThatWasEpic, which started as a fun hobby, has become Gonzalez's full time job, with close to 7 million followers worldwide. Giveaways like this one are what they do best, helping anyone who needs it.

"People who were using theirs and trying not to break it, so we first gave all the boards to them, because these skaters, they use this as an outlet. They deserve new boards," said Gonzalez.