New York man on cross-country skateboarding trek for charity reaches Arizona

Man on cross-country skateboarding trek reaches Arizona

Chad Caruso, who is from New York, is embarking on the trek to help raise money for a good cause, as well as hoping to become the first person to solo-skate from coast to coast. FOX 10's Stephanie Bennett reports.

PHOENIX - One man who is single-handedly skateboarding across the U.S. for a good cause has reached Arizona.

Chad Caruso from Long Island, New York is embarking on the trek of over 3,000 miles (over about 4,828 kilometers) to raise money for charity, as well as hoping to break a Guinness World Record and become the first person to solo-skate from coast to coast.

"My minimum goal is 50 miles (about 80.47 kilometers) a day," said Caruso. "I would like to go a little bit faster so I can finish a little earlier, but 50 is, like, my bare minimum."

On Mar. 31, Caruso, who began the trip on Mar. 24 in Venice Beach, Calif., reached the Phoenix area. While he carries has what fits in a backpack, he does find hotels and snacks along the way.

"So every night, I have to find a hotel, wash my clothes. When I’m coming down the hill, I have to skid my foot sometimes to slow down, so my shoes starting to wear down a little bit on the bottom, so we will see how long it lasts," said Caruso.

Caruso has a goal of reaching Virginia Beach by early June. Meanwhile, he will be in Arizona over the next few days.

"It’s been an interesting experience," said Caruso. "When you’re out there and you lose cell service, you’re just surrounded by mountains."

As for the good cause Caruso is supporting, he is using the expedition to raise awareness for mental health and youth addiction. A portion of the funds raised will be donated to Natural High, a non-profit organization for the prevention of drug addiction.

Caruso has been sober for 6.5 years.

"Skateboarding kept me out of trouble my entire childhood. When I quit, I got into a whole bunch of trouble. Started drinking, all that kind of stuff, and then once I quit, everything turned great again, so I’m just trying to give back to what has helped me."

Caruso shares all his adventures on social media and on his YouTube channel, hoping to inspire others.

"People have been reaching out. People that have been sober for, like, 40 years people that just got into skating. Everyone has been so nice," said Caruso.