The Bay Area has its share of world-class skateboarders but few have etched their name in the Guinness Book of World Records like Brendon Davis of Redwood City.
Davis, who is studying digital/electronic music at Cañada College, set the world record for longest stationary manual on a skateboard. In layman’s terms, Davis held a “wheelie” on the back two wheels of his skateboard for more than 19 minutes and 39 seconds. He smashed the previous record by a skateboarder from Iceland who held his wheelie for seven minutes and 59 seconds. Davis set the record at Society Skate Shop in San Carlos last May but just recently received his certificate from Guinness.
“I worked hard to train for a year to achieve my goal,” said Davis, who attended Carlmont High School for two years before graduating from Aurora Charter High School. “I never once doubted that I could do it.”
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The manual skateboard trick is similar to a bicycle wheelie where the rider balances with the front or back wheels off the ground not allowing the tail or nose of the skateboard to touch the ground. The trick is one of many freestyle skateboarding tricks. Unlike other skateboarding tricks, the manual is performed in a stationary position.
The original record for a stationary manual was set by professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek during the 2007 filming of his reality television show Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory.
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Davis said he was influenced by a close family friend and personal trainer named Curtis Suckut who passed away about 18 months ago. “When I was in middle school and just started to skateboard, Curtis introduced me to different balance techniques,” Davis said. “With his help, I became really good at balancing on two wheels on a skateboard. He felt that perfecting balance was a very important part of fitness and this had a huge impact on my life.”
After Suckut passed away, Davis made it a goal to achieve the longest stationary manual world record in his friend’s honor and share his story.
“On his resume, it will not only say he trained pro athletes and Olympians, he also trained a Guinness World Record holder,” Davis said. “Without his encouraging, high-octane spirit helping me through all the training and the record attempt, I would never have been able to accomplish this goal. I hope my story will inspire others around the world to follow their dreams.”
For more information about Davis and his quest for the record, view the film by Jason Crouch.
