Santa Cruz Longboard Union Invitational: Local Stoke at The Lane

The waves lined up and so did the surfers for this year’s Santa Cruz Longboard Union Invitational at Steamer Lane—one of those weekends that reminds us why we love this town.

The event is hosted by the Santa Cruz Longboard Union (SCLU), and if you don’t already know Matt Freeman, you should. This is his club. He puts in the time, the heart, and the hustle to make it all happen—and it shows. The whole weekend was full of great rides, better vibes, and a crew that knows how to keep longboarding alive and well in Santa Cruz.

MERGE4 was there, too—we provided socks to every single contestant because after a long session at The Lane, your feet deserve a little love. Big thanks to Duke Brouwer for helping make that happen and for holding it down with us all weekend.

We caught some amazing moments from Nohemi and Nate Kawasaki, two standouts who represent the blend of style and grace this break is known for. Whether you were surfing or just soaking up the scene, you could feel the deep-rooted community everywhere you turned.

The contest saw impressive performances across the board, and Santa Cruz locked it down at home:

2025 SCLU Invitational Team Scores:

• 🥇 1st Place: Santa Cruz Longboard Union (SCLU) – 2,740 points

• 🥈 2nd Place: Pedro Point Surf Club (PPSC) – 2,140 points

• 🥉 3rd Place: Windansea Surf Club – 1,950 points

From groms to legends, from noserides to cutbacks, the event had it all. Check out santacruzlongboardunion.com for more about the club and the community it supports.

We’re already looking forward to next year. Until then—keep surfing, keep supporting, and never let up.