Photo by Native Santa Cruz

During the month of February, Santa Cruz said hello to an interesting new electric skateboard company, while saying goodbye to one of the most cherished local biking spots in the area. Our city was buzzed by a military jet and a local disc golf pro tossed his way into an ESPN highlight reel on Sportscenter. We were the focus of some great articles about local food, drink and history, not to mention one of the coolest aerial videos you’ve ever seen of Santa Cruz. All that, plus our favorite pictures and posts from local social media for the month of February 2015.

Self-balancing Electric Skateboard Business Moves To Town

Where better for an innovative new one-wheeled electric skateboard company to move than Santa Cruz? That’s exactly what happened last month when Kyle Doerksen moved his company, Onewheel, to the Wrigley Building (now University Business Park) from its previous headquarters in Mountain View. The Onewheel looks like a regular skateboard, except it has one large wheel in the middle, rather than smaller wheels at the edges. In an interview with the Sentinel, Doerksen said the Onewheel was inspired by snowboarding and can reach speeds up to 12 mph. The board operates on software that responds when the rider shifts his bodyweight, similar to how a Segway works. You can read more about Doerksen and the Onewheel in this article from the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

Portable Photo Booth Delivers Vintage Charm From The Slow Lane

A portable photo booth in the back of a 1970 Volkswagen Westfalia? Of course Santa Cruz has one! A local company called the Booth Bus brings high quality photos, lighting and filters to you, all in a modern studio complete with props. The Capitola based business started in 2014 and operates throughout the Bay Area. You can read an interview with Anthony Alcala, founder of the Booth Bus, on the Event Santa Cruz website here.

Obama’s Jet Escort Causes A Stir In Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz was treated to a military grade surprise when President Obama was in the Bay Area and one of his jet escorts could be seen (and heard) overhead around the area. Local photographer Tim Cattera caught this great photo of the jet, which KSBW featured in its news coverage of the President’s cyber security summit at Stanford University.

Sentinel Faces Challenges Amid Cuts & Potential Ownership Sale

The Good Times published an article detailing the current state of the Santa Cruz Sentinel as the local paper struggles to deal with budget cuts and the loss of experienced journalists. While the Sentinel is seen as something of a success as far as local papers go, it’s no secret that local readership has felt the impact of the paper’s coverage and operations moving farther from Santa Cruz. The Sentinel has lost several of their top reporters in recent years and now has a staff of only six writers according to the article. The parent company of the Sentinel, Digital First Media, is currently up for sale, raising even more questions about the future of local news coverage in Santa Cruz . You can read the article from the Good Times here.

Unraveling The Court Of Mysteries (Or The History Of That Brick Thing On The Westside)

If you’ve ever wondered about the story behind the brick building on Fair Ave. on the Westside, you can find the answers to your questions in this post from Mobile Ranger. While it may look like an industrial sized kiln with brick minarets built around it, the building has an interesting history that includes the architectural adventures of two eccentric brothers that built it by moonlight.

Local Disc Golfer Nate Doss Featured On Sportscenter’s Top 10 Plays

If you had any doubt that disc golf is booming and Santa Cruz is a big reason why, Sportscenter’s Top 10 plays of the day on Feb. 28 gave you reason to believe. Soquel High grad and one of the world’s best disc golf players, Nate Doss, nailed a 390 foot ace (think “hole-in-one” in golf), which was the #10 play of the day. Doss has been a full-time disc golfer since 2010 and has won the world championships three times, making him one of only two players in the history of the sport to accomplish the feat. Click here to view the video of his ace.

Saying Goodbye To The Post Office Jumps

We always knew the day would come eventually and, in February, the Post Office Jumps in Aptos hosted its last riders. The property on which the dirt jumps were designed is owned by Barry Swenson Builder, who leased the land to the County Parks Department for $1 while being used for the pump track and Post Office Jumps. The popularity of the temporary tracks, along with the involvement of Epicenter Cycling and local riders, helped pave the way for the growth and success of other tracks around the county, which you can read more about here.

Heavy equipment is demolishing the dirt jump park in Aptos, 30+ riders here to watch it go. pic.twitter.com/hIyu4fI6gr — Brittany Nielsen (@Brittanyatthe8) February 17, 2015

The Best Santa Cruz Tap Rooms, Breweries & Ale Houses

Santa Cruz Life published an in-depth guide to local microbreweries, tap rooms and ale houses in February. In addition to write-ups about 15 current breweries and three that are opening soon, the post includes recommendations, seating options, and which businesses are dog-friendly.

Following Your Sweet Tooth In Santa Cruz

If you have a sweet tooth and you’re looking for something local, the website Glorious Treats published a guide to some of the sweetest spots in Santa Cruz. Along with fantastic photos, the post covers some of the best places to find tasty treats and sugary snacks from around town, including local favorites like the Penny Ice Creamery, Gayle’s Bakery, Nut Kreations, Marini’s and the Pacific Cookie Company.

An Eye-popping Aerial Perspective Of Santa Cruz

The aerial videos being produced by Archer Koch are pretty incredible to behold, especially the one below. There’s a definite “Whoa!” moment involving a Boardwalk ride and it’s about as close as you’ll get to flying around Santa Cruz without a cape and superpowers.

Take An Instagram Tour Of Santa Cruz

Visit Santa Cruz put out a February blog post that offers a visual tour of Santa Cruz through the lens (and sometimes, the filter) of Instagram users. It’s a nice look at some of the local outdoor sights from the month, including the West Cliff Dr. sunset picture below.

Best Of The Month From Santa Cruz Social Media

An enjoyable sunset over Valentine’s Day weekend.

Reddit loves our beaches and calls them by silly names.

The simple pleasures of Santa Cruz.



Some historical perspective from Roaring Camp.

A dose of history, #RoaringCamp style. Here is the first ever Santa Cruz Beach Train in the 1980's. How time flies! pic.twitter.com/O5rzzDOHNF — Roaring Camp (@roaringcamp) February 4, 2015



You can always count on Paul Jimerson for a great photo and a succinct title (which are sometimes hilarious).



No surprise that Native Santa Cruz had one of the best local shots of our February rainbows.



Logan Wells took an awesome panoramic shot of the double rainbow.

