Manuel De La Cruz // Dirt Bros Cheese // 1994

Underground San Diego shredder, Manuel De La Cruz,  earned national notoriety for being the first documented rider to grind down a legit handrail without brakes and without wearing any pads.  At the time, most riders were still used to seeing the pros wear a full face helmet or at least full pads to double-peg a rail.  So, when Manuel started bombing huge handrails with out safety gear, it was pretty shocking.
While he may have been known for hitting big rails, Manuel also got down on ramps, dirt, and had some impressive flatland moves. I’ve gotten to hang out with Manuel a few times since I moved to San Diego, and have always found him to be a generous, humble, and likeable guy who is still really stoked on BMX.  Using “Egypt, Egypt” from the 1984 album On the Nile by Egyptian Lover was a stroke of genius, and helped make Manuel’s section one of the more memorable ones from Cheese.  Enjoy!!
Manuel De La Cruz and Sean Yarroll at the HARO book premier // 2014 // Photo:  Paul Covey