User:Imagr8mom/Eddie Elguera

Eddie Elguera, (born November 12, 1962 in Bellflower, California) is a 2-time world champion skateboarder and Senior Pastor of The Rock Church of Coachella Valley, in the Palm Springs area of Southern California. He is also known by the nick-name "El Gato". Eddie is married to Dawna Elguera and has three sons, Malachi Elguera, Christopher Elguera, and Isaac Elguera. Eddie and his family currently live in Palm Desert, CA.

Skateboard Career
Eddie Elguera, who was given the nick-name "El Gato" early on in his career, is known as a legend in the sport and the innovator of vertical skateboarding.

In May of 1979, Eddie received the title of U.S. Amateur Skateboard Association Champion. He then went on to the professional circuit and became Skateboarder of the Year, along with receiving the “Most Spectacular New Maneuver” award for inventing the "Elguerial", a skateboard maneuver named after him.

The following year, in 1980, Eddie went on to win the 1980 Gold Cup Series of skateboarding and became the World Champion for the 2nd year in a row. Along with two world titles he has introduced some of the most incredible skateboard maneuvers ever conceived or attempted at that time. In such a short period of time Eddie became a legend in the sport, respected and admired by the top pros in the industry today. Some of the tricks, which have enabled him to play a major part in skateboarding history, include the Elguerial, the frontside rock-n-roll, the fakie ollie and the frontside invert, which he perfected.

Having performed in the music video for the new wave band "Devo", Eddie thought he had it all, one national title and two world titles, all within two years time. “What could go wrong? Eddie thought, but the pressures of success had come on him like a storm that hit a house built on sand. The pressures of sex, drugs, and alcohol came into his life and brought him from being on top to hitting bottom. After four years of complete misery and after losing everything he had, he realized that he needed God in his life.

Christianity
In 1983, Eddie became a born-again Christian. He joined an “on fire” church and sat under the teaching and discipleship of his “spiritual father” and pastor, Jim Cobrae, from that point on, and the Lord began to put Eddie’s life back together. Within a three-year period of time Eddie married his wife Dawna, a girl from his church, and they began a family which now includes three wonderful boys. During this time the Lord was instilling in Eddie’s heart that he was to begin skateboarding again, but this time to glorify God and not for self-gratification.

Since then, Eddie has been skating and telling people the good news about the Lord Jesus Christ, all over the world. “The Lord has blessed me one hundred fold, with a comeback after seven years of having left skating. From success to nothing, and back to success with Jesus, only God could do such a thing”. Eddie has been on Nickelodeon, E.S.P.N., The 700 Club, T.B.N.’s Fire By Night, 100 Huntley Street a Christian program in Canada and on television programming in various countries around the world. Along with various magazine interviews such as Christianity Today, Breakaway, a Focus on the Family publication, Eddie has skated as part of the Franklin Graham and John Guest Crusades across the U.S and Youth Alive in Australia.

Over the years Eddie has used skateboarding as a relatively new approach to ministry and a way to motivate kids and get them excited about Jesus. “Through the gift that God has given me, I have the honor of seeing 1000’s of kids come to Christ, as well as many of the parents!”

Skateboarding has opened the door for Eddie to minister to tens of thousands of people worldwide. God has blessed him with the ability to cross denominational and organizational lines and minister to many churches of various denominations and organizations. Eddie has traveled world wide, speaking at conferences, camps, crusades, schools and churches, seeing thousands saved.