Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Lowell, Massachusetts, Manny Santiago picked up a skateboard when he was 14 and got sponsored when he was 17 years old. His first video appearance was a trick in Dave Bachinsky’s Our Life part. In 2009 Manny dropped his first major video part in the Famous Everywhere We Go video and in 2010 he turned Pro. Manny
qualified into SLS by winning the 2013 SLS Select Series. Manny is beloved by fans around the world because of his high energy and ear- to-ear smile. Barcelona seems to be the city that gets Manny the most hyped as his two highest contest placements to date were both in Europe’s skate mecca. He placed 3rd in 2013 and 6th at the SLS Nike SB Pro Open in 2015. Manny was out for most of 2016 after recov- ering from surgery on both his ankles but he did compete in the New Jersey stop last year. In 2017 Manny returned with solid skating. His highest finish was 15th place in Munich, and will be looking to move up in the standings this year.