Growing up as an only child in a single-parent home, Chris found much of his early inspiration as a youth from a skateboard. The freedom it gave him and endless hours of activity and creativity it provided would be the building blocks for his future. As a teen Chris was introducing to surfing and would spend the next several years catching waves at the Pismo Beach pier and surrounding surf-breaks.

After graduating high school in 1990 Chris moved to Lake Tahoe to learn to snowboard and pursue his dream of becoming a professional snowboarder. By 1994 Chris was on the path to fulfilling his dream after getting his first published photo in Transworld Snowboarding magazine. A few years later the dream was complete…he was now getting paid to snowboard and do the thing he loved most. By the end of his career Chris compiled over 50 photos in the magazines, 2 video parts, and lifetime of incredible memories.

In the late 90s Chris moved to El Dorado County to start a family and would spend the next 7 years working as a stockbroker for E*Trade Financial and the 12 years after working in the tech industry for Apple.

During this time Chris never lost sight of the board-sports, they just weren’t his main priority anymore. As a father Chris shared his passion with his kids teaching them to skate, surf, and snowboard – the Gallardo family was very much about the shred-life. The experiences created during this time are among the family’s most cherished memories. The board-sports had a positive impact on Chris’s life and they helped shape his children as well. The physical and mental skills combined with valuable life-lessons in commitment, hard-work, and leadership gained from these sports can be used throughout life providing the user with a valuable skillset for personal and professional success.