BACK FROM THE UPSIDE DOWN: SANTA CRUZ X STRANGER

The portal reopens — and this time, it’s glowing brighter than ever. Santa Cruz Skateboards and Netflix’s Stranger Things have returned for Drop 2 of their massively popular collaboration, and this round pushes everything to the next dimension. Fusing the energy of 1980s skateboarding with the dark magic of Hawkins, Indiana, the Santa Cruz x Stranger Things partnership is a collision of two worlds that share one thing in common — pure cult status.

A LOOK BACK: DROP 1 SET THE PORTAL ABLAZE

Before Drop 2’s multicolour glow lit up the scene, Drop 1 already made history. Santa Cruz introduced the first wave of Stranger Things decks in 2022, merging its most recognizable graphics — like the Screaming Hand, Roskopp Face, and Kendall Snake — with eerie Stranger Things twists. Those early releases incorporated lenticular illusions that shifted between the Santa Cruz originals and scenes from the Upside Down, creating one of the most collectible runs in modern skate history. It wasn’t just nostalgia — it was innovation that captured the heart of both skaters and fans of the show.

Drop 1 sold out almost instantly, sparking a global hunt for limited pieces. Collectors and riders scrambled to grab anything they could from the line, whether it was the Kendall Eleven deck, the Will Byers-inspired Roskopp Face, or the Demogorgon-fused Hand graphic that seemed to stare back at you. It was proof that Santa Cruz had achieved something rare: a collaboration that didn’t just cash in on nostalgia but elevated it into a new creative language.

THE EVOLUTION CONTINUES: DROP 2 EMERGES FROM THE DARK

Now, Santa Cruz has cracked the code again with Drop 2, pushing the Stranger Things crossover into full fluorescent madness. This time, the magic isn’t hidden in lenticular overlays — it’s glowing in the dark. Each deck comes alive when the lights go out, unleashing multicolour glow effects that transform familiar shapes into otherworldly visions. From Eddie’s metal-fueled riffs to Vecna’s twisted clock imagery, every inch of these decks drips with energy.

Where Drop 1 captured the fear of the unknown, Drop 2 celebrates the power within it. It’s bolder, louder, and even more collectible. Santa Cruz carefully selected four iconic 1980s reissue shapes — the Meek Slasher, Grabke Melting Clock, Knox Firepit, and Salba Tiger — and warped them through the Stranger Things lens. What emerged is a lineup that feels ripped straight from a haunted arcade: high saturation, heavy glow, and unapologetic throwback attitude.

THE ART THAT CONNECTS TWO CULTURES

The magic of this collaboration goes deeper than aesthetics. Stranger Things is a show that thrives on subculture — the music, the games, the rebellion — all the same currents that shaped skateboarding in the 1980s. Eddie Munson’s guitar solos and D&D campaigns aren’t far off from the skate crew energy of that same decade: a group of outsiders carving their own path against a world that didn’t quite understand them. Santa Cruz channels that exact spirit through this collection, transforming decks into symbols of resistance, friendship, and fearless creativity.

Each graphic pays tribute not only to the characters but to the visual language of both brands. The bright fluorescents and warped patterns echo Jim Phillips’ iconic Santa Cruz style, while the horror-fantasy elements draw directly from Stranger Things’ gothic storytelling. Together, they create something that feels both classic and completely new — a bridge between worlds for skaters, collectors, and fans who grew up in different eras but share the same obsession with what lies beyond.

HERITAGE MEETS HORROR

Santa Cruz Skateboards has been defining skate culture since 1973, surviving every wave, crash, and revival the industry has thrown its way.

Founded by Richard Novak, Doug Haut, and Jay Shuirman, Santa Cruz helped pioneer graphics as storytelling, turning every deck into a moving piece of art. Its bold visual identity, combined with constant technical innovation, made it one of the few skateboard brands to truly transcend generations. In that sense, a collaboration with Stranger Things — a show built entirely on resurrecting the best of the past — feels like fate.

And in true Santa Cruz fashion, these decks aren’t just pretty faces. Each is crafted from 7-ply North American maple and pressed individually using epoxy, ensuring long-lasting pop, response, and durability. The reissue shapes are era-correct — featuring either Old School concave or the famous Cruz Missile II, which locks your feet in tight during turns and transitions. The blend of retro craftsmanship and glowing modern art feels like stepping into a VHS fever dream that somehow still rides like a dream.

SKATEBOARDING’S STRANGER FUTURE

What makes Drop 2 so powerful isn’t just its design — it’s its message. Both Stranger Things and Santa Cruz remind us that being different is power. The Upside Down is scary, but it’s also a place where rules bend and imagination thrives. Skateboarding has always lived by those same principles. Every deck, every grind, every flip — it’s all about rewriting the world in your own way. These boards are proof that even in a world of reissues and nostalgia, true creativity never stops evolving.

A LEGACY THAT NEVER DIMS

For collectors, Drop 2 represents more than just another collab — it’s a time capsule with teeth. Each deck captures the soul of two eras that changed counterculture forever: the rise of 1980s skateboarding and the neon-lit nostalgia of Stranger Things. The combination of art, mythology, and precision craftsmanship makes these boards equally at home hanging on a wall or tearing up concrete. They’re built for the die-hard fans who remember when Santa Cruz logos were scratched into grip tape, but also for a new generation discovering that the past still glows — literally.

AVAILABLE NOW AT CALSTREETS BOARDERLABS

The glow has returned to Hawkins — and to Kitsilano. The Santa Cruz x Stranger Things Drop 2 collection is available now at CalStreets BoarderLabs, where vintage spirit meets modern chaos. Whether you’re adding them to your wall or dropping in at the bowl, these decks represent the collision of two worlds that changed everything. Step through the portal, take a ride, and remember: the best things in the Upside Down still come with grip tape.