Maybe it's better if you can't see when performing a dangerous skateboard move, Daniel Mancina should know, he's blind AND a great skater.

Mancina Set The World Record For The Longest 50-50 Grind

Mancina, a 35-year-old from Royal Oak, set a world record back in January for performing the longest 50-50 grind on skateboard, with a distance of 22 feet, 5 inches.

The feat was just verified and announced by Guinness this week to be a new world record.

Courtesy Guinness Book of World Records
Courtesy Guinness Book of World Records
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Mancina is known internationally as 'The Blind Skateboarder', a unimaginative nickname for a man who has accomplished a lot in his lifetime.

Mancina Has Been Skating Since He Was 13, And Lost His Sight That Same Year

Mancina began skateboarding as a 13 year old in suburban Detroit.

“I met a group of friends who skated and who are all still my friends to this day,” Mancina told Guinness.

During a routine exam later that year, Mancina was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic eye disease that affects the light-sensitive layer of tissue in the back of the eye and often leads to legal and complete blindness.

Mancina lost his eyesight in one eye quickly and found he was losing interest in his beloved skating. He gave it up for a time, before picking up a skateboard again a few years later, and four years ago won the attention of boarding great Tony Hawk, when he performed a front board on video.

Encouraged By The Skater Community, Mancina Readjusted And Learned New Tricks

Mancina taught himself a new way of skating, and accepted that there would be some things he could no longer do. He now uses his cane as a guide and learns the area he will be skating by examining it with the cane first.

Courtesy Guinness Book of World Records
Courtesy Guinness Book of World Records
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“I rely on my white cane the most, using it to scan my environment and to find obstacles while skating,” said Mancina. “Being a blind skater, I have to take my time to feel obstacles and have a good understanding of them before I start skating.”

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