Best CrossFit Gym
CrossFit Santa Cruz
CrossFit focuses on functional movements done at high intensity with lots of variance. It combines weightlifting, gymnastics, and cardiovascular activities in as many ways as possible.
Humble Beginnings CrossFit CEO Greg Glassman started the company in his garage in Santa Cruz in 2000.
Elbow Room In its 3,500-square-foot warehouse, CrossFit Santa Cruz offers fitness to athletes ranging in ages from 12 to 70, and includes doctors, lawyers, teachers, firefighters, mortgage brokers, surfers, motocross riders, and more …
Breaking a Sweat Example of a CrossFit workout: a one-mile run and maximum reps of 315-pound deadlifts in eight minutes. Then, in 10 minutes: a one-mile run, followed by maximum reps of 225-pound power cleans. Finally in 12 minutes: a one-mile run—followed by maximum reps of 135-pound overhead squats. No resting in between.
Whole World in Strong Hands Today there are more than 7,000 CrossFit affiliate locations worldwide. | Jacob Pierce
Best Vitamin Store
Staff of Life
Health haven
Bigger than yours The vitamin department at Staff of Life is one of the largest in northern California.
Around the world in a daze Did you know you can effectively travel the world within the walls at the Staff of Life vitamin store? African black soap, Himalayan bath salts and French lavender lotion are only a few of the international offerings.
Multiple Choice The most popular vitamins and supplements are fish oil, multivitamins, vitamin D and calcium. | Leslie Patrick
Best Aerobics Instructor
Margaux Morgan
Miss Fit
Food for Thought She has recipes and workouts on her blog, fitfoodie.blogspot.com.
Oh, Brother She grew up with four brothers, who got her interested in sports at an early age.
Science Project She is currently studying Nutrition and Food Science with an emphasis on Dietetics at San Jose State University.
Ruff Life She enjoys long walks on the beach with her dog, Reef. | Georgia Perry
Best Hiking Trail
The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
45 miles of trails + 10,222 acres + The park goes from sea level up to 2,600 feet at its peak. + The epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake was located within Nisene Marks.
In the late 1800s, Southern Pacific Railroad plowed a 7.2-mile standard gauge railroad up the canyon, using an army of 300 to 400 Chinese laborers, according to Santa Cruz’s “History Dude,” Sandy Lydon. “Some people look at [these redwoods] and say ‘oh gee, it’s really a shame they cut them down.’ Well there’s another way to look at this story: look at how they’re coming back. Look at the resilience of these trees. And we’ve done this. We decided to put a fence around them and let them run.”—Lydon to GT in 2012
Memorable features on the Old Growth Loop trail include a mysterious and hard-to-find albino redwood, a grove of spiraling trees known as The Curlicue Forest (also The Curly Trees or The Crazy Forest), and scars from the park’s logging history, such as stumps and springboard notches in trunks. The Marks family donated 9,000 acres of family-owned land to the State of California in 1963 in honor of their mother, Nisene. The Forest of Nisene Marks celebrated 50 years as a state park last year. | Elizabeth Limbach
Category Winners & Runners-Up
Acupuncture
Five Branches Institute 200 Seventh Ave. #115, Santa Cruz,476-8211, fivebranches.edu
Runners-Up Communi-Qi, Flux Acupuncture Lounge, Kasha Forgette
Aerobics Instructor
Margaux Morgan 2551 South Rodeo Gulch Road #4, Soquel, Santa Cruz, 600-7160, farleyskickboxing.com/instructors
Runners-Up Lee Pate, Danny Diaz
Aerobics Studio
Toadal Fitness 113 Lincoln St., Santa Cruz, 423-3764 and multiple locations, toadalfitness.com
Runners-Up In Shape, Santa Cruz Dance Co
Alternative Health
Dr. Juli Mazi 2840 Park Ave., Suite A, Soquel, Santa Cruz, 731-5882, naturopaths.healthprofs.com/cam/name/Juli_Mazi_MS,ND_Soquel_California_537305
Runners-Up Nourish, Awaken Massage Therapy
Beauty Supply
Westside Beauty Supply 580 River St., Santa Cruz, 459-8450, westsidebeautysupply.com
Runners-Up Bella Dawna Esthetics, CosmoProf
Botox
UltraDerm 3311 Mission Drive, Santa Cruz, 475-4315, ultraderm.com
Runners-Up Laser Hair & Skin Solutions, Smooth Body Lounge
CrossFit™ Gym
CrossFit Santa Cruz 2521 Mission St Ext, 421-2065, crossfitsantacruz.com
Runners-Up Studio 831, Amundson
Day Spa
Bella Dawna 7556 Soquel Drive, Aptos, 688-3203, belladawnaesthetics.com
Runners-Up L’Atelier, Well Within
Facial
Smooth Body Lounge 2345 Mission St., Santa Cruz, 420-3262, smoothsantacruz.com
Runners-Up Bella Dawna, L’Altelier
Fitness Club (overall)
Toadal/Cabrillo Fitness 6200 Soquel Ave., Aptos 475-5979, toadalfitness.com
Fitness Club (Aptos)
Seascape Village Fitness 16-A Seascape Village Fitness, Aptos, 708-2323, seascapeptandfit.com
Runners-Up Cabrillo Fitness, Precision Wellness Center
Fitness Club (Capitola)
In Shape 1100-1200 41st Ave., Capitola 95010, 476-7373, inshapeclubs.com/health-clubs/in-shape-capitola
Runners-Up Capitola Fitness, Rockys
Fitness Club (Santa Cruz)
Toadal Fitness 113 Lincoln St., Santa Cruz, 423-3764; 1200 17th Ave. #108, Santa Cruz, 464-3764; 3004 Mission St. Ext., Santa Cruz, 466-3764, toadalfitness.com
Runners-Up Tao San Fitness & Martial Arts, Pacific Edge
Fitness Club (Scotts Valley)
Club One 100 Enterprise Way, Scotts Valley, 431-2202, clubone.com/Clubs/South-Bay/Scotts-Valley
Runners-Up Lightspeed Martial Arts, Scotts Valley Gym
Fitness Club (Soquel)
Farley’s Kickboxing Academy 2551 S Rodeo Gulch Road, Soquel, 600-7160, farleyskickboxing.com
Runners-Up Cabrillo Fitness, Santa Cruz Dance
Fitness Club (Watsonville)
Lifestyle Fitness 25 Penny Lane, Watsonville, 722-1612, lifestylefitnessclub.com
Runners-Up Body Zone, Gold’s Gym
Golf Course De Laveaga Golf and Lodge 401 Upper Park Road, Santa Cruz, 423-7212, delaveagagolf.com
Runners-Up Pasatiempo, Seascape
Gymnastic Center
Santa Cruz Gymnastics 2750 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, 462-0655, www.scgym.com
Runners-Up Vargas Academy, Junebugs
Hair Extensions
Vice Salon 309 Capitola Ave., Capitola, 464-1700, salonvice.com
Runners-Up Serene Skin and Body/ L’Atelier, Laurie Davis at Fusion Salon
Hair Salon
Salon on the Square Cooper St., Santa Cruz, 600-7087, salononthesquare-sc.com
Runners-Up Vice Salon, L’Altelier
Hiking Trail
Nisene Marks 100 Aptos Creek Road, Aptos, 464-5620, parks.ca.gov/?page_id=666
Runners-Up Pogonip, Wilder Ranch
Kick-Boxing
Tao San Fitness & Martial Arts 2801 Mission St. #2853, Santa Cruz, 332-8847, diotaosan.com
Runners-Up Farley’s Kickboxing Academy, Minorsan
Laser Hair Removal
Laser Hair & Skin Solutions 783 Rio Del Mar Blvd #71b, Aptos, 689-9830
Runners-Up Monterey Bay Laser Aesthetics, UltraDerm
Martial Arts Studio
Lightspeed Martial Arts 5004 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley, 438-6068, lightspeedmartialarts.com
Runners-Up Tao San Fitness and Martial Arts, Elite Martial Arts Academy
Massage School
Twin Lakes 1525 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz, 476-2152, twinlakescollege.org
Runners-Up Cypress Health Institute, Five Branches
Naturopathic Doctor
Aimee Shunney 21511 E Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, 465-9088, drshunney.com
Runners-Up Dr. Juli Mazi, Rachel Abrams MD
Stand-Up Paddle
SUP Shack 2214 E Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, 464-7467, supshacksantacruz.com
Runners-Up Coverwater, Kayak Connection
Pilates Studio
Body in Motion 783 Rio Del Mar Blvd. #55, Aptos, 685-1779, pilatescalifornia.com
Runners-Up Agile Monkey, Pleasure Point Pilates
Waxing Studio
Smooth Body Lounge 2345 Mission St., Santa Cruz, 420-3262, smoothsantacruz.com
Runners-Up European Wax Center, Bella Dawna
Retreat
Land of Medicine Buddha 5800 Prescott Road, Soquel, 462-8383, landofmedicinebuddha.org
Runners-Up Chaminade, Mount Madonna Center
Senior Care: Assisted Living
Dominican Oaks 3400 Paul Sweet Road, Santa Cruz, 462-6257, dominicanoaks.com
Runners-Up Sunshine Villa, Oak Tree Villa
Senior Care: In-Home Care
ComforCare100 Doyle St. #F, Santa Cruz, 427-1553, comforcare.com/california/santa-cruz-county
Runners-Up Ruth Martin Home Care, Visiting Angels
Senior Care: Financial Planner
Christine McBroom1500 41st Ave. #262, Capitola, 476-7300, lanaifinancialsolutions.com
Runners-Up Cheryl Rebottaro Edward Jones, Zach Brown – Edward Jones
Senior Care: Real Estate Specialist
Mulhern & Gomes1414 Soquel Ave. Suite100, Santa Cruz, 457-5555, mg4homes.com
Runners-Up Tammi Blake – David Lyng Richard Schmidt
Surf School
Club Ed101 Beach St., Santa Cruz, 464-0177, club-ed.com
Runners-Up Richard Schmidt, Surf School Santa Cruz
Surf Spot
Steamer Lane West Cliff, Santa Cruz, 420-5270
Runners-Up Pleasure Point, The Hook
Swim School
Adventure Sports 303 Potrero St #15, Santa Cruz, 458-3648, asudoit.com
Runners-Up Jim Booth, Simkins
Tanning Salon
Tanner’s Cove 1420 41st Ave. # D, Capitola, 475-8267, tannerscove.net
Runners-Up Paradise Tanning, Glimmer and Glow
Vitamin Store
Staff of Life 1266 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, 423-8632, staffoflifemarket.com
Runners-Up Way of Life, New Leaf, Bloom
Women’s Gym
Curves 2724 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, 465-8228, curves.com
Runners-Up In-Shape, Toadal Fitness
Yoga Studio
Luma 1010 Center St., Santa Cruz, 325-2620, lumayoga.com
Runners-Up Pacific Cultural Center, Nourish
