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Charitable SD MARCH 14, 2024

PNC Bank & Wave FC Partner on New Soccer Field at Border

The joint venture will help restore the defunct field at Border View Family YMCA to bring back youth leagues and programming to San Ysidro

PNC Bank & Wave FC Partner on New Soccer Field at Border
Courtesy of the YMCA of San Diego County

The Border View Family YMCA has been in San Ysidro for 30 years, and it’s a unique YMCA branch. It has the typical fitness room and gym, but it also does a lot more—offering childcare referrals, feeding programs, vaccinations during Covid and child wellness checks. 

The facility also has a soccer field with an outsized role in the area—it’s a joint use field that’s also used by Montgomery Middle School in the Sweetwater School District. Soccer is very important to the middle schoolers and the surrounding neighborhood. 

Border View YMCA in Chula Vista, San Diego
Courtesy of Border View Family YMCA

Before the pandemic, we were programming it with all sorts of different sports, mostly soccer, adult leagues, kid youth leagues,” says Courtney Cordero, vice president of development for the YMCA of San Diego County. “And then unfortunately, because of the pandemic, we had to close our Border Y. And at that time, too, the field was already kind of on its last leg, kind of pushing up into the pandemic.”

Covid came, and the Border View YMCA was one of the slowest to reopen and when it did in 2021, it had limited hours. Only recently has it returned to five days a week (closed Fridays and Sundays). Unfortunately, due to years of wear and tear paired with rains and flooding, the soccer field remained closed. 

Border View YMCA's decaying soccer field that is being replaced in partnership with PNC bank and the San Diego Wave soccer team
Courtesy of the YMCA of San Diego County

The loss of the field was big for the community, says Dan Cruz, spokesperson for the San Diego County YMCA. He says they run some soccer programs out of the nearby South Bay YMCA, but that doesn’t replace the soccer field at Border View.

“A lot of kids use that field for summer camp, for before and after school programs, things of that nature,” he says. “So it’s got multiple uses versus just being a field. It’s more of a community resource than just a place where there’s soccer.”

Plus, students at Montgomery Middle School also couldn’t use it. A new field was clearly needed. That’s when Alan Prohaska, a board member at the YMCA, saw an opportunity. As regional president at PNC Bank, he worked to fundraise to fix the field. He also reached out to the San Diego Wave FC to partner on the project.

Border View YMCA's decaying soccer field
Courtesy of the YMCA of San Diego County

“They have really been ingraining themselves in the community and looking how they can give back,” Cordero says of PNC. “So they thought how could they partner together to create more opportunities for kids? And really what that meant was them coming together both financially to make a capital donation to our Y. So Alan came to our CEO and said, ‘I have this vision of partnering with the Wave to make some fields in the community so that we can promote early childhood education as well as our positive youth development and engage kids in sports.’ So I think their vision is bigger that they would like to do this, they would like to see more in the future. But the first is starting with us at the Border Y.”

Prohaska says the idea was to do more than just give money.

“We’re always thinking about how we give back in a way that’s very meaningful and tangible,” he says. “And one thing we’ve really wrapped ourselves around is sport, especially youth sports. And soccer is at the head of that. It’s just the most widely played sport, from the border to Oceanside. And so we wanted to give something back to a community that was more permanent, more so than just a donation to a nonprofit to partially fund a program or something like that.”

The Border View YMCA's soccer field's broken scoreboard
Courtesy of the YMCA of San Diego County

When he heard about the work needed on the field at the Border View Y, which is technically called a futsal field because it’s fenced and smaller than a regulation soccer field, he knew it would be the right project. 

The field is turf, which typically has a 10-year lifespan, and had become lumpy and was shredding, turning into a tripping hazard. Also, the scoreboard was broken. The field had been closed for 18 months at that point, and its closure was having a big impact on the community.

“It was a really perfect opportunity for us to invest some money into the physical rehab of something that not just goes back to the YMCA and all of their members and kids that go there, but also the community, because it’s available to them and the middle school, so the kids could use it at lunch or on their PE break,” he says.

Courtesy of the YMCA of San Diego County

The project is already underway and will last about four weeks. The Wave is contributing a new scoreboard and bleachers.

“It hits all of these major pillars or targets that we’re all trying to do from giving back to the community standpoint,” Prohaska says. “And so it was kind of a no brainer call on the Wave’s part to get involved.”

Cordero with the Y says she hopes this project isn’t the end of rehabilitation at Border View YMCA. 

“We’re currently fundraising to get that pool open,” she says. “It’s really exciting to see it come back and start the programming. It’s way more than just a gym and programs. It’s a community center.”

Plans for the reopening of the soccer field are slated for late April.

Claire Trageser has been writing for San Diego Magazine for 10 years. She also is a reporter at KPBS and writes for The New York Times, National Geographic, Marie Claire, Elle and Runner's World.

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Everything SD AUGUST 28, 2026

The Best Things to See, Do & Explore in Balboa Park

Whether you're a lover of the arts, music, or a leisurely stroll through the park, these are Balboa's best attractions

The Best Things to See, Do & Explore in Balboa Park
Photo Credit: Jennifer Curry Wingrove

SDMA’s 100th Anniversary

On February 28, 1926, the Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego (now called the San Diego Museum of Art) opened its Plateresque doors to 3,000 guests for opening day. Over the next century, the museum changed with the times—even once functioning as a naval hospital after Pearl Harbor. This year, the museum is celebrating its 100th birthday with an exhibit (open through January 24, 2027) featuring photographs, ephemera, and film footage spanning the museum’s history.

Courtesy of Tim Novara

Free Concerts at Spreckels Organ Pavilion

Every Sunday from 2 to 3 p.m., stop by the historic Spreckels Organ Pavilion for a free concert presented by the City of San Diego on the largest outdoor organ in the world (more than 5,000 pipes). The pavilion seats 2,400 for performances by the civic organist or guest artists.

The New Natural History Museum

Some think natural history museums are just cemeteries for dioramas that haven’t received an update since the Reagan administration. When it comes to The Nat, which just finished a $7.5 million rejuvenation, they’re totally wrong. The museum debuted a new rooftop that replaces its 25-year-old atrium. The old roof created a greenhouse effect that steamed up some exhibits, so the new one—which includes 200 solar panels and better temperature control—will help preserve the artifacts inside. Each Friday in the summer, The Nat also becomes one of the season’s vibiest hotspots during Nat at Night, with food from places like Wolf in the Woods and The Craft Taco, bars and signature cocktails on several floors, and a rooftop DJ.

Fleet Science Theater Remodel

The Fleet Science Center just received its most significant update since the 1990s. It expanded its exhibit space by 20 percent and introduced a newly designed entrance gallery (formerly the IMAX theater lobby) that includes free exhibits for visitors who want a taste of the science without paying an admission fee. The former ticketing area now houses the Mindbender Mansion exhibit, and there’s a new café, Element 8, that will, of course, sell the center’s famous soft serve.

Arts & Culture AUGUST 27, 2026

The Best Things to Do in San Diego: September 2026

Whether you’re ready to lean into fall or determined to keep summer going, here are all the best things to do this month

The Best Things to Do in San Diego: September 2026
Courtesy of Oceanside Museum of Art

September is San Diego’s unofficial second summer—the crowds thin, the weather stays warm, and the city’s calendar somehow gets even busier. This month brings stadium-sized rock shows, Broadway’s buzziest comedy, a new anime convention, world-premiere theater, gallery openings, food festivals, and the first signs of spooky season. Whether you’re ready to lean into fall or determined to keep summer going, here are the best things to do in San Diego this September.

Concerts & Festivals | Theater & Art Exhibits | More Fun Things to Do

Courtesy of Kehlani

Concerts & Festivals in San Diego This Month

9/2 

As Guns N’ Roses storm into decade five, their appetite for destruction persists. During their Snapdragon Stadium concert, hear the hard rock anthems, new material and a set from The Black Crowes.

9/23

Kehlani is proof that the romance and earnest sensuality of old-school R&B will never go out of style. Hear her take it back to the aughts at Viejas Arena.

Theater & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Month

9/6-10/11

From the silver screen to The Old Globe stage, John Carney will Begin Again (again) with a world premiere musical adaptation featuring new songs—courtesy of Train—and a story overflowing with hope. 

9/12-10/17 

The concept of work is a guiding principle for San Diego native and multidisciplinary creative noé olivas. Observe his community-informed approach via Tierra y Cielo (Earth and Sky) at Best Practice Gallery. 

9/18-10/25 

Two workers grapple with the weight of their roles at a temporary migrant shelter in Mario Vega’s world premiere play Our Lady of the San Diego Convention Center, set for citywide performances. 

9/26-2/28/2027

Luminous visions of peace and the Punjabi-American roots of Rupinder Kaloti inform The Gathering, a wondrous unification of family foretold via paintings at Oceanside Museum of Art. 

9/29-10/4 

It’s Mary Todd Lincoln’s world and we’re just living in it. See the presidential paramour barrel to her way to stardom at the Civic Theatre during Oh, Mary!, Cole Escola’s political spoof. 

Courtesy of SeaWorld

More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Month

9/5 & 9/6

Pros and Con(vention)s: Anime San Diego will debut at the San Diego Convention Center with cosplayers, panels and more than 400 vendors well-versed in Japanese animation.

9/11-10/31 

Scaredy cats beware: SeaWorld San Diego’s Howl-O-Scream embraces frights forged in darkness. Enjoy an ominous lineup of live shows, scare zones and bloody bars ahead of Halloween. 

9/12

The best parts of Artivál and the Alley Cat Art Walk have united for the free Alley Cat Art Fest, an all-day outing for live music and immersive artwork in Downtown El Cajon.

9/12 & 9/13 

Take a Grecian vacation for a fraction of the price during the annual Cardiff Greek Festival, two days of immersive cuisine and culture—with plenty of dancing—on the Encinitas coast.

9/13-9/20

Step away from the stove! The California Restaurant Association has eight days of eating experiences with your name on it. During San Diego Restaurant Week, explore by meal, neighborhood or cuisine for your personal dining plan. 

9/16 

Nourish yourself with an all-inclusive spread of Pacific Beach eats and locally-crafted artwork during the HeArt of PB Restaurant Walk on Garnet Avenue.

9/19 

When it comes to stand-up comedy, Chelsea Handler is always ready to roast. See Handler tell anecdotes and skewer an assemblage of victims during her Balboa Theatre performance. 

Ryan Hardison is a freelance arts and entertainment writer and recent graduate of San Diego State. When he's not staring at his laptop, he's likely eating an adobada burrito or getting sunburnt at the beach.

Charitable SD AUGUST 24, 2026

La Jolla’s Historical Society Debuts New Name & Mission

After more than six decades of preserving the community’s past, the newly renamed museum is expanding how it tells its stories

La Jolla’s Historical Society Debuts New Name & Mission
Courtesy of Museum of History and Culture La Jolla

La Jolla has a rich history. From its roots as Kumeyaay territory and early days shaped by influential San Diegans like Ellen Browning Scripps to the vibrant hub for arts, culture, and education that it is today, the roughly seven-mile stretch along the coast has long been a local gem. 

In 1964, a group of volunteers came together to preserve the history of the community. They formed the La Jolla Historical Society, which has since evolved into the Museum of History and Culture La Jolla. For the past 62 years, the organization has worked to protect historic buildings, archival materials, and recorded memories, ensuring the character of the neighborhood would endure well into the future. 

“La Jolla is a small community, but it has a fascinating history,” says Lauren Lockhart, executive director of the Museum of History and Culture La Jolla. “The focus was always on how do we preserve the stories, places, and people that make La Jolla unique, and that remains central to our mission.”

However, in its early days, the organization was limited in what types of programming it could offer because it didn’t have a permanent homebase. A pivotal point came in 2008, when it was gifted Wisteria Cottage, originally the private residence of Virginia Scripps, by descendants of the Scripps family. The historic Craftsman cottage had been remodeled by famed architect Irving Gill, whose other modernist works are peppered throughout La Jolla, adding to its distinctive look. The organization then launched a capital campaign to expand into a museum-quality space to host exhibitions and to store the tens of thousands of photos, drawings, postcards, and other materials in its collection, Lockhart explains. 

“At that point the organization could really begin to invest in developing a public space and public programs that would give back to the community,” she adds. “That effort accelerated with my predecessor, Heath Fox, who pushed the organization to think about an exhibition program that was interdisciplinary in nature. It’s something that drew me to this organization and that I’ve continued to advocate for because examining history through lenses of art, architecture, science, and literature is so compelling and such a great way to bring different audiences into the fold.”   

Courtesy of Museum of History and Culture La Jolla

The organization entered another period of transformation this year when it “outgrew” its previous identity as La Jolla Historical Society and officially rebranded as the Museum of History and Culture La Jolla. The organization had transitioned from a traditional historical society into a professionally operated museum and wanted to reflect that while also amplifying its ability to connect with broader audiences. 

“We’ve grown so far beyond what a traditional historical society might offer to the public that we were finding that often, especially younger generations, they would come through our doors and say, ‘Wow, it’s a lot cooler than I thought it would be,’ which is a nice compliment, but it made us ask ourselves who’s not coming through our doors because they’re not sure what we have to offer or that they will see themselves reflected here,” says Lockhart. “We wanted to remove that barrier and make sure that everyone, just from recognizing our name, will think, That sounds like there’s something there for me, and that definitely is evidenced in our current programming and exhibitions.”  

Courtesy of Museum of History and Culture La Jolla

The change, she says, has been a long time coming. “We’ve already made a lot of huge strides over the years,” Lockhart says. “It’s about our name catching up to our work.”

The Museum of History and Culture La Jolla’s current exhibits include Stories in Cloth: Communicating Through Textiles, presented in partnership with the Visions Museum of Textile Art at Liberty Station, on display through September 6. On deck is The Scientific Art of Historic Preservation, which explores the processes behind the museum’s mission. To honor the philanthropic spirit of the Scripps sisters, admission to the museum and many of its public programs are free of charge. 

Sarah Sapeda

About Sarah Sapeda

Sarah Sapeda is San Diego Magazine’s Custom Content Editor. In her 15 years in San Diego journalism, she has covered charitable events, health care, education, crime, current events, and more.

Studio S MAY 5, 2026

Artistry, Aesthetics, and Inclusive Luxury

KQ Aesthetic Society goes beyond cosmetic to provide comprehensive care and transformative results

Artistry, Aesthetics, and Inclusive Luxury

Kelly H. Harfouche, founder of KQ Aesthetic Society, knows firsthand that cosmetic treatments like fillers, neurotoxins, and microneedling, can not only enhance a person’s appearance and restore confidence, they have the power to truly change a person’s life. An expert injector has the ability to tailor treatments to each individual patient’s anatomy and goals for personalized results. Harfouche, a board-certified nurse practitioner, has spent nearly a decade perfecting her craft as an aesthetic injector and integrating her multifaceted artistic skills with precision patient care. Her commitment to continual education and training, plus a passion for helping people look—and feel—their best, set KQ Aesthetic Society apart in a sea of local medspas. 

For many people considering nonsurgical treatments, the intent is to look refreshed and refined. KQ Aesthetic Society’s philosophy eschews a cookie cutter approach that bases treatments around units, instead working to understand each person’s unique goals, then curating a treatment plan to fit that vision. Harfouche focuses on “inclusive luxury,” the belief that everyone deserves access to aesthetic treatments, respective of budget restrictions. She develops long-standing trusted relationships with her patients, and works with each one to achieve their aesthetic objectives and address the underlying causes of their concerns. 

“For me, forming an honest and open relationship with every patient who walks through the door is essential. This means understanding them on a deeper level and meeting them where they are to define and achieve their individual goals,” she says. 

Drawing on her artistic background, which inspired her transition into medical aesthetics, Harfouche sees each client as a “unique canvas.” Rather than relying on standardized procedures, the practitioner’s distinctive approach combines her profound understanding of the physiological and anatomical changes associated with aging with an unwavering commitment to ongoing education about the newest products and their mechanisms of action. Her goal is to make each patient feel beautiful in their own skin and to embrace their individuality. 

She has also pioneered a way to combine her talent for aesthetic artistry with her philanthropic nature. Harfouche is one of only a handful of providers using dermal fillers to treat patients with lip asymmetry and scarring resulting from cleft lip surgery. Patients travel from around the country for this transformative treatment, noting increased confidence and a restored identity. She hopes to eventually launch a training program to help fill the void in this space.  

“My passion has always been connecting with people and giving back in any capacity that I can,” she says. In the rapidly advancing landscape of aesthetic medicine, you can place your confidence in Harfouche and KQ Aesthetic Society to deliver exceptional care. To learn more or book a consultation, please visit kqaestheticsociety.com.

Charitable SD AUGUST 19, 2026

13 Charitable Events to Attend in September 

Here’s where to celebrate, connect, give back, and make a difference this month

13 Charitable Events to Attend in September 
Courtesy of Girl Scouts of San Diego | Photo Credit: Sam Hodgson / Uptown 11 Studios

September 4: Margaritaville Hotel San Diego Gaslamp Quarter Day of Service

Margaritaville Hotel San Diego Gaslamp Quarter will honor the legacy of the late Jimmy Buffet with a fundraiser for the San Diego Music Foundation. Its Day of Service at its rooftop bar will feature a performance by The Buffett Band, a travel and experience themed silent auction, and interactive entertainment. 

September 5: McAlister Institute Walk for Sobriety

Hundreds of San Diegans will gather at NTC Park at Liberty Station for the McAlister Institute’s 14th Annual Walk for Sobriety. In addition to the walk, the event will include a resource fair with more than 35 nonprofits, healthcare providers, and community organizations that are part of a network of support for those in recovery. 

September 14: Promises2Kids Dream On Concert Gala 

Foreigner will take the stage to benefit Promises2Kids at its Dream On Concert Gala at a private home in La Jolla. Proceeds from the exclusive event will help Promises2Kids create a brighter future for local foster kids. 

September 17: Lucky Duck Foundation 2026 Showcase Soirée

The Lucky Duck Foundation will host its annual Showcase Soirée at the Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa. Proceeds from the event will support the nonprofit’s mission to prevent and alleviate the suffering of homelessness throughout San Diego County. 

September 17: Emilio Nares Foundation Harvest for Hope

Show your support for families of local children with life-threatening diseases at the Emilio Nares Foundation’s Harvest for Hope at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. Funds raised will benefit programs like Ride With Emilio, which provides no-cost transportation for families seeking medical treatment, and Healing Through Nature activities for kids in recent cancer remission. 

September 18: Girl Scouts San Diego Urban Campout 2026

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Girl Scouts San Diego’s Camp Winacka, the organization will host a nostalgic evening under the stars. This year’s Urban Campout: Ignite the Possibilities at Girl Scouts San Diego’s Balboa Campus will feature camp-inspired cuisine, cocktails, and activities. 

September 19: Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego’s An Evening of Changing Lives

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego will celebrate its impact on local youth at its 13th annual An Evening of Changing Lives. Proceeds from the gala at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina support programs that promote academic success, character development, and healthy lifestyles.

September 19: Youth Tennis San Diego Annual Gala 

Youth Tennis San Diego will honor the sport’s American icons at its annual gala at the Barnes Tennis Center. An Evening Celebrating Tennis Heritage & Legends will help the nonprofit make tennis accessible to all youth in San Diego, regardless of background or skill level. 

September 19: Serving Seniors Sunshine Gala 

Serving Seniors will produce a Jukebox Broadway-style show for its highly anticipated Sunshine Gala. The evening at the Hilton San Diego/Del Mar will support Serving Seniors’ compassionate and life-changing services for seniors in need throughout San Diego. 

September 25: Swing Fore Our Heroes Charity Golf Tournament

Support the Enlisted Project (STEP) will host an 18-hole golf tournament on the South Course at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa to raise money for its financial wellness program. Proceeds from STEP’s Swing Fore Our Heroes Charity Golf Tournament will help connect military families and veterans in need with financial social workers, emergency relief, and other tools.

September 26: Doors of Change 2026 Concert of Hope

Tom Petty Tribute Band, PettyBreakers, will take the stage at the Doors of Change 2026 Concert of Hope at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido. This year, the nonprofit will celebrate its 25th year of transforming the lives of unhoused youth. 

September 26: Boys to Men Mentoring 100 Wave Challenge

Boys to Men Mentoring will celebrate 30 years of service this year at its annual 100 Wave Challenge. The annual surf-a-thon event welcomes hundreds of surfers who attempt to catch 100 waves in one day and raise $1,000 or more to support Boys to Men Mentoring.

September 26: The Party in the Park

The San Diego Automotive Museum will host The Party in the Park to raise money for the museum and programs that equip youth for careers in the automotive industry. The Roaring 20s-themed event at the Balboa Park institution will feature live jazz and an exhibit of 1920s automobiles. 

Sarah Sapeda

About Sarah Sapeda

Sarah Sapeda is San Diego Magazine’s Custom Content Editor. In her 15 years in San Diego journalism, she has covered charitable events, health care, education, crime, current events, and more.

Everything SD AUGUST 12, 2026

San Diego’s Skateboarding Scene Rolls Into a New Era

The county that helped push skating into the mainstream is now nurturing the competitors, communities, and culture shaping its future

San Diego’s Skateboarding Scene Rolls Into a New Era
Photo Credit: Taylor Ballard

It was the summer of 1999. MTV, The Matrix, and first-generation PlayStation glowed on tube TV sets all over America. What a time to be alive. Smartphones weren’t yet stealing people from the moment. Cultural was a shared reality. During the last few minutes of the monoculture, Tony Hawk executed the first-ever 900 at X Games V in San Francisco. That’s two and a half aerial rotations with a side of the dizzies.

The time had run out on the Vert Best Trick competition long before the 11th attempt when he pulled off the fateful feat. Nobody cared. Not the judges, not the competition, and certainly not the crowd. “Let that bird fly,” they said. Once the trick was landed, they partied like it was 1999 … because it was.

That was the tipping point when the skateboarding world exploded, going from counterculture to a national phenomenon. Shortly after that, “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” video game came out, introducing millions of kids to what skate culture looked like. Oh, the game had a killer punk soundtrack, too.

Linda Vista skatepark in San Diego featuring skaters on the side of a half-pipe

We can all thank Hawk for the globalization of skateboarding. But we can also recognize his local influence and how San Diego County continues to be a hub for skateboarders young and old, for competitors and street skaters. To see it all, go to Park De La Cruz in City Heights—or, heck, any other skatepark in the county—which, at 19,000 square feet, is about twice the size of the average skatepark and has signature features like an M-shaped transition ramp. The amount of talent that continues to evolve in this county is a testament to deep-rooted skate culture and world-class athletes supporting the next generation.

Photo Credit: Casiel Sanchez

The Skatepark

I’m a little early for a skate lesson with pro skater Mike Owen when I get to Linda Vista Skatepark. In the 2010s, Owen ranked as one of the world’s top bowl riders. He’s the founder of San Diego Skateboarding and has “helped thousands of kids, teens, and adults learn to skate safely, confidently, and with style,” the company’s site says. And now it’s my turn. We start the lesson on the nearby tennis courts, getting my basic foot mechanics down. Safety before style.

In terms of street plaza features, the massive Linda Vista Skatepark is loaded with rails, stairs, manuals, and ledges. There are more bowls than you can get from Cava: a flow bowl, backyard-style pool, and vert bowl. The main feature is a full pipe for advanced line riders. It’s a hell of a park, even if somebody just wants to watch the action from the 100-foot-long pedestrian skybridge overhead.

Right now, San Diego has over 50 public skateparks scattered throughout the county. “There are now more [skateparks], more resources for them, and more terrain,” Owen tells me. “Now, they’re offering different competitive style skateparks that help for competitions. The best parks have a variety of different terrain where you have things for beginners and bigger transitions. Not every town has that.”

San Diego, luckily, does. But despite the bounty, Owen believes there should still be more—public skateparks are safe spaces for all to learn and develop on-board skills. Without them, a huge portion of San Diego’s culture withers. Encinitas could be the next city to add a skatepark to the county’s roster: In early July, the Encinitas City Council appointed 12 local skaters and community members for the newly established Skate Feature Committee. In partnership with two councilmembers, the committee’s purpose is to design a working skatepark or feature for the city.

But like any big project, Owen says, it’s a long process to add another skatepark to the community.

“I wish it were easier,” he says. “When there are different contractors for different things, [there’s only] a certain amount of time to build. It gets tricky.”

Then there’s the matter of funding the actual construction and development of the skatepark. That usually comes from grants, fundraisers, and donations. For reference, Linda Vista Skatepark was built on a $4.46 million grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development in 2014. With an additional $40,000 donated by the Tony Hawk Foundation, the park opened in 2018 and is the largest in San Diego’s Parks and Recreation system. The best way to get a skatepark in your neighborhood, Owen says, is to start a petition and reach out to your city.

Photo Credit: Blair Alley

The Street Skaters

Jordan Thrower’s first street skate sesh at San Diego City College in 2003 ended with a police chase. The campus was swarming with skaters riding rails, jumping stairs, and grinding tricks on benches, curbs, and ledges. When the cops got on their loudspeaker telling them not to run, everyone obviously ran. Back then, cops would give tickets and confiscate boards. The vibe has loosened since. “Now, the police don’t really care,” Thrower says. “They just make you leave. It’s not anything crazy.”

Street skating is when riders use real-world urban obstacles, rather than pristinely designed bowls or ramps—such as in college campuses, downtown areas, corporate buildings, and malls. Abandoned mini-golf courses and construction sites do the trick, too.

Thrower says the street skating hub here isn’t as huge as it once was. Thanks to modern technology and social media, skaters aren’t tied to any certain place to create skate videos. You know, those videos that could have been taken this year but have the low-fi vibe of 2004, where skaters carve down stairwells into parking lots, over mailboxes, or across park benches. The silver lining: Even though there are fewer street skaters than there once was, those who stayed in San Diego are still tight.

“Everyone skates with each other and knows each other here,” Thrower says. “In LA, it’s not really like that. It’s small there, but not everybody knows each other, and they don’t really skate with each other too much. They just have a lot of little crews.”

Back in 2015, Thrower started his own street team and brand that sells boards and shirts called Tantrum. The Tantrum team is split between San Diego and San Francisco. It doesn’t take much to be a part of a skate team. You just have to be a good hang.

“The way I pick people [for the team] is if I can get along with them,” he says. “It doesn’t even really matter if they’re that good. If you’re likable and funny, you can pretty much be on the team.”

Photo Credit: Marc Wierenega

The Future

Running it up to North County, a Vista-based nonprofit organization called Exposure Skate has been shaping up the youth since 2012. Its mission is to give more opportunities to otherwise underrepresented women, girls, and non-binary individuals by offering classes and camps. This, to build up confidence and community. We could all use a little bit of that, eh?

Thanks to Exposure Skate, 13-year-old Joey Yarbrough has found herself competing in the LA Olympic trials. (Her first time on a skateboard came at just 18 months old at an Exposure Skate Rising event.)

While competing for Team USA in Rome in June of this year, she finished 13th at the first Olympic qualifier for LA28. Currently ranked 21st in the world and 5th among American women, the young prodigy is blooming. And she’s in good company and mentorship from her biggest influence, Bryce Wettstein.

“She taught me at the first Exposure Skate Rising when I was little,” Yarbrough recalls. “I compete and skate with her all the time now, and it’s super fun. [At Exposure,] it feels so good to have someone there to help me whenever I need it. They’re like my family, always encouraging me and always there for me.”

Yarbrough will be just 15 years old when the Olympics go down in LA. She’s following the Olympic torch carried by other locals such as Wettstein, Ruby Lilley, Jordyn Barratt, and Exposure Skate’s Amelia Brodka.

“I’m working my hardest to get there,” she says. “I’ll also work my hardest to go higher in the Olympics, maybe on podium. That’s just my dream. So, hopefully it’ll come true.”

Jake Peterson is a San Diego-based journalist and culture writer. His work explores the city’s music scene, sports, local characters, and the offbeat corners of San Diego’s subcultures.

Partner Content MARCH 26, 2026

Design Leaders & Innovative Interiors: AVRP Studios

A look at San Diego's top designers creating unique environments that combine creativity and function

Design Leaders & Innovative Interiors: AVRP Studios


AVRP Studios’ tradition for Design Excellence and Innovation began in 1976 with Doug Austin, FAIA, in Solana Beach, California. The firm has since grown to complete major projects throughout the United States and Canada. We think of ourselves as a family and we care deeply about people. We want to inspire, help make their lives richer and more complete through our efforts. We believe that architecture is one of the most important art forms because of the impact it can have on the lives of those it touches. We’re delighted to have been recognized with over 150 awards for design excellence.

703 16th Street, Suite 200, San Diego, California 92101  |  619-704-2700  |  avrpstudios.com

Make an Impact in San Diego.

Once a month, get an inside look at the people, causes, and events behind the good in our city and how to be part of it.

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1230 Columbia Street, Suite 800,

San Diego, CA