San Diego Crew Classic
April 5-7 | Crown Point Shores
Where to Watch: YouTube Live
The San Diego Crew Classic started in 1973 as a three-hour collegiate regatta. It’s now a three-day festival of rowing with a Jumbotron and a beer garden. As the first major event of the spring racing season, the Crew Classic still draws the top collegiate crews. The two-time defending national champs Cal Golden Bears are mainstays and they won last year’s prestigious Copley Cup. But there are now divisions for high school, alumni, masters, and mixed crews. There are brunch and VIP food options to take in the action, and fans unable to make it to Mission Bay can stream the event online.
San Diego Padres vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Friday, April 19 | 6:40 p.m. | Petco Park
Where to Watch: Padres.TV
The Toronto Blue visiting San Diego this month marks the first interleague series for either the Jay or the Pads, both of whom should be postseason contenders. The Blue Jays core featuring the dynamic duo of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette will try to get past the American League wild card round, where their season has ended three of the last four years. And the Padres so far have gone toe-to-toe with divisional foes Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, with new pitcher Yuki Matsui a revelation out of the bullpen and infielders Jake Cronenworth and Xander Bogaerts getting out to hot starts. The Blue Jays coming into town also marks the return of Out at the Park, the Padres’ annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. Co-hosted by San Diego Pride, it’s one of the city’s great civic events.
Street League Skateboarding
Saturday, April 20 | 12:00 p.m. | Viejas Arena
Where to Watch: Rumble
San Diego is integral to the history of skateboarding, and no one plays a bigger role in that history than local legend Tony Hawk. He basically invented the business of skateboarding and the competitive sport as we know it. It’s fitting, then, that Street League Skateboarding brings its Championship Tour to Viejas Arena on April 20. Founded by professional skateboarder and “Rob & Big” star Rob Dyrdek, the SLS Championship Tour is the world’s premier street skateboarding competition and boasts a $1.8 million purse—not bad for athletes despised by property owners and their security guards.
San Diego Wave vs. Bay FC
Saturday, April 27 | 7:00 p.m. | Snapdragon Stadium
Where to Watch: Ion
The Wave scored early in their first game of the season, then took their foot off the gas, allowing the KC Current to draw even and eventually win the game. The Wave avenged that disappointing loss in their next match against the Seattle Reign. The Wave had “been hungry all week in training,” midfielder Emily van Egmond said after netting her game-winning, last-minute goal. It’s early in the 2024 season, with the team still finding its identity, so it’s an open question of what version of the Wave will show up for their April 27 rematch with the Bay FC. Will it be the uninspired team that dropped points to an inferior side, or the persistent one that vanquished a rival?
San Diego Strike Force vs. Bay Area Panthers
Sunday, April 28 | 3:05 p.m. | Pechanga Sports Arena
Several leagues have come and gone to fulfill America’s insatiable appetite for football during the NFL’s offseason, but the Indoor Football League endures. It’s the country’s longest continuously operating indoor football league, and last month the San Diego Strike Force kicked off its fifth campaign in the IFL. It looks like the Strike Force’s most promising season yet. The team beat the Duke City Gladiators 32-26 in its first game of the 16-game season. In their final home game in April, the Strike Force take on upstate rivals and defending IFL champions Bay Area Panthers. Professional football didn’t leave San Diego. Only the Chargers did.
