For X Games veteran Tom Schaar, a longtime Cardiff resident, the county’s best skateboarding can be found at Poods Skate Park in Encinitas and at Washington Street Skate Park beneath the freeway in metro San Diego.
“You could go [to Poods] any day of the week, and you’ll see someone doing some ridiculous stuff,” Schaar told The Coast News. “A lot of kids go there. It’s a good park. It’s always people-friendly. Down south, Washington Street — that one’s pretty cool. It’s like a DIY that was built 20-something years ago, and they’ve been keeping it alive — people take care of it and everything.”
Schaar, 26, an X Games competitor since age 12, has won medals across disciplines, including Big Air, Vert and Park. He earned silver in the skateboard park at the 2024 Paris Olympics and was selected as the No. 2 pick in the MoonPay X Games League draft for X Games Club Los Angeles last month.
The MoonPay X Games League (XGL) is a new co-ed, team-based format that turns the traditionally individual X Games into a season-long competition. Each club features 10 athletes — five men and five women — selected through a draft, with nearly $10 million in athlete salaries and prize money, along with travel expenses covered.
The Summer 2026 season begins June 26 at the Cal Expo Center in Sacramento, followed by X Games Japan in July, and concludes with the championship at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Teams earn points at each stop, with the highest-scoring club crowned champion.
The league has four city-based teams: XC Los Angeles, XC New York, XC Tokyo and XC São Paulo.
San Diego’s Tate Carew and Encinitas native Bryce Wettstein were also among the 40 athletes selected in the XGL draft.
“It’s still new to us, and I’m excited to be part of it,” Schaar said. “I don’t know what to expect. It’ll be cool to have a crossover of sports, work together as a team, and try to win the championship. I think it’s exciting — maybe it’ll reach a new audience and make action sports more understandable in a team format.”
Schaar noted the added financial incentive for the winning team.
“It’s still just the X Games, so not much has changed in how they run it — same contest, same format, mostly the same people. But there’s now a point system for teams: first place earns points, second and third earn fewer, and at the end of the three X Games stops, the team with the most points is crowned the winner. There’s also a pretty sick bonus — $500,000 for the whole team — which is definitely nice,” he said.
Schaar called Torrey Pines High School alum and skate legend Tony Hawk a major influence. The two live nearby, and Schaar often skates at Hawk’s Carlsbad ramp.
“Tony’s great. He’s always looked out for me and given me opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise,” Schaar said. “Even so, he’s Tony Hawk, so it’s still a little surreal talking to him like a normal person, even though I consider him a friend. He’s one of skating’s biggest fans and always supporting the next generation — probably one of the best ambassadors any sport could have.”
Schaar also pointed to North County transplants Bucky Lasek and Bob Burnquist as central figures during his childhood.
“Everyone ends up here for skating — it’s kind of the mecca,” Schaar said. “People always say don’t meet your heroes, but in skating, it’s the opposite. Everyone’s really cool. They’ve always been nice to me and taken care of me, so I feel very lucky.”
