ENCINITAS — Exposure Skate says rising city fees could force its annual women-focused skateboarding competition out of Encinitas and is seeking financial assistance to help cover the cost of hosting the event at Poods Skate Park.
The Vista-based nonprofit has held the event in Encinitas since 2014. Exposure Skate also runs youth and adult programs and facilitates college scholarships.
Former Olympian Amelia Brodka, president of Exposure Skate, told the Parks and Recreation Commission in November that she is concerned the same factors that previously drove the nonprofit’s brick-and-mortar operation out of Encinitas could also push its flagship event out of town.
“It was a beautiful situation in which we had all these pros and Olympians coming to volunteer their time to teach girls how to skate,” Brodka said. “Unfortunately, we had to leave Encinitas for the same reason that we’re asking for support: just increased fees.”
She said the costs to meet city permit requirements — including traffic control, ambulance services and security — have nearly doubled since 2022, rising from $31,841.59 to $61,846.89. As a result, Exposure Skate is seeking a memorandum of understanding with the city to help offset some of those costs, similar to one previously in place in Encinitas from 2015 to 2018.
Alex Saint, a city spokesperson, told The Coast News that the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission will publicly review the proposed MOU at its Jan. 20, 2026, meeting and that the city could not comment on ongoing negotiations.
Saint added that special event fees — permit application and cost recovery fees — totaled $5,480.16 and $3,986.16 in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Those figures did not include the full range of costs associated with the event, such as security, trash collection, ambulance services and off-site parking.
She also said that in previous years, when no MOU was in place, the City Council allocated Community Grant Program funds to help cover some costs. Those allocations ranged from $3,550 to $5,580 over the past three fiscal years.
“The City of Encinitas appreciates Exposure Skate, the mission of their annual event, and the benefits to the community,” Saint said. “We hope to find a way for this event to stay in Encinitas.”
A spokesperson for Exposure Skate told The Coast News that “it’s definitely an ongoing conversation” with the city and that the commission’s reception to the November presentation left organizers feeling optimistic ahead of the Jan. 20, 2026, meeting.
Financial impact
This year’s event, held Nov. 1-2 at the Encinitas “Poods” Skate Park, featured 200 competitors from 22 countries and an additional 123 participants in clinics teaching skateboarding fundamentals, according to Exposure Skate. The event attracted nearly 10,000 visitors per day.
The nonprofit estimated the event generated $146,387 in marketing value through social media exposure and a live stream on the X Games’ YouTube channel.
Additional benefits to Encinitas include an estimated $1.4 million in annual economic impact and $178,000 in local tax revenue from athletes, vendors and others traveling from around the world. Brodka said some participants stay in the area for up to two months to train and prepare.
“A lot of these women, they’ve become Olympians and that’s thanks to events like ours that actually created a space for women in skateboarding,” Brodka said. “As we’ve grown, so many more girls and women have come to this event. It’s become really imperative to the future of their careers.”
Several speakers voiced support for Exposure Skate and the importance of keeping the annual event in Encinitas.
Vista resident Joey Yarbrough, 13, has competed at the highest open level in both vert and bowl competitions for the past two years and has participated in Exposure Skate programs since she was 18 months old.
“I competed in my first Exposure when I was 5 years old in 2018 and I’ve been competing ever since,” Yarbrough said. “I really like the event.”
Encinitas native Jordan Barrett, 26, said “Exposure was and still is a huge part of my career,” which included competing in park at the Tokyo Olympics.
“If it wasn’t for Exposure, I don’t think women’s skateboarding would be where it’s at today,” Barrett said.
Commissioner Ross Ridder said it was “quite inspiring to sit here and just listen to all these stories from such a diverse population.”
“Amelia, I would just say kudos to you and your organization for the amazing community that you have brought together in our city,” Ridder said. “I certainly see the tremendous value that you bring to Encinitas, and it opened my eyes in the sense that it’s more than a two-day event.”
