ENCINITAS — Eleven-year-old Anna Shea pumped her arms and shouted toward the sky as a packed crowd at Poods Skate Park in Encinitas cheered in anticipation of her next move in the bowl.
Shea, an Oakland native, made her professional debut Saturday at Exposure Skate.
Alex White, a commentator for the X Games broadcast of the event, had praised Shea’s earlier runs and anticipated a big backside air in her final qualifier.
“Anna Shea blasting off into outer space right there,” White said. “That air was significantly bigger than she is tall.”
Amelia Brodka, president and executive director of Exposure Skate, offered a clear read on Shea’s style: “Anna loves to fly. She loves to let loose. She’s enchanted by danger.”
Shea was among more than 200 competitors in the two-day women’s skateboarding event. Exposure Skate, a Vista-based nonprofit, has hosted the annual competition 14 times, making it the largest and longest-running women-focused skateboarding contest, according to event coordinator Gabriela Levy.
The organization also supports survivors of domestic violence through awareness and fundraising. Since its inception, the nonprofit has raised over $300,000, including a $6,000 donation received over the weekend to the San Diego Community Resource Center.
The event awarded $57,000 in prizes to the top six finishers in each of the three open/pro divisions, as well as for trick challenges.
Levy estimated 5,000 people attended throughout the weekend. More than 42,000 viewers watched the livestream on the X Games’ YouTube channel, and social media reach is expected to top 35 million engagements.
But Levy said Exposure Skate remains focused on more than elite competition.
“A lot of girls return each year not to really compete, but to connect with the other girls that they’ve met in the past,” she said. “We really do a lot to try and promote camaraderie and community and prioritize that over competition.”
“It’s always really fun to reconnect and seeing all the young kids that are out here shredding and killing it,” said X-Games silver medalist Samarria Brevard of Riverside. “It’s always pretty epic to see.”
The competition included “Advanced,” “Intermediate,” and “Golden” bowl categories, along with beginner clinics around Poods. The event raised over $25,000 for the Exposure Skate programs.
Levy said Vista resident Joey Yarbrough, 12, who got her start at 18 months old through Exposure’s Skate Rising program, now competes internationally.
Other locals included 2024 Olympians Ruby Lilley, 18, of Oceanside, and Bryce Wettstein, 21, of Encinitas. Lilley earned $800 for the longest frontside grind on Saturday. Wettstein earned $1,100 for sixth place in the Bowl Open/Pro Finals.
Athletes from 21 countries, including Brazil, Japan and Russia, competed.
Arisa Trew, 15, from Queensland, Australia, won the Exposure Vert Open/Pro contest Sunday after taking gold in park skating at the Paris Olympics last summer.
Cris Mateus, who coaches many South American skaters, including Maria Luiza Pessoa Santiago, 11, of São Paulo, Brazil, said the athletes appreciate the event atmosphere.
“It’s a big event,” he said. “The girls love it.”
Since skateboarding debuted as an Olympic sport at the 2020 Tokyo Games, 60% of women who competed began at Exposure Skate events, according to Levy.
Brevard said women’s skateboarding continues to grow.
“I remember being young and it did not look like this when I was skating,” Brevard said. “Every day you’re out there spending time, having fun, that’s really the key to it.”
