Three women were honored in Encinitas on Monday, March 18, for their efforts to break the glass ceiling of sports with their skateboards.
The elite-level athletes were recognized for their contributions to skateboarding by San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer during an event at Encinitas Community Park. The event was held as part of the supervisor’s San Diego County Women of Impact celebration for Women’s History Month.
Encinitas residents Bryce Wettstein and Jordyn Barrat and Amelia Brodka received framed proclamations, followed by some skateboarding with the community.
“I wanted to honor you all as women of impact because you are really inspiring to me,” Lawson-Remer told the three as she held back tears, recalling a time in her youth when girls weren’t part of the sport.
“When I was growing up here … girls didn’t skate,” she said. “Like we surfed; like, no girls skated. So I think you’re so amazing.”
Brodka, the world’s first Polish olympic skateboarder and co-founder of Exposure Skate, an organization that aims to broaden the sport’s exposure to woman, transgender and nonbinary individuals, echoed Lawson-Remer’s recollections of skating as a girl.
“Girls and women didn’t skate when I was growing up, and it was hard to be a part of the boys club,” said Brodka, who started skateboarding when she was 12 years old. “And honestly, no matter what tricks I learned, they would always mock me and basically make me feel unwelcome.”
She said Encinitas has been a welcoming community in that effort.
Vista-based Exposure Skate was founded in 2012 and provides programming and events in San Diego, including the world’s largest women’s skateboarding event.
“That’s what we want to do through Exposure, is to provide opportunities for the next generation,” Brodka said.
Brodka was the 2017 and 2018 women’s park skateboarding European champion.
Wettstein discovered skateboarding when she was 5. She is now ranked 9th in the world in women’s park skateboarding, and she said the friendships and camaraderie are part of the draw.
“I’m probably most proud of the friendships I’ve made in life, especially these girls,” she said, referring to her fellow honorees and the challenges they have faced. “We all felt that way at some point along this journey.”
In addition to her current standing, Wettstein was the women’s park skateboarding national champion in 2019 and 2021. She was also on the United States’ inaugural Olympic skateboarding team and one of the world’s first skateboarding Olympians.
Barrat, 18th in the world in women’s park skateboarding, got into the sport when she was 11.
“Have fun, make friends, and you never know where the road can take you, because that’s kind of what happened to us,” Barrat said.
It’s a philosophy that can apply to any pursuit that catches one’s attention, she noted.
Barrat was on U.S. Olympic skateboarding team in 2017 and 2018 and also one of the
world’s first skateboarding Olympians.
Lawson-Remer, who represents District 3 on the Board of Supervisors, held the event in celebration of Women’s History Month.
“Our County is filled with outstanding women who are making an impact on our community daily,” Lawson-Remer said in a news release ahead of the event. “We have honored women elected leaders, women who help the homeless and women who protect our reproductive freedoms. And on Monday, I am excited to honor three women who have empowered other women with their ability to skateboard.”