06/23/2026
Two-time Olympian Bryce Ava Wettstein may be competing on some of the biggest stages in skateboarding, but a weekend back home in Encinitas showed she's still the same person who grew up skating at the YMCA.
Between stops on the 2026 WST World Cup tour and upcoming X Games League events in Sacramento and Chiba, Japan, Wettstein returned to the Magdalena Ecke YMCA Skate Park, where she first started skating at age 5. She spent the day signing helmets and skateboards, writing personalized messages for young fans and sharing what she loves most about those moments.
“Every time I sign a board or sign something or just have an interaction, it feels like a place to pause,” Wettstein told The Coast News. “It's like a good interruption. I always feel like it's a very spiritual moment.”
The weekend also included concerts at Johnny Radz and The Roxy, where Wettstein mixed original songs, covers, poetry, freestyle raps and even origami hearts into performances that felt every bit as expressive as her skateboarding.
Now 22, Wettstein says she's learned something important from both music and skateboarding:
“You can just show up exactly how you feel and are. And that's the biggest gift to all of us — just having fun. Now I'm 22, so I feel like I'm just so ready to be exactly who I am.”
Read the full story at thecoastnews.com. Story link in comments below.
Photos by Summer Hu/The Coast News.