Moonlight Beach skate bowl advocates consider alternatives

by Barbara Henry

Three men who’ve spent the past year promoting a proposal to build an eye-catching, skateboarding bowl at Moonlight Beach now are contemplating other options, though they haven’t given up on the beach bowl idea.

That’s their “dream” project, and it definitely would help Encinitas “live up to its potential as the skateboarding capital of the United States,” if not the world, said David Skinner, one of the three project proponents, all of whom are skateboarders, retirees and Encinitas residents.

Speaking in August at the city’s Parks & Recreation Commission meeting, fellow project promoter Barry Blumenthal noted that it’s been exactly a year since they first presented their proposal to the commissioners.

“What we do need is your help, we need to know that you do want to do this,” said Doug Marker, the third member of the trio.

Skateboarders (from left) Greg Dybeck, Doug Marker, Mo Moriarity David Skinner, Barry Blumenthal and Joe Romo are seen at the Encinitas Skate Plaza aka Poods Park on Aug. 26, 2025 in Encinitas, California. The group is trying to get another skate bowl built at Moonlight State Beach. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Skateboarders (from left) Greg Dybeck, Doug Marker, Mo Moriarity David Skinner, Barry Blumenthal and Joe Romo are seen at the Encinitas Skate Plaza aka Poods Park on Aug. 26, 2025 in Encinitas, California. The group is trying to get another skate bowl built at Moonlight State Beach. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

The three men said they want city assistance with the state permitting process, which has proved far more challenging than they anticipated.

However, they said, even if the beach bowl project doesn’t happen, there are ways that Encinitas can help cement its legacy in the skateboarding world. One key way, they said, would be to add new skateboarding features to city parks — something that several City Council members said earlier this year they wanted the parks commission to explore.

Skinner told the parks commissioners that he’d love to see a skate bowl added to Cardiff’s Glen Park. That park is near the beach, so it’s got nice photographic potential, and it’s bigger than it looks from the outside, so there ought to be space for a skate bowl, he said.

A vacant Quail Gardens Drive property that’s scheduled to become the city’s next park also could contain a skateboarding element, he added. And, Encinitas also could expand its existing skateboarding features at two other parks, he continued.

Three Encinitas parks currently contain skateboarding facilities. The city’s main, hugely popular skatepark is located inside the Encinitas Community Park, just west of Interstate 5. Referred to as “Poods Park” by its users, it appears on at least one online list of “best skateparks” in the U.S.A., in part because of the world-class skateboarders who frequent the place.

Barry Blumenthal skateboards at the Encinitas Skate Plaza aka Poods Park on Aug. 26, 2025 in Encinitas, California. Blumenthal and a group he regularly skates with are trying to get another skate bowl built at Moonlight State Beach. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Barry Blumenthal skateboards at the Encinitas Skate Plaza aka Poods Park on Aug. 26, 2025 in Encinitas, California. Blumenthal and a group he regularly skates with are trying to get another skate bowl built at Moonlight State Beach. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Given how popular “Poods Park” is, Encinitas should consider adding a second bowl there, Skinner said.

Encinitas also has a smaller, but relatively new skateboarding facility at Olympus Park.

And, there’s a sad little skating bowl at Leucadia Oaks Park that area skaters derisively refer to as “the Ashtray,” Skinner said.

“It seems relatively easy to replace what’s there (at Olympus Park) with something much better, and it wouldn’t be hard to be much better,” Skinner said.

City parks commissioners said they were pleased to hear that the three men now are exploring other options beyond their Moonlight Beach proposal, saying that project isn’t likely to be successful given everything from site drainage issues to parking space shortages.

“My concern is with so many things already stacked against that particular vision, the state will just come back and say no, and you’re out the $200,000 (for design work),” commission Chair Ross Ridder said.

Ridder said he thought that money could be better spent on a second skate bowl at Encinitas Community Park or upgrades to the existing one at Leucadia Oaks Park. The proposal to add a skateboarding feature to the future park on Quail Gardens Drive also has possibilities because that site’s park design plan hasn’t yet been drafted, parks commissioners said.

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