Six young skateboarders from Baja California Sur competed at Mexico’s national championships in Guadalajara on May 14 and 15, the latest sign that a sport once considered fringe has built real infrastructure across the peninsula’s southern half. Free afternoon training sessions now run at two parks in La Paz, and a network of public skateparks stretches from Cabo San Lucas to El Pescadero, all tied to a competitive pipeline that feeds into CONADE, Mexico’s national sports commission.
Free Training in La Paz and a Six-Park Network Across BCS
Brayan Vega, the 26-year-old coach of the BCS state skateboarding team, runs The 612 Skate Club (named for La Paz’s area code). He offers free classes every afternoon at two locations: Camino Real Skate Park, on Calzada Camino Real between Beige and Amarilla streets, and DIF Loma Linda, a public family services center. Both sessions welcome beginners through advanced skaters of all ages.
“We do not make distinctions based on age or gender,” Vega said. “Right now, I’m training the athletes from the state team, who recently competed at the CONADE National Games.”
Beyond La Paz, skaters can access Cuauhtémoc Park on the Álvaro Obregón waterfront promenade, between Nicolás Bravo and Mutualismo streets. In Los Cabos, the options include CODEPA Skatepark and the 5 de Febrero Skatepark in San José del Cabo, the Guaymitas Bowl (also in San José), and the bowls of El Pescadero. All six parks are public and free to use.
BCS Joined National Competition in 2022
Skateboarding was incorporated into Mexico’s CONADE National Games cycle roughly six years ago, but Baja California Sur sent its first delegation to the national stage in 2022. The competitive structure works in layers. First, a state tournament selects the team that will represent BCS. Then comes a national inter-association event, where each of Mexico’s 32 states fields a full squad. Top finishers advance to the CONADE National Games through selection by FEMEPAR, the Mexican Federation of Roller Sports.
Two disciplines anchor the competition: park and street. Park events use courses with ramps, bowls, and curved transitions. Street events simulate urban terrain with stairs, handrails, and platforms. Divisions are split by gender and age: Junior Youth (ages 10 to 13), Senior Youth (14 to 17), and Open (18 and older, though younger athletes may also enter).
At the May event in Guadalajara, the BCS delegation of six athletes earned no medals but placed four competitors in the top eight of their categories. The state’s largest delegation so far has been 11 athletes.
Youth and Girls’ Participation Has Surged Since 2020
The competitive pathway changed who shows up at the skateparks. Before organized tournaments, few children and almost no girls practiced the sport in BCS. Travel opportunities and the chance to represent the state at nationals shifted family attitudes.
“When the CONADE competitions and travel opportunities started, many kids became motivated, and so did their parents,” Vega said. “Little by little, the perception of the sport changed.”
Sara Elena, one of the young female athletes training under Vega, started skateboarding at age 7 and now competes in the street discipline. Briana Aragón began at 12 and competes in both street and bowl. Among the state’s most recognized male skaters is Tlaloc Tenoch of Los Cabos, who has earned attention at national championships. Guillermo Martínez and Noé Castro also rank among the top local talents.
Still, growth has concentrated in youth divisions. Adult participation has slowed. “I think what keeps it alive is the city’s support for the skate scene,” Vega said, adding that veteran skaters need more backing because they often serve as role models.
Skateboarding Became an Olympic Sport in 2021
The global context helps explain why Mexican sports authorities invested in competitive skateboarding. The sport debuted at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (held in 2021), with park and street as the two medal disciplines. That inclusion pushed national federations across Latin America to build development pipelines. Mexico’s integration of skateboarding into the CONADE system followed that pattern, giving states like BCS a framework to recruit and train athletes.
Vega himself grew up in the sport. He moved to Baja California Sur at age 3 and started skating at 9. Now he coaches full time, bridging the gap between La Paz’s older recreational skate culture and the new competitive generation.
The next state qualifying tournament has not yet been announced, but the annual cycle typically runs spring qualifiers ahead of the national games. Families interested in the free afternoon sessions at Camino Real or DIF Loma Linda can reach The 612 Skate Club through local skatepark networks in La Paz.