STALLION SPRINGS, Calif. (KERO) — If you're into professional action sports, you've probably heard the name Woodward West, the campus that hosted summer camps and played host to some of skating and BMX's greatest. The campus is slated to close at the end of September.
"If you're not into action sports, it's hard to kind of understand what all the hype is about. But, man, Woodward West was around for 25 years and impacted thousands of lives," said Skate Coach Nathalia Valles.
The campus, part of a larger organization, hosted summer camps for kids and was part of a broader action sports scene that gained popularity in the 1990s.
In a statement from the camp's parent company, Powdr, regarding the closure, it reads in part:
"The Woodward West overnight summer camp in California will close, effective September 29, 2025. While we recognize that this news will be difficult for many who have made memories at Woodward West over the past 25 years, we remain steadfastly committed to Woodward's future and our mission to inspire and empower the next generation in action sports."
According to former employees and coaches at Woodward West, the campus was their home, their colleagues were their family, and they're sad to see it go.
Emily Gatica-Leiva started at Woodward West in 2016, just looking for part-time work while she was home from college for the summer.
"My friend was managing the coffee shop, and she hired me back in 2016, super part-time. And then I just stuck and stuck around," said Gatica-Leiva.
But what started as a part-time summer job turned into a new life.
"My husband's from Santiago, Chile. He dreamed about coming to Woodward," said Gatica-Leiva. "It's just sad to see a little boy from Chile's dream come to a close. But we're so grateful because through here, we met each other, we had our beautiful baby girl. She took her first steps here. We're just really grateful for this place."
Valles, who worked as a skate coach in what has now become Woodward West's final summer of camps, recounted her first week as a coach and how one of her students handed her a handwritten card thanking her for her help, the camper adding she hopes the two cross paths in the future. Valles said Woodward West was a special place, and she's heartbroken to hear it's closing.
"It's like moments like that, where you know you've impacted a child's life and and they've impacted yours, and you're just hoping to see them down the road and, you know, skate with them again. It's a, it's a really special feeling to know that, you know, you got to share the stoke with somebody and kind of pass on the love," said Valles.
In the statement from Powdr, they did say that Woodward West would be closing but added they plan to focus their attention on the original Woodward Pennsylvania location to expand their offerings there.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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