Boarding for Breast Cancer’s Skate the Coast is scheduled for Oct. 24, with a 9 a.m. start at Santa Monica Pier and a finish at Dive N Surf in Redondo Beach. B4BC describes the course as 15 miles and invites skateboarders, cyclists, roller skaters and scooter riders. The ride anchors a weekend marking the nonprofit’s 30th anniversary.
B4BC is aiming to raise $100,000, its biggest fundraiser of the year, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press. Co-founder and president Lisa Hudson told the paper that reaching six figures would mark three decades of work and help sustain it. Hudson said the ride typically raises close to $75,000; Shacked Mag also reported a $75,000 goal for the event’s education, prevention and survivorship programs.
B4BC’s event page and the Santa Monica Daily Press describe a 15-mile route and the 19th annual Skate the Coast; Shacked Mag likewise calls it the 19th annual edition. B4BC’s event page described the 2021 edition as a 19-mile skate-bike-roll.
Route Options and Event-Day Schedule
For the full route, the Santa Monica Daily Press reports that a shuttle will take riders from Dive N Surf to the Santa Monica Pier starting line at 7:30 a.m. The paper lists a hydration stop at Blauer Board Shop around 10 a.m., another at a Marina del Rey parking lot, and a scheduled arrival at Dockweiler State Beach at 11:30 a.m. B4BC’s event page also offers a seven-mile “drop in” option beginning at the Dockweiler Beach hydration stop.
After Dockweiler, the route continues to a hydration stop at Noble Park before ending at Dive N Surf. The Santa Monica Daily Press reports that the finish-line block party is scheduled for noon to 4 p.m., with food from Wahoo’s Fish Tacos, music, drinks, awards, a sponsor village and vitamin C samples from Livon Labs.
B4BC’s Background and Mission
Founded in 1996 within the action sports community, Boarding for Breast Cancer is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on breast cancer education and survivorship, as well as early detection and a healthy, active lifestyle as tools for prevention, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press. The ride takes place during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Breast Cancer in California
According to the California Cancer Registry, breast cancer is the second most common cancer among Californian women, and more than 25,000 women in the state are diagnosed each year. That statewide figure does not specify how many Los Angeles County residents are diagnosed annually, so it does not provide a county-level answer.
What the Cancer Data Show
The California Cancer Registry figures above establish the number of women diagnosed each year, but the trend estimates available here are national rather than California-specific. The National Cancer Institute’s SEER program reports that age-adjusted female breast cancer incidence rates rose an average of 0.7% annually from 2014 to 2023, while death rates fell an average of 1.2% annually from 2015 to 2024. The same SEER data show that, among females of all races in SEER 21 excluding Illinois, 64.0% of breast cancers were diagnosed at the local stage in 2016–2022; five-year relative survival for localized breast cancer was 100.0%. These figures do not provide California-specific comparisons by race or ethnicity, or the share of Los Angeles County women up to date on mammograms. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health says qualifying uninsured, underinsured and low-income women can access low-cost or free mammography in the county, regardless of immigration status.
B4BC says its broader skate series has involved thousands of participants over the past 20 years and raised more than $1 million for its initiatives. The organization expects more than 300 participants of all ages at this year’s ride and says proceeds support its year-round breast cancer education and survivorship programs.
A Sister Event in Lake Tahoe
Skate the Coast is the sister event to B4BC’s 22nd annual Skate the Lake in Lake Tahoe, the Santa Monica Daily Press reports. The Tahoe ride drew a record 190 participants this year and raised more than $72,000 for B4BC’s education, prevention and survivorship programs, according to South Tahoe Now, which also connected this year’s events with B4BC’s 30th anniversary.
Getting In On the Ride
A public registration party and 30th anniversary celebration is scheduled for Friday at Firestone Walker Brewery in Venice, from 3 to 8 p.m. The Santa Monica Daily Press says the gathering will include registration, breast health education, live music, a silent auction, raffles and drinks.
Registration requires a minimum $50 donation and includes an event T-shirt, a goodie bag and raffle tickets. Riders can earn 10 additional raffle tickets for every extra $100 they raise. Participants may fundraise individually or as teams; those unable to attend can ride a local trail or path and post a photo tagged @b4bc and #skatethecoast. B4BC will select a photo contest winner on Monday, Oct. 26.
Hudson told the Santa Monica Daily Press, “It's not a race,” describing Skate the Coast as a group ride open to anyone on wheels. She said people can participate to honor loved ones, celebrate survivorship or support someone. Registration and event details are available on B4BC’s website and event page.
