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Patti McGee, pioneering pro skateboarder with a San Diego youth, dies at 79

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Patti McGee, pioneering pro skateboarder with a San Diego youth, dies at 79


Stand at the top of the Loring Street hill in Pacific Beach — one of the steepest in San Diego — and let yourself be transported back to the early 1960s, when children and teenagers flew down the precipitous grade on makeshift skateboards, the ocean sprawled in the distance ahead.

These were some of skateboarding’s first takers, the kids who helped pave the way for future generations of a sport that for decades was widely seen as a societal menace and a fringe subculture.

Among these skaters was Patti McGee. For the Point Loma teen, skateboarding down Loring Street was just another way to kill time when the surf blew out in the afternoon and she wasn’t ready to go home to do homework.

Loring Street “was a challenge. That was like surfing a big wave, if you could make it,” McGee told the skateboarding magazine Juice in 2017.

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Seeking a challenge and staying active were part of what drew her to skateboarding. But McGee — who died Oct. 16 at her home in Brea at 79 following a recent stroke — was also a natural.

Considered the world’s first professional female skateboarder, McGee carved a name for herself in the sport when it was even more dominated by men than it is today.

Her career kicked off in 1964 when she took first place at the inaugural national skateboarding championships in Santa Monica, clinching the win with her signature trick, a handstand on the skateboard.

That move was later cemented into the culture’s history when she graced the cover of LIFE magazine in May 1965, feet high in the air, board rolling beneath her.

A replica of the 1965 LIFE magazine cover featuring Patti McGee performing her signature trick. (Photo by Michael Kitada, Orange County Register contributing photographer)

After the win in Santa Monica, McGee received a brand deal with skateboard manufacturer Hobie and traveled the country promoting its boards.

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She was inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame in 2010. That year, San Diego’s then-Councilmember Kevin Faulconer gave her a special commendation honoring her achievements.

But becoming a trailblazer for women in skateboarding wasn’t exactly the goal for McGee; the San Diego Evening Tribune reported in 1965 that she wanted to pursue acting or be a “movie stunt girl.”

“She was a sweet angel, but she was also a wild woman,” her daughter Hailey Villa, 46, told the Union-Tribune last week. McGee is also survived by her son, Forest Villa, 45, as well as two grandchildren and her brother, Jack.

“She did a lot of different things in her life,” Villa said, pointing to her mother’s time working in turquoise mining and leather goods and even at a casino. “Skateboarding was just kind of a little blip.”

McGee was born on August 23, 1945, at Fort Lewis in Washington state, and her family moved to San Diego when she was about 5 years old. Her parents split when she was young, and she was mostly raised by her mother, who worked at Montgomery Junior High School.

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McGee’s youth was in many ways a quintessential San Diego one.

Like many skaters of the 1960s, she had begun as a surfer — first surfing in 1958 and hitting spots such as Newport Street, North Beach and Ocean Beach and in La Jolla, at the shores and Windansea.

When she was 16, she ventured up the coast for more — to Tamarack, Oceanside, Doheny and County Line, she told Skateboarder magazine in 1965, when she was on its cover.

The president of an all-girls surf team in 1963, McGee described herself as a “rowdy surfer” — unafraid to be aggressive as one of the few girls in the water, when “guys would just push you out of the way or kick out into your ankles, like, ‘My wave,’” she told Juice.

McGee first found her way to a skateboard in 1962 through a DIY project: Her brother, Jack, stole the wheels off her roller skates and attached them to a wooden board he’d made in shop class.

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Later, she rode a Bun Buster, equipped with those same wheels from her roller skates.

She and her friends cruised the streets of San Diego, even the parking garage of downtown San Diego’s Concourse — their Mount Everest, as she described it.

They were unruly, and they always got in trouble.

“Thank you for helping to pave the way for all of us when skateboarding was simply considered a ‘menace’ in the 1960’s,” Tony Hawk wrote in a recent Instagram post in her memory.

McGee was also a member of the Pump House Gang, a group of teen surfers who gathered around a sewage pump house at Windansea Beach in the 1960s. The writer Tom Wolfe later wrote an essay about the group and named his 1968 collection of essays after it.

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But her 1964 championship win in Santa Monica inexorably changed her life.

Her one-year, $250-a-month brand deal with skateboard maker Hobie took her around the country, where she demonstrated skateboarding in department stores and shopping malls, largely for audiences of children.

Landing the cover of LIFE propelled McGee to yet another level of recognition. Soon after the iconic shoot, she booked appearances on the game show “What’s My Line?” and the “Mike Douglas Show” and taught Johnny Carson to skate on “The Tonight Show.”

At the time, mainstream culture was still deciding how it felt about skateboarding. Initially seen as a fun new fad for kids and often dubbed “sidewalk surfing,” by the late 1960s and 70s it was more widely considered a nuisance, something for kids up to no good.

McGee and her generation saw that shift firsthand and are part of the reason that skateboarding became closely associated with punk, said Haley Watson, a filmmaker who was working on a documentary about McGee before she passed away.

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“There’s no way that skateboarding as we know it would take the shape that it has without Patti,” Watson said.

McGee returned to San Diego after her national tour in the mid-’60s, but she didn’t stay long.

She soon moved to Lake Tahoe with her first husband, Glen Villa, where they mined turquoise and made leather goods. Later she moved to Cave Creek, Ariz., where she raised two children, gave tours to tourists panning for gold. There, she met her second husband, William Chace, who died in 2015.

But there was little concrete in their rural town, and few places to skate, Villa remembers — her mom would take her and her brother to a nearby elementary school to skateboard.

And when she was in third grade, her mother brought a skateboard team to her school to give a demonstration. Among its members was Tony Hawk.

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“I think that was the day I understood my mom was more special in the skateboarding realm,” Villa recalls.

Villa became a skater herself, and she and McGee founded the Original Betty Skateboard Company, which spawned its own all-girls skate team, sponsoring young skaters, some of whom went on to compete in the Olympics.

Patti McGee, right, and her daughter, Hailey Villa, left, listen to remarks during the re-opening of the Brea skate park on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Brea, California. (Photo by Michael Kitada, Orange County Register contributing photographer)
Patti McGee, right, and her daughter, Hailey Villa, left, listen to remarks during the re-opening of the Brea skate park on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Brea, California. (Photo by Michael Kitada, Orange County Register contributing photographer)

The family bond was clear to Watson.

“It was very evident to me that she really loved her family and that she had a very special connection with her daughter,” the filmmaker said. “They had so much of their own language.”

McGee’s story was brought to a younger, wider audience in 2021, when Orange County author and school librarian Tootie Nienow published the children’s book “There Goes Patti McGee! The Story of the First Women’s National Skateboard Champion,” illustrated by Erika Medina.

Nienow became close with McGee as she wrote the book.

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McGee could make a person feel like they were the only one in the room, Nienow said — a sentiment echoed by McGee’s friend and skatemate Di Dootson Rose, who was also inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame earlier this year.

She was “magnetic,” Rose said, recalling how McGee would connect with people, sometimes placing her hands on their faces and really looking them in the eyes. “People would let her in.”

The skateboarder’s charm and talent captivated her friends and family — and the world.

Rose points to McGee’s LIFE cover in 1965 — a far cry, she said, from some of the magazine’s more serious covers of that time.

“Then one day they come out with this sky blue cover of a blonde, upside down (doing a) handstand — white capris and a red sweater,” Rose said. “If that isn’t a breath of fresh air, then I don’t know what is.”

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The nonprofit Exposure Skate will hold a ceremony for McGee at its annual skate event for women and nonbinary skaters in Encinitas this Saturday at 5 p.m.





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San Diego, CA

Aztecs add 6 more transfers, including Central Michigan QB Bert Emanuel Jr.

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Aztecs add 6 more transfers, including Central Michigan QB Bert Emanuel Jr.


San Diego State has received a commitment from Central Michigan quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr., giving the Aztecs a pair of dual-threat transfers to compete for starting quarterback in spring practice.

Michigan transfer quarterback Jayden Denegal signed with the Aztecs following a midweek visit to campus.

The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Emanuel and the 6-5, 235-pound Denegal both have size, speed and strong arms. Both also have two years of eligibility remaining.

“I love competition,” Emanuel said Sunday morning before catching a flight home to Houston. “It brings out the best in people, so I feel like it’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s always good for you. Iron sharpens iron.”

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Emanuel and Denegal were among more than two dozen transfers who made recruiting visits to SDSU the past two weeks.

Seventeen of the players have made commitments, including six who visited this weekend.

In addition to Emanuel, SDSU also received commitments from wide receivers Jacob Bostick (Texas A&M) and Trayvon Rudolph (Northern Illinois), defensive lineman Malachi Finau (Hawaii), linebacker Mister Williams (Incarnate Word) and cornerback Kai Rapolla (Cal Poly).

San Diego State has greeted more than two dozen transfer recruits the past two weekends. (Kirk Kenney / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Emanuel said he is impressed with the culture SDSU coach Sean Lewis and his staff are establishing.

“Everyone here is in love with football,” he said. “They aren’t just here for the money. They truly love football and that’s the type of team I want to be a part of. … The energy in the program is great, and I believe in (Lewis’) plan and system to go out there and help us win games.”

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SDSU got a glimpse of Emanuel in September, when he subbed for Central Michigan starting quarterback Joe Labas at times against the Aztecs. Emanuel attempted one pass while rushing six times for 32 yards in a 22-21 Chippewas victory.

Emanuel has been most impressive running the ball, carrying 145 times for 844 yards (6.1 ypc) and 12 touchdowns. The highlight was a 2022 game against Buffalo, when he rushed for 293 yards and three touchdowns. Emanuel is 27 of 51 passing for 439 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions.

Emanuel’s career has been sidetracked by injuries, but he’s healthy now and eager for a fresh start with the Aztecs.

“What I bring to the field is my dual-threat ability,” he said. “I am able to attack the defense through the air and also on the ground with my legs.”

Emanuel views himself as a good fit for the SDSU offense as “a dynamic quarterback here helping us win a lot of games and putting up a lot of points in the near future.”

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Emanuel is the son of Bert Emanuel Sr., who was a college quarterback at UCLA and Rice before playing eight seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver.

“It helps a lot being able to sit back and just talk ball with him, any day, all day,” Emanuel said. “I know I can just call him and talk football.”

Among the newcomers joining Emanuel is Rudolph, who collected 151 receptions for 2,032 yards and 10 touchdowns during his time at Northern Illinois. The Huskies just happen to be SDSU’s Week 4 opponent on the 2025 schedule.

Rapolla had 41 tackles this season at Cal Poly, with three fumble recoveries and two interceptions.

Williams, who is the older brother of SDSU safety Prince Williams, had four sacks among 78 tackles this season at Incarnate Word.

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SDSU received commitments from Denegal, running back Christian Williams (Coastal Carolina), a Helix High School graduate, and defensive back Dwayne McDougle (Idaho) after midweek visits.

The transfer commitments began pouring in just more than a week ago after SDSU brought in 11 players for visits. Seven players from that group have committed.

The offense added wide receiver Myles Kitt-Denton (Northwestern State), tight ends Jackson Ford (Tulsa) and Seth Adams (Southeastern Louisiana) and offensive lineman Bayo Kannike (Utah Tech).

The defense added edge Niles King (Grand Valley State) and linebacker Tanner Williams (Utah State). Punter Hunter Green (Northern Colorado) also signed.

SDSU had 22 players enter the transfer portal, though two who announced (wide receiver Jordan Napier and linebacker Brady Anderson) have decided to remain with the Aztecs.

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San Diego, CA

Police Investigating Fatal Shooting at Independent Living Facility in Oak Park

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Police Investigating Fatal Shooting at Independent Living Facility in Oak Park


Law enforcement at the scene of a fatal shooting in Oak Park, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. Courtesy Onscene.Media

Law enforcement is investigating a fatal shooting that took place Saturday night at an independent living facility in the neighborhood of Oak Park.

Police responded to calls about an assault with a deadly weapon on the 3100 block of 54th St. at around 10:24 p.m. and arrived to find a man with a gunshot wound to his upper torso.

“[There are] several people inside the house that detectives are speaking with,” Lt. Lou Maggi with San Diego Police Department’s Homicide Unit told Onscene.Media.

“About nine people inside the house and then several more people outside.”

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He added that investigators do not yet have a description of a suspect, but they do not believe that the shooting was random or that there is any threat to the community at large.

SDPD is asking anybody with any information to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293, or San Diego Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

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San Diego, CA

San Diego secures $250 million to help towards fixing Tijuana sewage crisis

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San Diego secures 0 million to help towards fixing Tijuana sewage crisis


SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — At the beginning of December, it was a called a ‘last ditch effort,’ by Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre. On December 17th, Mayor Aguirre left for Washington D.C. to get funding for the Tijuana River sewage crisis.

Saturday, President Biden signed a federal funding bill that will dole out $250 million towards the full repair and expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant near our southern border. It’s been a long wait for relief for south bay residents — relief from the smell and relief from a federal level.

Back in August, we spoke with Everett Sena who expressed his frustration after living in the area with his wife for more than 40 years.

“We can smell it at night, you can smell it at the wee hours of the morning,” he tells us. “It’s pretty annoying. I mean we’ve dealt with it for years already and I just wish the system would be taken care of because we’ve dealt with it.”

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The action taken by the White House comes after Mayor Aguirre told ABC 10News she was going to push for a federal state of emergency while in D.C. and felt optimistic about her conversations with republican congress members.

In an Instagram post, Mayor Aguirre called it a’success.’

The Tijuana sewage crisis has been a decades long issue, 10news has been following along the way.

From county leaders calling for federal help including San Diego County Supervisor, Terra Lawson-Remer. At a presser back in Juneshe doubled down once again.

“We’ve been demanding that the state and federal government take urgent action to clean up the Tijuana sewage crisis and to protect public health.”

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And even the younger generation taking a stand, like the Imperial Beach Charter second graders who sent letters to the President.

This, while South Bay residents have been trying their best to adjust to the persistent stench, where they’ve called it terrible.

And while its a step in the right direction, Mayor Aguirre explains the fight is far from over.

“The plant itself is not going to solve the entire crisis. The plant will treat 50 million gallons per day of sewage once it’s completed, which won’t be for another 5 years.”

You can track the progress of the upgrades to the South Bay International Wastewater treatment plant here.

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