PARIS — From the concrete bowls of the Encinitas YMCA Skate park to the world's biggest stage, Tom Schaar has arrived. The 24-year-old Encinitas native captured the silver medal in Men's Skateboard Park at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games today, delivering a run that combined technical precision with high-flying amplitude.
Schaar, who first gained fame as a prodigy landing the first-ever 1080 at age 12, showed a veteran's poise. His second run of the finals scored a 92.23, briefly putting him in gold medal position before Australia's Keegan Palmer edged him out with a 93.11.
Schaar told reporters the experience felt surreal, having grown up skating Poods Park and the YMCA in Encinitas. Representing his hometown and his country on the Olympic stage, he said, meant everything.
Back home in Encinitas, watch parties erupted at local spots like The Leucadian and McGill's Skate Shop. Local skating figures praised Schaar's style as pure Encinitas — smooth, powerful, and flowy — and expressed pride in his performance on the world stage.
Schaar's medal adds to the rich legacy of North County skateboarding, joining the ranks of Tony Hawk and Shaun White as locals who have pushed the sport to global heights.