Traditional sports business metrics usually focus on stadium tax revenues and jersey sales. But in San Diego, a massive regional economy is fueled by salt air, industrial urethane, and pure adrenaline. In this episode of Empty the Bench: Small Market Edition, Callan McClurg takes a deep dive into the high-stakes business of the "shred," exploring how a sun-drenched coastal playground transformed into the multi-billion-dollar global corporate headquarters for action sports.

We travel back to the summer of 1997 when X Games III hit Mission Beach like a cultural meteor, legitimizing alternative sports on prime-time television and launching iconic careers. We break down the high-flying engineering spectacle of Red Bull’s legendary stunts at the Embarcadero, where high-powered snowmobiles defied gravity over the open saltwater of the San Diego Bay to put the working port on a global marketing stage.

Plus, we uncover the local coastal DNA embedded in 90s nostalgia by exploring how the classic Nickelodeon hit Rocket Power turned the lifestyle of Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach into a massive international brand export. Finally, we celebrate the ultimate display of grit by tracking San Diego youth hockey alum Eric Baldwin on his grueling 61-day inline skating journey across America to fund global youth sports access.

From backyard vert ramps to North County manufacturing giants, discover why the coastal borders of San Diego will always remain the permanent landing place for the boldest innovators in action sports culture.

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