Photos by Sam McGuire

If you are open to learning about other people and what they may be going through, you might want to check out this pretty impressive article on Jenkem about street skater Hillary Thompson that Sam McGuire wrote & shot.

There has been so much in the media this year about girls vs guys in the skating world, and "if" girls can/should/do really skate. After reading this article about Hillary I am hoping more people will see we are all just skaters first & foremost.  Read more about Hillary HERE

                                                  Photos: Jason Kenworthy

I've been following Bella and her friends Relz & Sierra on instagram for quite a while and I was stoked to finally meet her when she was chilling with her dad in the VIP area at the Van Doren Invitational at the US Open of Surfing last month. If you don't know her yet, you should. Just keep your eye out for the tiny little girl, going big, in the bright colored tutu.  

Who's Rad:  Bella Kenworthy

Age:  6

Home:  Dana Point

How Long Have You Been Skating? A little over a year

Favorite place you've ever skated: I don't know, I like a few spots a lot. The Y in Encinitas,  Lahaina in Maui, Pala and Etnies

Favorite Trick:  Carve over the stairs at Pala and frontside grinds

Sponsors: Pink Helmet Posse and mom, dad, nana and papa


Three Things You Don't Know About Me:

1. I am the oldest of four and my little brother Loyal skated way before I did

2. I watch design shows every night before bed

3. I like to surf and art

Make sure you follow Bella on Instagram @pinkhelmetposse

Thanks to Hardbody for the tip on the video posted above

It's the end of an era.  I grew up on Skateboarder Magazine. I remember the first time I saw Gregg Weaver carving below tile in a backyard pool on the cover. So many good memories of studying the photos, reading about the riders, and saving every issue stacked in a bookcase in my teenage bedroom.

That's our own Patti McGee on the cover of Skateboarder Magazine back in the 1960's and Gregg Weaver in the 70's.  Sad to see this publication fold...

Photo: Jason Kenworthy

Guess who's being profiled tomorrow in our "Who's Rad" feature?  Six year old Bella Kenworthy. That's who.

Had to post this teaser shot of her surfing today as I couldn't wait.  Lots more on Bella coming tomorrow. Stay tuned!

 Skate-Home takes skateboards and makes stuff for your home out of them. Pretty cool. Loving the bookends...

Open - Crowd founding campaign from LongboardGirlsCrew on Vimeo.

I personally love the Longboard Girls Crew, if you haven't seen their videos yet make sure you click over to their website and check them out. This trip they are planning is going to be RAD, but they need your help and have started a crowd funding campaign. Check out the info below and the video above, about what they are up to and make a donation no matter how small - they are giving away lots of cool goodies just for donating! How rad is that??

Exactly two years after Endless Roads, Longboard Girls Crew hits the road again. This new trip takes 14 female riders from different places and cultures to experience through skating one of the oldest places on earth: Israel

The riders will be Amanda Powell, Katie Nielson, Marisa Nuñez, Cindy Zhou, Cami Best, Gina Mendez, Jenna Ruso, Ishtar Bäcklund, Eider Walls, Cristina Mandarina, Micaela Wilson, Gador Salis, Jacky Madenfrost & Valeria Kechichian.

Film maker: Daniel Etura vimeo.com/57379936
Production: Longboard Girls Crew

In order to make this happen we need your support. Please click igg.me/at/Open-LGCskatesIsrael to help us make this project come true.

Skater Girl Crossing. Saw this last night.  Love.

Because it's classic, rare and entertaining. 

This is a new feature we are doing on girls who skate. There are a lot of you girls out there skating everyday and making it happen - with sponsors, without sponsors, riding bowls, vert, street, downhill, longboards, cruisers or backyard ramps. Some of you are lucky enough to ride with other girls each day, some of you are the only girl in a pack full of boys.  Some of you like contests and compete as often as you can, some of you girls are "soul skaters" and you shun competing.

We figured it's time for us to start showing the world what you are up to...


Who's Rad: Gracie Earl

Age:  16

Home:  Sydney, Australia

How Long Have You Been Skating?  3 years

Favorite place you've ever skated:  Woodward West and Four Seasons Skatepark in Milwaukee

Favorite Trick:   I don't really have a favourite,  I love doing everything!

Sponsors:  Monster Skatepark / iskate Australia,  Bondi Boards, SIQ


Three Things You Don't Know About Me:

1. I've eaten chocolate covered cockroaches

2. I've never vomited in my life

3. Last year I split my eyebrow open skating on Tony Hawk's vert ramp and had to get 8 stitches


Make sure you follow Gracie Earl on Instagram @gracieearl

 GN4LW sticker sightings!!

Much respect and love to all the boys showing their love for the girl skaters this past weekend.

Eddie Elguera was seen sporting a GN4LW sticker at the Rocky Mountain Rampage event in Colorado. He WON the contest - congrats Eddie!

Christian Hosoi with Laura Thornhill & I showing some love at Syck's Skate Expo in the valley on Sunday

Dave Duncan was Mc-ing Sunday at Skate Expo and  added a GN4LW sticker to the rad collection on his clipboard.

These are just a few of the OG guys that are ALWAYS supporting girls in skateboarding, now and then. Much love & respect to all the guys out there who support all of us!

 

 via ESPN Magazine  / Photo: Shane Ruiz

Sometimes I'm reading magazines late at night and I come across articles like this that get me so stoked I can't wait to share them.

Meet Vicki Golden. Motocross racer & X-Games medalist and the FIRST female to join the famed Metal Mulisha team AND the first female to get an invite to compete in the men's Moto x Best Whip at X-Games LA where she earned a bronze medal. So rad that she is making the boys take notice.

Plus I love her fearless, kick ass attitude.

 Photo: Anthony Teddeo

Arianna Carmona was out there shredding today at 2013 Southern California Summer Skate Expo - she competed in TWO events WITH the boys. She got second in Mini Ramp and First in Pool in her division. Huge front side airs in the deep end of the pool and full use of both ramps by hitting the hip front-side AND backside made her one to watch now and in the future. Great job today Arianna! It was a pleasure getting to be a judge and to watch you skate!

Charlene letting people know that GIRL is NOT a 4 Letter Word

We've had a few people ask what "Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word" really means. So I thought I'd help explain in case you have never heard the word GIRL used in a derogatory sense.

4 Letter words usually mean cuss words - those words your parents tell you not to use because they are not very nice.  Examples: Sh**t, F**ck,  Hell, etc. etc.

Sometimes people also use this 4 letter word in the same way 

"You surf pretty well, for a GIRL"

"You throw like a GIRL"  

"Don't be such a GIRL"

Using the word GIRL in this manner implies that being a  GIRL is inferior to being a boy and "GIRL" becomes an insult or a slur. 

So there you have it, an explanation of why we call this brand  "Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word.

We know without a doubt that GIRLS are strong, beautiful, & kick ass in anything they choose to do in life. So keep on being a GIRL and be proud of it.

 image via Teen Vogue

New Vans x Liberty print sneakers. Liberty prints are well known for their beautiful patterns and I have to say they look rad on a pair of Vans sneakers. Excited to skate in mine. Guess which pair I scored?

photo: ian logan

We made a special poster size version of this image to send to a teacher who requested it for her classroom. Love that the "Girl" movement is catching on and that a teacher wants to decorate her classroom with skate & surf images that send a strong, positive message to teens. How cool is that?

Justine Dupont

Malia Manuel

Alessa Quizon

Bethany Hamilton

Winner of the Ford Supergirl Pro is Malia Manuel!

photos: via the surf channel

Time to throw a little love to some other girls in action sports today. Here are some shots from The Surf Channel of a few of the girls ripping this weekend in the largest all pro girls surf event - The Ford Supergirl Pro. Cool to see such a large turnout of both competitors and spectators!

Congrats to everyone who made this event such a huge success!!

Lacey Baker

Alana Smith

Leticia Bufoni taking the gold!

 Photos via The Daily Breeze

Just found some more shots from the women's street finals at the X-Games via the Daily Breeze newspaper. Bummed though that they chose to run/start off with 2 shots of the girls falling. Have to chalk that up to editors not knowing skateboarding....

Congrats to all the girls for skating their asses off and showing just how far women's skateboarding has come!

Photo: Mel Melcon - LA Times

When I wake up in the morning and pick up my LA Times off the front porch and see a female skater on the front page of the sports section it seriously makes my day. Congrats to Leticia Bufoni on her X-Games gold medal in yesterdays Women's Street Event!

Read more about the event and Leticia HERE

Always love seeing 12 year old Alana Smith skate (first girl to land a 540 in competition) . Yesterday at X-Games was no exception. The girl was dropping in from a full story above the street park and making it look easy. (see photo above). And how cool was it that her friends Poppy Starr Olsen and Jordyn Barratt where there to cheer her on with signs they had made the night before?

If you want to know more about Alana, read this awesome article that's on ESPN this week. The girl has style and balls and she's only 12, can't wait to see what she does next..

This is where I'll be today, so come on down and learn to ride with GRO, find out more about what Boarding 4 Breast Cancer is doing, check out the new "Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word" board in person, and see some of your favorite female skaters kick some ass in the skateboard street event.

See you there!!