Check out this awesome interview with Alana Smith on "World of X" on ESPN. Super inspiring - a must watch!!
I really like Alana's parting words "I want to be known as being a good skater, not as a good girl skater". Well said!!
Photo via @leticiabufoni on instagram
Historic news today - pro skater Leticia Bufoni has been signed as the very first female team rider on Nike SB. So damn cool!
Does this mean we will be seeing those rad Nike SB shoes made for women soon? Let's hope so!
Congrats to Leticia on this major accomplishment!
Photo: Neal Mims
Sometimes you don't need words to get your message across. Minna Stess calling it like it is: "Go BIG or go home".
Happy Friday!
Penny Boards has a new board out and it’s even better than before (if that’s even possible!)! The Penny Nickel is here!
They use a secret plastic injected design to make the boards light weight, long lasting, and most importantly they perform well even if you plan on doing a little slalom, a bit of downhill or just plain old cruising.
The Penny Nickel skateboard is even better than it’s predecessors, “D-Street” and “Stereo”. It has a 27’ inch length, which helps with balance and control, as well as cruising. The official Penny Trucks are designed for making those sharp turns easy and it’s 4 x 39mm wheels are 78A – which are softer and wider than most wheels so they give you some much needed grip when hitting tight corners.
Penny Boards makes a huge selection of boards in many colours – check some of them out below. You can get them at many online skate shops like Skates.co.uk.
The Penny Skateboard has truly been a terrific addition to the skateboard scene and a hallmark design for over 30 years. Check out the official video for Penny Boards here on Youtube and see for yourself.
They use a secret plastic injected design to make the boards light weight, long lasting, and most importantly they perform well even if you plan on doing a little slalom, a bit of downhill or just plain old cruising.
The Penny Nickel skateboard is even better than it’s predecessors, “D-Street” and “Stereo”. It has a 27’ inch length, which helps with balance and control, as well as cruising. The official Penny Trucks are designed for making those sharp turns easy and it’s 4 x 39mm wheels are 78A – which are softer and wider than most wheels so they give you some much needed grip when hitting tight corners.
Penny Boards makes a huge selection of boards in many colours – check some of them out below. You can get them at many online skate shops like Skates.co.uk.
The Penny Skateboard has truly been a terrific addition to the skateboard scene and a hallmark design for over 30 years. Check out the official video for Penny Boards here on Youtube and see for yourself.
all images via Red Bull
After spending a little time over at the Red Bull offices and hearing about Amy and the Red Bull Air Force team, I was intrigued. Little did I know all I'd find out - this girl is awesome, and what she does each & every day is insanely cool. Read on to find out more about Amy and her high flying career in sky diving. She is one of a kind!
Who's Rad? Amy Chmelecki
Age: 37
Home is: Eloy, Arizona
How long have you been Skydiving? 18 years
What got you interested in this extreme sport?
At age 14 I over heard someone talking about two women that went skydiving and that they said it was the greatest thing they had ever done. It put the thought in my head. From that point on I new I would do it when I turned 18 (which is the legal age to make your first jump in the US).
Can you tell us what an average day is like for you?
Some days are personal practice days, some days I am training other people and some days it is game day. Each of those types of days looks a little different, but in general on an average day I make a hand full of skydives (somewhere between 3 and 12), fly in the wind tunnel (indoor skydiving) for about 30 minutes and spend a couple hours in the office. I check my gear thoroughly every morning and give it a slandered look over before each jump.
Speaking of training – can you tell us what type of training you do to prepare and keep your body in shape for your sport?
Lot of hotel work outs and jogs exploring what every area I am visiting. My preferred fitness week has a healthy combo of yoga, cardio and weight training. I LOVE yoga more then anything, but yoga alone does not keep my body feeling the best during strenuous skydiving training. The combo is what makes me feel the best. I spent 90% of my time on the road. I have to push myself to make the time and find the motivation to keep fitness in my life when I am on the road.
You are a Red Bull Air Force Athlete – can you tell us a little about that honor?
It is a HUGE honor for me to be part of the Red Bull Air Force. The company is a fantastic one to work with. Red Bull is charging hard when it comes to sports. I love that! Being part of the RBAF is nothing short of a dream come true for me. Red Bull helps me make my dreams come true all the time and other people get inspiration form that. I am so very thankful.
Any advice for girls who want to follow in your footsteps?
Go to Skydive Arizona and go through their student program. It is the best place in the world to learn. Don’t hesitate on chasing your dreams. This is your life, live it how you dream it.
Female athletes that inspire YOU?
Mia Hamm and the entire 1996 US women’s soccer team have always and still do inspire me. They were talented, hard working and fearless.
The growing popularity of women fighting in the UFC fires me up. Sara Mcmann and Ronda Rousey are just crushing it. It is great to see women training hard and making a living in a sport extremely dominated by men. I think it is great when women rise above a stereotype and just go out and chase their dreams.
Sponsors: Red Bull , Paraclete XP (indoor skydiving), Skydive Arizona
Three Things You Don't Know About Me...
1. I studied ceramics at the University of New Hampshire. Ceramics is my second major passion.
2. I am polish, blond and dyslexic
3. Im a terible spellar ;-)
What’s Next?
On Sunday May 25th I fly to Belgium to meet up with my all female skydiving team “The Joy Riders XP” where we will compete in an indoor skydiving competition. After that we will travel around Europe coaching and training most of the summer. Our next big competition, which we are organizing, will be in North Carolina in October.
Jump over HERE to see a video that gives you an idea of what the Joy Riders are all about.
Make sure you follow Amy on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter @amychmelecki
all photos via Xia Zitong
Chinese actress Xia Zitong who is getting ready to start filming "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon II: The Green Destiny", in China and New Zealand, has been riding her Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word board all over the place on her visit to Cannes & Paris.
We saw some rad shots she posted on her instagram and just had to give her a shout out. We can't wait to see what she does next!
Follow her HERE to see her other insanely cool skate & fashion pics she posts daily.
Video by Grant Sproule
** We normally only post our Who's Rad? feature on Wednesdays, but we had to make an exception for Sabre because what she did this week is pretty rad & we wanted to share it with you right away.
When we saw this video of Sabre Norris on Instagram earlier this week we couldn't have been more stoked - there she is at 9 years old landing her first 540 - on a vert ramp. The only thing that's more exciting than watching her land it, is her excitement when she does.
We tracked down Sabre the very next day and asked her a few things about her life, skateboarding, her friends & and how she accomplished this trick at such a young age. Her answers are nothing short of AWESOME. Especially the one where she tells us WHY she thought she could learn to do a 540.
Love that girls in skateboarding are inspiring each other. Every single day.
Who's Rad? Sabre Norris
Age? 9
Home is? Newcastle, Australia
How Long Have You Been Skating? 3 years
Girls Who Skate that inspire YOU: Poppy Olsen, Gracie Earl, Lyn-Z
I first meet Poppy and Grace when I went to a big skate park in Sydney called Monster. It takes 2 hours to get to. I was little and I followed them around everywhere. They were so kind to me. Poppy taught me how to pump. I used to call it the Poppy Pop. Gracie taught me how to do 5,0s. Gracie can even blunt to fakie bar beach bowl.You should see the boys faces when she does this. There is this a girl surfer who lives near me she is a professional her name is Phillipa Anderson. She looks after me in the surf. She even lets me have her waves. She is the best girl at doing airs. My little brother biggy says that she is his girlfriend, he is 5 years old, I think she is 20. She inspires me too.
Favorite place you've ever skated? Slam Factory - it takes about an hour from my house. We watch the tv in the car on the way.
Favorite Tricks? 540
What made you decide to try a 540 on a vert ramp?
I saw Lyn-Z Adams do it. She's the first girl to ever do a 540. She even does Nitro Circus. She made me believe that it was possible for a girl to do that trick. Not just a boy.
Can you tell us how you went about learning that trick? (it’s a hard one!)
My brother biggy and sisters Sockie and Naz cheered for me. They really believed in me. They even pretended I was famous and we're asking for my autographs. It's was funny. I couldn't of done it with out them.
Sponsors? I don't have any (editors note: YET!)
Three Things You Don't Know About Me:
1. I love to belly dance. I watch Sadi on the internet she is the best belly dancer in the world. I don't know where she's from maybe turkey.I try to dance like her. I can roll my tummy up and down.its my special talent.My grandma bought me this amazing belly dancing costume for my birthday.
2. I love food and I can EAT. When I was 2 years old I ate a whole large pizza from Pizza Hut to myself. I think that's just as big of an achievement as the 540. On my birthdays I always eat too much and vomit. Don't eat lot of food before you skate makes you feel sick.
3. I swim but I HATE it. If I don't do a swimming lesson then I'm not allowed to surf.
What’s Next ?
Lyn-Z has asked me to come meet her at Nitro Circus. We are going tomorrow, I'm so excited. She is giving my entire family tickets and we don't have to pay. We are going to sleep in Sydney and go to a all you can eat restaurant and the wax museum. We might even go to the aquarium but I'm not sure. And my dad's birthday is in a couple of sleeps.
Congrats Sabre!! We are looking forward to seeing ore of you!
Make sure you follow Sabre on instagram @sabrenorris
all images via Sagebrush Board Bags
It's the first long weekend of summer & if these super cool board bags by Sagebrush don't inspire you to jump in your friends VW van and head south for a surf adventure, than I don't know what will.
Made from recycled materials these bags have a 70's look & feel going on that we absolutely love. They come in various sizes and shapes and the patterns/color array is awesome.
Check out the collab between Sagebrush and surfer Lakey Peterson - 10% of proceeds go to Heal the Bay.
Images via Concrete Wave Magazine / Photos: Mark Nisbet
That says it all. Covers of female action sports athletes are usually too few & far in between.
But not this month! Check out the gorgeous CONCRETE WAVE MAGAZINE cover with longboarder Amanda Powell on it.
I saw it when I was at Skateboarding Hall of Fame last week and it stopped me in my tracks. It's amazing and beautiful and it features a well resepcted skater we all love. Win. Win. Win.
And here's what puts the icing on the cake - if you have an ipad or android device you can download a copy of this issue FREE & read the entire interview with Amanda & see more pics of her shredding. I guarantee you will be inspired!!
Thanks Concrete Wave for the inspiring cover & article and the FREE issue!
images & video via Red Bull
Can you imagine free falling 120 mph and covering 2 miles in 2 minutes? Amy Chmelecki was the only woman to do did this incredible wingsuit flight along with 4 other Red Bull Air Force athletes high over the New York City skyline. The video is incredible - a must see to be believed - and that they all landed safely on a barge in the Hudson River is so cool!
An interview with Amy will be coming up soon right here on GN4LW so stay tuned!
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| Photo: Gador Salis |
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| Photo: Gador Salis |
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| Photo: Andrew Chapman |
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| Photo Rob McWhinnie |
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| Photo Alex Owen Ameen |
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| Photo: John Huey |
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| Photo Daniela Anduaga |
Marisa is one of those girls who would probably tell you she "just skates" if you were to ask. But the truth is, she skates fast, hard, and is badass. In fact Marisa is featured in the new film by the Longboard Girls Crew OPEN. That pretty much tells you what you need to know. She is the real deal and we are stoked to have her as today's Who's Rad.
Who's Rad? Maria Isabel Nuñez (Marisa)
Age: 27
Home is? Portland, OR currently. I was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Miami, FL. Parents are living in Peru. I miss them so much!
How Long Have You Been Skating? I've owned a board for about 8 years but I've only been really skating and racing for about 5.
Girls who skate that inspire YOU? When I was first learning I would always look up to Brianne Davis and Katie Neilson. These girls are fast on skateboards and they've been doing it for years. There were never too many video parts of them back then, but I made sure I saw every bit of footage in existence. There were always guys ripping in videos but there's nothing like watching a girl go just as hard as the dudes. Most inspiring as a female.
Favorite place you've ever skated? That's a tough one. I've traveled quite a bit and have many favorites haha. Maybe I'll just name all the places I've been to skate and race: Canada, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, and all over the US west coast and New York. I loved them all.
Favorite thing to do when skateboarding? To go as fast as I possibly can on my skateboard. Pre-drifting tight corners are definitely my favorite thing to do in the whole world.
Sponsors? Sponsors, homies, and the coolest people in the downhill skateboarding industry are these folks: Daddies Board Shop, Rayne Longboards, Vicious Grip, Aera Trucks, Dave's Hippy Oil, Predator Helmets and last but absolutely not least, XS Helmets. One of the only girl-focused brands out there.
Three Things You Don't Know About Me:
1. I'm one of the most detail-oriented people you'll ever meet.
2. I'm a lot older than I act (and dress).
3. My skate shoes smell like roasted goat cheese. How do you like me know? ;)
What's Next?
Well, I recently raced at the Catalina Island Classic in California and placed 3rd out of 20 women. So amped on that, it was a really technical coarse. Yesterday we were filming ourselves bombing a highway going down the Columbia River Gorge for a Hitcase ad for my shop sponsor and employer, Daddies Board Shop. Soon we'll be shooting some footage for a little Insta-banger with a buddy, and later on this year I might be attending another race in Colorado in which top speed is about 60mph. Stoked for that one!
Make sure you follow Marisa at @cocomarii on instagram, & on her athlete fan page on Facebook, and her personal Facebook page
Poseiden Foundation 2014 Oahu Tour from poseiden foundation on Vimeo.
Check out this awesome video from Poseiden Foundation's 2014 Oahu Tour. Good people doing good things & spreading the stoke through skateboarding. Love that.
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| Julz, Poppy & Beverly getting ready to show the boys how it's done. |
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| Beverly flying high |
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| Old school pro's Patti McGee, Peggy Oki, & Cindy Whitehead with current ripper, Poppy Olsen |
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| Poppy Starr Olsen showing that even a 14 hr flight can't stop her |
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| Poppy getting her Go Pro on before the demo |
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| Cindy & Julz - old school meets new school |
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| Julz Lynn bringing it for the crowd |
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| Amelia Brodka, Bella Kenworthy, Poppy Starr & Sarah Thompson - this is what women's skateboarding looks like |
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| Ripper Natalie Krishna Das, ready to rock & roll |
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| Allysha Bergado, Lizzie Armanto, Poppy Olsen & Jordyn Barratt - a lot of talented shredders right here |
Photos: Ian Logan / iphone shots Cindy Whitehead
It was also nice to see that their fellow skaters (male & female) were on hand to watch & cheer them on. Skateboarding Hall of Fame inductees Patti McGee (2011), Peggy Oki (2012) and Laura Thornhill (2013) were in attendance, as were many of the other girls from the 70's, to now. It was a pretty sweet thing to see just how many girls & women were excited to come & support.
Poppy Starr had literally just rolled in off a 14 hr flight from her home in Australia to be there in time for the event, and while I am sure she was a bit jet lagged, she was eager to drop in and show the crowd what they wanted to see. Using both pools, Poppy looked awesome as always in style and execution. Even after having no warm up in the days prior she threw done some massive airs.
Beverly Flood always looks good no matter where she skates and this night was no exception - with her smooth handplants and signature high airs the crowd was loving it. Beverly is a smooth & stylish skater and it's been fun watching her this past year.
Julz Lynn dropped in and attacked the combi as if she had just been watching & waiting to show the boys how it was done. And that she did. Her exceptional use and flow, going from square pool to round, was flawless. She always gets the crowd going and wanting to see more. She didn't disappoint.
Poppy, Beverly & Julz all kicked ass on Saturday and the crowd at Vans loved them. Congrats to all three of them for putting on an awesome demo! xx
Photos Ian Logan / iphone Images Cindy Whitehead
From Steve Van Doren walking around serving everyone slices of pizza, to Kristy Van Doren and her baby taking in all the action (when Kristy wasn't busy taking care of everyone else!) to all of us skaters from the 60's, 70's, and beyond, showing up to either watch, or compete, or in the case of a skateboard legend herself, Gale Webb, showing up to shoot the action, it was an awesome day spent with family & friends.
At the end of the night it was 1st place for Chris Miller in the Legends division, Bruno Passos in the Masters division and Tristan Rennie took it home in the pro division. Congrats to all the guys for skating hard and throwing it down with HUGE tricks in the combi.
It was also awesome to see the girls have their own demo during the contest! More coverage of that in the next post which will be up later tonight.
Many thanks to the Van Doren family for putting on this event year after year and welcoming us all. Much love & respect. xx
Photos Ian Logan / iphone shots by me
Skateboarding Hall of Fame is one of those nights that's all about seeing old friends, honoring our peers, remembering those we have lost, kids meeting their skate idols, and taking pictures of everyone we can - even if it means catching guys like skate legend Freddie De Soto in the bathroom... Yep, some of us never grow up, and we wouldn't want it any other way. #family
Thanks to everyone at IASC for working so hard to put this event on - we really appreciate it!!
Photos Ian Logan
but found a couple hours to meet up at The Ace Hotel, hang out, talk skateboarding & music, and shoot a few pics. So rad that they made this personal CD for me. These boys are the best! Love their music and can't wait for their new album to be finished!
In the meantime check out their Facebook page and follow them for behind the scenes photos in the recording studio, show updates and album launch.
Alana Nichols. Athlete. Paralympian. Inspiration. Everyday Hero.
U.S. Paralympian and three-time gold medalist, Alana Nichols, was inducted into the Superman Hall of Heroes in Times Square this week along with greats like Shaquille O'Neal. Jackie Robinson, and Christopher Reeve, just to name a few.
Alana is the first female athlete to win gold medals in both the summer (Wheelchair Basketball) & winter (Alpine Skiing) Paralympic Games. In 2002 a snowboarding accident left Alana paralyzed but she held onto her love of sports, going on to compete and win, a gold in basketball in Beijing. In 2010 she headed to Vancouver to compete in the winter Parympics and took home two golds, a silver, and a broze. This year Alana competed in Sochi and took home a silver. That is some serious medal count!
So great to see Alana getting some well deserved recognition for being such an inspiration to others!
See you there this Thursday night!
IASC AND ISHOF HOST THE 5TH ANNUAL SKATEBOARDING HALL OF FAME AND ICON AWARDS CEREMONY
WHAT: The
International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC) and the
International Skateboarding Hall of Fame (ISHOF) are proud to announce
this year’s Skateboarding Hall of Fame inductees: Gregg Carroll (1960s), Jim Muir (1970s, Era One), Steve Olson (1970s, Era Two), Lance Mountain (1980s, Era One), Natas Kaupas (1980s, Era Two), and two women – Laurie Turner DeMott (1960s) and Ellen Oneal Deason (1970s).
This year's Icon Award recipients are Fausto Vitello, J.Grant Brittain and Pipeline Skatepark / The Hoffman Family.
Created in 2009, The Skateboarding Hall of Fame recognizes and honors
the history of skateboarding and those influential figures who have
significantly shaped skateboarding and our culture throughout the years.
The night will include a Happy Hour, VIP
meet-and-greet cocktail party, and the Awards Ceremony. All proceeds
benefit the not-for-profit efforts of the Skateboarding Hall of Fame and
the Go Skateboarding Foundation’s Just One Board initiative.
WHERE: The Westin South Coast Plaza Hotel, 686 Anton Blvd, Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626
WHEN: Thursday, May 15th, 2014
· Happy Hour: 5:00 pm
· VIP Meet-and-Greet, Cocktails and Appetizers: 6:30 pm
· General Admission: 7:30 pm
· Awards Ceremony: 7:45 - 10:00 pm
Tickets are available online: http://2014shof.eventbrite.com/
Happy Monday!