Photo: Michael Chantry
We couldn't be happier to support a rad skater & badass mom like Kat!
Welcome to the team Kat!
We couldn't be happier to support a rad skater & badass mom like Kat!
Welcome to the team Kat!
Nice to see pro skater Leticia Bufoni on the cover of the October Issue of The Skateboard Mag. Full interview inside with more awesome pics.
You can order yours HERE
* Support girls in skateboarding - buy a copy (or three) and show the world that female skaters do sell mags!
We saw two versions of this new Kohl's commercial over Labor Day weekend and wondered if anyone knows who the girl is skating in it?
Nice to see a girl included and that she is not just standing around with a board watching the guy skate.
Good job Kohls!
Check out Bella, Relz and Ryann from Pink Helmet Posse on the Ellen Show yesterday!! The girls are spreading their inclusive message of "Come Skate With Us" and showing what it means to be a confident girl in today's world. They are also three of the new faces Gap Kids x Ellen clothing line.
The girls hold their own with host Ellen Degeneres and the best answer comes from Bella. Asked if they are better skaters than the boys they skate with Bella replies "We are so much better than the boys!" as Relz chimes in with a big old "Yeah!".
We love girls with self confidence! Yeah, Pink Helmet Posse!!
 | ||
| Photo: Todd Fuller |
We heard about 11 year old Asiya Mercado through one of our fav pro skate photographers Todd Fuller. He sent us some photos he had shot of Asiya and we were blown away. Once we started checking out the Mercado Kids instagram page, and watching short video clips of Asiya skate, we new we needed to share her story.
This is the beauty of social media, there are so many girls out there that have started skateboarding, but they may not compete so you don't see them at contests. These rad girls may just be skating at their home park, or backyard bowls, and only a few people know about how hard they are ripping. The numbers of girls skating may be even higher than we think - which is awesome!
We hope you enjoy getting to know little ripper, Asiya Mercado!
Who's Rad? Asiya Mercado
Age? 11
Home is? Fremont, CA
Home Park or Skate spot is? Fremont Skatepark
 |
| Photo: Asiya's Mom |
How Long Have You Been Skateboarding? About 2 years
What do you enjoy most about skateboarding?
Creating lines in the bowl and landing a trick after I’ve failed on it over and over feels really good!
 |
| Photo: Todd Fuller |
Tell us about your board set up – what brand of deck, wheels, trucks? Any fave stickers on your board?
I have a Silly Girl skateboard, Bones wheels, Independent Trucks, and rails, and my favorite sticker on my board is my Thrasher sticker (but I have a good collection of stickers like Santa Cruz, Spitfire and Vans).
Favorite music to skate to?
I don’t usually listen to music when I skate, but if I did it would probably be Lupe Fiasco.
Girls Who Skate that inspire YOU:
My older sister, Layla, was the first to inspire me to skate! We first used to longboard at empty parking lots! Other girl skaters that inspire me are Julz Lynn, Lizzie Armanto, Nora Vasconcellos, Mimi Knoop, Beverly Flood, Poppy Starr, Alana Smith, Amelia Brodka and Allysha Bergado.
 |
| Photo: Todd Fuller |
Favorite place you've ever skated?
Lake Cunningham Skatepark
Favorite Trick or maneuver?
50-50 Revert, Front Lipslide and Blunt to Fakie
Sponsors: My mom and dad, and just recently a new brand called Crossbreed Athletics.
 |
| Photo: Photography by KC Chen |
Three things you don't know about me:
1. I do Martial Arts (boxing, Muay Thai, Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu)
2. I can play the Duff (an Arabian hand drum)
3. English Toffee doesn’t last overnight in my home!
What’s Next?
I haven’t really planned on doing any skate contests yet. It would be amazing to compete in a contest with skaters I have looked up to! For now, I enjoy just watching and just skating!
Make sure you follow Asiya ---->
I share an instagram with my brother and sister, mostly monitored by my dad @Mercadokids_bjjsk8, and you might also find me tagged on @CrossbreedAthletics and @Guerrillajjpleasanton
We absolutely LOVE Valeria Kechichian, co-founder of Longboard Girls Crew. Valeria is always inspiring women in skateboarding in so many ways. So we are stoked to see that her TEDx Talk "Ride The Shift"is now out. We've been waiting since she spoke at TEDx , to hear her inspiring words.
Here is just one small message she shares in her TEDx talk and we think it's a pretty important one:
"They make us think that there are so few spots for women in action sports, in business, in politics or any field that’s male dominated that we had to fiercely fight between each other and compete for those few spots… when the truth was absolutely different all the way… we will only REALLY make it if we stick together"
Congrats Valeria, and thank you for this important talk and idea, one that 's definitely worth spreading!
xx
Photos via Olloclip
Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word has teamed up with our rad friends at Olloclip to do a rad give-away of the 4-in-1 lens for the iPhone 6/6 Plus!
And how great is this? There will be TWO WINNERS for this giveaway!
The Olloclip 4-in-1 lens works on both front & rear facing cameras and we love that it clips on and off your iPhone in just seconds, with no extra parts needed. It also works with all your favorite photo and video apps!
Here's what the TWO winners will receive!
* The new 4-in-1 lens: Four versatile lens options included! Fisheye, wide angle, 10x macro, and a 15x macro. (retail value $79.99)
* 3 wearable pendants: Your Olloclip lens is always at the ready and easy to grab with these wearable pendants. Great for when you're at the skatepark and you want to use that fisheye lens quickly to capture all the action.
* Olloclip iPhone case: Protects your iPhone and there is no need to remove this case to put your Olloclip lenses on it. It also has rubberized bumpers for maximum control when using. (retail value $29.99)
How to enter?
So simple! Just leave a comment below telling us what you can't wait to shoot with the Olloclip 4-1 lens, along with your email address.
Other important details - please read carefully:
* Contest open to residents in the USA and Europe only.
* This Olloclip give away is for the 4-in-1 lens and case that works with iPhone 6 or 6 Plus
* Two winners will be chosen
* Contest ends on September 16 at midnight PST
* We will email the two winners at end of contest - if a winner fails to respond in 72 hours we have the right to chose another lucky person, so be sure to check your email!
* Prizes will be distributed by Olloclip directly.
The Sowle skater girls, Gentle, Magnificent, & Valiant in a new film on DAZED.
Love that these skateboarders/sisters are strong, resilient and rad - and they don't allow the haters to hate.
"There is always going to be someone that doesn't like you. That just means you are just like moving up, when there is someone who hates. That means you are doing something good, doing something right. There is always going to be that one person that's going to try and drag you down to their level, but you just kind of get past it."
Well said.
Keep shredding girls!!
Here's a sneak peek of just one of Leticia's quotes from the article
"But some things still have to change. I don't have a board sponsor because most of the big skateboard companies will not sponsor girls. Some of the big brands we met with actually told us that they don't want any girls on their skate teams. It's hard, because I can only get a "flow" sponsorship, which means I ride in exchange for free boards, while the company makes money using my name. I'm not doing that. I would rather ride for myself. I have my own blank boards with my own future company called Yeah Yeah Skateboards. Paul Schmitt makes my boards and they are perfect."
You can read the entire article HERE
You can read the entire article HERE
If you are anywhere near Washington, D.C between September 4th -13th, make sure you head over to the Kennedy Center and check out FINDING A LINE. There will be live bands and male & female skaters ripping on the half pipe. * Check out that line up above!!*
Stop by on September 7th and see Natalie Krishna Das and Jean Rusen skate, and on September 12 the girls crew skating will be - Marissa Dal Santo, Elissa Steamer & Natalie Krishna Das.
If you make it out, take some photos of the girls ripping, post on instagram and tag us @girlisnota4letterword and we will repost your pics!
All photos via Nwest Media - if you would like to use any of their photos /
or to get prints please contact Dustin directly - Thank you!
It was a fun three days of competition at the 2015 Cathlamet Downhill Corral - the events included - Downhill Race, Boarder X, Slopestyle, Run to the River, Push Race, Sidewalk Showdown & Big Air.
Nice to see all the women out at this fun event participating and ruling!
* Huge thanks to Ali & Dustin for providing all the photos and info for us to post!
Here are the results:
Alicia Fillback
Won- Queen of Cathlamet
1st in Downhill
2nd in Slope Style
Boardercross
Carmen Sutra
2nd in Downhill
1st Slope Style
Sidewalk Showdown
Gnarly Carly
3rd in Slope Style
Amie Shepard
3rd in Downhill
Katrina Vogel
Downhill
Carly Bizama, aka "Gnarly Carly" has done it again with her rad skateboard related art. We've seen the pieces (for years), where the girl is crying and wishing her boyfriend was cool & knew how skate, but this new rad piece by Carly twists that archaic idea 180 degrees. We love that! Good going Carly!!
If you'd like to have a piece commissioned by Carly you can contact her HERE
Check out Osob, she's only been skating 7 months and is shredding! We love girls who get out there and TRY new things. We also like that her video shows hits and misses - super important. Every single girl that gets out there and skates, inspires another girl. Yeah Osob!
Justin Bieber released his new video for his single "What Do You Mean?" yesterday and we are stoked to see that female pro skater Chelsea Castro skates in it along with Ryan Sheckler. Doesn't matter if you like Justin or not, it's great to see a female skater included in a music video this big!
Photos Stu Brown
We decided to see what team rider Sky Brown thought of us making a line of kids Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word Tee's, so we made up a few samples, sent them to her, and let her loose. Here she is rockin' the new bright pink skull tee for girls. Sky approved and tested. Available in our online store SOON.
Zoe Safanda Summer 2015 from David Safanda on Vimeo.
They say "Youth is wasted on the young". Thinking not. Check out pint sized shredder, Zoe Safanda's new summer skate video. It looks like she had a blast, and made the most of her time off from school!
Via Women's Health Magazine / Photographer Steven Lippman
Summer isn't over (yet!) and if you live near an ocean, chances are the water is pretty warm right now, so we suggest you hop in and start cross training!
Water provides natural resistance and is easy on your joints. Remember the surf movie BLUE CRUSH? Yep, those surfer girls trained for surfing big waves by running along the floor of the ocean holding a big old rock. The weight of the rock helps keep your body from naturally floating upward, and also provides extra resistance while running.
Another great thing to practice in the ocean is free diving. which helps expand your lungs, so if you do get pounded while surfing big waves you won't run out of air as quickly and having that extra lung capacity will help keep you calm in a stressful situation.
No waves and you just want to get wet? Get on a paddle board and head out to do some yoga. Balancing on your board in the ocean while doing yoga moves is a great way to strengthen your core.
The soft sand at the beach is great for running. But the secret is, the softer the sand the better the resistance, so move away from the hard pack by the waters edge and do a few sprints from lifeguard tower to lifeguard tower for some great toning of your calf's, quads & glutes.
Bottom line is you skate & surf better when your body is in peak condition, and who wants to be in a stuffy gym when you can be outside enjoying the sun and sea? Not us.
If you do decide to incorporate some ocean training into your routine, make sure you go with a friend and don't do anything beyond your ability, and what you are comfortable with.
Photos by Ian Logan / Skater GN4LW Team Rider Zoe Benedetto
Art work on Longboard by Hermosa Beast
Check out the Dusters California website which features all the newest Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word collab boards. The new black GN4LW cruiser and the GN4LW longboard both share proceeds of their profits with Posieden Foundation a non profit dedicated to helping youth get started in action sports.
We are proud to say that Dusters California matches us dollar for dollar in supporting our non profit partners with each board we do together.
Both boards are in skate shops worldwide NOW!
Don't live near a shop that carries the Dusters x GN4LW board, or it's sold out? Try ordering on line at the following stores:
VanGuard
Warehouse Skateboards
Zappos
Skateboards.com
Board Jive Boardhouse
Photos Ian Logan
*Please credit/tag Ian Logan Photo & Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word if you want to share photos*
Applies to Social Media only - all other inquires please contact us directly - Thanks!
We hope you have enjoyed the images from the Maryhill Ratz event. The reposnse to you girls and downhill photos has been amazing - you are inspiring so many people. We hope to keep showing all you girls here on the site from here on out - and I am only sorry it has taken us so long to get to know all of you wonderful women!
Who's up for a "Who's Rad" interview with us? We'd love to profile you!! Leave a comment below OR email me at cindy@girlisnota4letterword.com and let's get some girls downhill interviews going!
Thanks again to the Maryhill Ratz, Dean & Ali, and all the skaters who made learning downhill so much fun!
Being a vert/pool skater in the 70's, downhill was something I had never seriously tried. Like every friend I skated with back then, I bombed hills here in Hermosa Beach daily, blowing through stop signs and traffic lights (not the smartest thing, but hey I was 16 yrs old) and 2 years ago I trespassed onto the 405 fwy here in Los Angeles during Carmageddon & skated down it on the hill section near Getty Center Drive, but neither of those two things is remotely like what these girls do. At all.
Here's what I learned from going to the mecca of downhill events, the Maryhill Ratz Sheride/Freeride.
1. GET A GOLF BAG: One that's padded to pack your boards in for the flight - airlines don't charge an "extra" surplus charge for golf bags like they do for other over-sized luggage - such as ski's snowboards, surfboards, - crazy right? (Thanks to my rad friend Judi Oyama for this $ saving tip!)
2. GET SOME GOOD SLIDE GLOVES: You're going to need them. Gloves with pink pucks look/feel cool. (Thanks Jonny Miller for replacing my ugly black pucks on the first day) I also think the Billy Bones Gloves are rad too. I want those next.
3. PLAN AHEAD: - most skate shops in the beach area where I live sell very limited amounts of downhill gear - so if you live in an area like this, order online ahead of time, instead of scrambling around for a size small in gloves just two days before you leave like I did. Duh.
4. THIS IS NOT POOL/BOWL RIDING: Realize that even though you skate a lot, and feel 100% comfortable on your regular cruiser, or popsicle deck, downhill is a whole other sport within a sport. For starters, the board is different than what you are used to, and your current board isn't going to cut it here. Foot positioning is totally different than what you are used to - get ready to learn a whole new stance! And don't go feeling for that kicktail because you're not going to find it, and it has no place here. Yep, that was me the first day on the hill! Gotta give big thanks to our GN4LW collab partner Dusters California for taking care of my complete board set up.
5. ROAD RASH: Be prepared to get some road rash. It's almost inevitable even with pads on. I'd suggest wearing leathers to protect yourself, and help you feel more comfortable when getting some speed. You can look for a used pair on Craig's list. If you choose not to opt for leathers, plan to donate $20 to the EMT fund. And that's OK because they use that money to buy equipment they need for the county. But do you really want to spend part of your day in the EMT tent getting patched up? Donate anyway (it's for a good cause!), wear leathers, and keep riding!
6. HAVE AN "OUT" CLAUSE: Pro skater/friend Jonny Miller was nice enough to teach me how to do a Coleman Slide on day one and told me to use it as my "out clause" if I felt I was going too fast. Did I listen? Yes and No. I practiced the move, but old habits die hard... I wanted to jump/run like in old days when I felt I was going too fast - not the smartest of ideas.
7. FULL FACE HELMET: The Maryhill Ratz events require this & I am 100% on board with it. My "Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word" helmet collab partner, XS Helmets makes a great full face helmet for women and I felt 100% safe and comfortable in it. Plus I felt kinda badass with that tinted face shield when riding.
8. SNEAKERS: Bring a couple pairs. If you are learning to slow your self down via "foot breaking" you may just go through a pair quickly. Get something with a good sole that handles a lot of friction, because that back foot of yours may just be sliding on the road at a fast rate of speed throughout the day. High-tops or low tops, the choice is yours. I saw someone riding in slip-on Vans but I wouldn't recommend it for people just getting started.
9. REALLY LISTEN: I had so many awesome downhill girls taking time out of their weekend to help me learn the basics of downhill and give me advice. I felt very lucky to have some of the best skaters in the world working with me. I really tried to listen, learn, & forget what I knew from my type of skateboarding, and learn downhill basics. Once I did that, I felt 100% more comfortable on the board.
10. HAVE FUN: You may not be starting from the top of the hill your first time out. Hell, I was taken up to Cowzers and kept asking why we were going so far up! Ha Ha Ha! I'm sure all the girls got a good laugh out of that one. It's a learning curve (so to speak) so just know that you may not feel as comfortable as you do on your regular board at first, but you will get it - it takes time. So have fun and enjoy the process.
Last but not least - the people in the downhill skateboarding community are nice. Extremely nice. They share tools, gear, camping sites, food, van rides, and most importantly, knowledge. If you are lucky enough to be part of one of their events you will come away with a distinct feeling that this is a close knit family & I guarantee you will want to come back again and again.
It guarantee that won't be my last time trying downhill, and I have so many new awesome friends to thank for getting me hooked!
Thank you to the Maryhill Ratz, Dean & Ali and all the skaters I met!