We are stoked to be featured on the LIQUID SALT MAGAZINE site this week. This mini feature was filmed over the past three weeks and helps tell the story of how Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word came to be, and what our mission for girls in skateboarding is.

We are extremely thankful to filmer/editor Glenn Sakamoto and Liquid Salt for this awesome opportunity to share our story.

Here's to all the girls out there who get up, get on a board, and SKATE.

                    Photo by CA Productions via instagram

Amelia Brodka, Brighton Zeuner, and Hunter Long were the first athletes to check in at the X-Games Athlete Center on Monday.


The girls have all headed out to Austin, Texas to get ready for their practice sessions at the X-Games. And we are stoked to say that you'll be able to watch the finals of both women's street and women's park, even if you can't make it to Austin to see them in person!

Scroll down for all the info on TV viewing times.


Invited X-Games Women's athletes are:

Women's Street:

Lacey Baker
Samarria Brevard
Julia Brueckler
Leticia Bufoni
Mariah Duran
Candy Jacobs
Pamela Rosa
Alexis Sablone
Alana Smith
Vanessa Torres
Aori Nishimura
Jennifer Soto

Savannah Headden - Alternate
Meagan Guy - Alternate


Women's Park:

Lizzie Armanto
Allysha Le (Beragdo)
Julz Lynn
Poppy Starr Olsen
Alana Smith
Nora Vasconcellos
Amelia Brodka
Hunter Long
Brighton Zeuner 
Kisa Nakamura
Arianna Carmona
Nicole Hause

Jordyn Barratt - Alternate
Dora Varella - Alternate

Tune in  to see the women's street finals and women's park finals from X-Games Austin.

Here's the TV schedule info:

Women's Street Finals 
Saturday 12:00 PM  - 3:30 PM  EST    / 9 AM PST
Channel ABC - check your local listings for channel number

Women's Park Finals
Saturday 4:00 PM -6:00  PM EST   / 1 PM PST
On ESPN3 - this is an online viewing site

Photos by Ian Logan for Girl is NOT a 4 letter Word

*Please feel free to share any pics we post on your social media channels - we just ask that you please credit/tag @ianloganphoto & @girlisnota4letterword - thank you! 

Please also tag #girlsskatela in your posts so we can all share pics from the events.


Skateboarder Christiana Smith has always been a visionary, and is all about pushing the needle forward to promote and highlight women in skateboarding. Her latest project GIRLS SKATE LA is a series of meet ups that take place on the last Sunday of every month, in or near Los Angeles, at a different skatepark each time, so girls can get together and skate.

It doesn't matter what your age or ability level is,  it's simply about girls being able to skate with other girls in a positive setting. It's powerful and it's needed. Too many times girls are hesitant to skate at a park filled with boys for fear that their skills might not be up to par, or the boys might vibe them,  but when they come to these meet ups, they feel comfortable, and they push one another in a positive way How many times yesterday did we hear "You can totally make that!"? And then watch as a girl made the rail slide she had been trying all morning, or jump the 5 stair and make it with a triumphant look. That was awesome.

So many girls turned up yesterday to skate together at The Berrics - girls we have seen before, girls we only know via instagram, and new girls we've never seen or met - now that is rad!

Thanks Christiana for all you do for women's skateboarding!

You can follow GIRLS SKATE LA on Facebook  for more info on the next meet up!

Looks like Penny Skateboards and the uber cool Paris store Colette have teamed up for a video showing how a skateboard can also be used to do an in home fitness workout.

We say whatever gets you moving, however we think going out and actually skateboarding does the job just fine and it's a hell of a lot more fun!

Thoughts?

We missed seeing this when it came out but thanks to Youtube we can finally share it! our seven year old team rider Sky & three year old brother Ocean, went to Germany this past year to do the show "Super Kids"and they both killed it on the mini half-pipe, and the judges of the show absolutely loved them!

It had to be overwhelming with that huge crowd, but they both skated like champs!

Check out this video teaser of "While the Water Boils" with pro skater and X-Games gold medalist Lizzie Armanto.

 Here are some details on the series, and when Lizzie's full episode will air.

Hannah Hart, YouTuber, creator of My Drunk Kitchen and New York Times bestselling author, knows how to have a good time over a good meal better than anyone. As the host of the new web series, While the Water Boils™, now live on YouTube and PassionForPasta.com™, Hart is once again doing what she does best with the help of cultural icons like pro skateboarder Lizzie Armanto, and others who embody distinct passions - fashion stylist Rachel Zoe, Bill Nye the Science Guy, etc. etc. .

In each episode, Hart welcomes a different celebrity guest into her kitchen and delves into their passions – all in the time it takes a pot of water to boil. In this time frame, Hannah gets an inside, hands-on look at what her guests have learned in the pursuit of their passions.

"The path taken by each of my While the Water Boils guests is so unique and different from one another" Hart says. "It proves this truth: no matter where you start, if you trust yourself, honor those around you, and pursue what you love, anything can happen."

The While the Water Boils series consists of two three-episode seasons, both of which will be available for viewing on Barilla's US YouTube page and PassionForPasta.com™. The second season, which premieres in October 2016, will feature professional skateboarder Lizzie Armanto.

"The celebrities featured in this video series are compelling because they were able to take their passions and turn them into a career," Hart notes.

We will make sure to post a reminder when Lizzie's episode airs so stay tuned!

Brighton Zeuner

Spencer Breaux

Jordyn Barratt

Mike Rogers from Grind For Life


 Photos by Don Sheffler

The  May 14,  2016 Vans Pool Party may have been about the men's competition, but the half-time show with OG skater and founder of Grind for Life , Mike Rogers, and these 3 female rippers was something to watch.  Brighton Zeuner, Spencer Breaux, and Jordyn Barratt dropped in along with Mike, kicked some ass, and showed the crowd that girls are killing it in large settings like Combi.

These girls bring a lot of positivity to our sport. Did you know that both Brighton and Jordyn are headed off to the X-Games in a couple weeks to compete in women's park? That they both just got back from competing in Sweden? That at age 11 and as a newly minted pro skater, Brighton is the youngest X-Games competitor in X-Games history? That Spencer flew in from her home in Colorado to do this demo, and is a top ranked under 14 year old AM? These girls are achieving great things in skateboarding, and we think people need to know about them. We love that they were invited to do this demo with Mike and Grind For Life.

Vans also presented Mike with a check for $1,000 for his foundation which helps educate, inspire, and also offers financial assistance, for those dealing with cancer and their families.


 Huge thanks to photographer Don Sheffler for letting us run his awesome photos!

Elise Crigar wearing one of our vintage "It's Not About Pretty" Flannels

Weekend Advice:

Trespass to find that secret spot, climb a fence and bail that empty backyard pool, take a risk, have an adventure.

Skateboarding didn't start in a skatepark.
Find the place that fuels your stoke.
This weekend pretend it's the 70's and be a true SOUL SKATER.
Skate for the LOVE of it.

Hell yes to this pic of our rad GN4LW brand ambassador Elise Crigar for always fueling her stoke, no matter where it takes her. 

Check out our online store shopgirlisnota4letterword.com  for more of our vintage "It's Not About Pretty" flannels like the one Elise is wearing.

Besides looking badass, they also come in handy to throw across the top of fences to protect you from the sharp wire... 

We don't usually include posts about boys here at GN4LW, as they get enough coverage elsewhere,  but we had to share this awesome & inspiring video of this little 12 year old boy. 

Skateboarding is about having fun and doing things your way. And btw - we don't care what anyone says, this is more proof that freestyle is not dead.

It's Friday!  Get out and SKATE!

 Via Girls Life Magazine   /  Photos of Jordyn by Joanne Barratt

We're stoked to see skater/surfer Jordyn Barratt featured in a four page spread in the June/July issue of GIRLS LIFE Magazine, available now on newsstands everywhere - we got our copy today at Barnes & Noble Bookstore.

Jordyn talks about skate & surf fashion, what items are the best for performance in each sport, and gives young girls some of the best advice ever:

"My most important style tip though, has nothing to do with fashion. Whether you're surfing or skating or whatever, you're going to get knocked down a lot. (I fall way more than I land.) But as long as you get back up, you'll eventually get it right - and that's the best feeling in the world. My motto? Fall down nine times, get back up 10"

Great advice Jordyn!

           Photo of Cindy by Israel Santana                       Photo via video from Joan Jett

We know some people couldn't make it to the 2016 Skateboarding Hall of Fame Awards that were held on May 13, 2016 at the City National Grove in Anaheim, California, and have asked to see video of Joan Jett's induction speech that she did for Cindy, as well as the talk's that David Hackett and Bryce Kanights gave about Cindy's skateboard history.

We've also posted Cindy Whitehead's full induction speech that includes a message about female empowerment for girls out there.

We hope you enjoy the videos!

Huge thanks to Joan Jett, Kenny Laguna, Blackheart Records, and Greg Oliver for Joan's awesome video introduction. You are all amazing!  A big shout out to powerhouse Lisa Jenkins who believed in the GN4LW message and helped make this all happen.  Bryce Kanights for the heartfelt words and discussing Cindy's skate history, David Hackett for his re-cap of Cindy's past and present, Skateboarding Hall of Fame and IASC for the honor, and much love to all of our friends and family who have been supporting since day one.  xx

Cindy's final message for girls out there:

"So tonight I’d like to congratulate every little girl out there that defies her parents, stands up to her brother, the kids at school, or authority, and goes out there and goes after what she wants, not hearing the word NO, and fighting for what she loves. You can totally do this. We OG girls have your back".

"It’s definitely time to smash the hell out of some glass ceilings, kick some ass, not care what anyone else thinks, and show the world just what girls can do - and I encourage all of you girls to go out there, have a blast, set the world on fire, and do some epic shit."

Check out this nice piece PopSugar did on the Meow Skateboard Team. Great video and nice to see the Meow team and what they are up to.

If you aren't familiar with Meow Skateboards, check out their website where you can buy their female focused skate products, with some seriously sick designs.

70's skater girls - Vicki Vickers, Cindy Whitehead, Edie Robertson

Eddie Elguera and Steve Van Doren

Salba, James O'Mahoney, Craig Stecyk, Steve Olson

Steve Cathey, Cindy Whitehead, Dave Duncan

Jim Gray & Randall Malley

Betsy Gordon, Lisa Kudra, Dawna Elguera, Cindy Whitehead, Kat Folsom, Danielle Bostick

Steve Caballero

Henry Hester & Cindy Whitehead

Jim Muir, Mofo, Skip Engblom

Mofo & Salba

Cindy Whitehead & Christian Hosoi

Ellen Berryman

Dennis Shufeldt & Ty Page

Salba

Spidey De Montrond

Eddie Elguera

David Hackett

Bryce Kanights

Bryce Kanights & Cindy Whitehead

Kat Folsom

Tommy Guerrero

Jen O'Brien

Jen O'Brien, Cindy Whitehead, Laura Thornhill

Ed Templeton

Cris Dawson,  Cindy Whitehead, Dennis Ogden

Tony Alva, Cindy Whitehead, Ty Page

Ed Templeton, Paul Schmitt

Jen O'Brien & Cindy Whitehead

Jen O'Brien, Mofo, Cara-Beth Burnside, Bryce Kanights

Jim & Mike Muir

Cindy Whitehead

 Photos by Ian Logan

Huge thanks to IASC and Skateboarding Hall of Fame for an amazing evening!  David Hackett MC'd like a boss, the venue was killer, the bands were awesome, Jordyn Barratt, Pam Brodowski & Kat Folsom were looking great as the trophy presenters. Most of us behaved. No one got arrested or ended up passed out on the floor, so all and all a great evening!

Thanks to Josh Friedberg, Thomas Barker, Laura Thornhill and all the volunteers for their hard work!


2016 Skateboarding Hall of Fame Inductees:

1960's Skip Frye

1970's Era One - Ty Page

1970's Era Two - Steve Alba

1980's Era One - Eddie Elguera

1980's Era Two - Tommy Guerrero

1990's Ed Templeton

1970's Female - Ellen Berryman

1980's Female - Cindy Whitehead

1990's Female - Jen O'Brien

2016 Skateboarding Hall of Fame Icon Award Recipients:

Powell-Peralta
Morizen "Mofo" Foche
Suicidal Tendencies


More pics to come!

How cool is this?!

Win an International Trip to EXPOSURE 2016!

Do you want the opportunity to travel to Southern California to compete in EXPOSURE 2016? You can enter to win a round-trip ticket from your home country to San Diego and a place to stay with a host family for up to 1 month prior to the EXPOSURE event!

All female skaters living outside of the U.S. interested in their first EXPOSURE event are eligible to apply.

TO ENTER:

Submit a 1 minute video that includes:

*Recently-shot skate footage
*You introducing yourself in your language of choice (name, age, where you are from and why you   want to come to EXPOSURE)
*Submissions close July 1st

Preference will be given to girls who are new to EXPOSURE



Submission instructions:

1) Follow EXPOSURE skate on instagram and Facebook
2) Post video to your instagram and facebook
3) Tag @exposureskate and hashtag #exposureinternationaltrip

Photo Credit: Björn Handell

Eleven-Year-Old Skateboarder Brighton Zeuner is the youngest female athlete invited to X Games in the History of Event

At only 11 years of age, Brighton Zeuner is making her way through the skateboarding ranks after just turning pro earlier this year and will be making history this summer as the youngest female athlete ever to be invited to the action sports event, summer or winter, in 22 years. Brighton started skating competitively three years ago when she and her family moved to Encinitas, California. While Brighton also competes in the skateboard disciplines of bowl, street and vert, she has been invited to compete in the Women’s Skateboard Park competition at X Games which will be held June 2- 5, 2016 in Austin, Texas. Women's Skateboard Park will be live on Saturday, June 4, at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN3.

"I keep waking up and thinking my invitation to the X Games is a dream, but it's really happening,” Zeuner said about her invite. “Three years ago, I saw Alanna Smith on TV skating at the X Games - someone I skated with and looked up to - and I remember thinking that anything's possible if you go for it. Now I find myself getting ready to compete at X Games, and I hope I can inspire girls just as I have been inspired.”


Another inspiration to Brighton is her older brother Jack. The siblings have a unique relationship and have both helped each other in their interest in skateboarding. Brighton was originally inspired to skate after watching her brother, and Jack was inspired to get into filmmaking after filming his sister skateboard. As the youngest, female athlete to ever be invited to X Games, Brighton is also in an elite group as one of four youngest athletes overall to be invited to the largest action sports event in the world.



Brighton Zeuner from Dan on Vimeo.




Career Highlights:

2016 - “Camp Woodward” Season Seven Cast Member (first girl in the history of the series)
2015 - World Cup Skateboarding Overall Points Winner

2014 - California State Games Athlete of the Year (Skateboarding)

2016 Contest Highlights:

Vert Attack 10 Pro Division - 2nd place
Girls Combi Classic Pro Division - 4th place

2015 Contest Highlights:

El Gato Classic (14 and under) - 1st place
Tim Brauch Memorial (14 and under) - 1st place
Exposure Bowl (14 and under) - 1st place
Vans US Open Pro / Am - 7th place (youngest girl to compete and amateur status)
Girls Combi (14 and under) - 1st place

ESPN and ABC will televise 20 hours of live X Games competition from June 2-5, 2016. Women's Skateboard Park will be live on Saturday, June 4, at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN3, which viewers can access online through their cable provider.

 Creative direction and design by Elise Crigar

Our rad GN4LW brand ambassador Elise Crigar took to the streets of Florida to shoot this awesome new lookbook for us, featuring the  "Pretty Radical" and "No Regrets" tees  from our  Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word apparel line, along with our black Dusters x GN4LW cruiser.  We think it turned out pretty sweet!

Elise is a skater, designer, photographer, and one of the most creative and motivated girls around - we are stoked to have her on our team of girls.  Check out her instagram for more inspiration daily!

You can shop all the Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word apparel HERE

You can get the GN4LW black cruiser HERE

We love downhill girls, they are seriously "balls to the wall" rippers. Check out this badass video from S1 Helmets of Chela Giraldo ripping all over Medellin, Colombia.

#Inspiration #Goals

Ellen Berryman - Photo Warren Bolster

Cindy Whitehead - Photo Bruce Hazelton

Jen O'Brien

This Friday, May 13 is a very special night for all of us in skateboarding. It's the date of the 7th annual Skateboarding Hall of Fame Awards, presented by Vans, IASC, and Skateboarding Hall of Fame, and its all taking place at a new killer venue this year - The City National Grove, in Anaheim, California.

It's a night where we come together to honor our peers, see people we haven't seen in in a while (sometimes it's been years and years). It feels like our high school reunion or our prom, which many of us never attended as we were competing and traveling. Obviously some of us were in different "classes" back then, so meeting skaters who skated before you, or came up after you, is always fun too.

We'd like to introduce you to the three amazing women who are being inducted to the Hall of Fame this year. Each one of them has made contributions to our sport that are invaluable and they all have helped pave the way for girls today.


1970's Inductee: Ellen Berryman started skateboarding near her home in Encinitas, California in 1975. She was known for her beautiful freestyle routines that included using her background of gymnastics to create graceful poses while skating. Ellen was the only girl who could do a handstand by pressing up directly from the board, as opposed to running along side of it. She won the World Freestyle Championships two years in a row and skated for Bahne during her career. She still pulls out a board and skates, and also loves to snowboard.


1980's Inductee: Cindy Whitehead, who just happens to be our  founder. She skated vert with the boys, had a centerfold and two page spread in a skateboard magazine, skated for Sims and Puma, and had one of the first skate tours created just for a girl back in the day.  In her adult years she skateboarded down the 405 fwy during Carmageddon  in Los Angeles, gave a TEDx talk about women in skateboarding, had her skate history taken into The Smithsonian Museum, and in 2013 she started a collab with Dusters California to create cruiser boards bearing the Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word name and made sure a portion on the proceeds went back into women's skateboarding.

1990's Inductee: Jen O'Brien grew up in Florida but moved to California in 1994 with the intention of being able to skateboard more. Turns out it was one of the best decisions she could have made. This rad woman was first girl to skate at the X Games, the first to win Transworld's best female vert skater award and the first action sports athlete to grace the cover of High Times. Jen has been a tireless activist for women in skateboarding and is known for her balls to the wall style and "go for it" attitude. She still skates pools and vert any chance she gets.

Full list of male and female inductee's, plus the icon awards recipients are as follows:


2016 Skateboarding Hall of Fame Inductees:

1960's Skip Frye

1970's Era One - Ty Page

1970's Era Two - Steve Alba

1980's Era One - Eddie Elguera

1980's Era Two - Tommy Guerrero

1990's Ed Templeton

1970's Female - Ellen Berryman

1980's Female - Cindy Whitehead

1990's Female - Jen O'Brien

2016 Skateboarding Hall of Fame Icon Award Recipients:

Powell-Peralta
Morizen "Mofo" Foche
Suicidal Tendencies

Congrats to everyone listed above - it's going to be an amazing night!

You can still get tickets to attend the event HERE

Aori Nishimura

Jennifer Soto

Savannah Headden / Photo Monique O'Toole

Skate Like a Girl threw it's annual Wheels of Fortune event in Seattle this weekend, and this time there was a huge twist. Besides the event getting bigger and bigger each year, this year the girls who competed in the street comp were vying for two wild card slots for the X-Games in Austin-  thanks to the WSA

Girls came from all over for a chance to secure a spot - Russia, Japan, Brazil - you name it they came.

It's nice to see just how many girls are seriously killing it all over the world. Southern California may have been the epicenter of skateboarding in the 70's, but with the advance of social media we are seeing more and more girls from all over the world charging hard, and skating at the intense competitive level (and lots of times beyond) of what we are seeing here in California.

Women's street results from today's Wheels of Fortune event:

Alexis Sablone 1st
Aori Nishimura 2nd
Lacey Baker 3rd
Jennifer Soto 4th
Savannah Headden 5th

Huge congrats to Jen Soto & Aori Nishimura from Japan - these two girls are now going to the X-Games Austin June 2-5, 2016.   And congrats to Savannah Headden who is also going as an alternate! So rad!!


Full list of confirmed X-Games Austin Women's Street Athletes


Lacey Baker
Samarria Brevard
Julia Brueckler
Leticia Bufoni
Mariah Duran
Candy Jacobs
Pamela Rosa
Alexis Sablone
Alana Smith
Vanessa Torres
Aori Nishimura
Jennifer Soto
Savannah Headden - Alternate

Just a small teaser of what's in the new issue of GIRLS WHO RIDE Magazine this month. This issue is the biggest yet, and it's jam packed with great articles on skateboarding, surfing, bodyboarding, BMX, nutrition, travel, snowboarding, and more.

Olympic snowboarder Gretchen Bleilier graces the cover this month and her interview is one you don't want to miss.

You can also read about photographer Christin Rose's new project #Sheplayswewin, which celebrates girls in sports.  Enduro racer Rita Viera shares the inside scoop on the challenges in her sport, learn about being the first female surfer in India with Ishita Malaviya, the travel section takes you on a journey to Peru with Lisa Marques who did this trip solo - and there some amazing things that happen along the way! Find out which foods are anti inflammatory and keep you at the  top of your game. Read why bodyboarding is not just for boys, and so much more!

You can read the entire issue right HERE