Where will you be skateboarding on GO SKATEBOARDING DAY?
Come join us on June 21 at Venice Skatepark for a "Ghost Jam". Everyone skates, does their own thing, the judges could be any of the skaters skating with you - you never know who! Best trick prizes will be given at the end of the session.
There will also be a "Push to Progress" event happening hosted by Arbor Girls, so come learn to skateboard or just develop the skills you already have in a fun environment with other feamle skaters.
Where: Venice Skatepark - main park and small park
When: Tuesday, June 23 - Go Skateboarding Day
Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM - Ghost Jam / 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM - Push 2 Progress
Favorite Music: All About That Bass, Bom BOM, "You Never Say" by the Ette The Royal Concept, & Lorde
Favorite Food: Ice Cream and Candy Necklaces! Real food though I like Chicken Cutlets
Sponsors: Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word, Billabong Women's, Sun Bum, Go Pro, FCS and Gorilla Grip, Happy Socks, Sonic, Pom Pom, Fish Eye, FL Paddleboards, 27 North
Zoe has been featured on the TV show "The Outsiders Club", in ads for Dusters California Skateboards, & was recently the focus of an 8 page article for "Girls Who Ride" Magazine on "Young Rippers". Zoe is also part of photographer Christin Rose's photo project titled #ShePlaysWeWin
If there was ever more of a reason to have #squadgoals it would be this.
Longboarders Amanda Powell, Carmen Sutra, Noelle Mulligan, and Amanda Caloia are prominently featured in the premier of the Red Hot Chili Peppers music video for their new album "Dark Necessities", which was directed by Olivia Wilde.
We love that they picked girls who really skate (and kick ass) and shot at some iconic Los Angeles locations. These girls are super badass in real life, and they captured that same essence in the video. This has to be the best music video featuring female skaters we have seen!
Huge congrats to Amanda P., Carmen, Noelle, and Amanda C.
Check out What Rolling Stone had to say about these skaters -----------> HERE
She blazed a trail at every contest we saw her in, fast and smooth with style for miles. Slashing and grinding, throwing airs off the hip, and extremely solid rock & rolls. It was almost if she came out of nowhere, yet she was everywhere. Her style is unlike most other girls skating in her age group, it's a rare combination of aggressive, strong, and smooth with a little hint of a smile thrown in here and there when she nails that next trick. She puts together intricate runs in places like combi, that are not what you'd expect from someone her age. Jordan Santana is full of surprises, not only in skateboarding, but out of the pool as well. She plays drums and can sing every lyric to most rock & roll songs from the 70's. And she is TWELVE. She is a socially conscience trailblazer and the first female team rider for Hosoi Skateboards. To say we are in complete and utter awe of this young ripper, is putting it mildly. Read on to see what me mean, because Jordan Santana is on FIRE.
Who's Rad? Jordan Santana
Age? 12 years old
Home? Houston, Texas Home Skatepark?
North Houston Skatepark, @nhoustonsk8park, the largest Skatepark in the United States, 2nd largest Skatepark in the world.
How long have you been skateboarding?
I have been skateboarding for 6 years now. However, for the first 4 years, I only skated around the park for fun. I had never skated a bowl until 2 years ago, and that’s where I fell in love with skateboarding. I love skating bowls! I have been skating bowls now for 2 years now.
What do you enjoy most about skateboarding?
I enjoy the fun of it, the people who skate, the people that I get to meet, the challenges of learning new tricks, and helping girls skateboarding reach new levels. People always ask my father, “how old is he?”, my father says “it’s she not he!” Then they say, “but she skates like a boy!”, and my father says “yes she does!”
My father and my mentor, Christian Hosoi, believe that my skateboarding style can help take girls skateboarding to new levels. I don’t know about all that, I just know that I’m having a lot of fun doing what I do. In my last competition, I took first place in the girl’s category, and second place in the 14 and under category, basically the boys category. In another bowl bash that I did, there was only two awards given, for best rider and best run of the day, and I won both. There were about 30 skaters, all boys that were teenagers, in their 20s, 30s and 40s, I was the only girl skater. I won both the best rider and best run of the day. They were all saying “I can’t believe that I just got my a— kicked by a 12 year old girl. That was fun!
A lot of the pro girl skaters tell me, “Jordan, we like hanging out with you, because wherever you go, all the legends are always around you. Meeting all the legends, skating with them is so much fun! I love skating with Christian, his family, Eddie Elguera, Lonny Hiramoto, and Stevie Caballero, they all have always been so nice to me and are always so willing to share skateboarding tips with me.
And finally, I love being on Team Hosoi! The skaters on the Hosoi Team are all really great skaters, Christian, Eddie Elguera, Taylor Jett, Lazor Crawford, Lawsen Miller, Classic Hosoi, Me and Kody Tamana. It’s a small team, but we are like family. I was the first girl sponsored by Hosoi, I was so stoked!
Tell us about your board set up – what brand of deck, wheels and trucks?
HOSOI, HOSOI, HOSOI!!! I have never skated any other deck than a Hosoi deck. My set up has Bones wheels and bones bearings with independent trucks, Grizzly Grip tape and bones rails. Favorite music to skate to?
My favorite music to skate to is Green Day, Led Zepplin and Creed, pretty much Rock and Classic Rock. Girls who inspire you to skate?
My favorite current girl skaters are Nora Vasconcellos, Sarah Thompson, and Julz Lynn. I am also inspired by the legends that I meet and read about like Cindy Whitehead, Peggy Oki, Patti McGee and Cara-Beth Burnside. Favorite place you’ve ever skated?
My favorite place to skate is the Outdoor Vans Skatepark in Huntington Beach, I love the deep bowls and there is always a bunch of kids to play with there.
Can you tell us about some recent contests you have been in?
Just two weeks ago I was in a contest called Feed The Need, in Victoria, Texas, I got 1st place in girls, and second place in 14 and under, which is basically the boys category. I also was in in a Bowl Bash called Skate and Enjoy, out of about 30 skaters, I got both awards that were given in the Bowl Bash, for best skater, and best run of the day. I was the only girl competitor, and I was the youngest. In larger scaled competitions, I placed 2nd in the Boardr Grind for Life Series in girl’s division, and 3rd place in the boys division, with about 16 boys competing. In my favorite, at the Vans Girls Combi, I placed 8th, and at Exposure I placed 9th.
Favorite trick or maneuver?
board slide to fakie, front side Smith grinds, front side stale fish, fully decked out fakies and fully decked out rock and rolls.
Who are your favorite people to skate with?
Christian Hosoi, Classic Hosoi, Endless Hosoi, Ryder Reategui, Eddie Elguera, Lonny Hiramoto, Stevie Caballero, Eddie Reategui, Bella Reategui, Nora Vasconcellos and my all time favorite skater sister to skate with, Minna Stess! Me and Minna became really great friends, we facetime all the time. Which female skaters inspire you?
Peggy Oki, Cindy Whitehead, Patti McGee and Cara-Beth Burnside, these ladies were the pioneers of women’s skateboarding, they paved the way for us.
Sponsors?
Hosoi Skateboards, and of course my parents.
Catch Jordan skateboarding and playing drums in the new Lifetime ad "Welcome to the Fempire". Her sister Lauren is also featured - pretty cool to get to work with your sister.
Three things that you don’t know about me
1) I am also a musician, I play drums, I am still learning piano and bass guitar
2) I have done 2 commercials for the Lifetime Channel called Welcome to the Fempire, basically the female empire. I really like this because the commercials celebrate the empowerment of women, and they were really fun to do. I skate and play drums in the commercials.
3) God first, I have been raised with a Christian faith background, I give all thanks to my God for all He has done for me, and for keeping me safe in skateboarding.
What’s next?
Training! Training! Training! At least that’s what my dad calls it. I call it having fun! One thing to train on is my airs, my front side and back side late grabs. Continuing to train with my father, and with Christian Hosoi. Christian and I have a special friendship, I just love his style. He has been called the most stylish skater ever, and judges in some of my competitions have commented on my style and my tricks and have said, “Wow! I wonder where she learned that from?” It is truly an honor that he personally trains me, we are like family. While sitting in the crowd at the last Vans Pool Party, the boys that were sitting behind me kept telling each other, “yeah! That’s Jordan, Christian Hosoi’s daughter.” Me and my father, who was sitting next to me, just laughed about it.
I continue to do demos here and there with Christian, which are a lot of fun. My dad is sending a photo where Christian invited me to do a demo with him for Penny Skateboards, it was really cool! I have been all over California, Texas, New York and Brooklyn with Christian. When I did the Boardr Grind for Life competition in Florida, I was so surprised that they already knew who I was when I got there to register for the competition, that was so Rad! It is awesome when someone comes and asks me to take a picture with them, or sign an autograph for them. I train 3 to 5 hours a day, everyday. Sometimes on weekends, I’ll skate 6 to 8 hours. I’m having so much fun!
Thank you Cindy for allowing me to take part in this Who’s Rad Interview. Thank you for all you have done for us girl skaters. You are a true legend in skateboarding! I saw you on stage at the Skateboarding Hall of Fame, and I wished that I was you. I hope one day I can be looked up to like you. Love, Jordan.
Check out this new trailer for the upcoming video by GIRLIFORNIA - featuring so many rad skaters from all over the world. Skaters like Leticia Bufoni, Evelien Bouilliart, Alexis Sablone, and many more. Girifornia is a great new team making short and full length films about female skaters - check out their website for more information HERE
Please take 2 minutes out of your day and jump over and sign this petition to help keep Sheldon Skatepark open. Kids and adults rely on this skatepark to have somewhere close by to skate, and they need it open!
Even if you don't live near Sheldon Skatepark, we all know how important it is to have these skateparks stay open in our communities, so please help out.
Please take a moment and sign the petition via THIS LINK, so these skaters can hopefully keep their park.
We'd also appreciate it if you'd share the petition link on your Facebook page after you sign - they need as many signatures as they can get!
We love seeing brands that promote female skateboarders and surfers in a positive way. Brands that use actual female athletes, as opposed to models posing or holding boards, to highlight the fascination and rise of these two upcoming Olympic sports.
Lululemon's girls brand Ivivva, has done exactly that, choosing to highlight real girls who surf & skate, like 12 year old surfer/skateboarder Kekai from Hawaii, as well as Rainah, and Kamea who surfs and plays tennis.
We'd like to see more of this with major brands out there - these young girls are inspiring and REAL. Keep it coming companies, because girls are watching and want to see active role models, doing what they love, not just models.
Wow! Ran across this totally OG skate apparel line being sold at Forever 21 today. Vision Street Wear was huge in the 1980's with it's iconic and very large, red, white and black logos, on apparel and boards. Pro riders for the brand during that era were guys like Mark Gonzales, Lance Mountain, Tas Pappas, Duane Peters and Mark "Gator" Rogowski.
We've seen the brand making a visible come back in recent years in high end stores like Far Fetch, and Opening Ceremony, and via it's shoe collab with Swear, and now it looks like it's making a very mainstream comeback in a mall near you.
Between F21online, and in the F21 stores, it looks like they have licensed the Vision logo and designs for numerous pieces of women's apparel and accessories. From ball caps, socks, and tote bags, to sports bras, body hugging shorts, crop tops, and boxy tees, it's all here. So if you're looking for a retro, fun graphic, now is your chance to grab "semi-vintage" style skate pieces at those dirt cheap Forever 21 prices.
Mark this one on your calendars, because you don't want to miss it!
GRO has teamed up with House of Vans in New York to stage an all girl takeover. Be there June 11 between 12 Noon - 6:00 PM to skate and have a blast with other female skaters of all ages and abilities.
Where: HOUSE OF VANS
Date: June 11, 2016 - 12 Noon - 6:00 PM
Neighborhood: Williamsburg / Greenpoint
Address / location: 25 Franklin Street Brooklyn, NY 11222
Public transit / subway: L subway to Bedford Ave. or G subway to Nassau
Tag your pics and videos on Instagram during the event with the hashtag #Girlisnota4letterword, because we will be re-posting pics from this all female takeover and yours could be one of the featured shots or videos we choose to highlight!
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA GIRLS:
This is going to be a rad event!
Get over to Granite Skatepark on Saturday June 11 from Noon - 6:00 PM for Few and Far's event "Sisters of Shred". It's a FREE event open to all girls who skateboard.
Where: GRANITE SKATEPARK
Date: June 11, 2016 - 12 Noon - 6:00 PM
Neighborhood: Sacramento, California
Address / location: Ramona Avenue and Power Inn Road, Sacramento, 95812
Tag
your pics and videos on Instagram during the event with the hashtag
#Girlisnota4letterword, because we will be re-posting pics from this all
female takeover and yours could be one of the featured shots or videos
we choose to highlight!
She comes from the South Bay where many great skaters since the 60's have come before her. Male and female, they shredded these streets before there were even skateparks. The first skateboard contest ever held was in the same place (Pier Avenue Jr. High) where her home skatepark sits now. The history of skateboarding in the South Bay is long and rich. Two pro skateboarders from this area were inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame just this past month - Ty Page and Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word founder Cindy Whitehead. It's is also home to skate legends like "Kevin the Worm" Anderson and the inventor of The Smith Grind, Mike Smith. Current pro skateboarder Mason Silva also calls the South Bay home. We can only assume that you may see this young girl standing up there at a SHOF event making the South Bay proud once again years from now. In the meantime, Hannah is skating every place she can, competing with the boys (and winning) and not looking back. Way to represent the South Bay, we are stoked to see it Hannah!
Who's Rad? Hannah Tallman
Age? 15
Home is? Redondo Beach Home Park or Skate spot is? Hermosa Beach Skatepark How Long Have You Been Skateboarding? 1 ½ years
Photo: Chris Van Berkom
What do you enjoy most about skateboarding?
The aspect that I can be myself and it makes me feel like I’m in my own world when I am skating! I don’t know what I would do without skateboarding! Tell us about your board set up:
I ride a 8.0 Baker Skateboard, 52 mm formula four spitfires, and 139 Independent trucks. Favorite music to skate to?
Rap and Rock and Roll because it gets me hyped!
Girls who skate that inspire you?
Mariah Duran because she has a sick street style! To be honest I just watch male skateboarders most of the time. My favorite skateboarder in the world is Trevor Colden I could watch his videos for hours! Whenever I watch one of his videos it makes me want to get up and skate! Favorite place you've ever skated?
The Berrics
Photo: CJ Hoff
Tell us about some recent contests you have been in?
I just went to a contest a few weeks back in Seattle for the X Games qualifier. Also a few months back I had a contest in Palm Springs, 13-15 year old boys and got 1st place!
Favorite Trick or maneuver?
Kickflips are my favorite trick
Check out Hannah's Park Part for Spyder Skate Shop
Who are your favorite people to skate with?
My brother Luke and my best friends Danny, Kwess, and Luke
Which female skaters inspire you?
Vanessa Torres because she is super chill and has a cool style and steez when she skates!
Great tom see this article in Sports Illustrated about the Women's Park and Street events at X-Games Austin.
It talks about the younger girls being the wave of the future in skateboarding - Pamela Rosa, Mariah Duran, Kisa Nakamura, Jordyn Barratt, and Brighton Zeuner.
"Sixteen-year-old Pamela Rosa established herself as a star. The Brazil
native—who comes from an impoverished background—won gold at X Games
Oslo three months ago then won the street comp this weekend.
Nineteen-year-old Mariah Duran out of New Mexico ended with silver. In
the Park competition, Japanese native Kisa Nakamura, also 16, grabbed
her first gold. Jordyn Barratt, from Encinitas, Calif., who won bronze,
is just 17. Meanwhile Brighton Zeuner, also from Encinitas, finished
fourth and is only 11. The future of women’s skating is definitely in
capable hands for the foreseeable future."
Watch the Women's Park and Street medalists winning runs - we have the direct links all in one place to make viewing easy! The women's street and park medalists, Kisa, Lizzie, Jordyn, Pamela, Mariah and Lacey were ripping - if you didn't catch the action yesterday or just want to see it again, here it is!
Kisa Nakamura's Gold Medal run in Women's Park - watch it HERE
Women's Park Podium / Photo via The Alliance - WSA
Lizzie Armanto / Photo Alex.434 via instagram
Kisa nakamura / Photo Exposure Skate
Poppy Starr Olsen / Photo via Thomas Olsen
Jordyn Barratt / Photo Joanne Barratt
Gold Medalist Kisa Nakamura / Photo Trevor Brown Jr.
The women's Park event was pushed back a bit due to rain (what else seems to be new in Austin this week?) so the girls were having to hang out and wait. And we were waiting here at home glued to our computer screens to catch the girls on espn3.com but unfortunately they never aired it due to rain delays. WTF?! Luckily competitor Lizzie Armanto used her cell phone to do a live feed for people on her Facebook page so if you were lucky enough to see that you caught some of the action.
This was the very first X-Games for many of the skaters and we think they put on an amazing show . At eleven years old Brighton Zeuner was the youngest female summer X-Games athlete in history, Poppy Starr Olsen was the first Australian skateboard athlete in the X-Games - and celebrated her 16th birthday at the X-Games, & Hunter Long was the first Hawaiian athlete in the X-Games - these girls are making history!
Kisa Nakamura took Gold with super solid runs, Lizzie Armanto took home the Silver , and Jordyn Barrat took Bronze!
Probably the biggest news from the event was watching Jordyn Barratt, who up until 2 days ago was slated as an alternate, but was put in to sub for Alana Smith who sprained her ankle in practice, fully charge her runs and make the podium - how's that for a Cinderella story? Good going Jordyn!
It was a wet one for the women competing in street this morning at the X-Games. The comp got started and then drops of rain started to fall, softly at first, then the sky opened up soaking the course. After a bit of a rain delay and a lot of mopping up and using the blow packs, the girls were able to get back to the comp. Hard to jump right back in after waiting for a rain delay, but all the girls rallied and pulled it off.
It was nice to see some new faces competing, like Savannah Haedden, who was slated a an alternate, but ended up competing in her first X-Games, due to Alana Smith spraining her ankle in practice a couple days before, and Aori Nishimura all the way from Japan.
Sixteen year old Brazilian skater, Pamela Rosa, took home her second gold medal in back to back X-Games, winning her the cheers of the crowd and her mom crying tears of joy when her daughter won. Mariah Duran took the silver medal with some great runs - she has been looking great at comps lately and it was nice to see her on the podium. Bronze went to Lacey Baker who is no stranger to the X-Games and showed like always, that when the competition gets tough, she has nerves of steel and pulls off a great run.
Full Results X-Games Women's Street
1st Pamela Rosa
2nd Mariah Duran
3rd Lacey Baker
4th Candy Jacobs
5th Samarria Brevard
6th Alexis Sablone
7th Leticia Bufoni
8th Aori Nishimura
9th Vanessa Torres
10th Julia Brueckler
11th Savannah Headden
12th Jennifer Soto
Make sure you tune in to watch the X-Games Women's Park finals live from Austin, Texas on Saturday. The course is huge and the girls have been practicing like mad - its going to be a great event!
Please note that alternate Jordyn Barratt is stepping in to take take over previous competitor Alana Smith's spot, due to a sprained ankle. Get well fast Alana!
Are you heading to the X-Games? If you are 21 and over make sure you head out to the the Girlz Night Out Austin / X-Games Girls Skate after party presented by Mahfia.
When: Saturday, June 4, 2016
Where: Javelina Bar, 60 Rainey Street, Downtown Austin
Time: 8:30 PM on
The Good News: No Cover Charge
The Not So Good News: You must be 21 and over to attend (sorry!)
The Great News:
*Hang with you fav pro female skaters
*Get a sneak peek of Quit Your Day Job Vid
* Raffle prizes from Hoopla Skateboards Meow Skateboards
*Free copies of the Skate Witches Zine!
Meet the first East African Girls Skateboard team! The Megabi Skate Girls are dropping in, falling, getting right back up, shredding, and having a blast over in Ethiopia. The founder of the crew is 23 year old Muluken Dejene, who reached out to us on instagram to share this awesome news.
We are huge fans of the mission of Megabi Skate, and are now in absolute love with our new favorite skater girls.
Learn more about Megabi Skate HERE and follow these rad young girls on their instagram page @megabiskategirls
Another rad group of girls has decided to do LA based skater girl meet ups. This LA GIRLS SKATE SESH is on June 4 at Lanark Skatepark in Canoga Park. It's happening form 10 AM - 2 PM, so bring your girl friends and come out and SKATE!
Here are some details, & the address for this awesome skatepark:
Skatepark Size: 14000 square feet
Skatepark Designer: New Line Skateparks
Address: 21816 Lanark St, Canoga Park, CA 91304
The new 14,000-square-foot skate plaza is set among the old-growth trees at Lanark Recreation Center. Desiged by New Line Skateparks, built by California Skateparks this skatepark was made possible with funds donated by the Tony Hawk Foundation.
Check out espnW and this great article on 11 year old pro skateboarder Brighton Zeuner. Brighton is the youngest female athlete at the X-Games, where she's competing against girls twice her age.
We don't want to give away the entire article, so when you're done checking out Brighton's playlist below, cruise on over to espnW and read the whole article HERE because this pint sized powerhouse is one to watch in Saturday's Women's Park comp!
Check out what music Brighton listens to when she gets ready to skate. Her playlist is on espnW today - you can find it and listen to it HERE
Poppy Starr with a 1 footed invert / Photo Henry Calmeyer
A huge Happy Birthday goes out to Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team rider Poppy Starr Olsen from all of us. Getting that coveted invite to the X-Games is a big deal in itself, but when you turn sweet 16 at your first X-Games, that is HUGE!
Did you also know that Poppy is the FIRST Australian girl to ever compete in the Summer X-Games? That is a huge accomplishment, and we wish her all the best out there!
Check Poppy out when she competes in Women's Park at X-Games Austin ---->
Women's Park Finals
Saturday 4:00 PM -6:00 PM EST
On ESPN3 - this is an online viewing site
