If you are in Australia, make sure to catch Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team rider Poppy Starr Olsen on the "Sunday Night" show. Poppy talks about what it's like to be one of the few girls in competitive skating, her travels overseas to compete, her friends and family, and of course skateboarding.
Here is the qoute from "Sunday Night"
"Poppy Olsen, AKA one of the best skaters in the WORLD will be joining Sunday Night
for an exclusive chat this week, about her incredible success and the
importance of following your passions. Don't miss it"
Tune in, because it's going to be an awesome show!
Mega-sports stars Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Alex Morgan, Cam Newton, Ronda Rousey, Odell Beckham Jr., Rob Gronkowski, Leticia Bufoni, Usain Bolt, Simone Biles and this year’s host, Russell Wilson, were the winners at Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Sports 2016, the only show where kids celebrate their favorite athletes and the year’s most unforgettable sports moments. The show was taped on Thursday,
July 14, from UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, and will air this weekend.
Make sure you tune in, as Leticia gets the "Queen of Swag" Award, and Tony Hawk and Jagger Eaton will go head to head in a skateboard challenge and roll down an epic 65-foot long ramp inside slime-filled Zorb balls in the Human Bowling Challenge.
We also heard that pro skateboarder Alana Smith makes an appearance as well!
The show airs on Sunday, July 17, at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) as a simulcast on Nickelodeon, TeenNick and Nicktoons.
Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team rider, 10 year old Minna Stess, headed out to Minnesota to 3rd Laird Skatepark to compete in King of the Groms again this year - and once again she killed it!
Minna competed in the 12 & under division against all the boys and took 2nd in bowl, 3rd in vert, and 4th in mini-ramp. Minna was slated to compete in street as well, but a collision on the course unfortunately made her have to miss the finals.
We are so proud of this girl - she skates everything and loves it all. This is what it is to be a well rounded skateboarder and skate for the love of it.
Brazilian Pro skateboarder Karen Jonz, posted this shot of her skating through the streets carrying the Olympic Torch today. Her popularity, not only in Brazil, but all over the world, is immense. The post has already received 37,3000 likes and over 420 comments. Being selected to be an Olympic Torchbearer is a huge honor, on that she obviously does not take lightly.
Her message above in Portuguese loosely translates to:
"It was a great pleasure and exciting to carry the Olympic torch today. People will talk (about the presence of a skateboard in the photo), but the time of the Olympics is very cool, and that has to be a part of it, as it "enriches" it even more!
Here was Karen's comment to the press today.
“I've been through a lot, been barred from competitions for being a woman. But I think it was good, because my experience ended up paving the way for other girls, who no longer face this today.”
Photo: André Mourão
Karen is the second female skateboarder to carry the torch in Brazil. Eight year old Brazilian phenom, Rayssa Leal, was also selected to be a torchbearer and carried the torch on June 16. However, Rayssa was legally too young to carry the torch with its burning flame, and had to be satisfied skating along next to her father, who held the torch aloft for her. Cool none-the-less!
Congrats to Karen & Rayssa for paving the way for girls in skateboarding - this is a huge honor in every way!
The Supergirl Pro was such a fun event last year, we can't wait for it to happen again! Three full days of women's surfing going on, and on Saturday July 23 you can see your favorite skaters, Pro and AM competing on the vert ramp right on the beach in Oceanside.
These female skaters will be competing for the title of 2016 Supergirl Skate Pro Champion and the competition, presented by Active Ride Shop, will feature skaters of all ages and showcase some of the best talent in female skateboarding.
Make sure you stop by the Exposure Booth while you are there and learn about all the ways Exposure is helping to further girls in skateboarding. And make sure to check out the new apparel and gear they will be debuting!
We saw Instagram posts of this tiny little girl on a pump track, cruising down the street, or flying out of a snake run, always in motion with her long blond hair flying in the wind. Next thing we knew we saw she was throwing a "Chica de Mayo" party to help raise funds for Girls Riders Organization. We wondered how someone who was only nine years old would pull off an event like this... Well, we needn't have wondered because Zoe is full of surprises that belie her young age. Read on to see what this little dynamo is up to next.
Who's Rad? Zoe Herishen
Age? 9
Home is? Northern New Jersey Home park or skate spot is? Chelsea Piers, NYC
How long have you been skateboarding?
I’ve been skating the skateparks for a little over a year but I’ve been long boarding since I was 5.
What do you enjoy most about skateboarding?
I love vert. Dropping in is the best feeling in the world. It’s like being on a roller coaster but you’re not strapped in so it’s even more exciting! Tell us about your board set up – what brand of deck, wheels, trucks?
Right now my park board is an ECC longboards skate deck with CORE trucks and Orangatang Onsens Wheels. I also have a really rad Silly Girl Skateboard deck that I won in a contest and just started riding. I stoked it out with Third Kind skate lights and Sunset Skateboard street wheels so it is super cool to ride at night or at the indoor skateparks!
Favorite music to skate to? I don’t really skate to music
Girls who skate that inspire you?
Well Brighton Zeuner is amazing! I really hope to skate with her some day! I also love Alexis Sablone. She is a great role model for me because she is wicked smart and a really sick skater too. I love school so this is important to me. She proves that you can focus on school and still crush it at the skatepark! Plus she is a NYC skater so she skates the same skateparks that I do.
Favorite place you've ever skated?
I loved Kona Skatepark in Florida. I probably did the snake run there about 100 times in two days! So much fun! Tell us about some recent contests you have been in?
I actually competed in Chica de Mayo which was a pump track event for both longboards and shortboards. I wasn’t going to compete since it was my event but the rest of the skaters talked me into it. I came in first in 14U and also took first overall.
Tell us how you came up with the idea to throw your Chica de Mayo skate event?
I was skating the Brooklyn Bike Park pump track on my longboard. I noticed a guy there skating on his skateboard and it just hit me. I thought it was the perfect place to have both types of riders come to one event. I love to longboard and hit the skateparks. I wanted to have an event where my friends could come no matter what type of board they ride. I brought my idea to Girls Riders Org and they loved the idea and asked me to help them run it. It was an epic event!
Was it hard to organize?
No, because I had so much support from GRO founder Courtney Payne-Taylor and my parents. My mom organizes events for our PTA and I have always helped her. I have also organized two food drives so I had some experience. GRO NYC has the most amazing crew of girls so when they showed up to help the whole thing ran really smooth.
What would you tell girls who want to do this too?
Go for it! Don't be afraid that just because you are a kid nobody will take you seriously. Find support like I did. Girls Riders Organization can help you go for your dreams just like they did for me. Having a crew of girls all over the country to reach out to, and visit when I travel is amazing! There are crews all over the country and they are growing every day. Find a GRO crew or start one in your area. It’s the best decision I have ever made! What was the best part about the day?
Seeing girls from all ages come together skating, competing, and just having fun! That was the best feeling! We had 5 year olds learning to skate and we had Forty year old moms learning to skate. We had skaters looking to compete and skaters just looking to meet other girl skaters. We even had a girl drive down from Boston just for the event! We keep in touch now and are good friends!
Favorite Trick or maneuver?
I love dropping in! It’s my favorite part of skating. I recently dropped in on a 12ft vert ramp in Riverside Park in NYC. It was crazy cool.
Who are your favorite girls to skate with?
My Girls Riders Organization NYC girls, especially Kendra, Ali, Bombette and Nina. We have the best time together! I also love visiting my Florida girls (Ava, Bree & Sophia) whenever I can. It’s always a great time skating & surfing with them!!
Which female skaters inspire you?
There are so many great pro girl skaters that inspire me I could never list them all! So I will tell you two that are not pros that really inspire me. Courtenay Payne-Taylor is a huge inspiration to me. She started GRO in a van that she lived in while she traveled the country trying to get more girls to skate. She went from place to place teaching girls and bringing them together at skateparks. It is pretty incredible to me that she has dedicated her whole life to inspiring other girls to skate. I am also very inspired by my friend Jaylee Dutcher who is an adaptive skater and rides for Box Wheelchairs. I saw her in a Life Rolls On video and I was blown away by her. She has spina bifida and does not let it stop her from being a fierce athlete. I reached out to her to tell her how amazing I thought she was. Now we are friends. We have never met but we Facetime and text and I really hope to meet her and skate together one day!! Whenever I think something is too hard I look at Jaylee’s videos and it inspires me to work harder!
I also have to shout out Triple 8 helmets who keep me well protected by sending me new helmets and pads whenever I need them which is pretty often lately!! www.triple8.com
Three Things You Don't Know About Me
1. I play the ukulele and electric guitar
2. I am totally addicted to Camp Woodward Online Show
3. I am a HUGE math geek and when I am not watching You Tube videos of skating, I am usually on Prodigy math game
What’s Next?
This summer I plan to really focus on my training. I am hoping to take my skating to the next level. I will also be working hard to get better at surfing because I truly love it. I am already working on my next idea with Girls Riders Org. I am hoping to combine my next event for them with a food drive to benefit a local food bank that I volunteer for. I have plans to travel with GRO this year as well. Some of our travel plans include Surf Expo, Exposure Skate and the grand opening of a rad new skatepark in Charleston, SC. I am super excited to join their mission to get more girls skating and can’t wait to meet tons of skaters and make lots of new friends!!
The August issue of Teen Vogue is on newsstands now.
Looks like Vogue.com isn't the only Vogue talking about skateboarding this month. The August issue of Teen Vogue features a full page on pro skateboarder Lizzie Armanto in it's "People Watching" section.
Here's what Lizzie has to say about competing with the guys " It's good because they push me to be a better skater."
What about being one of the few female competitors in a predominately male dominated sport? "Being a female in the sport has it's challenges - you have to make a lot of things happen for yourself"
Well said!
Pick up the August issue to read more about Lizzie!
It's the first time we've seen a new video in over 10 years from Rodney Mullen, so even though this post isn't about girls in skateboarding we felt it needed to be shared. Rodney's skating is inspirational and he's captured in a way he's never been before thanks to Steven Sebring and his 360 degree camera. Oh yeah, and he's throwing down some new/innovative tricks (of course!).
Watch and be inspired. Rodney Mullen is still the master. #respect
Rock to Fakie. It's one of those tricks that most skaters want to learn early on, but are afraid to do for fear of falling backwards. Watch this awesome tutorial by Braille Skateboarding to see how to learn it easily. With Braille's well done, and fun tutorials, it's way easier than you might think.
Follow Braille's YouTube Channel for more easy and fun skateboard tutorials - where you can learn just about any trick you want to do.
It doesn't matter what you wear, where you are, or who you are. Just SKATE. Elise Crigar proving that soul skating has no boundaries and can be done anytime/anywhere. We love that.
Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word Ambassador, Elise Crigar,
is a skateboarder and multi-media artist from, St. Augustine, Florida.
By combining her love of photography, graphic design, fine art, and
skateboarding, Elise comes up with unique ideas and turns them into
inspiring works of art.
Check this out - yes, there is now a financial grant for girls like you that are into action sports!
Brought to you by one of our fav photographers Christin Rose and The Movemeant Foundation. You may remember Christin's shots of pro skater Poppy Starr Olsen, AM skaters Sky Brown and Vianez Morales, surfers Zoe Benedetto, and Kyra Williams that we have been running. Those photos are amazing and so is this opportunity!
About The Collaboration:
Who: LA based photographer, Christin Rose of the #ShePlaysWeWin + The Movemeant Foundation
What: $20,000 in financial grants will be awarded to up to 20 girls to pursue their sport of choice
Why:
#ShePlaysWeWin and The Movemeant Foundation collectively share the same
goal to empower young girls and fuel the positive power of sport.
Movemeant Foundation, the national non-profit organization dedicated to teachinggirls self-confidence and body positivity through fitness and movement, announced an exciting
collaboration with influential photographer, Christin Rose. Celebrated for her inspiring portraits of young female athletes via her #ShePlaysWeWin project, Christin’s passion to encourage confidence in girls through sports as they grow up, perfectly pairs with the efforts of the Movemeant Foundation.
To further empower and aid girls facing personal challenges, Movement and Rose are teaming up to award $20,000 in financial grants to up to 20 girls of economically-disadvantaged communities and with high incidences of health-risk behaviors. These grants will fuel the positive power of sport and fitness on a young women’s self-confidence and its lasting effects throughout her life.
Grant recipients of the #ShePlaysWeWin project will each receive $1,000 in financial assistance to pursue sports and fitness, from coaching to equipment to apparel. For some, it may also include an up-close-andpersonal photo shoot by Christin Rose and the opportunity for those photographs to be shared through a multitude of distribution channels with the goal of inspiring other young girls into action.“I am so excited to be a part of this collaboration with the Movemeant Foundation. I’ve been searching for a way to give back and help young girls through my photography,” says Christin Rose, LA based Photographer and creator of the #ShePlaysWeWin project. “Being involved in sports had such an impact on my self-esteem when I was growing up, and I thought if I could show that somehow- if I could capture what it means to be innocent and brave- then I could encourage young women to hold onto that.”
Financial grants from the Movemeant Foundation and the Christin Rose #ShePlaysWeWin project will be awarded to girls nationwide between the ages of 8 - 16, paying particular attention to those in underserved communities who have limited access to health, fitness and sports programming. Each grant is designed to support sports and other physical activity programs that are either new to the recipient or expand on her existing participation in the sport. It may be used for sports instruction, athletic equipment, athletic apparel and coaching/mentorship and it may only be used for girls’ sports/physical activity programs.
About Movemeant Foundation
Movemeant Foundation empowers women to feel confident about their bodies by using fitness and physical movement as a platform for building self–worth and positive body image. As a 501c3 organization, Movemeant Foundation funds life-changing health and fitness programs to transform the lives of young women through the development of physical activity programs in at-risk communities to the facilitation of peer-to-peer body positivity curriculum. Their signature charity fitness festival Dare To Bare has received critical acclaim among the health, fitness and positive body image communities across the country. For more information, visit movemeantfoundation.com
Candy Dungan is KILLING it in this new video for Seismic. They don't call her Candy Bombing for nothing. Fast doesn't even begin to describe these runs. The footage is pretty amazing, the music is rad, and Candy is BADASS. Hell Yes!!
Yep, we have this one on repeat here in our office.
The Clash of the Siblings! 7 year old Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team rider Sky, using ALL of her skateboarding superpowers to take down her annoyingly naughty little 4 year old brother Ocean!
We always love the videos featuring Sky and her brother Ocean, and this one is really awesome - make sure you watch PAST the "end" for some "behind the scenes" footage that is pretty hysterical.
It's tough learning to skate as a beginner. But it may be even harder
when your boyfriend is pro skateboarder Paul Rodriguez. We love that
Rachel Metz made a bet with Paul to learn to do a kick flip in 11 days.
But first she needs to learn to ollie - so really she has to learn 2
major skate moves.
She checks out Youtube for
tutorials, calls a skater friend, and practices over and over. She gets
banged up, yet keeps going, day after day - watch and see how it all
goes.
If you have ever tried to learn a new trick you can totally sympathize with her!
The first day we met Katherine at Venice Skatepark, it was her smile and welcoming attitude that made us come over and say "hi", but within minutes we were watching her launch down stairs, rip fast through the snake run, and pretty much take over the park with some serious riding - so much so that OG skate guys were standing back watching with awe. We immediately wanted to know more about this rad girl with the gutsy attitude. Turns out shredding a skatepark and keeping the boys waiting for their turn isn't all this rad lady does - she is the first female to do a backflip in a wheel chair and she's fighting for gender in equality in WCMX.
Read on to see what Katherine is all about and why she is leading the charge for girls in WCMX.
Who's Rad? Katherine Beattie
Age? 30
Home is? Los Angeles, CA
How long have you been doing WCMX? 3.5 years What got you into doing WCMX?
I’ve wanted to do WCMX ever since I saw a picture on Myspace of a random dude dropping into a quarter pipe on a wheelchair. Myspace… I can’t even remember how long ago that was! I knew I’d be hitting skateparks as soon as I had my own chair. Almost a decade later, the stars aligned, I met Mike Box (legendary wheelchair designer and the man behind Box Wheelchairs) and got my first chair. I started riding WCMX right away.
Can you explain to our readers what WCMX stands for and what it is about?
WCMX stands for “Wheelchair Motocross.” Some people refer to it as Chairskating, but as someone who also skateboards, the two sports have little in common, other than the culture and the stoke. I like to describe it as BMX but on a wheelchair. What is your favorite thing to hit at the skatepark?
Bowls are my favorite by far. The drop in, the landing, carving the wall as high as I possibly can. There’s nothing like it.
Tell us about the chair you use for your sport – how is it different than regular wheelchair?
I ride a Box Wheelchairs WCMX chair in the park. It’s quite the conversation starter, because people aren’t used to seeing such a tricked out wheelchair. My WCMX chair has 4-link suspension with Fox mountain bike shocks at the rear and custom designed suspension casters up front, which really comes in handy if you’re gapping a huge ledge or dropping into a deep bowl. In addition to the suspension it has an adjustable grind bar, bones SPF skate wheels, sport specific Spinergy rear wheels and numerous straps to keep me connected to the chair.
Can you trick it out to your own specifications?
Every Box Wheelchair is custom designed to fit the rider. A wheelchair should feel like an extension of your body, so a proper fit is paramount. In addition, in a sport like WCMX different disabilities or conditions will require a different set up. In my case, we went through 4 different grind bars before finding one that worked with my Cerebral Palsy. I use Spinergy Wheels Flexrims instead of a standard pushrim since I have somewhat limited hand function. In terms of color and style, everyone is different… but if you ask me, I have the best looking wheelchair out there. I get compliments on it almost every day!
Can this same chair be used for everyday use as well, or is it sport specific?
The same chair can absolutely be used for everyday. The first wheelchair I ever purchased was a WCMX chair. I used that in an out of the park until I got an everyday chair 2 years later. WCMX chairs tend to be heavier than everyday chairs, but they’re still a great ride!
You joined the Adaptive Action Sports Team for both skateboarding and WCMX – tell us about your skateboarding skills and what boards you ride?
I was super into board sports growing up. When I was about 11 years old my twin sister got a skateboard from a skate shop in town, and when I tagged along my dad bought one for me as well, not knowing I couldn’t skate! I quickly taught myself to use one (I thought I was really good, even though I could really only cruise) and skated almost every day for the next 2 years. At 13 I had a very common surgery for kids with CP – hamstring lengthening – and to my dismay I never fully recovered. I was once again unable to skate, but it always stayed with me. Exactly 12 years later, to the day, I attended an event called “They Will Skate Again,” with the Life Rolls On Foundation. There I met Jim “Red Dog” Muir, and he basically stood me up and held me as we skated around the park. I knew then and there I had to get back into it, but Jim wasn’t always going to be around to help me. I decided to get the biggest board I could find, the Dogtown Bigfoot, and started skating on my knees using my hands to push. A year later Jim gave me a Dogtown Bigboy that he was personally riding. I still have both boards and will always ride a Dogtown in honor of Red Dog!
Things are changing rapidly for girls in every sport – what about WCMX – any developments you have seen that are positive for the girls?
As a young sport, WCMX is changing rapidly. When I first started there were one or two other girls riding. Now we have 10 that ride at a competition level and countless other girls as young as 4 years old that are getting out to skateparks on a regular basis. WCMX is no longer seen as just something for the guys. Girls are learning they can get out there and be just as extreme!
What advice can you give to girls who may be starting out or want to try WCMX ?
Just do it! Even if you don’t see yourself competing on a national stage, WCMX is the best way to learn essential chair skills in a safe environment. All you need is a helmet, pads, a little courage and a friend to help you until you get comfortable. Don’t let the skatepark culture scare you away. You may be nervous at first, but once you get there you’ll see skaters will treat you just like anyone else on four wheels. We’re all there to grow and to support each other, regardless if the wheels are under our feet or under our butts!
You are an extremely positive role model for girls out there, and in addition to that you have been filming and competing more and more lately so we’d like to talk to you about all that.
Some athletes compete or just film, and some do both – what are your preferences?
I love competitions because it gives the WCMX riders a chance to spend time together. As such a small sport that’s spread out over multiple continents, getting to ride with someone else who uses a wheelchair is such a rare treat, so spending an entire weekend with friends and learning from each other is worth all the competition stress. For me though, it’s not really about winning competitions, it’s about getting out to the skatepark as much as I possibly can, and pushing myself a little harder each time. That’s why I love to film, because it gives you a record of your personal progress and achievements. And I always feel like I ride better when the camera is rolling!
You are always filming and posting great videos from your park sessions – any tricks you’d like to share with our readers on setting up your iphone to shoot when you don’t have someone else to help?
I have a little piece of aluminum pipe with a notch cut into it that keeps my phone steady on the ground. I’d love to get some better equipment, but for now it does the trick! You have to get pretty creative with camera angles, and it’s not uncommon to see me out of my chair crawling up a quarter pipe to set my phone at the best possible vantage point.
You have also been to Woodward West a few times – what was that experience like?
Even though I’ve been to Woodward West multiple times now, I really can’t put into words what it’s like. I have dreamed of going to Woodward ever since I was 12 years old. I never made it as a camper, but when I got the invite from German WCMX Pro David Lebuser a few summers ago I freaked out. In my line of work we don’t have vacation days, so I went to my boss and pleaded with him to leave early, telling him he really couldn’t possibly understand what an opportunity this was. He graciously let me go, and when I got there I was immediately 12 years old all over again. Woodward West is pure heaven. I feel like my heart is going to explode with excitement every time I’m there. There are just so many things to try and new ways to challenge yourself. And for WCMX riders, they have the all important FOAM PIT! When you’re strapped into a 30+ lb piece of metal, there’s no bailing out of tricks, so if you want to try something extreme, it’s gotta be in a foam pit.
You are a total trailblazer – you are the first woman to do a backflip in a chair –that is BADASS! Tell us about that!
When I picked up my first wheelchair from Mike, he told me he made the frame an inch longer so I had space to grab when I was the first girl to land a backflip. Outwardly I thought, “okay Mike, yeah right!” but inside, there was nothing I wanted more. At the time there were only 2 guys who had ever landed the backflip, one being Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham, and the other Darryl Tait from Canada. The thought of joining such an exclusive club was really exciting. I first tried it during my aforementioned first trip to Woodward West. I thought it wasn’t going to be that difficult. You just go fast and pull back. Well… it’s hard. It took me 7 hours and over 20 attempts (which involved crawling up stairs and out of foam, and eventually being dragged out after I got too tired) to get the full rotation. Getting that first flip to foam was a feeling I’ll never forget! I had another opportunity to practice that Christmas at Daniel Dhers Action Sports Complex in North Carolina. That time it took 2 days to get the rotation. Then, eight months after my first attempt, I went back to Woodward with fellow riders Blake Simpson and Rico Reyes. Blake is such an amazing rider. He did a flip to foam, decided it was too hard to crawl out and went straight to resi. He got it first try! I knew then and there I was going to get the flip that day. I did three attempts on the resi, and with each one I got farther from landing it. After the third I knew I was going to start hurting if I didn’t go again right away, so I hurried back up the roll in, hucked it and could not believe when I landed wheels down instead on my face. I immediately started crying with excitement, relief, pride and so many other emotions. All the work to get there was so worth it. We all ended up landing flips that day!
Katherine on left, Mike Box middle, Jamey Perry on right
I know you and Jamey fought hard for a women’s division at this years WCMX Championships – can you tell us why this was so important?
I had been the only girl competing (in WCMX and Adaptive Skateboarding competitions) for several years. Each time the reaction was the same. People couldn’t believe there was a girl out there. I love competing with all my guy friends, but I had to wonder if the sport being so male dominated was scaring other girls away from competing. I basically forced a couple girls into competing with me here and there, but I knew if we could get an entire division to ourselves the sport would take off. Having a chance to compete against people of a similar skill level, girls or guys, is a huge confidence booster to everyone. Now people are seeing that WCMX is a sport girls can do -- and excel at -- at a high level, not just A girl who is willing to get out there with the guys.
You had an accident trying your backflip at the championships – can you share what went wrong and how you dealt with it?
Sure. WCMX has exploded as a sport over the last year or so. As a result we had 4 different divisions at the championships! Huge, right? Since there were so many people competing, they combined the beginner, intermediate and women’s practices into one session. I knew I wanted to practice the flip before the contest since the ramp as new to me, and very sketchy. Practice was crowded with tons of little kids. I saw my opportunity, went for it, but halfway down the ramp I knew I had done something wrong, because I was going across the flat in a wheelie. I remember intense pain, blackness and then waking up lying on the ground with my whole body feeling like it was on fire. I watched a video later and saw that I grabbed the front of my frame while I was still on the roll in (probably because I was distracted and the ramp was different, but who really knows?), which caused me to go into a wheelie and hit the back of my head on the quarter pipe, landing with my lower spine on the lip of the ramp. I was diagnosed with a concussion, but thankfully all CT scans and x-rays for any breaks in my spine came back clear. If I hadn’t been wearing my Kali Protectives helmet I probably wouldn’t be here now, so wear your helmet, girls! While I’m now fine, physically, mentally and emotionally the recovery has been painfully slow. Working for an entire year to get to this competition, and having it be the first girls competition that I’d been pushing for for years, and not being able to participate was soul crushing. I can say with complete honesty I wanted to win, but I’m not upset about not winning. Just being forced to sit out of a sport I love and an event I was so looking forward to because of rider error is still too much to think about.
Any things you’d like to see change in the sport?
Now that we have enough girls competing at a high level to have our own division, I’d like to see WCMX girls be treated just like the guys. None of the prize purse was allotted to us like it was the WCMX “pro” (mens) and adaptive skate competitions. I had to go out and personally hustle up prizes from some very generous sponsors and friends in the skate community. We were told we could compete with the “pros” if we wanted a chance at prize money, but that’s not the point. I know this is a refrain heard over an over again in women’s action sports, and WCMX is the next frontier.
You are always on the go – traveling, hitting up skateparks, working, learning new tricks – how do you keep in shape & what is your healthy secret for food choices?
Health and fitness are very important to me. I lift weights 5 days a week, work out with a personal trainer weekly, and add as many skatepark sessions as my aging body can handle. When you have a disability there’s a fine line between pushing yourself and overdoing it, so I try to pay attention to those days when I need to rest as well. I’ve been Vegan for 6 years. People always wonder where I get my protein, but if you eat a balanced diet of whole foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts/seeds and some grains – forget anything that comes in a box) your nutrition will stay on point. Finding something to eat can be a struggle, especially if you’re traveling to competitions, so I try to remember to bring fruit, nuts, meal bars, anything that will give me a quick burst of energy.
You have been to quite a few skateparks - can you tell us some of your favorite places you’ve gotten to ride?
Number 1 has to be Woodward West – a world class facility with amazing staff and new ways to challenge yourself every trip!I’ve also been given the opportunity to ride The Berrics a few times, and it’s like Steve and Eric built that place for WCMX! My favorite parks in town are Sheldon and Venice, but by far the most wheelchair-friendly park we’ve found is Fontana South. We’ve renamed that the Fontana WCMX park. I love to get out and try new places. Palm Springs, Encinitas, SLO, Oxnard… if it’s within a day’s driving distance round trip, I’m there!
The most interesting place I’ve ever ridden is the Mt. Baldy Fullpipe. My friend told me it involved “a bit of a hike” to get there. After feeling like I was in The Goonies or Stand By Me for like an hour it appeared in the distance, but when I got there I found out the only way to cross this 6 foot gap was a rickety piece of wood. Let’s just say crossing that without using my legs and watching my buddy carry my very expensive wheelchair across it after me was very stressful.
What are your plans for competing in the upcoming year – any contests or filming or photo shoots you are looking forward to?
I’m coming off a rough couple of years, so I’m always trying to find the next thing to look forward to. My dad died 2 years ago, and last year on the anniversary I released a WCMX video that I’d been working on for a few months. Since I love filming, I want my next edit to be an all girls WCMX video.
On the contest side, we have our other big WCMX event of the year – Life Rolls On They Will Skate Again – coming up on July 16th. That’s always a great event with people from all over the world enjoying the rad vibes of Venice, and it’s where this whole journey started for me! There’s a clinic in the morning where we get to introduce a ton of little kids and adults to WCMX, and a contest in the afternoon that is always going off. I have a few things planned, but I’m keeping those close to the vest ☺
Favorite Trick?
Backflip! It’s hard to explain, but I completely black out for a split second in the air. It’s so disorienting. Seeing your wheels come back under you and landing it is such a rush!
I also love grinds because they’re such a challenge. I usually get pretty worked trying a new rail, so finally landing feels incredible.
Sponsors?
I don’t have any official sponsors, but I’ve been hooked up with some great gear from Kali Protectives, Supracor, G-Form, Dogtown Skateboards and Box Wheelchairs. I’d also like to give a special shout out to Kali Protectives, Supracor, Bones Wheels, Adaptive Action Sports and Sports N Spokes for their generous support of our women’s division at this year’s championships by donating the prizes for our competitors.
Can you tell us about the setup you ride and why it works for you?
I ride a Box Wheelchairs WCMX chair. In my opinion it’s the best chair on the market, and the only one proven to stand up to the Nitrocircus Mega Ramp! I also use Spinergy Wheels Flexrims, Bones SPF 60mms, Bones Swiss bearings, and a Supracor Sport cushion. Box Wheelchairs are the best because they’re custom fit to the rider, and if something’s not working for me I stop by the shop and they won’t stop working till it’s right.
What are your favorite things to do when you are not tearing up the skatepark?
I’m a television writer, so most of my down time revolves around that. Writing scripts, watching TV, binging on Netflix. I also love to explore. I recently went on a solo road trip up through Big Sur and am already looking forward to my next adventure!
Favorite books?
I don’t read enough! The last book I read was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Favorite music?
Whatever your parents like - Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, The Eagles, Van Morrison
Three things you don't know about me?
1. Broccoli is legitimately my favorite food. People think I’m lying.
2. I was all set to try out for the US Paralympic Skeleton Team until I remembered I hate cold weather.
3. I have a twin sister who is 8 inches taller than me. If we’re both standing people don’t even think we’re related, but if I’m on my wheelchair they immediately ask if we are twins!
What’s Next?
Life Rolls On They Will Skate Again – July 16th at Venice Skatepark!
I’ve also recently gotten back into surfing, so on my off weekends I have lots of surf sessions planned, with the goal of one day making the US adaptive surf team.
Vogue did it again today - they did an article "An Ode to Great Skater Hair, from Stacy Peralta to Leticia Bufoni" and we are stoked to see our 10 year old team rider Minna Stess rocking our XS x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word Helmet in it.
We love the quote from VOGUE about Minna "the pre-teen Minna Stess, who continues to break boundaries that belie her age"
The article also features our rad skater friend Sierra Prescott who has some pretty amazing hair for sure #hairenvy, as well as female skaters Patti McGee, Ellen O"Neal and Leticia Bufoni - check out the entire article at Vogue.com
We are so stoked to see this feature on Vogue.com of longboarder Ko Hyoojoo. We have featured her on our instagram before and we think the way she rides is just beautiful.
Nice to see a huge fashion magazine like Vogue notice as well, and show a video of her skating while wearing the latest in high fashion.
This is the real Fashion x Skateboarding, not those shots we used to see with models posing with skateboards.
