Keep May 7th open as it's the second annual CHICA DE MAYO event! This year it's taking place at Forth Union Skatepark in New Jersey.

Our rad little team rider Zoe Herishen came up with the idea while skating at the Brooklyn Bike Park just over a year ago. Zoe created this event to include both skateboards and longboards because she wanted an event that all of her friends could go to.

There will be a DJ, lots of raffles and giveaways, and tons of skateboarding!

Date: Sunday, May 7th
Time:  11 Am - 1 PM
Cost:  $5.00 to Skate

Where:
Forth Union Skatepark
104-108 Asbury Ave
Asbury Park, NJ 07712

Image via Vogue.com / Photo Sam Nixon

Yesterday it was announced that Lacey Baker is now on Nike SB - which was huge news. Today Lacey has an interview on Vogue.com.

What we have always loved about Lacey, besides her obvious kickass skating, is her "no fear" attitude in speaking out about equality, her ability to not classify herself as any label - queer, gay, straight, etc and saying to magazines that how you look should not determine endorsement deals. Her willingness to not shy away from subjects like prize money, that make other skaters say "no comment" when asked, is the icing on the cake. She is the real deal.

There were times when Lacey chose to speak out harshly (as her critics like to say) and put large companies on blast in her interviews. People in this tight knit industry said her chances at every being sponsored by a mainstream company were ruined. Those people obviously don't know the power and strength that Lacey Baker has.

This fearless skater is paving the way for every person in skateboarding - that's right every person. And we all owe her a huge thanks for that.

Congrats Lacey!

You can read Lacey's Vogue.Com interview HERE

And today another rad announcement. Lacey Baker is now on Nike SB! The girl rips and this is long overdue and so well deserved. Congrats to Lacey! And to Nike because they just scored an awesome team rider.

Our badass designer (and GN4LW ambassador)  Elise Crigar, had the rad idea to throw a killer event at Kona Skatepark in Jacksonville, Florida to celebrate not only the "It's Not About Pretty" book release but all things girls skateboarding.

SAVE THE DATE!   MAY 26

After the release of It's Not About Pretty, Elise was inspired to bring the book to life within the North Florida community. This event is a celebration of girls doing rad things. No matter the skill level or ability, they are coming together to celebrate the book release and the local girls that are going after what they love.

The event will take place at Kona Skatepark Friday, May 26 from 6 to 10 p.m.

Join in for a skate clinic, product toss and raffle, live murals by Nico Suave and Claire Devoe, live music by Kensley Stewart, Gold, Frankincense, and Myrhh and Byrdfree.

For more information, please email elisecrigar@yahoo.com

 Photos by Brian Konoske /  Story by Nik Berg for Mazda

Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word founder Cindy Whitehead, is featured in the new Mazda Zoom Zoom Magazine in an article about California Dreamin' and three people who are challenging the staus quo and are pushing the boundaries in their chosen sports here in Los Angeles.

Cindy, along with Linda Ly, who has been leading a movement to clean up the LA River for kayakers, and Hernan Montenegro who creates ultra light bike frames that are durable and timeless were all profiled.

Cindy rode the new Dusters California x GN4LW longboard that has artwork designed by legendary Dogtown artist Wes Humpston, and benefits the 501c3 non-profit Exposure Skate. Perfect board for this shoot in Venice!

Thanks to Mazda for being supporters of Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word and girls skateboarding!

The part we have all been waiting for is released!  Lizzie Armanto's THRASHER part " is HERE!  Watch it on REPEAT - the girl is on FIRE!

Monday Motivation...   Lizzie Armanto in a short clip by Thrasher - slaying the pocket at Washington Street.

The 8th Annual Skateboarding Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony presented by House of Vans is happening on May 12th at the City National Grove of Anaheim.

It will be a night of entertainment, music, and special surprises as we honor the legends and pioneers of skateboarding.

Please come out and support the women and men of skateboarding!



Date:      May 12th

Where:   City National Grove of Anaheim

Time: Doors Open at 4:30 PM for VIP Happy Hour,   6:30 for GP tickets

Tickets:   HERE

All proceeds go to the Skateboarding Hall of Fame and the Go Skateboarding Foundation.



2017 SHOF Inductees

Vicki Vickers
Kim Cespedes

Bob Mohr
Gregg Weaver
Russ Howell
Shogo Kubo
Mike McGill
Eric Dressen
Daewon Song

2017 Icon Awards

Thrasher
Jim Phillips
Sonja Catalano

Check out this Glamour Magazine video with Lizzie Armanto speaking out about how her job as a female pro skater didn't really exist, how she  navigated all that, dealing with nasty comments online, her current Thrasher cover, her new pro model board and more.

NatlaieKrishna Das  / Photo Tim Vasquez

Make sure you jump on over to Nasty Galaxy - yes, the rad site run by badass #GirlBoss Sophia Amoruso from Nasty Gal clothing and book fame.

*Side Note - Friday night is the premiere of GIRLBOSS on Netflix, an awesome show based on Sophia's life - it's a must see.

They are featuring the rad Las Chicaz crews with a story and photos from their trip to the Nude Bowl. The pictures are amazing, the trip looks killer ("wish you were here!" doesn't even cut it), Laura Logue and Natalie Krishna Das wrote the piece and the pics make you wish you weren't such a loser, and had called in sick to work, ditched school, lied to your parents and  just GONE on this f-ing rad road trip.

But after seeing and reading the Las Chicaz story - we hope it inspires you to grab your girl gang, hop in a car, a bus, train or plane, and have your own rad skate adventures and create your own media. because seriously, that's what skateboarding is all about.

Here at GN4LW we're  ready to take it old school and very soon we will be announcing some news that we hope will encourage all of you to do just that.
In the meantime - check out all the pics and the full story on NASTY GALAXY

 Photo by Ian Loga

We are so stoked, the sun is out, the weather is warm and we have a huge new supporter of Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word!  Flower Child Restaurant in Santa Monica has renamed one of their amazing lemonades the "Kickflip" and for the entire month of April is giving a portion of the proceeds back to girls in skateboarding - how rad is that?

You've seen some of the GN4LW crew hanging out at the Santa Monica location - we had a party there last summer, and our very first "It's Not About Pretty"  launch party and book signing was there in March!  It is our go to place to get yummy, healthy food any day.

The Santa Monica Restaurant sponsors downhill ripper Amanda "Panda" Caolia and the Del Mar location sponsors pro skater Jordyn Barratt.  Huge thanks to Flower Child for all they do year round for female skateboarders!

Now skate over with a group of your friends and grab a "Kickflip" Lemonade, along with some amazing food, and support girls in skateboarding  - you won't regret it!

Coming down from all that Easter candy and need a night to just chill? In case you missed any of the cool UO videos, we've got them all in one place for your viewing pleasure. Sit back, relax and get inspired to go out tomorrow and skate!

Check out Jenn Soto, Mariah Duran, Nika Washington, Samarria Brevard, Savannah Headden Una Ferrar, Vanessa Torres, Monique O’Toole, Kat,  SyLydia Mae Martinez, Marissa Martinez, Charlie McHarg, & Jazzmen Chavez in these 4 videos directed by The Berrics.

The girls were ripping today at Vert Attack in Malmo, Sweden. We saw some massive FS airs from Nicole Hause and some sketchy landings - that she totally pulled off!  Sky Brown with an air over the channel (and she's only eight!) and FS 540's, Allysha Le was on point with a frontisde invert over the channel and some nice mute airs, Arianna Carmona did a FS lipslide over the channel  that was rad to watch, Amelia Brodka threw down a stale fish that was styling, Kisa Nakamura started things off with some great amplitude and back to back tricks, and unfortunately Sarah Thompson got injured early on and was out of the competition - we hope she is doing OK.

Congrats to all the girls!

PODIUM RESULTS

1. Nicole Hause
2. Kisa Nakamura
3. Allysha Le



4th Arianna Carmona
5th Sky Brown
6th Amelia Brodka
7th Sarah Thompson

Watch the women's vert final this Saturday live from Vert Attack in Malmo, Sweden. USA girls Amelia Brodka, Sarah Thompson, Arianna Carmona, Allysha Le and Nicole Hause are there and ready to go.

These are the women that will be in the final:

Kisa Nakamura
Nicole Hause
Arianna Carmona
Allysha Le
Sky Brown
Amelia Brodka
Sarah Thompson





INFO:

Saturday, April 15
5:00 PM CMT. (Malmo, Sweden local time)
8:00 AM PST
11:00 AM EST

Watch it all go down right ---->  HERE

Watch Hanna Zanzi, last years winner of the Vans Pro Park Series in Huntington Beach, go head to head with Kevin Kowalski in "Mano a Mano".

We won't spoil it for you - you'll have to watch and see how it turns out.

All info via x-games

The list we have been waiting for is here!  These are the 20 female park skaters that have been invited to compete at the X Games qualifiers on June 10 in in Boise, Idaho.

Congrats to all the girls for scoring their invites and big shout out to our team riders, Poppy Starr Olsen and 11 year old Minna Stess who is the youngest girl to be invited to this years qualifiers!

photos of Poppy Starr Olsen and Minna Stess by Ian Logan 

As part of the Road to X Games content series, X Games will host the world's top athletes in an INVITE-ONLY Park Qualifier event on June 10, 2017 as they compete to secure their invitation to X Games Minneapolis.

Streamed live from Rhodes Skatepark in Boise, Idaho, the Road to X Park Qualifier will feature Women's Skateboard Park.

Invited athletes are as follows and are subject to change.


SKATEBOARD PARK WOMEN

Allysha Bergado
Amelia Brodka
Hanna Zanzi
Poppy Olsen
Nicole Hause
Hunter Long
Julz Lynn
Arianna Carmona
Bryce Wettstein
Yndiara Asp
Shanae Collins
Alana Smith
Minna Stess
Zoe Safanda
Spencer Breaux
Dora Varella
Nora Vasconcellos
Brighton Zeuner
Sarah Thompson
Fabiana Delfino

(Automatic invites to X Games Minneapolis 2017: Kisa Nakamura, Lizzie Armanto, Jordyn Barratt)



SCHEDULE 
 

Friday, June 9, 2017

9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Women’s Skateboard Park Practice

2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Women’s Skateboard Park Elimination



Saturday, June 10, 2017

9 a.m. – 10 a.m. Women’s Skateboard Park Practice

12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. Women’s Skateboard Park Final

Stephanie Gilmore - The Tempest. from Monster Children on Vimeo.

Filmed & edited by Jon Frank

It's spring break!  And it's time to get inspired to get out there and surf, skate, snowboard and just live life.  Here's a video of Stephanie Gilmore to give you some serious inspiration (or envy).

Beyond watching Stephanie shred, one of the best things about this video is the written intro that world champion surfer, Kelly Slater gave her...


"Stephanie is an original badass. She surfs like people should surf and plays music from her soul. She's interested in a variety of topics outside of riding waves. She's got an eclectic and diverse group of friends and followers all around the world. She'd be just as comfortable in her skin if nobody knew who she was. My mom wrote me yesterday and said she is a Stephanie groupie and she just loves her whole deal. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who has anything but praise for her. She's not complicated like most women seem to be and knows how she wants to live and what she wants. What else can I say?" Kelly Slater.

Images via Vogue

It's a popular month for women's fashion magazines to feature skater girls. This time it's the April issue of VOGUE and it's an article on The Brujas Skate Crew from the Bronx.

If you have been following them for awhile you know that the Brujas are more than a skate crew, they are activists, designers, feminists, and organizers of change. They are setting up parties like their "anti-prom" event they threw last winter and workshops and meetings aimed at empowering women around them.

Keep your eye on this crew because for them it isn't all about skateboarding - it really is about so much more. 

Check out Chanel's new watercolor video starring model Cara Delevinge skateboarding (via animation) with the new Chanel "Gabrielle " bag". We like the sequence at the end when she hits the full pipe. Obviously, whoever put this together knew something about skateboarding...

Just a few years ago we never saw high fashion or even mainstream brands, featuring females on a skateboard - we can only think due to all the girls out there that are really shredding, mainstream fashion, advertising, and media have started to take notice and feel like females skateboarding is the norm.

Dora Frontside Rock & Roll

Isadora Backside Air

Yndiara Frontside Smith Grind

Photos by Bryce Kanights / info via Vans Park Series & The Boardr

Fifteen-year-old Dora Varella wins the Vans Park Series Brazil National Championships for the Women’s division! Nineteen-year-old  Yndiara Asp took second and twelve-year-old Isadora Pacheco took third.

Dora will represent Brazil as she is pre-seeded into the Vans Park Series Americas Continental Championships in Huntington Beach, CA, securing her chance to be invited to the World Championships, to be announced later this year.

Congrats to all the girls who competed; Dora Varella, Yndiara Asp, Isadora Pacheco, Victoria Bassi, Bia Sodre,  Deise Reis, Camila Borges, Leticia Goncalves, Bruna Fernandes, & Djenefer de Britos Spohr.