Photos Ian Logan and Cindy Whitehead

The Odells

x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word Yurt Takeover was such a FUN event! People came straight from the Women's March in Downtown LA to continue the #GirlPower fueled day at

The Odells Shop

in Silverlake. There was a DJ spinning tunes all afternoon, drinks from our friend Deb Glassman at  Lybations Cocktails and Nica Craft Beer provided by Andrew. There was yummy food by Black Cat LA, and pro skateboarder Arianna Carmona, soul skater Elise Crigar and mini shredder, Quinne Daniels were on hand to sign copies of the

"It's Not About Pretty"

book. The new Dusters x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word

"Girl Power"

cruiser board was launched (so many girls had huge grins on their faces as they took their boards out the door to ride) and a showing of photographer Ian Logan's work, featuring female skaters, was on display in the Odell's yurt.

It was a really special treat to have soul skater Sierra Prescott drop by to see her photo on the wall, legendary 70's skate photographer Hugh Holland came in to congratulate the girls, and artist Priscilla Witte - who did the illustrations for the new cruiser - was there as well. LA84's Jeremy Rosenberg, and Justine Siegal who runs "Baseball for All" dropped in to show support, along with a lot of our Venice skater friends - Heidi Lemmon & her daughter, Kala & Vivian Fernandez, Julie Daniels, as well as Jesse Swalley and his family. Desiree Moore from Dwindle and Chantelle Heroux from Bridge to Skate came by and it was really special to get a pic of them together - they are both a huge part of making this collab board come together! 

We loved meeting all the young skater girls who came out with their moms and dads - you are the future and we need more girls skateboarding - so thank you! We hope to see all of you at the skatepark for a girls session soon.

Huge thanks to Laura, Jason and Jaime from

The Odells

Shop, their amazing team, as well as the sponsors of the event - it couldn't have happened with out all of these awesome people!

If you couldn't make it to the party, and wish to purchase one of the new GIRL POWER cruisers or the

"It's Not About Pretty"

book, please call The Odells Shop at 323-741-0039 

The photo show will be up until the end of January - so please stop in and check it out!

The Odells Shop

3906 W. Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90039

323-741-0039 

The Rad Girls Krew just put out this 2017 year edit of some awesome places they skated in Colorado during the past year. Sit back and watch, and get ready to be MOTIVATED! The close proximity of cars, and a semi in the other lane will have your heart racing. These girls are BADASS.

And BTW  - who holds a GoPro on a selfie stick while racing down a mountain road to film themselves? Yep, totally badass. We LOVE these girls.

Featuring:

Candy Dungan
Brionna Cya Zoe
Marie "Spoky Woky" Wester
Katie Boyer
Daisy Johannes 
Lauren Barth
Victoria Bixler
Caitlin Yong
Amber Burgemeister
Julia Barklow
Maya Shakti
Mikaia Nadone

Beatrice Domond has been on our radar for a long time, and the clips we keep seeing of her are just getting better and better. She's 25 years old, hails from Florida and her sponsor list is looking tight - Fucking Awesome, Supreme, Nike SB, Spitfire, Boys of Summer, Chpo Brand, Venture.

This short film by Mike Steinkamp was created for the Uber x 90 Second Film Festival and shows what Beatrice is made of, and why she keeps skateboarding - our favorite qoute of hers in the film is "pain is temporary, if you quit it will last forever".

Hell yes.

More on the girls from The Skate Kitchen. The_ONES and Paper Magazine recently went to an NYC skate park with the girls of Skate Kitchen, to hear all about how they got started, where their skate crew name orginated.

All images via Bones 

This year is off to a great start! It has just been announced that Lizzie Armanto is getting her own signature wheel from Bones, and it's rad!

The new Lizzie Armanto,  SPF (*Skatepark formula), "Blue China" wheels drop February 1st, and are 84B durometer, shape is P5 and come in either 56mm or 58mm.

They retail for $36.00 for a 4 pack and you can order them HERE 

* Skatepark Formula™ (SPF) is very high quality urethane specifically formulated to resist flatspotting on slick or smooth surfaces while maintaining a higher rebound for a quicker response and a faster roll.

Skatepark Formula™ has a high resistance to abrasion while not compromising hardness and slide ability. Simply put… Skatepark Formula wheels grip better on slick surfaces, are almost impossible to flatspot, and are the fastest, longest lasting wheel on the market today.

As always, we encourage you to support female skaters by buying brands they endorse, ride for or have pro models with.

If you can't make it to the event, but would like to purchase a GIRL POWER cruiser board (limited supply) - please contact The Odells Shop  directly at 323-741-0039


Event Info

Saturday, January 20, 2018  /  12 noon - 5 PM

THE ODELLS SHOP
3906 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA

See you there!


Huge thanks to The Odells Shop & their team, Dusters California, Lybations Cocktails, Nica Craft Beer, POP Outdoor Media Company and Black Cat LA - as well as our rad female skaters, Arianna Carmona, Elise Crigar and Quinne Daniels for making this launch party so awesome !

We are so stoked to see Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team rider, Minna Stess, starring in these new Lego Ninjago commercials. These are only three of the spots Minna worked on, so kepyour eyes on your TV screen for more!

Congrats Minna!

 Jamie  - one of the women interviewed in "What Makes A Man"

all photos and materials via What Makes a Man

We are so impressed with this project by Aaron Beetwor,"What Makes A Man",  but we realized that we were at a loss to try and explain it any better than Aaron does on his  Kickstarter campaign so we thought we'd share his words here, and we encourage you to jump over to his Kickstarter page HERE and check out the rest.

It's an amazing project about understanding, inclusion, thoughts, roles, listening and so much more. Of course what orginally caught our eye was Jamie (pictured above) who is a female skateboarder. Her thoughts on gender, society, & the skateboard scene drew us in, but as we moved onto reading the other women's interviews, we realized this is something we should all be discussing on every level.

Here is what Aaron has to say about his project "What Makes A Man"

Thanks to social media campaigns like #metoo, it has become all the more clear what role silence plays in the perpetuation of violence and oppression. While online platforms have helped shed light on the ceaseless violence enacted on women, they are also responsible for the echo chambers which prevent us from encountering perspectives other than our own.

What Makes A Man is a different approach to social media. It is a reimagining of both its structure and the role it plays in the global conversation around gender. It is a step away from reactionary online discourse and a step towards questioning and listening—not just for failures but also for stories which are the exception to the rule, stories which can help us imagine another way of being.

Volume 01 of What Makes A Man features a collection of statements culled from conversations with ten women. Each contributor receives a list of questions in advance of the discussion and is invited to speak on any that are relevant to their experience.


Aaron Breetwor is a writer, photographer, designer, and self-publisher. He combines these communication practices to produce pieces of “social media”—magazines, books, and posters that take into account the lessons and limitations of the Internet, and utilize physicality (and hand-to-hand exchange) as a central element of their reading experience. Aaron is also the editor of Downgrade, an ad-free, slow journalism magazine focused on the global community of downhill skateboarders, published irregularly. You can call me Daisy.

You can check out the project and donate on Kickstarter right HERE

It's that time of year! Voting has started for your favorite female skaters in the Readers Choice Awards via TWS. You may remember that years ago, we didn't even have female skaters represented in any category - and now they have an entire category of their own, and are represented in some other categories as well!


Female skaters you can vote for are:

Alexis Sablone
Amelia Brodka
Brigfhton Zeuner
Lacey Baker
Leticia Bufoni
Lizzie Armanto
Nora Vasconcellos
Samarria Brevard

In the "Rookie Pro" category, Lizzie, Leticia and Nora are also included with pro guys.  So make sure you vote there too.

When voting for  the "Video" category - don't forget that Lizzie was in SATURDAYS and Nora was in FETISH.

In the "Best Indie Video" category don't forget to vote for QUIT YOUR DAY JOB!

Get over to TransWorld ASAP and vote for your favorite female shredders!

Monday Madness!  SMT presents a short video of  Caroline Dynybil shredding the Nike Shelter in Berlin! Girl are skateboarding all over the world, nice to see, and be able to post, these videos to shed a light on women/girls skateboarding not just in the USA but everywhere.

Another short, but rad video of Nora - this time it's for OJ Wheels. The girl has been getting a ton of air play since winning the Vans Pro Park series in 2017, and it's really cool to see!

Nothing we like more than listening to Spotify, except when we find out that our fav all girl skate crew, Las ChicAZ, is featured in a new series of videos on the music streaming service.

Check out Natalie Krishna Das, Courtney Ramos, Janthavy Norton, Hailey Villa, Jean Rusen, Laura Logue, Kyria Wolffe, Mia Lovell and Jess Carlucci ripping it up on an Arizona road trip.

Stay tuned to Spotify for more videos to drop soon! #RockThis

Looks like Glendale, Arizona is the place to be this weekend! Foothills Skatepark is the site of the Cowtown Union Hills Classic. We love that they have designated women's divisions in the contest but the best part is, the ALL WOMEN'S DEMO and AUTOGRAPH signing! 

That's not something we ever see!  We've said it for a long time - female skaters are a draw - they do not need to be secondary to the guys at demo's and autograph signings. People will come to see THEM.

The skaters listed above are well known in their own right - Lizzie Armanto, Brighton Zeuner, Lacey Baker, Samarria Brevard, Yndiara Asp, Allysha Le, and of course, Nora Vasconcellos.

 Looks like 2018 is already progressing for women's skateboarding - love that!!

What could be a better way to start off the New Year then by attending a longboard camp with Kate Noynova? Oh wait - did we mention you get to do it in Portugal? YEP.

Today you can learn anything online, and longboarding is no exception. But instead of watching Youtube tutorials,  imagine T H I S!

A week long escape to a charming coastal town in Portugal. Sun, waves, and surfing. Family-like atmosphere. Spacious house with a fruit garden and vista upon the valley…

The first longboard dancing & freestyle community in Portugal ‘Longboarding Days and Nights’ invites you to join their Longboard Camp from April 22-29 with Kate Voynova (yes-yes, THAT Kate!) who is a special guest and full-time instructor.

Together they created a fun, but pretty intense program, with a whole lotta skating, surfing and functional training. The goal is to enjoy, learn and connect, but also build a stronger and healthier self.




Yeah, that's Kate - a badass Russian longboarder  who is also a team rider for Pepper Boards, Paris Trucks, Orangatang Wheels and an ambassador for both Sony & Nike.


The camp is open for women and men, 18+. Beginners and confident riders are truly welcome.

We're sold - Sign us UP!!

You can find all the details on their website HERE

Pro snowboarder Kelly Clark is a BADASS. At 33 years old she has been in four Olympics already, she has won three Olympic medals and is the winningest athlete in snowboard history - male or female.

From her new book "Inspired" (which we can't wait to read)  to her recent deal with Kelloggs Special K Cereal and her newest commercial with BOSE, there is no stopping snowboarder Kelly Clark. This woman has been a fixture on the USA Snowboard scene for many years, and each year she seems to just get better and better. 

Get your hands on her new book - it's more than an autobiography, it's lessons for LIFE.


About the book INSPIRED by Kelly Clark:

Everyone can measure their lives in a number of days, weeks, or even years. For me, I measure my life in intervals of thirty seconds; everything hinges on these sets of thirty seconds. Thirty seconds will determine whether I am seen as a “winner” or just another athlete who missed the mark that day. What most people don’t see, is that for every thirty seconds of my life put on display before hundreds of thousands of people, there are years of preparation behind the scenes. It’s those years of hard work, motivation, and preparation that determine how these thirty seconds will go.

Over the years, thirty second intervals have encapsulated highs and lows, successes and failures. Through it all, I have found the one constant in my life is that nothing is constant. The pages of this book are an invitation for you to come in and enjoy these snapshots in to my life, career, and pursuit of progress. I hope you are challenged and inspired to go on a journey of your own.

You can order a copy via Amazon ---->  HERE

Check out this weekend motivation - a great new video edit from Georgia Martin and Armada Skateshop in North Carolina!

We love seeing skate videos from girls everywhere popping up.

 Let us know some of your favorites in the comments below, or via our instagram @girlisnota4letterword

Another brilliant TEDx talk by a female skateboarder - this time it's 20 year old Nina Moran from The Skate Kitchen crew in NY.

Tune in and have a listen - grab your daughter, girlfriends, your mom and any other female you know and get them to listen too. This is REAL talk by a female skater about what it's like to be the only girl learning to skate at the skatepark, and why having girls to skate with matters.

Nina delves into gender equality, not just in skateboarding, but also what it's like when you find out you get paid less than they guy next to you at work.  She's smart, direct and funny - and there are so many takeaways from Nina's TEDx TEEN talk that you'll need to watch it a few times! PROMISE.

Leticia Bufoni gets a rad "Welcome to the Team" video from Plan B Skateboards! Nice to see and hear all the Plan B team riders singing her praises. The girl is badass and this is so well deserved!

You can get your own Leticiai Bufoni Pro Model ---> HERE 

Congrats Leticia!

In Amour We Trust from Amour on Vimeo.

Skateboarders Quinne Daniels and Michelle Yoon are featured in this new video from clothing brand Amour, and it's pretty cool!

We thought last year was awesome for women in skateboarding, but this year surpassed any other with a record number of women turning pro for traditionally male dominated skate teams, a huge amount of girls & women (166 competitors!) coming out to compete at Exposure Skate, the launch of  "It's Not About Pretty" the first hardback book on women's skateboarding, and numerous women's skate comps having a live web feed, so people all over the world can tune in  (finally!).

Those are just a few of the 2017 highlights - read on for more!

Happy New Year and keep pushing hard!


 JANUARY

Jordyn Barratt wins Vans Combi and soon after gets on Powell Peralta!

Vogue Japan features longboarder Ko Hyojoo in a beautful video filmed in Los Angeles

The new season of Camp Woodward stars Meagan Guy!

Dora Varella joins team Hosoi

Lacey Baker's new "My World Part" up on Thrashers website is a great way to launch the year off

Vans Girls Combi has Jordyn Barratt in 1st, Nicole Hause in 2nd and Poppy Starr Olsen in 3rd

Transworld announces the 9 female skaters who are up for their Readers Choice Awards 

The El Gato Classic features a "generations" skate contest and invites 6 of the top female pros to compete

Nora Vasconcellos stars in Welcome Skateboards new video "Fetish"

Poppy Starr Olsen is included in Forbes "Women in Sports to Watch in 2017" 


FEBRUARY

We launch "It's Not About Pretty" the first hard cover book about women's skateboarding and it gets rave reviews from Teen Vogue, Forbes, ESPN and more!

The AU Bowl Riding Championships had a record number of girls competing (17) and Poppy Starr Olsen takes 1st, Amelia Brodka 2nd and Shanae Collins in 3rd.

Snackable TV did a short video with Nora Vasconcellos

11 yr old surfer/skater Sabre Norris had a mini doc released that was hysterical (as always)

Fashion x Skate becaomes huge - with Supreme doing a collab with Louis Vuitton and another with Vans shoes, and Thrasher Magazine suing H&M for riffing off their iconic logo

NBC does a feature on the women's skateboarding non profit GRO, and our team rider Zoe Herishen is featured!

Bowl-a-Rama in AU has Jordyn Barratt in 1st place, Brighton Zeuner in 2nd and Poppy Starr Olsen in 3rd

Lizzie Armanto teams up with Tony the Tiger  for a special Cinnamon Frosted Flakes launch

Pro skater Yndiara gets some love from watch company Baby G

India's rapidly growing female skate scene is featured in a new music video for the band  Wild Beasts



 MARCH 

Lizzie Armanto not only gets her own Pro model with Birdhouse, but also gets featured on the cover of Thrasher and a 10 page interview - copies fly of the shelves.

Old Navy features female skaters (including old school pro Mimi Knoop) skateboarding in dresses in its latest commercial 

The GN4LW crew takes to the streets of Los Angeles for Ciclavia while representing LA24

70's skater Laura Thornhill gets profiled on Lenny.com 

The Shins do a music video featuring Samarria Brevard and Savannah Headden

The GN4LW crew takes over the new Manhattan Beach Skatepark before opening day for a shoot with The Beach Reporter. 

Etnies does a short video featuring Samarria Brevard and Savannah Headden

AU surfer/skater Sabre Norris takes over the red carpet for Ellen Degeneres at the Kids Choice Awards.

Venice skater, Vianez Morales, stars in a new campaign for Justice Clothing. 

We have our very first "It's Not About Pretty" book signing party at Flower Child Restaurant in Santa Monica and people can't wait to get the skater girls autographs.

Sky Brown becomes the newest "Citizen of Skateistan"

Peeta and Relz from The Pink Helmet Posse are all featured in Target's new active campaign. Kala Fernandez is featured riding BMX rather than her skateboard.


 APRIL

Lacey Baker joins the Nike SB Team and girls everywhere get stoked!

Vogue.com does a rad piece on street skater Lacey Baker.

Our founder, Pro 70's skater Cindy Whitehead, does a "California Dreamin'"campaign for Mazda and their Zoom Zoom Magazine.

Lizzie Armanto's "Fire" part for Thrasher Magazine comes out and it's bitchin'

It's announced that 70's skaters Kim Cespedes and Vicki Vickers will be this years  inductees into The Skateboarding Hall of Fame.

The Las Chicaz Crew appears on fashion maven Sophia Armoruso's Nasty Galaxy website with badass photos from their latest desert road trip.

Urban Outfitters releases 4 videos featuring 13 female street skaters.

Vert Attack in Sweden has Nicole Hause taking 1st, Kisa Nakamura in 2nd and Allysha Le in 3rd.

Pro skater Hanna Zanzi is featured in "Mano a Mano" going head to head with Kevin Kowalski

The Bronx based Brujas Crew of skaters appears in Vogue Magazine

60's skater Patti McGee and the NY based Skate Kitchen Crew appear in Glamour Magazine

 The first Lifetime "Fempire" Moments featuring GN4LW and Sky Brown launches on National TV.


MAY

Poseiden Foundation throws an all girls session at The Berrics and so many awesome skaters show up! 

Kona Skatepark in Jacksonville, Florida helps our designer Elise Crigar, throw an awesome "It's Not About Pretty" book launch party and all girls skate session! Photographer Renee Parenteau covers the action for us.

12 year old AU surfer/skater Sabre Norris releases a video putting all the "haters" in their place - and we have to applaud her for standing up for not only herself, but all girls out there. Good one Sabre!  RESPECT.

Elton John selects a female skater (Sidney Allison) to be in his remake of the famous "Tiny Dancer" video

Soul skater and INAP book designer, Elise Crigar goes on the TV show THE CHAT to talk about the new all girls "It's Not About Pretty" skateboard  book and the upcoming all girls skate event at Kona Skatepark she is throwing

Soul skater Sierra Prescott starts skating for Under Armour - which we think is pretty awesome news!

The Maryhill Spring Freeride has 27 ladies who show up to skate - we love these badass downhill girls!

Lacey Baker is featured on RollingStone.com talking about gender equality, her backstory and her Olympic aspirations

JUNE

A new commercial for GOT MILK features California skaters Bella Kenworthy, Vianez Morales and Stella Reynolds.

The X-Games has their women's park qualifiers in Boise, Idaho and GN4LW team rider Minna Stess, is the youngest competitor at only eleven years old and kills it!

Lacey Baker is nominated for an ESPY award & Lizzie Armanto is up for 2 Nickelodeon Kids Choice awards.

Nike SB puts out a short video on  Nike SB team rider Lacey Baker 

Jordyn Barratt breaks barriers by becoming the only female skater at the Long Beach Dew Tour stop where she competes with the guys.

Lacey Baker and  photographer Samuel McGuire release a stunning new image of Lacey for Pride Month that raises money for the victims of Pulse Orando.

Instagram posts a photo of Lizzie Armanto on its insta page and shares an "instagram story" and the numbers of "likes" are off the charts!


JULY

The annual "Ladies Day Skate Jam" at Venice Skatepark was awesome - so many girls came out to skate and meet pro skater and X-Games medalist, Jordyn Barratt.

Sky Brown is featured in Marie Claire Taiwan's video shredding through the city.

Brighton Zeuner joins team Red Bull

GN4LW team rider Zoe Herishen stars in a new Revlon Commercial and ends up with her picture, larger than life, in Times Square!

Thirteen year old Brighton Zeuner becomes the youngest athlete to ever win X-Games gold when she takes the win in Women's Park in Minneapolis. Jordyn Barratt takes second and Poppy Starr Olsen is third.

Aori Nishimura wins gold at X-Games Women's Street Comp. Samarria Brevard takes silver and Leticia Bufoni takes bronze.

Lyn-Z Pastrana is the analyst at the X-Games - and women are stoked to have this pro skater weighing in!

We take a road trip and launch our GN4LW "Freedom to Find" lookbook with photographer Elise Crigar at the helm, with skaters Zara Percy, Kala Fernandez and Amanda Caloia shredding through So. Cal.


AUGUST

Mainstream clothing company TomboyX, sponsors pro skater Hunter Long to go to the Vert World Championships in Nanjing, China.

Nora Vasconcellos turns pro for WELCOME Skateboards and they reaease a badass pro model that every skater around wants to get their hands on.

Elle Magazine features the Skate Kitchen crew in a fashion x skate editorial spread - what's not to love? 

Nine year old Quinne Daniels reps Airwalk in video and print ads, and shows up in Disney's new "Dream Big, Princess" commercials.

The Macy's "back to school" commercial featuring four female skaters is everything!!


SEPTEMBER

Birdhouse launches its new full length skate film SATURDAYS and Lizzie Armanto's part is AWESOME! 

Leticia Bufoni gives us a look inside her personal backyard skatepark in a new video

The Vans Park Series Championships held  in China shakes up the staus quo - Nora Vasconcellos takes 1st, Brighton Zeuner 2nd, and Kisa Nakamura in 3rd.

 Lacey Baker stuns the crowd by taking her second (and back to back) Nike SB Super Crown.

Alexis Sablone joins the WKND team

Poppy Starr Olsen brings home the gold for Australia, Arianna Carmona takes the silver for the USA and Amelia Brodka brings home the bronze medal for Poland at the first ever, Vert World Championships in Nanjing, China.

The Santa Cruz "Lady Lurkers" crew star in a new GAP Commercial. 

Vans launches a collab with legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld.



OCTOBER

We premeire the AU video "Daughters of Doom" skate film on our site and it's a huge hit!

Pro-Tec launches Brighton Zeuner's "Welcome to the Team" video - and it's rad

Queenie Wahine - a surf book for young girls comes out and we love the story and the illustrations.

The OG Ladies Jam is going strong and the 25+ category of ladies are killing it!

Downhill skater, Calleigh Little, becomes the 1st Transgender woman to skate from coast to coast and has the media at attention with every push she takes
  
 Outside Magazine puts Brazillian skater Dora Varella on its cover


NOVEMBER

Nike SB launches the first skate shoe made just for women. Finally a shoe built on a "women's last" so it fits us perfectly!

Musician Gin Wigmore launches a video for her new song "Cabrona" and it features GN4LW skaters; Emma Houle, Kyra Williams, Zara Percy, and Amanda Caloia

Nine year old skate sensation, Sky Brown, teams up with Pride Socks to launch a sock that supports children in Cambodia

GN4LW team rider Poppy Starr Olsen stars in the INXS REKICKED "Mystify" video and it's pretty awesome!

Exposure Skate cements itself as the largest all female skate contest in the world - 166 female skaters from all over the world show up in Encinitas, California to compete in both the Pro & AM divisions - and photographer Joanne Barratt covers the action for us

Leticia Bufoni goes Pro for Plan B Skateboards!


DECEMBER

Adidas Skateboarding launches the mini doc "Nora" to rav reviews

I-D puts out a short video about U.K. skater Rianne Evans - and it's nice to see the U.K. women's skate scene get some love

Tanvi Jagadish from India gives a TEDx talk about being India's first stand up paddler and surfer,  it's a TEDx talk that's well worth playing on repeat

Street skater Samarria Brevard turns pro for Enjoi Skateboards becoming the first female skater on the team



It's been a pretty rad year - here's to 2018 and MORE "firsts" in women's skateboarding!

Happy New Year!!