Hunter Long at 2017 ABC Comp

Poppy Starr Olsen at ABC 2017 Comp

 All photos and info via ABC

You can watch the ladies compete LIVE at the Australian Bowl-Riding Championships (ABC) this weekend - just click HERE and you can watch it all go down for FREE!

Skaters Include:

Sabre Norris
Poppy Starr Olsen
Hunter Long
Sockie Norris
Izy Mutu
Sari Simpson
Grace Cochrane

Times to Tune into the LIVE Webcast:

If you are in the USA,  Girls compete at 4:30 PM Friday & at 6:30  PM Saturday PST 

More time info in your area below!

Pro Skateboarder Lizzie Armanto, 2017 Vans Park Series World Championships in Shanghai, China Photo Credit: Anthony Acosta

Female skateboarders that are competing on the Vans Pro Park Series Tour should make sure they get their passports ready -  because this year you are competing in France, Brazil, & California, and if you make it to the World Championships, you'll be headed to China!  More stops equal more prize money (and more skate time)!  All of which are important as we head into the Olympics in 2020.


Press Release via VPS below:

              Vans Park Series Announces 2018 Pro Tour Schedule

World’s Definitive Park Terrain Skateboarding Competition to Expand Women’s Pro Tour Circuit with Two Additional Dates

Costa Mesa, CALIF. (February 21, 2018) – Vans Park Series, the official park terrain skateboarding World Championships Tour, proudly announces the 2018 VPS Pro Tour schedule to mark another groundbreaking milestone in elite competitive skateboarding. In 2016, Vans Park Series established an exciting new definition for the discipline of park terrain skateboarding, crowning the first-ever men's and women's professional park terrain skateboarding World Champions and completed 11 major events worldwide. In 2017, Vans Park Series established an open pathway to World Championships via select National and Continental Championships, completing 22 major events worldwide. One of those events was the first-ever women’s skateboarding competition in Chile.  

For 2018, Vans Park Series reinforces its ongoing commitment to the development of women’s skateboarding by expanding the 2018 season with the addition of two more Women’s World Championship qualifying events to create park terrain skateboarding’s first-ever Women’s World Championship global qualifying series.

2018 select VPS Continental and National Championship dates will be released via updates on www.vansparkseries.com.

2018 VANS PARK SERIES PRO TOUR SCHEDULE

Pro Tour

São Paulo, Brazil

June 2

Vancouver, Canada*

July 14

Huntington Beach, CA

August 4

Paris-Chelles, France

September 8

World Championships 

China

October 27

*Men’s Only Pro Tour Event

The 2018 Vans Park Series Pro Tour will kick off in São Paulo, Brazil on June 2, with the inauguration of South America’s first-and-only VPS-certified park terrain course, built and donated by Vans. The completely free and public São Paulo course will be only the second built-to-spec permanent public park terrain skateboarding course in the world, following the initial Malmö, Sweden park location. Consisting of four men’s global qualifiers and three women’s global qualifiers, the VPS Pro Tour spans across five countries on five continents over six months and culminates with the official Vans Park Series World Championships, sanctioned by the World Skate Federation to be held later this year in China.

Established in 2016, the Vans Park Series Pro Tour has made historic progress in the evolution of professional skateboarding today, championing its reputation as the first premier league for park terrain skateboarding discipline, and welcoming a new class of skateboarding talent the world has been waiting for. From crowning new international champions each season, to honoring the inaugural first-ever VPS-certified legacy skatepark in the skate-friendly city of Malmö, Sweden, Vans Park Series sustains its commitment to growing the participation of park terrain skateboarding worldwide, and promoting skateboarding’s creative culture for future generations.

Known for its unrivaled combination of speed, style, flow, amplitude and creativity, park terrain is the fastest growing discipline in competitive skateboarding today. The Vans Park Series is the defining event series for global competitive park terrain skateboarding and the first and only point system culminating in the official World Skate-sanctioned park terrain skateboarding World Championships and Continental Championships for men and women. Visit vansparkseries.com to learn more.



ABOUT VANS PARK SERIES

The 2018 Vans Park Series Pro Tour is the premier series for professional park terrain skateboarders consisting of four men’s global qualifiers and three women’s global qualifiers spanning five countries over six months and culminating with the official Vans Park Series World Championships. The men’s and women’s park terrain skateboarding 2018 Vans Park Series World Championships are sanctioned by Skateboarding’s official Olympic governing body and will be held on October 27 in China.

Showcasing an international roster of skateboarding’s elite pros and a total series purse in excess of $700,000(USD), the Vans Park Series uniquely defines the park terrain format with its exclusive points system, judging guidelines and qualifying park terrain course criteria. Additional information and live webcast details will be available on the official Vans Park Series iOS app and online.

Follow the Vans Park Series on social media or sign up online now for the latest information on Vans Park Series event details, elite pros, official sanctions and competition formats.

vansparkseries.com

@vansparkseries on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter

Marielyn Didal  / Photo Maui Hidalgo

It is very rare to see a female skater on the cover of any skateboard magazine, so to see Margielyn Didal from the Philippines gracing the cover of Blunt Magazine doing a 360 flip, is awesome!

She also has a TWENTY TWO page article inside of the mag - WOW!  This rad girl has a lot to say about growing up skating the streets of Cebu, where she lives.

This is definitely an issue to check out - you can read the entire article and check out more rad images of Margielyn  right HERE

Cheers to Blunt Magazine and Margielyn!  

images via Nike SB / photos by Sam McGuire

The new Nike SB Women's Bruin High designed by Lacey Baker releases tomorrow!  It features a premium leather upper, and Lacey's visibility symbol on the heel tab (more on that below). This shoe looks pretty badass and we bet girls will be lining up to grab a pair.

"The eye symbolizes visibilty, and visibility is important for people who aren't normally seen in mainstream media."

---  Lacey Baker 

You can grab a pair of the new NIKE SB's at a skate shop near you or online HERE on Saturday 2/24/18

All images /art work are property of Jim Rugg 

To say we have been fans of the comic Street Angel for quite a while is putting it mildly. From the moment we were introduced to badass, skateboarding, ninja fighting, homeless, pre-teen Jesse Sanchez, AKA "Street Angel", we were hooked!

"Jesse, a.k.a. Street Angel is a rare gem in the male-dominated world of comic book characters. When you finally find a comic book hero that is female, skateboards, and kicks ass, that's when you know young girls out there now have a strong super hero to follow. STREET ANGEL shows girls that they can be anything they want to be, including someone who saves the world and fights injustices, one bad guy at a time. She also defies female stereotypes right and left, and that is pretty darn cool."

-Cindy Whitehead, founder of Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word

The creators of Street Angel,  Jim Rugg (artist & author) & Brian Maruca (author), transport us to a world where a young girl is a world-class street skateboarder,  living on the streets, fighting ninjas and drugs, and she possesses powers that help her escape traps, scale walls, pick locks and every other cool thing we wished we could do at that age.  She has friends like Bell, Bald Eagle and Josey the dog. Her enemies include Dr. Skatenstein, The Goose, Boy Jesse and more.

The ongoing story of Jesse and her fight for justice now comes in book form! Oversized and colorful, these books are a perfect gift for any rad girl (or boy) in your life. The Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word crew of skaters read them with a vengeance!

The latest book in the series is "Street Angel - Super Hero For A Day" - which is one of our favorites. Read the snip below to get an idea of the book's premise.

"Jesse knows the pressures of being the girl who always saves the day and she’s okay with it. It’s just who she is. But when she and her friends stumble across a powerful alien artifact - they soon realize that being a superhero isn’t all fun and games."

You can read the books in any order you choose, but we suggest starting at the beginning and working your way through the rich storylines as Jesse evolves and gathers new friends and enemies along the way.

The Street Angel series of books are available via Amazon right ----> HERE  or via the individual links to each book below.


Street Angel The Princess of Poverty
Street Angel
Street Angel Gang
Street Angel After School Kung Fu Special
Street Angel Super Hero For A Day


* Stay tuned, because we have a rad project we are doing in conjunction with Street Angel that will be launching this fall!

Nice to be thumbing through this months SHAPE Magazine and see Lizzie Armanto in a full page article in the "Get Fit" section! The March issue is on sale now if you want to grab a copy and support!

Sabre Norris

Jordyn Barratt

Hunter Long

Poppy Starr Olsen

Sabre Norris

Sabre Norris

Sabre Norris taking it all in at Bowl-A-Rama

Sabre's sister Sockie, hugging her after an amazing comp

Photos Tiffany Williams for Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word

Well, you already know how it turned out with little Sabre Norris winning Bowl-A-Rama last night, but we thought we'd extend the awesome feeling of that comp by sharing some more pics from the finals. All the girls ripped so hard and it really brought women's skateboarding to a whole new level.

And don't worry, the Australian Bowl Riding Championships are up next, and then in New Zealand, Bowlzilla is happening the exact same weekend as Girls Combi here in the USA, and then we move on to Vert Attack in Malmo, Sweden on March 22-24. So plenty of comps to watch, and for us to cover!

Huge thanks again to Bowl-A-Rama, Kind Agency and TSE for having us cover the women's comp again this year!

Have a great President's Day weekend. xx

Sabre Norris

Poppy Starr Olsen

Jordyn Barratt

Hunter Long

Grace Cochrane

Photos Tiffany Williams for Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word

We thought the Bowl-A-Rama qualifiers were insanely good,  but the finals were killer. These girls were in it to win. There was no holding back and the skating was fast and furious. It was one of the best women's contests we have ever seen!

Sabre Norris seemingly came out of nowhere for this contest and put together each of her runs full of back to back tricks, including huge FS airs, andrechts, switch 50/50's and of course the incredible 540 that she threw down with total ease.

Last years Bowl-A-Rama winner, Jordyn Barratt, came out swinging with a mixture of tricks including FS inverts, BS airs, crail slides, a beautiful boneless, gay twists, her signature eggplant and a FS stalefish. She's always fun to watch, and mixes it up every run.

Poppy Starr Olsen, always a crowd favorite, dropped in and executed a perfect run to set the tone. From feeble's, BS airs, Front 5-0's, Rock sliders, inverts, an alley oops with a mute grab and a gay twist, she was all about smooth style and power during her runs. She really has a nice mix of tricks  and doesn't fear just going for it!

Hunter Long had some beautiful and stylish tricks in her runs - including an eggplant, inverts, smith grinds and she even went for a 540 straight off on one of her last runs - so ballsy!! We think we will be seeing Hunter on podium more this yaer - she just keeps getting stronger and more stylish all the time.

Newcomer Grace Cochrane had some nice feeble grinds, rocksliders, and a rad decked out rock & roll, she tried a back D that we wished she had made - she was so close!  She has only been skating 3 years and is one to watch. We will definitely be seeing more of this rad young girl!

BOWL-A-RAMA WOMEN'S CONTEST RESULTS:

1st   Sabre Norris
2nd  Jordyn Barratt
3rd   Poppy Starr Olsen
4th   Garce Cochrane 
5th   Hunter Long


Women's skateboarding is progressing fast, and we like what we are seeing!

Congrats to all the girls for a great comp and thanks to Bowl-A-Rama for having us!

  Photos Joanne Barratt / Island Style Images

Tonight was a total showdown at Bowl-A-Rama - twelve girls skated their hearts out but only 5 could make it to the finals.

From the youngest to the oldest, these ladies used every part of the bowl and threw down everything from 540's to flip tricks. The future of women's skateboarding looks bright!


Heat 1

Poppy Starr Olsen - AU
Hunter Long - USA
Sky Brown - JAPAN
Sockie Norris - AU
Charlotte Heath - AU
Grace Cochrane - AU

Heat  2

Jordyn Barratt - USA
Sabre Norris - AU
Tania Meyers - AU
Sari Simpson - AU
Bryce Wettstein - USA
Izy Mutu - AU


FINAL RESULTS:

Tune in tomorrow to watch the top five girls compete during the Women's Finals LIVE:

Sabre Norris - AU
Poppy Starr Olsen - AU
Jordyn Barratt  - USA
Hunter Long - USA
Grace Cochrane - AU

Jordyn Barratt

Sari Simpson

Poppy Starr Olsen

Bryce Wettstein

Grace Cochrane

Tania Meyers

Charlotte Heath

Sockie Norrie

Sky Brown

Sabre Norris

Photos via Joanne Barratt / Island Style Images

Bowl-A-Rama starts TODAY in Australia - that means you can watch it here in the USA tonight (Friday) via the LIVE webcast - more info on how to watch HERE

The women's comp line up is looking strong, with some new girls in the mix that we traditionally have not seen at comps in the past - here is who to watch for in the qualifiers today.


Jordyn Barratt  - USA
Poppy Starr Olsen - AU
Hunter Long - USA
Sabre Norris - AU
Sockie Norris - AU
Charlotte Heath - AU
Grace Cochrane - AU
Sky Brown - JAPAN
Tania Meyers - AU
Sari Simpson - AU
Bryce Wettstein - USA
Izy Mutu - AU

 We can't wait to see who makes it to the finals.

Support the women by tuning into the LIVE webcast - all times and info HERE 

Good luck to all the girls competing!

Bowl-A-Rama Practice - Photo Joanne Barratt

Bow-A-Rama Practice - Photo Tiffany Williams

 Additional photos via Jimmy's Skate & Street

Welcome to the team Grace!

We are stoked to announce that Aussie skater Grace Cochrane is now part of the Girl is NOT a 4 Letter team!

Fifteen year old Grace lives and skates in Tasmania and also counts Globe, Jimmy's Skate & Street and She Shreds Australia as her sponsors. She recently qualified to come in as a wild card to compete at this weekend's Bowl-A-Rama comp in Sydney, AU (her first BIG comp!) and we have heard she is attacking that pool like a veteran!

Get to know Grace:

*Favourite foods would be smoothies or pizza.
 
*I love pop music but when I skate I love any music that’ll get me hyped! 

*My favourite song before I skate is Bad Habit by offspring. It’s such a hectic song it pumps me up!

*And usually I have a lucky shirt or socks for comp days.
 

Grace will be competing along with our pro rider, Poppy Starr Olsen, this weekend at Bowl-A-Rama along with so many great female skaters from all over the world - all details to watch on the live web feed can be found HERE

Have a great time Grace!

Photo via The Hollywood Reporter

More Valentines Day good news for women in skateboarding!  It was announced today that Magnolia Pictures has secured the rights to Crystal Moselle's film about the all-female Skate Kitchen crew. While the film is labeled as fiction, it sounds like the story line is pretty close to what Rachelle and the other girls have experienced together.

The film stars real life skaters; Rachelle Vinberg, Dede Lovelace, Nina Moran, Ajani Russell and Kabrina Adams, along with actor Jayden Smith.

Looks like The Skate Kitchen will be a summer release in a theater near you - we can't wait!

Photos by Joanne Barratt & Ian Logan / Skaters Yndiara Asp & Hunter Long

Night before Combi come join us at Vans Combi for a fun evening!

We are so excited to share this HISTORIC moment (and on Valentines Day no less!) Women's skateboarding is changing and history is being made!!

This info just in via Vans & World Cup Skateboarding:

Dear Pro Combi Skaters

It is my honor to share with you that the Vans Girl Combi Classic will offer a prize purse equal to the purse offered at the Vans Pool Party. All professional skateboarders should have the equal opportunity to compete for prizes that support and uplift their passion, talent and hard work.

Additionally, I’d like to invite you, your family and friends to the Vans Skatepark in Orange the evening before the competition to celebrate women’s skateboarding. This evening is dedicated to the pioneers of the skate industry and beginners who just want to come and learn something new with their friends. I am honored to be a part of a community that together, will inspire a new wave of women’s skateboarding progression. 

To RSVP for Friday night event click  ----->  HERE


Girls Combi New Purse 2018.  $65,000!!!!


1st $28,000
2nd $14,000
3rd $7,000
4th $3,500
5th $3,000
6th $2,500
7th $2,000
8th $1,800
9th $1,700
10th $1,500


If you haven’t already confirmed your invitation to compete, please do by responding to Don Bostick: don@wcsk8.com

Poppy Starr Olsen

Jordyn Barratt

Sky Brown

Charlotte Heath

 All photos by Joanne Barratt / Island Stye Images

We have a sneak peek from the girls practice session yesterday in Sydney, Australia where the girls are dominating the pool in preparation for this weekend's big comp. The General Pants Bowl-A-Rama is on Saturday (Qulaifiers) and Sunday (finals) and you won't want to miss catching it - girls have flown in from all over the world to compete and this year we will see some new faces in the line up.

Check out Jordyn Barratt (US), Poppy Starr Olsen (AU), Sky Brown (Japan), and Charlotte Heath (AU) above. 

If you want to find out how to watch the contest LIVE and know what day and time it plays where you live,  make sure you check out our info on how to watch ---->  HERE

Poppy Starr Olsen - image via Bowl-A-Rama

 all info/images via Bowl-A-Rama

This weekend is Bowl-A-Rama in Sydney, Australia and the women's comp is looking like it is full of surprises. Besides the usual rippers coming from the USA - Jordyn Barratt, Allysha Le and Hunter Long, AU champion Poppy Starr Olsen will be returning to defend her title, and Izzy Mutu and Sari Simpson will be competing again as well. But this year will see some new girls going head to haed with the regulars.

Keep an eye out for Australian phenom, surfer/skater Sabre Norris, and Japan's internet sensation, Sky Brown as they battle their way through prelims, and hopefully to the finals. These two young girls have huge social media followings that are sure to boost the women's event to a new capacity of viewership.

Also make sure to watch our newest Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team rider, Gracie Cochrane, from Tasmania, make her Bowl-A-Rama debut! Gracie is ripping, and we can't wait to see her compete.

If you want to see the comp in person, make sure you buy tickets now as they are going fast  - Get tickets  HERE


WEBCAST SCHEDULE:

* Please Note - If you live in AU the webcast is free, if you live outside of AU you will be paying a small fee to view - so sign up now and have your credit card ready * 

Times above to watch the entire webcast featuring

 juniors, women, masters and pro's, in your area

Women's Comp Times in USA:

Friday  PST    7:00 PM
Friday  EST   10:00 PM

Saturday   PST  7:30 PM
Saturday  EST  10:30 PM

2/17 - UPDATE!!!  We have heard the women's Finals will start at 7 PM PST today (Saturday) 10 PM EST.

 
Register to watch the live webcast ----> HERE

Via The Skateboarder's Journal / Photos by Darren Kirby

Australia's Izy Mutu has a ten page interview in the new issue of The Skateboarder's Journal and now you can check ot the whole thing on-line! Watching Izy skate always reminds us of watching USA shredder, Julz Lynn. They both attack the elements and have that 70's style going on - its always "balls to the wall" when they skate and we love that!

Jump over HERE to read Izy's interview and check out the rad skate photos.

Flyer art by K. Hughes

Get ready because on February 13 from 4 PM -8 PM the annual "Galentines Day" Progression Session is taking place in Phoenix, Arizona and you're invited!

Hosted by rippers JanthavyNorton,  Stacy Lovell, Mia Lovell, and Natalie Krishna Das, at a backyard park in the Phoenix, Arizona area.

This series of events is to inspire and empower young women through skateboarding, fashion, positivity and friendship. It's also a safe place to learn without judgement.

So many rad companies have donated apparel and gear, so you'll want to make sure you are there to score some goodies, have a great ladies skate session and lots fun (and pizza!)! The $150 for best trick is sponsored by Uncle Skate. All levels are welcome!  Make sure to bring a sticker or two for the sticker exchange.



** You'll need to RSVP to Janthavy@gmail.com with "Girls Sesh RSVP" in the subject line to get details on exact location. 

Skateboarding is Not a Fashion / Jay Smith on cover / Photo C.R. Stecyk

We have been waiting for this book to arrive!  Browsing through the just released "Skateboarding is Not a Fashion" is like a time capsule of skateboarding and what we wore from the 1950's to 1984. But it's not just about the clothes, it's also about why we chose to wear what we did, how we wore it and how it influnces fashion today.

The best part of opening this monster of a book was coming across numerous pages talking about, or featuring the female skaters of the various eras.

We are not going to show you all of those pages because we think this book is well worth shelling out $54.00 on Amazon to buy,  but we will show you this awesome 2 page spread where pro skateboarder Judi Oyama talks about why she wore what she did back in the 70's and 80's, how she even made skate shorts for her friends, and you can see her customized denim shirt and track jacket on top right of page.

There is a full interview with 50's skater Pattie McGee, a 2-page spread of 70's pro skater Vicki Vickers and some smaller shots of Laura Thornhill, Robin Logan and others sprinkled throughout the book.

Our favorite paragraph from the book:

"It was a man's world, and only a few girls could hang in such an environment, not to mention deal with the blows of riding verticle concrete pools.  Standout female pro riders  of the era include Dogtown's Peggy Oki, Laura Thornhill & Robin Logan of Logan Earth Ski fame, Marina del Rey local Cindy Whitehead, and Judi Oyama from Santa Cruz. The late 1970's competitive female skateboarding circuit was a tight-knit group, rife with heated rivalries."  


We're telling you - grab this book before they sell out! You can buy it HERE

These ladies are out there skating their hearts out and they are inspiring millions. These female skateboarders are all over age sixy and are shredding hard. Brought together by a page on Facebook started by Elizabeth (age 66) called "Very Old Skateboarders",  these women have created a space where they encourage one another and thrive. Some of the members only took up skateboarding recently, and they have people around the world in the group.

You are never too old to learn something new and have fun - a great reminder that skateboarding is for everyone!

Check out this rad Black & Decker spot featuring pro skateboarder Jordyn Barratt & her friend, Auby Taylor, shredding the legnedary Nude Bowl in the  California desert.

We love when we see commercial spots featuring female skaters, and even more so, when they are filmed in places like this. Not all skateboarding takes place in a skatepark, nice seeing just how versatile Jordyn is - the girl can skate anything and hold her own!