Jordan Santana

Stella Reynolds

Bella Kenworthy

Lilly Stoephaius

Isdora Pacheco

Ruby Trew

Bella, Ruby & Jordan

The under 14  division at the Vans Girls Combi had so much talent in it! These little girls were skating fast and hard and using both the round and square pools. There were girls from USA, Germany, Brazil, Australia and Japan in this group.  It's going to be insane the next few years watching these little girls come up the ranks!

RESULTS

1. Bella Kenworthy $1,000
2. Jordan Santa $600
3. Ruby Trew $400

5. Isadora Pacheco
6. Stella Reynolds
7. Lilly Stoephaius
8. Carlin Makibbin
9. Ruby Lilley
10.Nora Baker

Michelle Barnett

Tuling Lam

Michelle Yoon

Dora Varella

Lauren Canoura

Gabrielle Brownfield

Michelle, Dora, & Gabrielle

Photos Ian Logan - if you choose to share/post - please credit @ianloganphoto  & @girlisnota4letterword  - Thank you!

The over 15 division had nine skaters total and they were fighting tooth and nail for the podium spots. We have seen so much rapid progression in the past year in this division. Michelle Yoon was attacking the pool like she owned it, Dora Varella was skating as if this was her home park  (instead of residing in Brazil), Jesse Frietze, and Michelle Barnett are two girls we have been keeping an eye on for awhile and both have progressed by leaps and bounds since we saw them last year!  And Gabrille Brownfield was on fire - so fun watching her! Nice seeing Lauren Canoura & Stacie Roberts out here from Florida competing as well.

We guarantee there will be a lot more action in the coming years from this group!

RESULTS

1. Dora Varella $1,000
2. Michelle Yoon $600
3. Gabrielle Brownfield $400

4. Jessie Frietze
6. Tuling Lam
6. Lauren Canoura
7. Michelle Barnett
8. Stacie Roberts
9. Audrey Indigo



Huge thanks to Vans, World Cup Skateboarding, the judges and staff for making this one of the best contests ever!

Poppy Starr Olsen

Brighton Zeuner

Nicole Hause

Jordyn Barratt

Minna Stess

Lea Taylor

Sakura Yosozumi

Bryce Wettstein

Lizzie Armanto

Kihana Ogawa

Leticia Goncalves

Bia Sodre

Grace Marhoefer

Kat Folsom

Spencer Breaux

Arianna Carmona

Allysha Le

Lizzie, Brighton, Jordyn, Nicole, Steve Caballero & Poppy

Poppy giving Nicole a well deserved hug and congrats!

Photos Ian Logan - if you choose to share/post - please credit @ianloganphoto  & @girlisnota4letterword  - Thank you!

The Vans Girls Combi is always a highlight of the year in women's skateboarding, but this year it was even more special. The night before the contest, Vans threw the first in a series of events, to celebrate and encourage girls to skateboard - complete with a band, photo gallery show, panel about skateboarding, create your own grip tape, artwork, clinics, checkerboard nails by Minx Nails and more.

The contest itself was historic - the prize purse was $65,000 - making it EQUAL to the men's combi prize purse. Female EQUALITY!  Something women and girls in skateboarding have been fighting for, and now see as reality - thanks to Vans.

Girls came from all over to compete - Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan and from all over the USA. The under 14 division and over 15 divisions were packed with amazing skaters! (More on that and photos later)

From the get go this contest just felt different, the girls stepped it up and the tricks they were pulling were amazing, they cheered each other on and had fun while pushing the level of female skateboarding forward.

We need to mention that we loved Brighton Zeuner's outfit for qualifiers and finals - she was dressed in yellow and black as the lead character from the movie Kill Bill. Visually it was great and she definitely was killing it!

Eleven year old Minna Stess took hard slam to her hip and had to be looked at in the medical tent just prior to competing in the Pro Qualifiers - but she powered through and threw it down to make the finals. So cool to see the younger girls competing at such a high level.

When it was announced that Nicole Hause was the winner of the pro division, every single girl was on her feet cheering for her and stoked that she won. There was no question that last night was her night.

Congrats to all the girls who competed and stay tuned for photos from the AM divisions soon!


FINALS  RESULTS

1. Nicole Hause  $28,000
2. Jordyn Barratt   $14,000
3. Brighton Zeuner  $7,000
4. Lizzie Armanto  $3,500
5. Poppy Starr Olsen  $3,000
6. Sakura Yosozumi  $2,500
7. Arianna Carmona  $2,000
8. Grace Marhoefer  $1,800
9. Minna Stess   $1,700
10. Lea Taylor  $1,500


Huge thanks to Vans, World Cup Skateboarding, the judges and staff for making this one of the best contests ever!

Traveling to another city and want to find some people to skate with? At home but you want to find a new skate spot with some new people? You might want to download the new FREE app LOKE.

Make sure you wtach the video above, because it features the Skate Kitchen's Rachel Vinberg and friends.

Designed by skaters for skaters, Loke offers real-time visibility into where users are skating and where the best sessions are happening. With Loke, skaters can communicate with their crew and plan sessions at hundreds of skate spots available in each major city across the US.

We downloaded it to our iphone this morning and found three of our skater friends on the app - no info on where they plan to skate today, but we think that the more people join and use the app, the better results you will have.

Worth a try, especially if you want to find out easily where people are meeting up to skate!

 Skateboarder Sierra Prescott - Photo Matt Hind

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

 

Today's the day to thank the women who came before us, to cheer for the women and girls that are charging now, and to lift up and encourage the girls that will later lead us to full equality.

We celebrate all of you - today and everyday. 

Jordyn Barratt - 2017 Pro Division Girls Combi 1st place - Photo Ian Logan

Last years pro divison podium - Poppy Starr Olsen, Jordyn Barratt, Nicole Hause - Photo Ian Logan

Vans Girls Combi Pool Classic 2018  is coming up this Friday & Saturday, March 9 & 10, 2018

Vans, once again is very happy to present the Seventh Annual Girls Combi Pool Classic.

World Cup Skateboarding is inviting the top girl bowl skaters in the world to compete for a historic prize purse of $65,000

18 Girls have been invited for both Am Divisions: 14 and Under and the Open Amateur (15
and Over).

Last year’s Pro Champion, Jordyn Barratt and Arianna Carmona, WCS #1 for 2017, will be
advance directly to the Pro finals along with the top 6 qualifying skaters.



New Pro Purse $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 $1,600



AM – (14 years of age and under – up to 18 skaters,  (Age refers to the age as of July 1, 2018)

1st: $1000
2nd: $600
3rd: $400


AM – (Open Amateur 15 years of age and over– up to 18 skaters)

1st: $1000
2nd: $600
3rd: $400

Event info:

- Free skating is now in effect at the park!

- Friday practice ends at 3:00 PM as Vans will be hosting a women event called "Get on Board", where they will be celebrating women helping women get on skateboards. Food, activities, music and a special Guest Panel.


To RSVP for Friday night's Vans event please go  ----> HERE

Event Schedule:

Friday March. 9, 2018

11:00 AM – 3:00 PM – Registration and Check in
11:30 PM – 12:30 PM – Practice for Amateurs 14 & Under
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM – Practice for Amateurs 15 & Over
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM – Practice for the Pros
4:00 PM – 10:00 PM - Vans presents: ”Get on Board”!

Saturday March 10, 2018.- Competition

Amateur 14 & Under: 20 minute warm-up, – 3 – 40 second runs, best run –Results are final.

9:00 AM - 9:40 AM – Heat 1
9:40 AM – 10:20 AM – Heat 2
10:20 AM – 11:00 AM – Heat 3

Open Am: 20 minute warm-up, – 3 – 40 second runs, best run – Results are final.

11:00 AM – 11:40 AM – Heat 1
11:40 AM – 12:20 PM – Heat 2
12:20 PM – 1:00 PM – Heat 3

Pros: 20 minute warm-up, – 3 – 40 second runs, best run – top 8 advance plus last year’s
Champ, Jordyn Barrett and Arianna Carmona, WCS #1 for 2017

1:00 PM – 1:40 PM - Heat 1
1:40 PM – 2:20 PM - Heat 2
2:20 PM – 3:00 PM – Heat 3
3:00 PM – 3:40 PM – Heat 4
3:45 PM Pro Finals – best of 4 runs
4:30 PM Awards

Make sure you come out and join the Ladies Day Skate Sesh & BBQ this Sunday in southern Oregon hosted by Skate Sirens and Few and Far Women. This group of girls is growing larger by the week so join in and have a great time with some rad skate sisters!   


Sunday, March 11 at 3 PM
Gold Hill Park
14745 OR-234
Gold Hill, OR 97525

Drawing of Lizzie Armanto by Carly Bizama from a photo by Ian Logan from the book "It''s Not About Pretty: A Book About Radical Skater Girls"

Chloe Kim - Olympic Gold Medalist Snowboarding

Nicole Adams Obe - Boxing Champion

Ibtihaj Muhammed - Fencing Champion

It's true, girls need more positive role models. We love that Barbie has started making dolls for girls that inspire them to dream big, and set the world on fire. From artists, chefs, journalists, scientists, to astronauts, aviators, activists, filmmakers and athletes, this new Global #Shehero line of dolls has a role model for just about everyone - but we have to say that we'd love to see a female skateboarder and surfer in the line up too!

Pro snowboarder and Olympic gold medalist, Chloe Kim, is one of the 17 role models - current & historic - honored in the new collection.

“Barbie’s message — to show girls that they can be anything — is something I can get behind,” the 17-year-old Kim said in a media statement. “I’m so honored to be considered a role model and want girls to know that they can be athletic and girly at the same time!”

We were super excited to see Chloe in this line up, and even pictured her doll sitting in on our office shelf, but then we became disappointed when we found out that only the Frida Kahlo, Amelia Earhart and Katherine Johnson dolls will actually be available to purchase - the rest of these amazing role model dolls are "one of a kind" and not for sale according to Barbie/ Mattel's statement on Instagram today.

Our bubble just burst....

Emma Houle

Zara, Emma, and Kyra on set

Amanda on set breaking down the scene

Kyra power slide

The girls on set ready to skate

Gin and her Girl Gang

Zara Percy

Gin on set - while 8 1/2 months pregnant!

Photos by Rayana for Gin Wigmore

You may remember that badass music video, Cabrona, by musician Gin Wigmore that some of the Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word skater girls were featured in?  Well, in celebration of International Women's Month, we are stoked to say that Gin has decided to donate all proceeds from her online store for the entire month of March to our GN4LW movement so we can help even more female skaters!

To help celebrate we are sharing some behind the scenes photos from the music video shoot and the Cabrona video - enjoy!

The "Cabrona" music video featured some of our fave skater girls - Zara Percy, Emma Houle, Kyra Williams & Amanda "Panda" Caloia, so we love that Gin is always on board with helping our mission and the girls!

Check out the extra special GIRL GANG BUNDLE in the online store!   It's super cool!!

You can order Gin Wigmore merchandise that benefits the Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word movement HERE 

Check out skateboarder Christiana Means in the new "Trust Fund Baby" music video. Great video about guys actually wanting girls who do something in life . Christiana's part starts at 2:09, but you should watch the entire video, the other girls are pretty rad too!

We heard that Christiana didn't have special effects put a cut and butterfly bandage over her eye and blood on her hands - that actually happened while skating right after they started filming. We're sorry she got hurt, but we love how real this whole clip is!

Get ready for the 16th Annual West Hobart Bowl Jam presented by Van Diemen Skateboards and brought to you by the rad people at Jimmy's Skate & Street!  There is $3,000 in CASH up for grabs + prizes. So make sure if you are anywhere near Tasmania, AU you show up and skate. We have heard this event is a total blast!!

It's an all in jam for a few hours which gives guys/girls/masters/kids plenty of time to skate. Money is given out to anyone who does a rad trick during the day.

After party they announce the king/queen/master and grommet of the bowl!

Vans has set out to change women's skateboarding this year in more ways than one. The first announcement was the $65,000 prize purse (equal to the men's prize purse) for the Girl Combi Contest taking place on March 10.

Just in time for International Women''s Day on March 8, Vans has now stated that they are starting 100 mobile skate clinics in major cities around the world to teach girls to skate! How great is that!? The clinics are open to all levels of girls - beginners to experts - and we know this will inspire the next generation of girls and women to get out and skate!

Check out the video above of two of our favorite skaters, Atita Verghese and Lizzie Armanto teaching girls to skate in Bangalore, India.  The video above about Girls Skate India  kicks off the initiative. 

Skateboarding has the power to change girls lives - all over the world. 

For a complete list of the girls skate clinics Vans is putting on go HERE 
  

The new issue of THRASHER MAGAZINE is out on newsstands now, and you should definitely grab a copy. This April issue is another historic moment in women's skateboarding - a full-on girls road trip with Lizzie Armanto, Nora Vasconcellos, Brighton Zeuner, Allysha Le, Samarria Brevard, Lacey Baker Yndiara Asp & Nicole Hause.  They hit up spots all over Arizona, from street to pools, and from the look of it, had a blast.

"Please Don't Grab My Boob" / "Girls Arizona" was written by Nora Vasconcellos, with photos by Rhino. There are 14 pages, full of action photos, behind the scenes moments (pedicures anyone?), commentary about fashion, Brighton's top 10 sk8r boys, and of course the actual skate trip - well worth the  $4.99 cover price.

Also in this issue, a full-page, inside cover ad for Krux Trucks featutring Nora and her new pro model trucks and a 2-page ad for Bones Wheels featuring Lizzie and her new pro wheel.

And NO, we are not going to show you the entire 14 pages, because we want you to get out and support girls skateboarding by buying a copy of this issue so more coverage like this keeps happening and a girls skate trip covered by a major skate mag is not a novelty any more. .

Welcome Skate Deck, Krux Trucks, OJ Wheels, Mob Grip Tape

It's only appropriate that today is the first day of Female History Month and we lead off with this story...

We have been waiting since the day we started skateboarding to be able to walk into a skate shop, throw some cash down on the counter, and get a board set up with all pro female skate products. If we would have asked that question at our local skate shop even a year ago, they would have just smiled and shook their heads.

The great news is, that moment has finally come!  And Nora Vasconcellos has made skate history this month as the only female skater who has ever had a full pro product line where you could actually put together a complete board that is all her!

Check it out:

*Nora Vasconcellos Pro Model Welcome Skateboards Deck - various colors and sizes
*Nora's Pro Model Krux Trucks - 7.6 to 8.5 available
*Nora's Purple "Cat & Mouse" wheels from OJ Wheels - 55mm 101a
*Nora grip tape by Mob - in two different graphics

You can even order each piece you see above, on line at So Cal Skate Shop

So basically you can put together an entire set up of Nora pro products if you want to. We never thought we would see a day where we'd be able to say that - and it's so frigging RAD.

Why is that important? Because girls out there need female role models - especially in a male dominated sport - and by having pro products from their favorite female skaters on the market, these young girls can finally take pride in skating a pro female riders deck, her wheels, her trucks, and even her griptape.

As always, please support products that suport female skaters - the time is NOW to skate a deck, wheels, trucks, grip tape and even shoes & apparel  from your favorite female pro riders! 

Photos of Elise Crigar by Alex Barnes

Guess what?!  We collaborated with Dusters California and artist Priscilla Witte to bring you a super rad, feminism-powered cruiser skateboard!

In a time when women have to work twice as hard for half the respect, Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word collaborates with Dusters California and artist Priscilla Witte to give women a boost of GIRL POWER.

“Women are fighting for equality and respect in all industries,” said Cindy Whitehead, GN4LW founder. “The GIRL POWER cruiser is one way I can tell the women of the world that I stand with them.” Cindy hopes to empower and inspire women with messages such as, “FEMINIST, my other favorite F word,” and “Be a Rebel. Take a Risk” scattered throughout the board’s illustration.

Photo Alex Barnes

"As an artist, I felt it was important for me to use symbols and words on this board to help remind female skaters to stay strong, conquer your fears, be yourself, follow what inspires you, and reach your goals,” said Priscilla, who’s known for her simplistic, quirky, and relatable style.

The GN4LW “GIRL POWER” cruiser skateboard is designed for both a women’s mind and body, coming in at 8.25” wide, 31” long, with a 16” wheelbase. It includes Tensor trucks in red and blue, Dusters wheels in red and blue, and 1/8” riser pads. It’s pre-gripped with clear broadcast griptape and boasts a signed illustration of an iconic Cindy photo, which features her skating a halfpipe in the 70’s with headphones on (listening to Joan Jett of course!).

Photo of Kala Fernandez by Ian Logan

Cindy has led the fight for women’s equality in skateboarding ever since she conquered the male-dominated profession of pro-vert skateboarding in the 70’s. To this day, she is the only female to be featured in the centerfold of a skateboarding magazine with a two-page article, her skateboard history has been taken into the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American Sports History collections, and her TEDx talk has empowered women everywhere. Cindy was inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame on May 13, 2016.

This is the 7th deck in a long line of Dusters and GN4LW collaborations where a portion of the sales benefit a 501c3 non-profit. This year’s recipient is Bridge to Skate: a nonprofit that uses skateboarding to transform the lives of youth by creating dynamic new paths to self-confidence, personal empowerment, and responsibility for each other and their communities.

Photos of Girl Power Board by Ian Logan

The Dusters California x GN4LW “GIRL POWER” cruiser skateboard is now available at these online stores and skate shops worldwide!


The Odell's   Free shipping and 15% off your first order by signing up for their emails! 

So Cal Skate Shop  - curently selling for $109.95 

Thank You Supply 

Basement Skate - Europe

Hyper Ride - New Zealand

Route One - Australia

Dusters California  - free shipping

 images via Nora Vasconcellos instagram

We were stoked to find out that Nora Vasconcellos has her own pro wheel out with OJ wheels!  Yep, the awesome purple "OJ Nora Vasconcellos Cat & Mouse Pro Wheel" has officially dropped, and you can order a set online now!

A set of the Nora x OJ wheel is $29.95 and right now So Cal Skateshop has them in stock - Get yours HERE!

Congrats Nora!!

Another fun video in the Pro-Tec Basic Series with Pro-Tec Junior riders, Ryann & Jade Cannon.

Follow the Pro-Tec Basic series on YouTube for more fun videos that will help you progress faster while learning to skateboard.

 
Photos by Dean Tirkot / via Bowl-a-rama instagram feed

This weekend was the Australian Bowl-Riding Championships in Newcastle, AU.  It was great to see so many girls come out and compete (12 competitors!).  Nice to also see a new sponsor Girls Make Your Move sponsor the women's event along with Grundy's Skate Store.

Congrats to all the girls who came out and shredded!


Australian Bowl-Riding Championships Women's Results: 

1st place    Poppy Starr Olsen
2nd place  Taniah Meters
3rd place   Charlotte Heath

4th place   Shane Collins
5th place   Ava Godfrey
6th place   Izy Mutu
7th place   Sari Simpson
8th place   Jade Perry
9th place   Zahra Johns
10th place Gemma Balkin
11th Place Lexi Russell
12th place Ivy Radnidge

 Updated info via The Australian Bowl-Riders Championships

Well, unfortunately, if you weren't at the ABC comp in AU you didn't get to watch the women's qualifiers yesterday after all. There was a misprint on the ABC website saying that first day of comp was live, but unfortunately that wasn't the case.

So the good part is, you can tune into the women's finals happening LIVE today!

The top 6 riders from qualifiers made it to the finals

1. Poppy Starrr Olsen
2. Taniah Meyers
3. Charlotte Heath
4. Izy Mutu
5. Shanae Collins
6. Ava Godfrey

Catch the ladies finals LIVE today - Saturday at  6:30 PM PST

Lacey Baker's designed a new Nike SB Bruin Hi for Nike and it drops tomorrow, so get geared up for it with this rad new part featuring Lacey that Nike SB released today!

Info on where to get the Lacey Baker designed shoe HERE 

Judi Oyama in the late 70's

Pattie Hoffman in the early  80's

Huge congrats to Judi Oyama and Pattie Hoffman for being inducted into Skateboarding Hall of Fame this year!

I had the pleasure of skating with both of these rad girls back in the day (late 70's / early 80's) - Judi and I were on the pro circuit as Pattie was coming up the ranks. Both of them are total shredders and set the bar high for the progression of women in this sport. It's exciting and a pleasure to see them both inducted this year!

Judi & Pattie join previous SHOF inductees;  Pattie McGee, Peggy Oki, Laura Thornhill, Robin Logan, Ellen ONeal Deason, Wendy Bearer Bull, Laurie Turner Demott, Carabeth Burnside, Elissa Steamer, Cindy Whitehead, Jen O'Brien, Ellen Berryman, Kim Cespedes, & Vicki Vickers.

The ceremony will take place this May in Southern California - more info on place & time to come!

Congrats to all the 2018 inductees (see additional info below)

Icon Awards:

Jeff Ho
Bahne Skateboards
Skateboarder Magazine

Men:

1960's:          Tommy Ryan
1970's Era 1: Mike Weed
1970's Era 2: David Hackett & Brad Bowman
1980's Era 1: Allen Losi
1980's Era 2: Matt Hensley
1990's:          Guy Matiano

Women:

Patti Hoffman
Judi Oyama