Nike's new "Dream Crazy" video has launched and pro skateboarder Lacey Baker is one of the Nike athletes featured!
Nike's new "Dream Crazy" video has launched and pro skateboarder Lacey Baker is one of the Nike athletes featured!
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| Sky at Venice Skatepark - Photo Ian Logan |
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| Sky helping the kids at Salvation Army Program - Photo Heidi Lemmon |
If you have been wondering where young skate phenom, Sky Brown has been these days (her Instagram has been unusually quiet we have been told) and people expecting to see her, along with Tony Hawk at the recent Jackalope Festival or competing at the Asian Games were disappointed & confused as to where she might be. Well, here's your answer.
It looks like the pint-sized mini shredder is talented at more than just skateboarding, and will soon be one of the twelve celebrity dancers on the new TV show, Dancing With the Stars: Junior - Season 1. Rehearsals and filming have been going on for a awhile now so Sky was tied up in that which explains missing Jackalope and the Asian Games. Usually, when you sign up to be on one of these shows you can not do other sports that may put you at risk for getting injured while filming is taking place. That would be no skateboarding.
The twelve young celebrities chosen to be on the show have been a closely guarded secret, but photos of some them, including Sky, coming out of rehearsals at the DWTS studios started speculation which led to a full list being published on underground DWTS blogs.
Sky will be competing with young professional ballroom dancer, JT Church from Arizona, who has been on previous dance & lip sync shows.
Other celebrity contestants Sky will be competing against include; Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson from Toddler & Tiara's fame, Tripp Palin who just happens to be the grandson of Sarah Palin, Sophia Pippen, who is former NBA player, Scottie Pippens, daughter and a bunch of kids who star on TV shows or are known dancers. It's a pretty tough group of seasoned pros.
Tune into ABC on October 7 to watch the first episode of Dancing With the Stars: Junior - Season 1 and cheer Sky on!
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| Art by @akunapie in support of Fatin Syahirah |
In the 70's we used to skateboard or surf and it provided a way to get away from the nastiness we saw going on in our local high schools. Skating was a safe and rad place to be and not have the drama that we saw going on elsewhere. We were all "different", maybe even misfits, and definitely renegades - so we stuck together and became a skate family that had one anothers backs.
Fast forward to 2018 and it seems as if some girls in skateboarding are now receiving the wrath of the haters and the unhappy people. It isn't the safe place it used to be.
Last week we watched as sixteen-year-old Fatin Syahirah from Malaysia became so discouraged after receiving so many nasty comments on her Instagram page that she removed all her photos and went silent.
Later in the week, we saw Rachelle Vinberg from The Skate Kitchen post about people on social media "feeling the need to judge others for doing what they love" and stating that she was going to take a break from posting video clips and just skate for herself.
India's Atita Verghese has expressed similar things recently, posting about "thanks to all the haters for the lessons".
What could these awesome young women have possibly done to get this much hate?
Rachelle stars in the new film THE SKATE KITCHEN which is having a major moment in the media - one that some older skaters have expressed that they are tired of being asked about. Fatin made her countries national team and was chosen to skate at the prestigious Asian Games, but didn't skate as well as she had hoped, due to an injury. Instead of compassion, people lashed out at her saying she failed her country - that's a heavy burden for a 16-year-old and hey, it's just skateboarding - it's supposed to be FUN! Atita got major recognition when Vans put out a video about all she is doing to help girls in India get on a board and skate - and some people (haters) seemed to feel that she did not deserve all the positive attention and opportunities she received.
For all three of these skaters, this should be a super happy and exciting time in their life. Yet, it's now being overshadowed by relentless & mean comments.
It seems as if you gain traction, are in the public eye and are making a difference you are a target. If you fly "under the radar" and stay low, things are fine. But don't we want and need people like Fatin, Rachelle and Atita out there paving the way for other girls? These types of girls and women carve a path so others can have it easier than they did. There are all types of skating and all types of people, and there should be room for all of us.
So what is the solution?
I don't think "going away or closing your account" is it - that is exactly what the haters want - they love to silence the voices that create positive change. I do understand the need to "take a break" when it all gets to be too much, but maybe the rest of us can come to these girls defense and call out the nasty commentators and make them realize that this shit is not going to get them what they want.
If you feel that it's hard to stick your own neck out when you see this crap happening online - just think about how the person feels who is receiving the wrath herself. We are stronger together and we need to have one another's backs.
So stand up for your fellow female skaters, because next time you could be the one who needs their help.
This commercial from Nike may not feature skateboarding, but it will for sure get you amped up to get out there and "Just Do It"! #GirlPower
Check out Venice local, Quinne Daniels, in this new commercial for the Disney Princess VIVOFIT JR.2 Fitness Tracker from Disney and Garmin.
Congrats Quinne - this spot is so much fun!
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| Brighton Zeuner at VPS Huntington - Photo Ian Logan |
Costa Mesa, CALIF. (August 28, 2018) – With only one stop left before the highly anticipated 2018 Vans Park Series World Championships in China this fall, the stakes are at an all-time high as the final qualifying rounds of the official park terrain skateboarding competition series are set to commence at the historic Kroksbäck Skatepark in Malmö, Sweden on September 7-8.
The 2018 VPS Pro Tour, Sweden finals will be broadcasted live for free on ETN and vansparkseries.com.
As the most pivotal stop on the tour this season, the Malmö outcome will decide the final top-ranking 2018 Tour Challengers to earn the coveted invite to compete at the VPS World Championships in China on October 27, while continuing to expand the open path for prospective women’s challengers to prove their ranks and advance into the pro tour circuit.
The world’s greatest park terrain skateboarding pros will return to Vans Park Series’ first-ever premier built-to-spec park terrain legacy construction, donated by Vans in 2016 to the community of Malmö for their progressive support of the city’s youth through civic skateboard programming and activities.
Female Pros from around the world are expected to compete, including #1 ranked tour challenger Sakura Yosozumi (JPN). In the women’s division, current world champion Nora Vasconcellos (USA) and Select Pro Lizzie Armanto (USA) hunt for their first podium placements of the season, while Brighton Zeuner (USA) defends her ranks against eager tour challengers.
In addition, the 2018 VPS Europa Continental Championships will host its second year in Sweden, showcasing aspiring regional men and women talent in pursuit of glory in their backyard and a chance to compete in the VPS World Championships this fall. The yet to be crowned Europa Continental Champions from the men and women’s divisions will be seeded directly into the World Championships to join Select Pros and advancing Tour Challengers.
Vans Park Series Sweden Schedule
Please Note: Friday & Saturday's events are not broadcast live - only Sunday finals
Thursday, September 6
10am GMT - VPS Europa Continental Championships Men and Women
Friday, September 7
11am GMT - VPS Women’s Pro Tour, Prelims and Semi-Finals
Saturday, September 8
WATCH THE LIVE BROADCAST ON ETN and VANSPARKSERIES.COM
Sweden – Saturday, September 8, 12PM GMT+2
Hong Kong – Saturday, September 8, 6PM HKT
Sydney – Saturday, September 8, 8PM AEST
New York – Saturday, September 8, 6AM EDT
Los Angeles – Saturday, September 8, 3AM PDT
Sao Paulo — Saturday, September 8, 7AM GMT-3
In its third consecutive year featured on the Vans Park Series Pro tour, the custom VPS-certified Kroksbäck Skatepark’s exemplary design will test the top-ranking pros and challengers to be fast and creative, with judges focusing on speed, flow and amplitude throughout the course. With a plethora of hips, grinds, walls, a huge center island, and a monster bank, the pros are slated to land another incredible show of park terrain skating for all fans across the globe to witness. Stay tuned to vansparkseries.com for the latest updates.
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. 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.
This weekend it was amazing, to hear (and see) the news that pro skater Lizzie Armanto had made the loop - something no other female skater has ever done. As you can read in Tony Hawks' post above - this is no easy feat. His son Riley Hawk went down hard, Lizzie did as well - watch the first part of the video. But she stayed past the event ending and kept at it - and MADE IT!
So rad - Congrats Lizzie!!
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| Photo Ian Logan / at Vans US Open in Huntington Beach |
How an Inclusion Rider Could Help Change the Game for Female Action Sports Athletes & Leave a Legacy of Hope For Future Generations
By Cindy Whitehead
The news hitting the internet and beyond recently, that Olympic swimmer, and 4x medalist, Simone Manuel, had decided to give up her NCAA status and finally turn pro stopped those in the swimming world in their tracks. But the news was so much bigger than just that. Simone had signed an unprecedented contract, for a professional athlete, with swimming giant; TYR Sport that includes an "inclusion rider".
The time is now for women in action sports to get more familiar as to why they should be following in Simone’s history making footsteps.
First of all, what is an inclusion rider?
An inclusion rider is a provision added to a contract to ensure that companies meet certain levels of diversity, for example regarding the inclusion of women, people of color, LGBT people and people with disabilities. Inclusion riders are becoming more common in industries such as film and television, when an actress with some clout wants to make sure the film she is starring in has the diversity she wishes to see in the world – not just on screen but perhaps behind the scenes as well. The quote from Simone’s press release states, “Through this stipulation with TYR Simone ensures that her partners extend meaningful opportunities to traditionally underrepresented groups and that diversity be reflected in the creative efforts she pursues with the brand.” How rad is that?
Why would I want or need this?
It's great to get a major sponsorship deal with a huge company so you can skate, ride, board or surf full time as a pro. That's the goal right? And right now we are seeing that that happens for only a small group of select female pros in these sports. But what, if in addition to your amazing and financially lucrative contract, you could do something, with very little effort, that helps bring up more women in your sport? An inclusion rider can do just that. It can show the company you are representing that if they believe in you, you also want them to enact initiatives to support other women out there as well. That is a win win. In swimming it’s no longer just about Simone and her lucrative endorsement deal, it is now about Simone making a living at the sport she excels in and bringing future generations up with her so they too can have this type of opportunity in the future, if they choose to.
“I don’t have that type of power, I’m not Tony Hawk!”
If you are being offered a lucrative endorsement deal, yes you do have the power to initiate change. Before you read the first paragraph in this article did you know who Simone Manuel was? If you don’t follow competitive swimming, then perhaps not. And that’s my point. Simone is well known in her sport, enough so that her agents felt comfortable adding this rider to her very first, professional contract. And Simone believed in herself enough to stand behind what she felt was important to her and to fight for it. Basically she went out of her way to make sure that TYR was on the same page as she was when it comes to supporting women and people of color.
And no, Simone is not a household name (yet) like Tony Hawk, but this past month everyone in sports, and beyond, is talking about the changes she is creating for women and people of color. She is now, not only known as an Olympic Medalist, she is known as a game changer.
Some of you are already thinking, " There isn't enough of the proverbial pie to go around to be rocking the boat!"
At this moment it may look that way for sure, but I’ll bet that you have more power than you believe you do. And right now it may seem cool to be the only woman on that all guys skate, surf or BMX team or under contract, but the way we grow the sport and get higher levels of pay is by raising other female athletes up with us. The women of action sports are stronger together than they are if each one is acting solely on her own behalf. Isn’t the final goal to have teams and companies with equal amounts of male and female riders? That means we have created effective change. Trust me it’s true. You only need to look back at women’s sports history to see how it works.
Did you watch the 2017 movie, "Battle of the Sexes", about Billie Jean King and how she took on the tennis association for equal pay back in 1973? She put herself on the line to better the sport for all the women she was playing with. Her legacy today is more than a woman who won tournaments and championships; it is that of a feminist and strong woman who fought for equality so women coming up today could make tennis an actual career.
Are you aware that pro skater Mimi Knoop and Cara-Beth Burnside formed The Alliance back in 2009 and fought for equal prize money at the X-Games for women and men? They achieved this goal and that is the reason the women competing today in summer and winter X-Games get the same money as their male counterparts. Both Mimi and Cara-Beth have very impressive skating careers, but I am most inspired by the change they made for women in skateboarding that benefits every girl and woman financially at this competition, so they can keep on skating hard, just like the guys do.
What about the Committee for Equity in Women’s Surfing (CEWS) which was co-founded by Professional Surfers Paige Alms, Keala Kennelly, Andrea Moller, Bianca Valenti and SMC Harbor Commissioner Sabrina Brennan and attorney Karen Tynan. They have fought tirelessly for women to be able to surf during the Mavericks Big Wave Challenge. And they are still fighting on behalf of female big wave riders everywhere.
Many, many women have come before you to fight for various forms of change and many more are still fighting for equality in various ways. You are not alone in this endeavor.
It sounds hard, and competing right now and keeping my sponsors happy is hard enough…
I get that it’s not easy or comfortable to use your status to fight for the next generation. But it’s necessary. Skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding and BMX all had female pioneers that made it possible, and perhaps just a little easier, for you to do what you love today. It’s time to step up for the girls and women that ride with you and the girls who come after you. What is worthwhile is never easy. If it were, these issues would have been solved long before you got here.
What will your legacy be?
In ten or twenty years from now, what will your legacy in action sports be? The world championship titles and big name competition results change from year to year, the records get shattered, too fast it seems, but fighting and supporting your fellow female athlete is absolutely timeless.
If you are one of the top female surfers, skateboarders or BMX riders in the world and signing lucrative endorsement deals with companies that can effectively create change, think about having your agent ask for that inclusion rider.
A young girl may ask you for an autograph today because you won an important event, but future generations of girls may be thanking you down the line for what you have done for all women in your sport.
Grab your crew and head to the theater this weekend because the new movie we have all been waiting for, The Skate Kitchen, hits select theaters today! We heard that additional theaters will start showing the film on Augsut 24th - so if it isn't playing near you yet, it will be soon!
We love that the film stars the real-life skater girls from the Skate Kitchen crew (not just cameos!) and shows them skating a LOT.
Let us know what you think of the film!
We love this fun song "Give a Little" by Maggie Rogers and we loved how these skater girls are prominently featured. Seems like we are seeing more and more music videos featuring female skaters - kind of cool!
Song: ‘Give A Little’ by Maggie Rogers
Directed by: Maggie Rogers & Alan Del Rio Ortiz
Skaters: Bridget Erin Gamble, Eella Joshua aka Firefly, Myriah Marquez, Makaylah Menard
Check out Leticia Bufoni's set up. As you can see in this video - it's really whatever works for you! You should also think about your height when buying a board. Some good advice from Leticia.
In case you missed it - Natalie Krishna Das has a new pro model, the Dastronaut II, out with Silly Girl Skateboards, and this fun video of Natalie skating some pools and DIY's in AZ, NM, CA and WA just dropped too! Natalie is always up to something cool, so we love being able to share this video and the news.
If you want to get your hands on Natalie's new pro model, you can order it online HERE, and it's also available at Sidewalk Surfer in Arizona and SoCal Skateshop!
As always - Support women's skateboarding by buying goods endorsed by female skaters!
We're still reliving last weeks VPS prelims - that was so awesome! Thanks to Vans for putting this together and sharing - these girls are inspiring!
Photos Martin Schoeller for Instyle Magazine
So great to open the pages of INSTYLE Magazine's September Issue and see some of our favorite Venice skater girls featured! Check out Quinne Daniels, Vianez Morales, Dalia Lundquist, & Miquell Benson gracing the pages of this awesome fashion mag. The girls got to wear everything from Gucci to Versace to skate in - pretty rad!
These girls rip - if you see them at Venice Skatepark tell them "hey"!
Check out pro skater Brighton Zeuner in this new video from Vans. At just 14 years old and with back to back, X-Games gold medals, she is changing the conversation in women's skateboarding.
Watch the podium placing runs from Kisa Nakamura, Jordyn Barratt and Brighton Zeuner - the Vans Park Series women's event was on fire! Check out these videos to see all the action - the women are progressing fast and it's awesome to watch!
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| Nora Vasconcellos |
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| Kisa Nakamura |
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| Brighton Zeuner |
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| Jordyn Barratt |
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| Poppy Starr Olsen |
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| Bryce Wettstein |
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| Poppy, Brighton, Bryce |
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| Poppy Starr Olsen |
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| Sakura Yosozumi |
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| Brighton Zeuner |
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| Lizzie Armanto |
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| Kisa Nakamura - 1st place! |
Photos @ianloganphoto - please credit if reposting - thanks!
Today's podium at Vans Park Series Huntington Beach Women's Finals was a bit different than what we saw in the semi-finals. All the women skated hard but in the end, Kisa Nakamura took 1st, with Jordyn Barrat landing in 2nd and Brighton Zeuner in 3rd. Bryce Wettstein couldn't quite hold onto that first place position she had in the quarter finals and semi-finals and took home 4th.
Bryce is fairly new to the women's pro tour , and it has been awesome to watch her evolve - she is someone to keep an eye on for sure! Her tricks are varied, she has more speed than she had in past years and her runs are dialed in. She has become a seasoned competitor.
Congrats to all the women for a great comp!
VPS WOMEN'S RESULTS - HUNTINGTON BEACH
1st Kisa Nakamura
2nd Jordyn Barratt
3rd Brighton Zeuner
4th Bryce Wettstein
5th Sakura Yosozumi
6th Lizzie Armanto
7th Poppy Starr Olsen
8th Nora Vasconcellos
Many thanks to Vans and The Boardr for having us - make sure you also check out Vans Park Series for more coverage of the event!
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| Bryce Wettstein |
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| Arianna Carmona |
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| Camila Borges |
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| Poppy Starr Olsen |
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| Isadora Pacheco |
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| Vianez Morales |
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| Stella Reynolds |
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| Taniah Meyers |
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| Julz Lynn |
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| Taniah Meyers |
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| Charlotte Heath |
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| Sakura Yosozumi |
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| Mami Tezuka |
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| Julz Lynn |
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| Yndiara Asp |
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| Sarah Thompson with some great signs! |
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| Bella Kenworthy |
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| Spencer Breaux |
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| Bella, Stella, Minna & Hunter |
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| Kihana Ogawa |
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| Lizzie Armanto |
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| Brighton Zeuner |
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| Grace Marhoefer |
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| Sakura & Nicole |
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| Nora Vasconcellos |
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| Nicole Hause |
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| Charlotte Heath |
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| Jordyn Barratt |
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| Hunter Long |
Photos @ianloganphoto - please credit if reposting - thanks!
The Vans Park Series Women's Division in Huntington Beach was going off today! Qualifiers were crazy good and had 18 women competing, and by the time the semifinals rolled around and the 8 Select Pro's joined the top 12 from the qualifiers, things really got heated.
At the end of the day 14-year-old, Bryce Wettstein, came out in 1st place heading into Saturday's finals. That is a pretty nice place to be sitting. Bryce has been absolutely killing it lately at comps and it was great to see her throw down some really nice runs. Sakura from Japan held strong in 2nd place, with Kisa Nakamura taking 3rd and Lizzie Armanto, Brighton Zeuner, Poppy Starr Olsen, Nora Vasconcellos and Jordyn Barratt rounding out the 8 women who will compete in the finals on Sunday. Trust us - this will be a women's final you won't want to miss!
Last years champion, Brighton Zeuner, will be working hard to defend her title, with 2017 World Champion Nora Vasconcellos hot on her heels, and Jordyn Barratt is always a threat when the pressure is on. To be honest, any of the women in the top 8 could end up on podium Saturday, it's a really strong field of skaters!
RESULTS WOMEN'S SEMI FINALS
1. Bryce Wettstein
2. Sakura Yosozumi
3. Kisa Nakamura
4. Lizzie Armanto
5. Brighton Zeuner
6. Poppy Starr Olsen
7. Nora Vasconcellos
8. Jordyn Barratt
9. Nicole Hause
10. Yndiara Asp
11. Kihana Ogawa
12. Arianna Carmona
13. Grace Marhoefer
14. Mami Tezuka
15. Hunter Long
16. Bella Kenworthy
17. Taniah Meyers
18. Isadora Pacheco
19. Spencer Breaux
20. Camila Borges
Make sure you tune into the LIVE webcast to watch the finals on Saturday!
Saturday, August 4 1:00pm - 2:00pm (PDT)
VPS Women’s Pro Tour, Finals
You can watch it LIVE on the ETN App or via VansParkSeries.com
** We highly suggest downloading the app now and logging in so you are ready to watch the comp ahead of time.
Huge thanks to Vans and The Boardr for having us!
We have a very small sneak peek clip, as well as the trailer for the new movie THE SKATE KITCHEN, which hits theaters August 10. Get ready and grab your crew and go see it! It stars the real life skater girls from The Skate Kitchen crew in NYC and we know it's going to be rad!
\We are super stoked to see our friend, Judi Oyama, aka "Badass Skate Mom" profiled in this new video for CrossFit! We competed with Judi back in the day and love her to death! With her positive vibe and her "take no shit" attitude, she is an inspiration to all ages and both men and women.
Judi was inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame this past year and is still shredding her local skatepark as well as racing slalom and nabbing world titles in the process. As you will see in this video, Judi doesn't just skateboard, she is also heavily involved in CrossFit and credits the discipline to keep her fit & strong - all at the age of 58 years young!
Check out this awesome video and get a glimpse into what it's like to be a Badass Skate Mom!