EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Polly Pocket™, a franchise of Mattel, today announced top skateboarder, Sky Brown, as a new Global Brand Ambassador as she embodies the brand's message that "Tiny is Mighty!™" The 10-year-old skateboarder is one of the youngest girls to compete and medal at a professional skateboarding competition. She dares to challenge the status quo and encourages girls to take on new adventures, just like Polly Pocket.
As the original collectible brand, last year Mattel re-introduced Polly Pocket in the original micro-scale size and compacts that made her a 90's phenomenon. With more than 12 million compacts sold throughout the years, the Polly Pocket product line nods to the brand's heritage and surprise factor but reflects an updated look for this next generation.
"Polly Pocket shows fans that tiny is mighty and we are proud to welcome Sky into Polly's world as she brings that message to life and celebrates our brand purpose," said Rebecca Cottrell, Senior Director of global marketing, Mattel. "Our brand is adventure driven, showing girls they can accomplish amazing feats. The content on Hulu and the Polly Pocket YouTube channel inspires girls to take on big adventures and push the boundaries of their small world."
The year-long partnership will be brought to life through content across social and digital platforms. The Polly Pocket brand will also gift a one-of-a-kind micro doll set in Brown's likeness to celebrate her skateboarding accomplishments.
"I want to inspire girls around the world to chase their dreams no matter what! When the Polly Pocket brand told me their messaging was "Tiny is Mighty" I felt that they were describing me," said Sky Brown. "I want girls to feel like they can just get out there and crush it, no matter what anyone else says!"
For additional information on Polly Pocket visit Polly's YouTube Channel and watch the latest episodes on Hulu now.
Dolores Magzine by Asiplanchaba - Paola Flores on the Cover of issue #0
Women in skateboarding have been taking charge and creating the change they wish to see for years now, and the just launched, DOLORES MAGAZINE, is no exception.
Asiplanchaba has been an on-line platform to promote and give more visibility to the female skate scene for the past 10 years, and they are always working on projects that will make an impact on women's skateboarding.
Welcome to their newest project, DOLORES MAGAZINE!
DOLORES came to life from the hard work of skateboarders, Raisa Abal and Verónica Trillo.
Raisa Abal is a talented photografer from Galicia, she’s been collaborating with Asiplanchaba for some time and collecting hundreds of photos of their mission, and other golden moments.
She's also a skateboarder. During one of their missions she twisted her knee. The girls went toguether to the hospital, where they spent a couple hours talking about all those photos, ‘for something to come in the future’, maybe a fanzine, maybe just for Instagram… so after thinking for a while they realized that they were at the point where they just wanted to go that big step further, so they jointly decided to create a female skateboarding magazine.
Verónica, is the founder of ASIPLANCHABA has skated for 20 years. Aware of the unequal situation for women in skateboarding, in 2009 she launched asiplanchaba.com - the first online media in Spain about female skateboarding, and also one of the very few in Europe. Asiplanchaba is a platform that promotes and gives visibility to female skateboarders and has grown to be one of the largest and more active women skateboarding movements within the European scene.
We decided a short interview with these two trail blazing women was in order!
How old are you ladies?
Raisa is 28, Verinica is 40 Where do you live?
We are based in Barcelona, the city to skate and meet lots of skateboarders from all over the world. Lovely flat grounds, lovely weather and nice spots.
How long have you been skateboarding?
(Raisa) I started skateboarding 5 years ago when I saw a clip in Youtube of a girl (who is my friend now, Gador, thank you, I love you) doing a kickflip with a suuuperlong longboard so I though like: ‘If she can do it with that board… maybe I could do it too…’.
Paola Flores at the Dolores Magazine launch party
How did you get into skateboarding?
All my friends in my hometown used to skate or do BMX, but it is a super small town in the North of Spain so we’ve been all together for a long time, not like in this time that BMX and skate can’t live together in the same place
I started to take photos of them when I was 15 or less because my mum gave me a compact digital camera for my birthday and I never stopped from that moment.
Then when I was 22 and I was about to finish Uni I started skateboarding.
What made you decide to start DOLORES Magazine?
We realized that there is very few and marginal appearances of female skateboarders in skateboard Magazines. We thought about a fanzine… then..."Why not a Magazine?"
Creating a magazine is a big thing - do you have a background in design, photography or?
Raisa is a great photographer and designer. We work together a lot, but she’s the artist.
(I hate when she says that!!!) I don’t know, I have a lot of material from the last three years so when we decided that we wanted to do a magazine it was like: ‘Okay I don’t have money but I have time -because I don’t sleep more than 6 hours- so the time I’m not working in my official job neither skating, I’m working on Dolores. I want to say thank u so much also to María Abad, one of my friends from Galicia here in Barcelona and such a good artist also, check her illustrations in @lamerisaround, because she did all the lettering in Dolores Magazine.
Leticia Nogueira at the Dolores Magazine launch party
What made you decide to do a print magazine as opposed to a "web-based magazine"? (and thank you for doing that!!!)
Well, we think ASIPLANCHABA is much more than a website, we’re a platform with many
languages and channels to improve women visibility in skate scene. So for us, this is a further step. One more tool.
Did you feel that there were not enough women represented in traditional skate mags and videos?
YES, we all know that :) is a permanent battle because actually, people think ‘it's enough’.
Why do you feel that it is important to have a magazine that is dedicated to women's skateboarding?
It is not known by everybody that THERE IS A FEMALE SKATEBOARDING SCENE, even in the industry. This can be helpful to improve the skateboarding scene for women, motivate more girls and women to go out and have fun skateboarding, having our place, and of course, is not common to see women in skate magazines! Only a marginal percentage of appearance, is that really representative?
You had a launch party for DOLORES - can you tell us what that was like?
Yes, it was open to the public and it was completely crowded! We were so hyped, we expected a lot of girls of course, but it was full, we dropped almost 200 magazines there. There´s a bowl, so the ladies had a fun session, gifts, games, some drinks and lots of fun!
How often will the magazine come out?
We plan to release it 3 x a year.
Can you tell us which skaters are featured in this issue?
Finally, in this initial isue (which is labeled #0) there is Paola Flores (who broke her arm filming that but got the cover), Leti Nogueira, Cata Díaz, Eugenia Ginepro, Andrea Benítez, Heloïse Wathelet, and Julia Wilshusen.
Eugenia Ginepro for Dolores Magazine
Where can people buy the magazine?
It´s for free! (as LOVE is) So now, unfortunately, you can just get it in Barcelona and a few shops in Spain and in a week in Madrid.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Thanks to all these girls in issue #0 for being always down to get into missions no matter what. Asiplanchaba for being always pushing and supporting us, of course, all the brands and people that help us in one or other way to push further, take our projects to reality, events and especially this new project DOLORES (thanks for all the love!) All the men and women out there that support female skateboarding, and especially all you beautiful and powerful women who love skateboarding, never stop!
These are the ladies that have been invited to skate at the X-Games women's park qualifiers in Boise!
These are the invited athletes - subject to change.
SKATEBOARD PARK WOMEN
Lizzie Armanto
Nora Vasconcellos
Nicole Hause
Poppy Starr Olsen
Yndiara Asp
Arianna Carmona
Isadora Pacheco
Bryce Wettstein
Grace Marhoefer
Cocona Hiraki
Minna Stess
Kihana Ogawa
Dora Varella
Kody Tamanaha
Hunter Long
Kisa Nakamura
*Sky Brown
(Automatic invites to X Games Minneapolis 2019: Brighton Zeuner, Sabre Norris, Sakura Kosozumi)
*Sky Brown (Miyazaki, Japan) – At just 10 years old, Sky Brown will compete in her first X Games event in Boise. A phenomenal skateboarder, surfer and dancer, Brown hopes to become one of the youngest Olympians by qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics at just 12.
Returning to Rhodes Skate Park in Boise, Idaho for the third consecutive year, the Road to X Games Boise Qualifier will bring the world's best Skateboard and BMX Park competition June 28 and 29. Last year, more than 12,000 fans attended the two-day event. In addition to Park competitions, the event will again feature an interactive fan village with food, sponsor booths and music. Streamed live from Rhodes Skate Park in Boise, Idaho, the Park Qualifier will feature three disciplines - Men's Skateboard Park, Women's Skateboard Park and BMX Park. The top athletes in each discipline at the Boise Park Qualifier will also receive their invites to Minneapolis. In addition to the live stream, fans can catch the Boise Park Qualifier coverage on ABC as part of the World of X Games content on July 6 as well as coverage across X Games digital and social platforms. After two successful Road to X Games Boise Qualifier events, we are excited to work with the team at Boise Parks and Recreation and all local partners to bring an even better experience to fans at Rhodes Skate Park in year three," said Ryan McGuinness, ESPN X Games director of event development. "The fan engagement at these two events has shown what a great match the Qualifier is for this youthful, active city." "Boise is building a national reputation as a welcoming city that appreciates athleticism of all kinds. The Boise CVB is thrilled to welcome back the Road to X Games Park Qualifier to our community this June," said Carrie Westergard, executive director. "The Road to X Games: Boise Park Qualifier is a must-see for anyone who enjoys watching athletes compete at the top of their sport," said Doug Holloway, Boise Parks and Recreation director. "It's exciting to see local kids take up sports they may never have considered and Rhodes Skate Park is a great venue for that kind of discovery." The event is free and open to the public. Boise Parks and Recreation will also offer tickets to premium bleacher seating to watch the competition.
The schedule of events is as follows:
Friday, June 28, 2019
9 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. BMX Park Practice
10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. BMX Park Elimination 11:30 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. Women’s Skateboard Park Practice 12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. Women’s Skateboard Park Elimination
2 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. Men’s Skateboard Park Practice
3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Men’s Skateboard Park Elimination
Saturday, June 29, 2019
9 a.m. – 10 a.m. BMX Park Practice 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Women’s Skateboard Park Practice
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Men’s Skateboard Park Practice
12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. BMX Park Final 2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. Women’s Skateboard Park Final
4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. Men’s Skateboard Park Final
The event will also be streamed live June 28 – 29 through the X Games Facebook page and YouTube channel. In addition to the live stream, fans can catch the Boise Park Qualifier coverage on ABC as part of the World of X Games content on July 6, as well as coverage across X Games digital and social platforms.
Yes, it seems to be "Nora week" here at GN4LW - sorry, (not sorry) but the girl is on FIRE so we have to talk about it!
One of Nora's favorite colors is back in this new shoe from Adidas! The Nora Vasconcellos x Adidas Sabalo Slip-On releases TODAY and retails for $65.00. Nora's own floral artwork is on the inside of these slip-ons which gives them an ultra special touch. We love the purple "Nora" embriodery and the Adidas three-stripes elastic is awesome.
We are betting that just like the first shoe (the Matchcourt RX) Adidas did with Nora, these will sell out FAST, so grab a pair while you can!
Nora Vasconcellos new Adidas ad popped up in the May issue of Thrasher Magazine. Shot by Sam McGuire this 2-page spread of Nora doing a backside ollie is a good one for some bedroom wall inspiration!
Nice to open Thrasher this month and see 4 pages featuring female skaters - both were ads rather than editorial shots - Nora for Adidas and Lizzie for Vans. But great to see nonetheless!
Monster Children did this this pretty funny video with Nora Vasconcellos which was supposed to be "10 Things I Hate" but Nora being Nora, had a hard time finding stuff that she really hated. But we do like her "pet peeve" list (because "hate" is too strong a word for this list).
Yep, it's true. Tokyo just revealed the sports mascots for the 2020 Olympics and this is the skateboarding mascot.
In other news, the IOC is close to finalizing an agreement that would mean that skateboarding will be included in the 2024 games in Paris!
Here is the official info via World Skate:
Yesterday, the IOC Executive Board supported the recommendation of the Olympic Programme Commission to put forward Paris proposal for the inclusion of 4 sports: Skateboarding, Sport Climbing, Surf and "the new entry" Break Dancing. The IOC Session should confirm the inclusion in June but the final decision will be taken at the end of 2020.
New Lizzie x Vans ads in Thrasher Magazine this month
Just in time for summer Vans is dropping a new Lizzie Armanto Slip-On Pro shoe ($65.00). It's purple (the color is called "day break") and black. The shoe has Lizzie's initials embroidered on the heel, with good fortune detailed on the sole.
Image via Vans
There are also tee's, hats, a rad. black & white checkered bodsuit, hoodies and more that all coordinate in the Lizzie x Vans collection.
Gale Webb back in the day - she was about 35 years old then and RIPPING!
The orginal skateboarding family; Gale & Jim, son Mike, niece and nephew "little" Gale & Johnny
Gale has always been a hero to us all.
Gale traveled with a half-pipe as well as this big cargo van emblazoned with her name on it
The orginal "Sports Mom" in action on her own ramp
Gale did it all and did it extremely well!
Gale shooting at a recent contest
Gale & Tony Hawk - via Skateboarding Hall of Fame
This is really on of the best days in the history of women’s skateboarding. It was announced this past week that GALE WEBB is being inducted with an ICON award into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame
A bit about Gale's long and lengthy history in the sport.
Gale started doing skate and bmx shows back in 1976 traveling to malls and schools with groups of us skater kids doing demos on her portable ramp with her husband Jim right by her side - she continiued doing this until just recently when it physically got to be too much for her to do alone after hebeloved Jim passed away. At every demo she was always reminding children that “Kids R #1” and to "stay off drugs". Her positive presence and welcoming attitude made her demos popular and she was booked week in and week out, touring all over California.
Some people don’t know that Gale also skated vert right alongside of us. She was about 35 yrs old then and ripped hard. Gale also raced motocross, skydived as well as snowboarded. She’s a badass woman who showed us girls, what a rad role model was. I learned from her that paying it forward is always the most important thing.
Nowadays you’ll always see Gale at every skate contest shooting her iconic and beautiful photos to help keep skateboarding history alive.
Almost everyone in the history of skateboarding knows and loves Gale Webb - she has touched the lives of so many of us in so many ways - she is simply amazing.
On May 2, 2019, Gale Webb will be inducted into The Skateboarding Hall of Fame as an ICON and I’m so proud and honored to know her. ❤️
Do you remember the first time you learned to do a low carve in a bowl? Now imagine that moment with Tony Hawk looking on.
Tony was taking part in a Berrics video, driving around the San Diego area yelling "do a kick-flip" to random skaters he found and giving them prizes if they did it, or tried hard to do one. Towards the end of the mission, he goes into Poods Park to see if anyone can "do a crailside" in the bowl when he spots a young girl taking a skateboarding lesson and learning how to do a basic carve. As soon as she lets go of the instructor's hands and does it herself, Tony gives her some high praise. The moment starts at 5:23 but you should watch the entire video as it's all good!
Thanks to Tony for always supporting female skaters!
In fact, did you ever catch the video of Tony teaching his daughter to drop in for the first time - it's a good one too!
My daughter has been learning to skate on her own recently, and decided she wanted to finally drop in on our mini setup at my office over the weekend. Her biggest challenges were overcoming her initial fear and tendency to lean towards wherever I was standing (in hopes of having me catch her). I finally stood in her path so that she would shift her weight correctly. My biggest challenge was trying to be supportive while letting her go on her own terms. I don’t remember my first drop in vividly, but I’ll never forget hers. I used a Solo cup as a tripod, so apologies for the lack of production value; I never imagined our little session would go viral.
Make sure you watch closely and you'll catch a glimpse of pro skater Leticia Bufoni in this new short film for the PALMS Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Nice that they included a female skateboarder!
The film features Cardi B, Emily Ratajkowski, Ezra Miller, Adriana Lima, Dapper Dan, Rita Ora, Ryan Sheckler, Ozuna, Marshmello, Chef Michael Symon, Leticia Bufoni, Ken Block, Felipe Pantone, Jason REVOK, Timothy Curtis, Gary Stranger, and art from Damien Hirst and Andy Warhol, who all come together in an unexpected way to redefine the Vegas hospitality experience and set the stage for an all new Palms.
This info just in - no word (yet) on which female skaters besides Sky Brown will be competing - we're hoping to see Helena Long and Stefani Nurding in the mix for sure! UK National Skateboarding Championships Announcement
On April 12th – 14th 2019 the premiere of the UK Skateboard Championships will take place at Graystone Skatepark in Manchester. This is the first official national skateboarding competition to be held in England, with competitors earning qualifying points for the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020.
More than 140 of the UK’s best skateboarders will compete in street and park disciplines during this three day event in the heart of England. Qualifying rounds for both male events will will take place on Friday 12th April, with the men’s and women’s semi’s on Saturday April 13th and the all-important finals concluding on Sunday April 14th.
Competitors for the event will be invite only, with a selection process which includes: current UK ranking, previous competition standing, sponsored and professional status and future potential in the two event disciplines.
Confirmed skateboarders for the event include Sky Brown, Alex Decunha, Jordan Thackeray and Alex Hallford, all of whom were recently selected for the Skateboard GB aspirational squad.
Skateboard England CEO, James Hope-Gill: “We’re excited to announce the launch of the UK Championships. The most talented skateboarders from around the country will compete in the first event and with Olympic qualification points at stake, it is set to be one of the highlights in the skateboarding calendar.”
A limited number of spectator tickets are available at £5.00 Friday, £10.00 Saturday and £15.00 Sunday, available through www.skateboard-england.org
The National Championships are also due to be broadcast live across digital platforms.
We always need more films on strong women in action sports and we can't wait to see the release of "TROUBLE: The Lisa Anderson Story", about pro surfer & trailbalzer Lisa Anderson. Here's the official info from the film.
Lisa Andersen is one of surfing’s few transcendent stars. She is grace and beauty coupled with tenacity and fearlessness. A 4x world champ and inductee into the Surfer Hall of Fame, she is a true icon.
She discovered surfing when she was 13, though it was not what her parents wanted. They felt the beach was dangerous. Lisa did nothing to ease their concerns and eventually wound up in juvenile hall. Her father smashed her surfboard, so Lisa hatched an escape plan. She decided to go to Huntington Beach, leaving a note behind that read, “Going to California to become world surfing champion.” She was homeless before being taken in by an abusive local.
Unlucky in relationships, she was abused often, and had to runaway time and again. Especially when she felt trapped. In the water, she was something else, and surfed like a gorgeous disaster. But she could never quite put it all together, until career suicide presented itself. An unexpected pregnancy. Over objections, she decided to have the child and in so doing broke through and became a champ.
Trouble follows Lisa on her human journey. Surf is a beautiful backdrop but the real story is the epic poem of her life. It is the story of a self-made, American woman. It is a story of today.
You can download it for $9.99 on iTunes on May 14, or pre-order it now!
Wasserman Agency has always been powerful in the sports industry and they represent some of the best athletes in the world, and now with the addition of these four female skateboarders, they are heading towards the 2020 Olympics with half of the women on the newly announced USA National Team on their client list. That in itself is pretty damn powerful and visonary.
The USA female skateboarders are; Bryce Wettstein (park), Lacey Baker, Mariah Duran, Jenn Soto (all street). Until recently, Yulin Olliver represented all four skaters within her boutique agency, YUNEXIS. It looks like Yulin is moving on to work directly with Wasserman as one of the agents representing the athletes mentioned above. The question is, where will Olliver's other athletes end up? Yunexis Agency also represented Vanessa Torres, Cara-Beth Burnside, Grace Marhoefer, Dani Burt, Savannah Headden and Samarria Brevard.
As reported by The Sports Agent Blog, Bryce, Lacey, Mariah, and Jenn will be represented by agents Steve Astephen, Yulin Olliver, Steve Ruff and Circe Wallace. Wasserman launched its action sports division in 2003 with the acquisition of Astephen’s “The Familie.” Astephen is the current managing partner for the action sports division.
It should be mentioned that Wasserman agent, Circe Wallace, comes from a pro snowboarding background and has been a top athlete agent for many years, and the 2020 Olympics is not her first rodeo. She is known for being a poewerful advocate for female athletes and has the experience to make these ladies all household names. Combined with Yulin (who used to work with Circe many years ago) and the rest of the Wasserman team, we are excited to see what happens next!
It's also interesting to note that as part of Nike’s deal with the U.S. Olympic Commission, all athletes must wear Nike head-to-toe during all official Olympic engagements. This includes press conferences, interviews, official appearances and medal ceremonies, however it doesn’t extend to appearances in the actual competition, according to BoardWorld.
The story follows four friends, Sunny, Moon, Finn, and Koa on a day filled with skate adventures in neighborhoods, backyard pools and skateparks. The book asks questions like "Can one move be the beginning of another?", "Can anyone of us push the limits of all of us?" and more. Great way to start conversations with your girls and a great way to look at skateboarding as well.
The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and every page is chock full of action and color. We guarantee that you won't want to put it down.
The adventures the kids have in the book are also about sharing joy and stoke with those around you. It also speaks to the importance of supporting one another with kindness and respect.
There is a hardback book featuring The Salty Little Sliders that focuses more on their surfing adventures - it's pretty awesome too.
There is also a cute clothing line for kids that's available in their online shop (and in their fun store, Sawyer Land and Sea Supply, if you live near Santa Cruz) that features the characters in the book - our favorite is the "Sunny Solo Tee"!
You can check out the clothing line and the books, as well as place an order HERE
Check out our friend Lola "The Young Vandal" in this new and inspiring video from GoodSport. Lola is the youngest graffiti artist in the world and also skateboards. We love that this video takes us behind the scenes into a "Day in the life of Lola"! Watch for team rider Zoe Herishen to make a cameo appearance as well!
As most of you know, GN4LW team rider, Minna Stess, has been temporarily sidelined by an injury that required immediate surgery and now she's deep into some serious healing time! But her doctors gave the go-ahead for Minna to volunteer with an awesome 501c3 organization called SkateMD at a clinic they put on this past weekend, and it was a fantastic way to remember that skateboarding is not all about comps, sometimes it's about teaching others, and giving back.
It was terrific seeing that Minna was able to work with little Leah most of the day and get her up and riding. They bonded so much that Minna even gave Leah the raffle prize she won so Leah could go home with her very own skateboard. Way to stoke a young girl out and get her hooked on skateboarding Minna! We love that!
So next time you're sidelined by an injury and can't skate, see about volunteering your time like Minna did - it's a great way to feel good and give back through skateboarding!
If you'd like to know more about the work SkateMD does or about being a volunteer, please check out their site HERE for more info.
SkateMD is an all volunteer, Northern California based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by Melanie Tillotson (the "M") and Andrea "Drea" Bibelheimer (the "D"). Inspired by each other's personal passions and contributions to at-risk and special needs children, Melanie and Drea joined forces as "partners in kind" with a mission to heal hearts by spreading kindness and skateboarding to special populations of children facing developmental, physical, emotional, or family challenges. The SkateMD program was created in 2014 as our heartfelt response to a viral video of a hate crime against a teenage boy with Autism. As members of skateboarding families and strong advocates of kindness, Melanie and Drea set out to empower children with exercise, positive interactions, and fun while increasing tolerance, compassion, and support within the community.
As if the announcement of the USA Women's National Skateboarding team wasn't enough excitement for the week, Variety announced today that pro skateboarder, Brighton Zeuner, will be the subject of a feature film documentary executive produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer with Imagine Documentaries.
We were stoked when our friends at Warner Brother Pictures contacted us, along with Heidi Lemmon to help find a female longboarder to be the stunt double for actress Sophia Lillis in the upcoming movie, "Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase".
After looking at numerous female longboarders on Instagram and getting referrals and feedback from our team, they decided that our GN4LW team rider Amanda "Panda" Caloia was the one to do the job!
Amanda was flown out to set and immediately started showing them what she could do, and they were so impressed with her skills, they also asked her to teach Sophia some basic skate moves as well.
We saw the movie this weekend and the entire opening sequence for the film is Nancy Drew, aka Amanda, longboard dancing down an empty street! ** Watch the traler above!!** There are more skate sequences in the film, but we're going to let you go see it to check them out yourself.
We are also proud to announce that apparently, Nancy Drew, is a Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word and "It's Not About Pretty" fan, as she has our stickers on the bottom of her Loaded longboard and they are shown prominently in the film!
Huge thanks to Amanda for showing up on set and rocking our logos on her board - production loved the GN4LW message so they were kept in the film and matched on Nancy's board as well!
