March 10, 2020

Coronavirus (Covid-19) Update

This is the first in a series of documents that World Skate will publish in order to provide updated information regarding the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on Olympic Qualification events. This document serves as a point of reference for NGBs and Athletes to make informed decisions about their participation in Olympic Qualification Events.

Please note the information provided is current at the time of writing (10th of March 2020) and is subject to change. Please check the provided links for updates on the rapidly evolving situation.

Every event will be evaluated on the following basis:

Development of the coronavirus contagion in the host country/city
Travel restrictions imposed on foreigners in the host country
References to up to date information
World Skate and/or Organizer provisions affecting the event

LIST OF WORLD SKATE CORONAVIRUS RISK MANAGEMENT PROVISIONS (CVRMP)

The following provisions have been defined by World Skate in order to safeguard the health of Athletes and Staff participating in Olympic Qualification events. All organizers willing to carry on sanctioned events after the 9th of March 2020, and until further notice, are subject to respecting the CVRMP.

For event organizers who choose to proceed, MOH advises that necessary precautionary measures be taken. Organizers responsibilities include:

Establishing a direct connection with National health authorities and coordinating a COVID-19 response up to the highest standard of the host country.
Having a Medical Official, appointed by World Skate, always available at the competition site, ready to address possible suspected cases of COVID-19.
Looking out for respiratory symptoms such as cough, runny nose or shortness of breath.
Denying entry to individuals showing signs of respiratory illness.
Reminding participants not to attend the event if they have symptoms of respiratory infection or have a recent history of travel to China, Iran, Italy, or South Korea in the last 14 days. This could be in the form of pre-event reminders, prominent notices at entrances to an event, notices during pre-registration or onsite registration.
Ensuring that event venues are ventilated and are adequately equipped with facilities for hand washing.
Increasing the frequency of cleaning of commonly used areas, such as washrooms, registration and payment counters, and dining areas.
Maintaining a registration list of participants (if practicable).

For event participants, MOH recommends the following precautions:

Individuals who are unwell should not attend. They should avoid public spaces and contact with others, and instead seek medical attention. Any staff or participant who becomes unwell during the event should leave immediately to seek appropriate medical attention.
Individuals that are showing signs of respiratory infection or have recent travel history to China, Iran, Italy, or South Korea in the last 14 days are strongly advised to remain at home and minimize their time spent in public spaces.
Individuals who are well do not need to wear masks.
Individuals should remain vigilant and practice good personal hygiene, such as washing their hands regularly and avoiding touching their faces.
Individuals should avoid close contact with others, i.e. not closer than 1.5 meters.
Avoid shaking hands with other event participants and consider adopting alternative greetings.

The following information has been updated as of the 9th of March 2020, at 12:00 AM CET and refers to the confirmed events of the TOKYO 2020 Qualification System.

A full list of airplane travel restriction can be referenced on the IATA official website

https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/international-travel-document-news/1580226297.htm


ASIA CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP - SINGAPORE
 

Date: 17-21 March 2020

Current COVID-19 confirmed cases: Active cases 160

CDC Risk Assessment Level for COVID-19: Risk of limited community transmission (1 of 4)

Travel restriction: Local authorities have ordered a ban on entry and transit in Singapore including the Changi area, for all travellers who have been to Iran, South Korea or Northern Italy in the 14 days prior to arrival in the country. This ban entered into force starting at 11:59 PM on Wednesday 4 March. All travellers, of any origin and nationality with symptoms compatible with COVID-19 can be subjected, at the discretion of the medical staff, to clinical tests and detained at the airport facilities pending the result (about 6 hours). Those who refuse to take the test will be denied entry to the country. There is also a ban on entry and transit for Chinese passport holders and for all travellers who have been to mainland China (the ban does not apply to the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao) in the 14 days prior to arrival in Singapore. Detailed information and exemptions can be found here: https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/international-travel-document-news/1580226297.htm

Reference website: https://www.moh.gov.sg

The event will comply with the CVRMP and also any additional measures as required by local health authorities:

Spectators will be limited to 500
The event will be held outdoors
Event entries will be equipped with a heat mapping system


SLS - STREET PRO TOUR - Las Vegas

Date: 24-29 March 2020

Current COVID-19 confirmed cases: 804

CDC Risk Assessment Level for COVID-19: Risk of limited community transmission (1 of 4)

Travel restrictions: As the 9th of March 2020 passengers who have been in China (People's Rep.) and Iran in the past 14 days are not allowed to enter the USA.

This does not apply to nationals of the USA.
This does not apply to passengers who reside in the USA.

Passengers who have been in China (People's Rep.) in the past 14 days must arrive at one of the following airports: Atlanta (ATL), Chicago (ORD), Dallas, (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Honolulu (HNL), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK or EWR), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA) and Washington (IAD).

Passengers from coronavirus-prone locations such as Italy and South Korea will undergo health screening at both departure and arrival airports in the USA. During departure checks (thermal check, medical evaluation, travel history questionnaire), in the event of symptoms or suspicious cases, boarding may be denied. Upon arrival, isolation will be provided for symptomatic passengers. It is recommended to follow the directions of the border authorities.

Reference website: https://www.cdc.gov/

The event will comply with the World Skate Coronavirus Risk Management Provisions



LIMA OPEN - STREET & PARK 5 STAR EVENT - LIMA (PERU)

Date: 5-11 April 2020

Current COVID-19 confirmed cases: 11

Travel restrictions: No travel restrictions are in place. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Peruvian authorities have strengthened the control procedures for travellers arriving by air, sea or land. The checks consist, at the moment, in the compilation of specific forms for public health purposes, in particular for passengers arriving from the countries most affected by the spread of the coronavirus.

Reference website: https://www.gob.pe/

The event will comply with the World Skate Coronavirus Risk Management Provisions

Jordyn Barratt x Clif Bar

 
For the first time in its 28-year history, CLIF BAR® will replace the iconic climber on the most popular flavors of its CLIF BAR packaging with real-life trailblazers - six women athletes representing six different sports.

And pro skateboarder Jordyn Barratt is one of the six female athletes featured!  And we love that the flavor Jordyn is featured on is the "cool mint chocolate" Yum!!

The limited-edition packaging debuts March 10 on Clifbar.com and in stores and will be available throughout 2020 while supplies last.

The six athletes, Venus Williams, Megan Rapinoe, Ashima Shirashi, Jordyn Barratt, Lakey Peterson, and Katerina Nash are world champions, Olympians, and Olympic hopefuls who lead with integrity in their communities. The sports they represent range from traditional events like cycling, tennis and soccer, to newer sports like skateboarding, surfing, and climbing.

Better grab that limited edition Clif Bar with Jordyn Barratt on the packaging fast, as we are sure they will sell out FAST!

Great to see pro skateboarder Lizzie Armanto in the LA Times this weekend in the GAME CHANGERS section. Nice to hear her credit her success in skateboarding to the support of her mom, and to find out what she considers her biggest accomplishment.

If you missed it, you can now read the article online right HERE

Arianna Carmona ~ Photo Chris Clicks Digital  Minna Stess ~ Photo Bryce Kanights  
Jordan Santana ~ Photo Israel Santana

March is Women's History Month and Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word is planning on celebrating and honoring it in a HUGE way!

In 2019, during Women's History Month, the GN4LW movement put up two billboards in Times Square, NY to celebrate & highlight girls skateboarding - something that had never been done before - and created large scale awareness for girls in skateboarding in a big way.

Featured on Girl Are Awesome

This year Cindy and her Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word movement have even bigger plans...

"We are announcing today that we are infusing $15,000 into women's skateboarding in 2020 because we still see that there is a need for more money to help these girls and women get where they need to go - even at the pro level," says Cindy Whitehead, '70s pro vert skateboarder and founder of Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word. 

USA National Team Women's Park Skaters ~ Minna, Jordan & Arianna ~ Photo Israel Santana

March 2020 starts with GN4LW's financial donation to three very talented pro female skateboarders who are on the 2020 USA National Women's Park Team - Minna Stess, Jordan Santana and Arianna Carmona - to help with their travel to Olympic qualifiers.


Whitehead went on to say, "I hope that if a movement like ours can step up and do something like this, it will encourage larger companies to do the same, if not more. Women's History Month is a great time to announce this and to encourage others to join us in supporting these amazing skateboarders."

Briel,  Penny, and Quinne rocking the new kid's tees ~ Photos Ian Logan

In addition to the money that has already been set aside for their travel, Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word is excited to announce that they are also launching a series of limited edition t-shirts in support of Arianna, Jordan, and Minna which are currently available on the GN4LW online shop. This gives friends, family and skateboard fans an opportunity to also help these young women as they embark on their Olympic Trials journey.

Each t-shirt gives 100% of the proceeds back to the skater whose tee you select.

So we hope you will join Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word in supporting  USA Skateboarding's 2020 National Women's Park Team riders, Jordan Santana, Minna Stess and Arianna Carmona on their journey to Olympic Qualifiers this year. These three young women will be traveling all over the world in the hope of making the USA Olympic team for women's park skateboarding.

Mom Julie, and daughter Quinne supporting! Photo Ian Logan

These special edition tees come in red for the kid's sizes and in navy for adults. All tees are UNISEX sizing - so let's encourage the guys out there to support these amazing female skaters too!

Wear them proudly while you watch these ladies compete on the live feed from each Olympic qualifier (we will keep you updated on contests, live feeds and results - right here!), or when you're skating at the skatepark!

You can help support Minna, Arianna and Jordan buy purchasing one of their limited edition tees  HERE 

Briel supporting while skating at Venice Skatepark

Additional announcements will be coming soon about other avenues in women's skateboarding that Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word is planning on infusing funds into!

Yumeka Oda  ~ Photo Bart Jones via Tamp Pro

Margielyn Didal ~ Photo Bart Jones via Tamp Pro

Hina Maeda ~  Photo Skate Park of Tampa Instagram

This is the 26th year of the Tampa Pro and this year the women were finally invited to compete. The ladies came out in full force to skate and showed why it's vital that they are included in this legendary event.

It wasn't just local Florida skaters or skaters from the USA - there were female skaters from Japan, Brazil, Columbia, and even the Philippines. Twenty Three ladies signed up to compete!

Even more impressive was the final results - the ladies may have traveled far, but they were out to win it! Only one USA skater made the finals today - California's Samarria Brevard.



TAMPA PRO 2020 - WOMEN'S FINAL RESULTS

Podium

1. Hina Maeda - Japan
2. Yumeka Oda - Japan
3. Margielyn Didal - Philippines


4. Gabriela Mazetto - Brazil
5. Ana Rendon - Columbia
6. Samarria Brevard - USA


Check out more coverage of the Tamp Pro right HERE

The trailer we have been waiting for is finally here!!  HBO has dropped the official teaser for “Betty,” the new series that focuses on the rad girls from The Skate Kitchen. If you saw the movie - this show continues the story - so if you didn't see the film, make sure you catch it before the new series starts on May 1. There will be six, half-hour episodes to start with (although we must say - that doesn't seem like enough because we know people are going to love it!)


“The show features (and stars) skateboarders; Dede Lovelace, Moonbear, Nina Moran, Ajani Russell, and Rachelle Vinberg.

** We can also tell you that you may see a couple of our GN4LW team riders in a few scenes! Keep your eyes peeled for Zoe Herishen and Lola Glass!

In case you missed the awesome launch of JOSS - a hard of hearing surfer doll from American Girl a month or so ago - Joss is a fierce surfer girl who never backs down from a challenge—even if it means taking a chance on something new, like trying out for cheer. But landing a spot on the cheer team is harder than it looks: Joss is hard of hearing and often misses the count. She’s determined to prove herself as a cheerleader and a surfer girl and realizes that an all-in attitude and an open mind might help her fly higher than ever before.


Now, Joss has a tricked out VW Van that is pretty much everyone's dream van, if you surf or skateboard.


Joss loves riding to the beach in her brother Liam’s surf van—it has everything they need for a great day in the sun. They can sleep, watch videos, and hang out between surf sessions, and there’s plenty of pretend food to snack on! It has working headlights, turn signals, windshield wipers, and radio. There are sounds for the horn and ignition, and a button to push to hear a message from Joss. Plus, there’s a storage bench that folds into a bed, a pop-up stove, and a fold-out table.

Set also includes:

* Two graphic throw pillows for lounging
* A bed pillow for sleeping
* A blanket and sleeping bag for camping out in the van
* A mattress for the fold-out bed
* A patterned rug to keep sand off the van floor
* A beach scene towel for drying off
* Two sticker sheets to decorate the interior and exterior of the van
* Cooking supplies including a pot, a pan, and tongs for making meals on the pullout stove
* A vase and flower for the dashboard
* A laptop with two reversible laptop screens to edit videos and register for the cheer team
* Five photos of cheer competitions and surfing
* A map of surf hotspots to keep in the glove compartment
* A surf magazine that includes an article about Tina Hart, Joss’s surfing idol
* A plate with a cool wave graphic
* A juice can and a smoothie bottle
* A burrito and a sandwich for quick grab-and-go lunches
* A parfait with fruit, yogurt, and granola and a spoon to eat it with
* A bag of pretzels to snack on
* A bunch of bananas and a container of raspberries
* Two popsicles with wrappers
* A surfboard and two rack straps to attach it to the van’s roof rack
* A skateboard Joss can use to practice her surfing moves out of the water
* A dog bowl for when Joss’s bulldog, Murph, comes to the beach
* A first aid bag with bandage stickers, ointment, a bandage wrap, an ice pack, scissors, five gauze     pads, pain reliever, peroxide, and a Surfer’s Handbook with first-aid info
* A video projector with a fabric screen and a set of image discs for watching surf videos on the beach
* A piece of chicken and a spatula to cook out
*A fried egg, pancakes, and bacon for the perfect beach breakfast
* A pretend cooler to keep all the food and drinks chilled

The VW Van from American Girl with all of the above retails for $650 - Joss doll not included

Big news about one of our favorite pro-female skaters, AU Poppy Starr Olsen is now an ambassador for Optus!!

Optus has announced a group of six inspiring Olympians who will represent the company’s sponsorship of the Australian Olympic team.

The ambassadors will support the Olympics Unleashed program, which Optus and the AOC are delivering in partnership, as well as represent the Optus brand throughout their Olympics campaign.

The Olympics Unleashed program brings students face to face with Olympians, inspiring students and using their Olympic journey to help improve students’ ability to set goals, overcome challenges and build self-esteem. The athletes have already visited more than 120,000 students across NSW, SA, ACT and Queensland schools.

Skateboarder Poppy Starr Olsen,  looks forward to linking with Optus on her road to Tokyo.

“It is exciting to have skateboarding feature in the Games for the very first time and it is wonderful to have a company like Optus getting behind our sport,” Starr Olsen said.

The 2020 summer Olympics will take place from 24 July 2020 in Tokyo. Optus is an Official Partner of the Australian Olympic team and the Australian Paralympic team until 2026, after committing to a 10-year agreement with the Australian Olympic Committee.


Poppy Starr Olsen – At 19 years of age, Poppy is the Australian National Champion and ranked fourth for Women’s Park in the World Skate Federation.


All info via B&T

The Tampa Pro has been going on for years and never once has it had a women's division. Which is pretty unbelievable as women still skate for free at the legendary skatepark of Tampa. So we're glad to finally see a women's division happening.

But don't get too excited - the Tampa pro will give the ladies just $5,000 as an OVERALL Prize Purse as opposed to the men who will take home a cool $10,000 for first place alone.

We still suggest that you tune in on Saturday 2/29  and Sunday 3/1 to the LIVE feed to watch the women's event go down - support these ladies!!!



Women's qualifiers happen on February 28, semi-finals on February 29 and the women's finals will take place on March 1.


SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29

Watch the live webcast at SPoTTampa.com
$15 Spectator Admission (includes Saturday Night party)

9:00am ET - Doors Open / Open Practice
Skating reserved for pros, women competitors, and industry only
11:30am ET - Women's Only Practice
12:00pm ET - Women's Semi-Finals
12 skaters
10 skaters from Qualifiers
2 Damn Am Winners [Neex Washinton, Hina Maeda
Two, one-minute runs, best-run counts
Top 6 advance to Finals
Independent Trucks Best Trick contest, immediately following Qualifiers


SUNDAY - MARCH 1

Watch the live webcast at SPoTTampa.com
$20 Spectator Admission

9:00am ET- Doors Open / Open Practice
Skating reserved for pros, women competitors, and industry only
11:30am ET - Women's Only Practice
12:00pm  ET- Women's Finals - 6 skaters
Three, one-minute runs, best-run counts
12:45pm  ET - Women's Awards



WOMEN'S OPEN PURSE

1st - $2,500
2nd - $1,000
3rd - $750
4th - $350
5th - $250
6th - $150

We're excited and honored to share that some of GN4LW Founder, Cindy Whitehead's 70's skateboard history, as well as the prototype of the original Dusters x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word cruiser, is going on tour for 5 years in the new Smithsonian Museum exhibit GIRLHOOD (It's Complicated).

The exhibit launches at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C on June 12, 2020, and then tours the country until 2025.


Thanks to Smithsonian Magazine for the feature!

Via Today: Mattel has announced a new line of Barbie dolls, available nationwide in March, that highlight the Summer Olympics sports of skateboarding, softball, sport climbing, surfing and karate.

Each doll comes with the outfit and equipment necessary to excel at their chosen sport. The skateboarder, for example, has a pink helmet and board and wrist and knee guards for safety, while the surfer totes a Tokyo 2020 board and wears a wetsuit.

The dolls also wear Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 jackets and come with gold plastic medals on a ribbon, allowing kids to hold medal ceremonies of their own to celebrate their dolls' accomplishments.

The collection comes in time for the return of softball to the Olympic Games: The sport was last included in 2008 in Beijing. The remaining sports celebrated in the collection — karate, surfing, sport climbing and skateboarding — will all make their debut in the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Keeping with the spirit of the 2020 Olympic Games, Barbie will also partner with Olympic athletes like skateboarder Lizzie Armanto and rock climber Kyra Condie on March 7th at the Barbie You Can Be Anything Festival, in Santa Monica where female role models will speak to attendees and conduct workshops on working to achieve goals.

We are SO excited to see Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team rider, Grace Cochrane, larger than life, in this new exhibit about the highlights and contributions of Tasmania's female athletes! And she is featured on the posters as well!

Well done Grace!!


Press Release: Tasmania’s sporting women and girls are being celebrated in a new exhibition at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG).

The Change Room highlights the achievements and contribution of Tasmanian female athletes, and also brings to light lesser known stories of sporting excellence as well as the people behind the games.

This community exhibition tells the stories of Tasmania’s sporting women and girls through text, audio and video, as well as through a selection of memorabilia and precious objects from their sporting careers.

The Change Room acknowledges the contribution of female athletes and coaches, as well as administrators, managers, board members and health professionals.

Athletes profiled in the exhibition include Tasmania’s first Olympian, javelin thrower Heather Innes who competed in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, as well as current sporting stars such as world champion woodchopper Amanda Beams, long distance runner Meriem Daoui and skateboarder Grace Cochrane.

Photo of Grace with the mural at TMAG by Miranda Harman

“The Change Room gives us the chance to tell the important stories of Tasmanian women in sport, not only the historic trailblazers but also today’s up-and-coming stars,” TMAG Director Janet Carding said.

“In developing the exhibition, a public call went out for contributions to help us tell the stories of Tasmanian women in sport and the Tasmanian community responded enthusiastically with not only stories but also photographs, audio, video and treasured memorabilia.

“I am sure that the exhibition’s themes of inclusion and women’s achievement are universal, and will appeal to not just the Tasmanian community but also to all of TMAG’s visitors from around the world.”

The Change Room will be supported by a public program of events and activities at TMAG, including a special women in sport-themed Discovery Day taking place on International Women’s Day, Sunday 8 March.

The exhibition is supported by Events Tasmania as part of the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 Cricket World Cup program being hosted by Australia in 2020, and timed to coincide with the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup which is taking place in Australia between 21 February and 8 March.

The Change Room is on show from Friday 7 February until Sunday 29 March 2020 in the Bond Store Basement at TMAG.

Almost Skateboards has come out with another Sky Brown x Skateistan deck and it's pretty awesome.

Plus 20% of the proceeds go directly to Skateastan - a great way to support this awesome organization.

The new deck comes in two colorways and retails for $54.95 - you can grab one HERE

Grab your best girlfriends and get down to The Cove Skatepark in Santa Monica this Saturday for the "Girls Skate Session" that Sandy and Ana put on. So many girls of all abilities show up to skate and it's really fun!


Girls Skate Session at The Cove is this Saturday, February 15th from 10am - 12pm

More info on The Cove Skatepark (pads and helmets required) HERE

Sit down and watch LITTLE MISS RUTHLESS with your daughters and sons - we insist!

This is a documentary focusing on the Majestic Sk8 Crew, a group of girls who fostered a female skateboarding community (although boys are welcome too) in Gardiner, New York.

The documentary focuses primarily on two girls, their families, and the other members of the crew. 

In a multitude of ways skating in the crew has changed their outlook on life and their relationships with others

Directed and produced by Niamh Hoban

If you haven't checked out STOKE MUCH Magazine yet, get on IT!

We're proud to say that we have a 6-page article in the new issue talking about "Creating and Skating at Baldy Pipe" which discusses why GN4LW founder, Cindy Whitehead, feels that it's important for girls to skate outside the skatepark and why.

The images shot by Elise Crigar also capture our new Dusters x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word board - ridden by Jantahvy Norton - in action.

Thanks to Zach and STOKE MUCH for keeping print alive!

Amazing to see that "Learning to Skateboard in a War Zone (if You're a Girl)" won BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT award at the Oscars tonight!

If you haven't seen the film "Learning to Skateboard in a War Zone (if You're a Girl)" it is not to be missed.

Shot in Afghanistan, the film highlights the work of the non-profit Skateistan, which was founded in 2007 in Kabul to teach Afghan girls and boys how to skate. Young skater girls take center stage as Director Carol Dysinger explores their journey from skateboarding novices to nollie-ing pros, and perhaps, more importantly, the life skills and confidence that they develop along the way.


You can watch the entire film on the A&E Channel.

 An international group of athletes joined the Nike 2020 Forum in New York to unveil the brand's latest performance and sustainable innovations. From left to right: Ibtihaj Muhammad, English Gardner, Leticia Bufoni, Blake Leeper, Timothy Cheruiyot, Dina Asher-Smith, Tomoya Ochiai, Sky Brown, Chris Mosier, Nyjah Huston, DeAnna Price, Bebe Vio, Kevin Mayer, Megan Blunk, Brandi Chastain, Aaron Brown, Sophie Hahn, Aori Nishimura, Diana Taurasi, Miles Chamley-Watson, Leon Schaefer and Caster Semenya



Ahead of competition in Tokyo, Nike debuts progressive new collections featuring sustainable materials for all athletes. As the growing climate crisis continues to disrupt competition and training, Nike’s sustainable innovations signal the brand’s commitment to helping protect the future of the planet — and, consequently, the future of sport. Highlights include uniforms for USA basketball, progressive advances in track and field kits and exuberant styles for those federations ushering skateboarding into the games.


Nike SB Skateboarding Kits: For skateboarding’s debut on this summer’s global stage, Nike SB will introduce kits on the forefront of sustainable design. Athletes representing Team USA, France and Brazil will compete in uniforms designed with 100% recycled polyester, pattern efficiency for minimal waste and bright, bold styling (crafted in collaboration with Dutch artist Parra) to celebrate each nation’s unique sport culture.

So here is what each of your favorite skateboarders from the USA, France, and Brazil will be wearing when they compete at the Olympics:

1.) Inspired by a traditional basketball jersey, the USA’s Nike SB x Parra jersey represents freedom. A bald eagle is stitched on the lower left of the jersey, while the nation’s country code is placed on the left sleeve.


 2.) Nike SB x Parra’s France jersey is an ode to the traditional tennis polo. Representing hope and faith, a rooster is stitched on the left chest of the jersey, while the French flag appears on the left sleeve.

3.)  Inspired by a traditional soccer jersey the Nike SB x Parra Brasil jersey employs a stitched toucan located on the lower left of the jersey to represent happiness. Brasil’s country code “BRA” is place on the left sleeve.

Photo Via VPS ~ Photo by Acosta

The preeminent, defining park terrain skateboarding competition, Vans Park Series, reveals its official 2020 world tour event schedule today. 

The series’ fifth consecutive season will kick off in June and return to the three permanent VPS-certified park terrain legacy skateparks built in France, Canada, and the United States last year. Gathering the world’s best park terrain skaters to inspire youth and grow participation worldwide, Vans Park Series continues its celebration of skateboarding’s unique and creative culture.

Vans Park Series is proud to announce a new shift to debut a “jam format” for the 2020 season. An evolution requested by the skaters themselves, the jam format will provide a more organic feel to fuel creativity and progression.


Vans Park Series supports the unbridled creativity of its talented roster, collaborating together to build a platform that is truly unique to skateboarding.

The official 2020 invitee list and advancing pro field from 2019 will be announced soon on vansparkseries.com.

“Inspired by the incredible talent and achievements of the skaters in Vans Park Series, we are extremely proud of the role that Park Series has provided as a platform over the last four years,” said Bobby Gascon, Vans global director of sports marketing. “In 2020, our top priority remains to be true to skateboarding’s creative culture and continue to support and grow skate communities around the world.”

Skateboarding legend and world-renown icon Tony Hawk will return in his role as color commentator, joined by Chris Cote, along with new talent Alex White and Greyson Fletcher officially joining the live broadcast programming. Stay tuned for more information on vansparkseries.com in advance of the season’s start in June.

Vans Park Series is proudly presented in conjunction with 2020 partners: Utah Sports Commission, Thrasher Magazine, Skateism, A.skate, Jones Soda, Spitfire Wheels, Independent Trucks, and The Nine Club.


2020 VANS PARK SERIES WORLD TOUR SCHEDULE

Global Qualifiers - Paris-Chelles, France - Vans-Cosanostra Skatepark - June 19-20

Montreal, Canada -  Vans Skatepark  - July 10-11

World Championships - Salt Lake City, Utah - Vans Utah Sports Commission Skatepark  August 28-29



Known for its unrivaled combination of speed, style, flow, amplitude and creativity, park terrain is the fastest growing discipline in competitive skateboarding today. Vans Park Series has made historic progress in the evolution of professional skateboarding and champions its reputation as the first premier league for the park terrain skateboarding discipline. From crowning new Park Terrain World Champions every year since 2016, to building the first-ever VPS-certified park terrain skatepark in the world, Vans Park Series sustains its commitment to growing the participation of skateboarding worldwide and will continue to promote skateboarding’s creative culture for future generations. Visit vansparkseries.com to learn more.

ABOUT VANS PARK SERIES

Vans Park Series is the premier competitive platform for professional park terrain skateboarding. Established in 2016, Vans Park Series’ mission is to inspire youth and grow skateboarding participation worldwide by defining the foundation for park terrain discipline. With four permanent VPS legacy skateparks in the ground to date, Vans Park Series enables the progression of skateboarding communities across the globe and promotes the creative culture of skateboarding for all generations.

Celebrating its fifth consecutive season in 2020, the series will feature two global qualifiers for men and women*, culminating with the world’s official park terrain World Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah. Showcasing an international roster of skateboarding’s elite pros, Vans Park Series continues to advocate its commitment to prize parity. Vans Park Series uniquely defines the park terrain format with its exclusive points system, judging guidelines and qualifying park terrain course criteria. Each season, Vans Park Series is broadcast live at every pro tour stop. Follow the Vans Park Series on social media or sign up online now for the latest information on Vans Park Series events.

*Men and Women include anyone who identifies as cisgender, trans, non-binary, and/or gender nonconforming skaters.

vansparkseries.com

@vansparkseries on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter

Vicki Vickers ~ Photo Glenn Miyoda 

In the mid-'70s when very few girls skated vert, Vicki Vickers was right there tearing up the pools and pipes with the boys. Vicki was as bold in interviews as she was when skateboarding. She continually spoke out about women in skateboarding not getting their fair share of prize money and accolades (gotta love that!!).  Vicki was inducted into The Skateboard Hall of Fame in 2017.

You can now catch Vicki, larger than life, at your local Vans store, where this gorgeous photo of her taken back in the day by Glenn Miyoda hangs in the store to remind everyone that even back in the day, girls skate too!