Check out what Lizzie has to say about being in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2! So rad to see her skating in this.
From a young age, Leticia Bufoni knew what she wanted to do: be a pro skateboarder. From humble beginnings in Brazil, Bufoni practiced hard and developed her skills into one of the most well-rounded competitive street skateboarders in the world. Now, her sights are set on the next level of professional skateboarding: competitive domination.
Check out this new video from X-Games BEING Leticia Bufoni.
Alexis Sablone has now unveiled her latest collaboration with Converse - "Designed by Alexis" The collection pays tribute to Japan, the capsule consists of her favorite Converse silhouettes: the One Star Pro, the Jack Purcell and the Louie Lopez Pro, which is a nod to her fellow CONS teammate.
The Louie Lopez Pro in a new colorway
Jack Purcell Mid Top in Black
The Alexis Cons One Star Pro is back with some rad updates!
Check out that sole detail!!
Watch the rad video - Filmed, edited, animated, and scored by Alexis Sablone during Covid-19
lockdown 2020 in Brooklyn, NYC.
Check out her “Designed By" Alexis pack
available in stores and online now at www.converse.com
A true embodiment of Vans’ DNA, Lizzie Armanto is an icon of originality and positivity. With her down-to-earth, fashion-forward, barrier-breaking approach, it’s no wonder Lizzie has become a role model to skateboarders around the world.
Never one to remain complacent in her style both on and off the board, Lizzie’s fun approach is reflected in her latest collection with Vans, featuring the Old Skool Pro Lizzie Armanto and a signature apparel pack infused with Lizzie’s signature beating-heart graphic and positive messaging. The design takes cues from natural tones and wild terrain, according to Lizzie:
“My latest collection was inspired from a photo I took of a spring time California landscape, covered in plants and wildflowers.”
The Old Skool Pro Lizzie packs bold style and serious performance into a shoe for those who aspire to Lizzie’s arresting abilities on a skateboard. The shoe’s full-suede, antique-white upper with debossed Checkerboard combines with a translucent Sidestripe and a contrasting black rubber sole, creating a graceful aesthetic with a bit of attitude. Lizzie’s initials are debossed on the heelcup as well as printed alongside her signature beating-heart graphic on an olive-gold sockliner.
The shoe features PopCush, Vans’ brand-new, Pro-Skate-exclusive technology. A meticulously tuned foam recipe offers impact protection, superior cushioning, and better energy return for every type of skating. As the brand’s most progressive sockliner to date, PopCush is Vans’ standard best-in-class upgrade for skating longer and harder.
Original gum rubber
compound offers superior grip and support, while Pro Vulc Lite
construction provides ultimate boardfeel, flex, and grip. DURACAP
reinforced underlays in high-wear areas add unrivaled durability
and prolong the life of the shoe.
Accompanying the
Lizzie’s Old Skool Pro is a line of signature apparel, including the
Heart Lizzie baby tee in blue surf, legging in black, coaches jacket in
antique white, backpack in antique white, sock in white,
and hat in black. Lizzie’s signature beating-heart graphic can be found
across the collection, from prominent placement on the baby tee to a
more subtle nod on the inside front lining of the coaches jacket. A
reminder to “skate with heart” is emblazoned on
the legging’s interior waist band and backpack’s strap.
The Vans Old Skool Pro Lizzie Armanto Pack is now available at Vans retailers and vans.com/skate.
In 1999, the video game Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater shook the world when it sold 9 million copies upon release and forever changed the skateboarding scene.
And this year the game features female skateboarders and non-binary skateboarders: Leo Baker, Leticia Bufoni, Aori Nishimura, Lizzie Armanto and Elissa Steamer.
PRETENDING I’M A SUPERMAN tells the story behind the game that changed lives and shaped a generation.
Featuring never-before-seen footage and interviews with legendary skater Tony Hawk, as well as industry stars Steve Caballero, Rodney Mullen, Chad Muska, and Eric Koston, award-winning director Ludvig Gür takes audiences through an intimate yet extraordinary journey, chronicling the meteoric rise of skateboarding’s most famous name.
AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL AUGUST 18TH
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https://thpsfilm.com/
ACTUALLY SEEING THAT SHE CAN, MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
Barbie is committed to shining a light on empowering role models past and present in an effort to inspire more girls. As a key part of their ongoing global initiative, the Dream Gap Project, Barbie is introducing girls to women’s stories from all walks of life to show them they can be anything. #MoreRoleModels
The latest Barbie role models are all extraordinary women that are being honored with a doll in their likeness.
We are excited to see our young friend, and rad skateboarder, Nyimas Bunga Cinta from Indonesia as one of the Barbie featured athletes!
Nyimas Bunga Cinta, at age 12 was the youngest medal receiver in the 2018 Asian Games when she won bronze in the Woman Street’s Event. Her love of skateboard started when she was a second grader and her desire to take the profession seriously continued to rise even more as she watched skateboarding videos. Having competed in almost 30 competitions, she has received 10 medals in International events including Bronze and Silver medal in SEAGAMES Philippines 2019 and around 11 medals in National/Local Events - where she dominated 1st place in most competitions.
Being the 1st Indonesian to ever win the Gold Medal in the Vans Park Series Asia’s Regional, Bunga is deemed to be the best and continues to uphold as the most potential skateboarder out there.
Photographer Jenny Sampson's new book Skater Girls
Foreword by Becky Beal
Contributions by Cindy Whitehead
We can not wait for photographer Jenny Sampson's new book Skater Girls , a follow up to her 2017 book Skaters, both published by Daylight. Skater Girls
drops in September 2020 and we know so many girls out there will want
get their hands on it. The new book retails for $45.00 USD and $58.99 CN. Stay tuned for more info and a sneak peek!
"These
women are my skate sisters -- we are the only ones who really know what
it was like to forge that path, blaze that trail, and dare to be
'different.' Sometimes we were celebrated for being female, but not for
the reasons we may have wanted. Other times, we were ignored because we
were girls and young women ...Through it all, we skated and never let
any of the negatives diminish the feeling we had when we jumped on our
skateboards and were flying through the bowls and pools that we loved."
-- Cindy Whitehead, '70s pro skateboarder, 2016 Skateboard Hall of Fame inductee
In Jenny Sampson's follow-up monograph to Skaters (Daylight,
2017) featuring her acclaimed collection of tintype portraits of male
and female skateboarders, the American photographer, who is based in
Berkeley, California, chose to focus exclusively on female
skateboarders. Although historically a male-dominated sport, there have
always been girls in the skateboarding landscape. By turning her lens on
these fearless females in skate parks and at events all over
California, Washington and Oregon, Sampson hopes Skater Girls (Daylight,
September, 2020) will increase visibility and celebrate these girls and
non-binary people, young and older, who have been breaking down this
gender wall with their skater girl power.
The idea for Skater Girls was born in 2017 when Sampson was approaching the deadline to deliver work for her first book. One
day in early 2017, she was setting up to photograph at Emeryville skate
park in Northern California when to her delight she noticed there were
many more women skateboarders in the park than usual. She observed and
then introduced herself to a small group of skater girls and asked if
she could photograph them. They agreed and Sampson led them to her
camera and portable darkroom to make their portraits.
That
day was a turning point for Sampson. She felt a kinship with these
women who opened up to her so warmly and knew that moving forward she
would focus on making portraits of female skateboarders. That same day
she learned of an organization called Skate Like a Girl, and a few weeks
later went to an event they held in Santa Rosa. "There I discovered a
whole new world-to me. Girl skaters abounded."
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| Jazzmen and Nathalie, Seattle, 2019 |
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| Jasmine, Seattle, 2018 |
The
portraits featured in this book were all made in a portable darkroom
using a 160-year-old photographic process known as wet plate collodion
that requires long exposure times and the subjects to be perfectly
still. "There is a connection that takes place when I photograph them
using the slow photographic process, wet plate collodion. The
photographic practice requires patience, interaction and collaboration
and it mirrors the inclusive landscape in which these photographs are
made."
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| Lucia, Oakland, 2019 |
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| Ohmala, Grass Valley, 2018 |
Part
of the beauty of a tintype is the timelessness that it imbues. While
Sampson's subjects are wearing contemporary styles and plenty of logos,
there still remains a timelessness in their portraits. "Ultimately,
despite the contemporary subject matter and modern details, we see a
unique honesty and are struck by the strength and determination of these
skaters. They are purposeful and courageous, open, playful and
supportive; I admire their respectful and shrewd fight for a place in
the world," says Sampson.
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| Amelia, Seattle 2019 |
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| Carly, Samantha, Tabitha, Suzy, Encinitas, 2018 |
In her essay Becky Beal, EdD, Professor of Kinesiology, Cal State East Bay, and co-author of Moving Boarders: Skateboarding and the Shifting Landscape of Urban Youth Sports writes, "Jenny Sampson's collection of portraits encourages us to re-examine our assumptions of who is a skateboarder by acknowledging the variety of gender expressions that are cultivated in and articulated through skateboarding. I find Sampson's photos powerful in their representation of women as complex and confident, and I find them joyful because of the wide-ranging forms of skateboarder identity being supported in these communities. Sampson's collection celebrates skateboarding while simultaneously challenging traditional narratives of 'authenticity,' extending the notion of what it means to be a skateboarder."
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| Leo, Seattle, 2018 |
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| Kristen and Holly, Oakland 2019 |
The
growing popularity of female skateboarders was in play at the Academy
Awards in 2020, when a film about girls skateboarding in Afghanistan,
"Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)," won the Oscar
for best documentary (short subject) -- the first Oscar ever given to a
film that features skateboarding. In 2021, the Tokyo Olympic Games will
include skateboarding as an official event, for both men and women, for
the first time.
You can Pre-Order Skater Girls here
You can Pre-Order Skater Girls here
All images © copyright Jenny Sampson from the book Skater Girls published by Daylight.
Photo credit: Mathieu Couture
We're proud to announce that Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word is featured on an episode of L'ÉQUIPAGE.tv - "SKATE THE WORLD" - USA West Coast - where skateboarding was born. (This was all filmed pre-COVID!)
The show features some of the South Bay-based GN4LW skaters - Quinne, Kala, Kyra, Briel, and host Mathieu Cyr learns what the Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word movement is really about and why it's so important for GN4LW founder Cindy Whitehead to encourage the next generation of skater girls.
You can catch us at the 24-minute mark during the show.
VIEW THE EPISODE ONLINE Here ----> https://www.tv5unis.ca/…/skate-le-mon…/saisons/1/episodes/12
The show also features West Coast skaters Jesse Martinez, Peggy Oki, Dan Levy of Juice, SHOF Museum, Garage Board Shop, and more!
Aori Nishimura
Get ready, because now you'll have 5 options of female skateboarders when playing the new Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 & 2!
Get stoked, because the first two games in the critically acclaimed Tony Hawk™ Pro Skater™ franchise – Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™ and Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™ 2 – are returning fully remastered and in one awesome package. Developed by the masters of the remasters – Vicarious Visions – the games that defined a generation are back and will blend original levels, classic pro skaters, old-school tricks, iconic songs from the original franchise, and more that fans remember from the ‘90s and 2000’s with added features, HD graphics, new tricks, and iconic controls to provide players with a super awesome gameplay experience. The fun doesn’t stop there,
With the launch of the remaster on September 4, 2020, the legacy continues with some of the most preeminent pro skaters in the world today -- Nyjah Huston, Leo Baker, Leticia Bufoni, Aori Nishimura, Lizzie Armanto, Shane O’Neill, Riley Hawk and Tyshawn Jones -- joining the lineup of OG pro skaters.
KEY FEATURES:
• HD to the Max – Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2’s amazing HD graphics allow players to pull off reverts, wall plants, lip tricks and manuals with even longer combos in brilliantly vivid detail.
• Faithful Remaster – Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 combines original levels, original pro skaters, tricks, and modes from the first two games in the franchise into one gnarly package.
• Added Features – New tricks, secrets and more to uncover will take the original games to the next level! Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 also provides loads of gameplay options with online multiplayer modes. New features to the remaster also include even more goals than before, added challenges to amp up gameplay and more.
• Sick Customization – Create-A-Park and Create-A-Skater modes are back! But new this time around is a robust editor enabling new ways of customization. Players will be able to share new parks online with friends, remix already published parks with their own personal flavor, and outfit skaters with tons of customization options.
• Iconic Soundtrack – Get ready to kick, push and trick to one of the greatest videogame soundtracks ever as many iconic and fan-favorite songs from the soundtrack that defined a generation return with the new remaster.
• Killer Lineup – They’re all back! Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, Geoff Rowley, Bucky Lasek, Elissa Steamer, Kareem Campbell, Andrew Reynolds, Bob Burnquist, Chad Muska and the rest of the pro skaters from the original two games are back and brought to life in HD detail.
Additionally, a new crop of talent that reflects modern skateboarding rounds out the skater options that fans can choose from, including Nyjah Huston, Leo Baker, Leticia Bufoni, Aori Nishimura, Lizzie Armanto, Shane O’Neill, Riley Hawk and Tyshawn Jones. While some of the new pros have appeared in past Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 will mark the first time that they will grind, ollie and kickflip in the first two games from the franchise.
Check out the new game in action!
Platforms: PlayStation® 4, PlayStation® 4 Pro, the family of Xbox One devices from Microsoft, including the Xbox One X, and on PC through the Epic platform.
Release Date: September 4, 2020
MSRP&: $39.99 (base game)
$49.99 (digital deluxe edition). Includes unique retro content and gear.
$99.99 (Collector’s edition). Includes a limited-run Birdhouse deck.
*Digital pre-orders are available now and give early access to the Warehouse Demo starting Aug. 14, 2020
$99.99 (Collector’s edition). Includes a limited-run Birdhouse deck.
*Digital pre-orders are available now and give early access to the Warehouse Demo starting Aug. 14, 2020
ESRB Rating: Teen
Languages: Fully localized (VO + subtitles) in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America) and Portuguese (Brazil) and Japanese.
All info via the Smithsonian Museum
When Mimi Knoop entered her first skateboarding competition at 24 years old, she never anticipated leaving her mark on the sport forever. But in the early 2000s, she formed an alliance with pioneering skateboarder Cara-Beth Burnside to make a simple request: that the X Games—and the rest of the skateboarding industry—treat women skateboarders the same way they treat their male peers.
You can listen to this Season 5 Sidedoor podcast via The Smithsonian Education link - HERE
And after the podcast, make sure you scroll down the page to check out some really cool items from women's skateboarding over the years, that now reside in the Smithsonian Museum collections.
And after the podcast, make sure you scroll down the page to check out some really cool items from women's skateboarding over the years, that now reside in the Smithsonian Museum collections.
Photos Ian Logan x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word
(please credit accordingly if sharing on social media - we are all in this together - thanks!)
Skaters all over the country are banning together to help protest police brutality and support Black Lives Matter by taking to the streets and City Hall. We've been part of two protests now and this one in downtown on Sunday, June 21 in downtown Los Angeles, which was also Go Skateboarding day, had great energy, awesome speakers and a complete mix of longboarders and street skaters all with something to say and sharing their support for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin and so many other Black lives that have been lost way too soon. ❤
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| The Skate Witches - image via Vans |
The Skate Witches started as a way to create connections in a niche skate scene and became something more. Tired of not seeing skaters they identified with represented in mainstream skate magazines and films, the founders decided to make their own media instead.
Through a unique blend of skateboarding, art, humor, and DIY ethos, The Skate Witches are creating the world they want to see.
Music Credits:
'Boring Angel' by Oneohtrix Point Never, courtesy of Warp Records:
More info on The Skate Witches and the Workshop Series (photography, videography & writing) they have in collaboration with Vans, that you can get involved with - just CLICK HERE
Press Release:
Event Will Serve as the Last Olympic Qualifying Event in The U.S. Before the Tokyo Summer Games
The Adventure Sports Network (ASN) and MTN DEWⓇ announced today that its annual summer Dew Tour skateboard competition and festival, will now be held in May 2021, in light of the postponement of the Tokyo Summer Games and safety regulations and guidelines concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As a global company, MTN DEW and PepsiCo see the health and safety of our staff and fans as our first priority,” commented Nicole Portwood, MTN DEW VP of Marketing. “With this in mind, we want to be sure we’re taking the necessary steps to help protect our communities around the world, and this includes postponing large-scale events such as the Dew Tour. As tough as this decision is, it’s the right thing to do and gives us even more to look forward to in 2021. We’ll drop in together soon.”
In June 2019, Dew Tour served as the first global Olympic qualifying event in the U.S. for men’s and women’s skateboard street and park competitions. In May 2021, Dew Tour will continue as an Olympic qualifying event, in partnership with World Skate, serving as the last qualifier for park events in the U.S. before the Tokyo Games. The exact dates are forthcoming.
“Postponing the Dew Tour Long Beach weekend until 2021 is the best decision to ensure the safety of our athletes, fans, partners, vendors and staff during these unprecedented times,” explained Courtney Gresik, Dew Tour VP and General Manager. “The Dew Tour remains committed to the progression of skateboarding, furthering awareness and appreciation of the sport as we lead up to the 2021 Olympic Games. We look forward to our return to Long Beach in 2021 for a weekend packed with fun, excitement and Olympic-level competition that our fans have come to expect from our events.”
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| All Photos Hannah Bailey |
A documentary from directors Parisa Urquhart and Ling Lee – showcased earlier this year at the Glasgow Film Festival - is to be screened on BBC Scotland. It has been made via the Right Here project, which is backed by BBC Scotland in conjunction with the Scottish Documentary Institute and Screen Scotland, to help emerging directors, and reflects the rich diversity of Scottish identity.
Long Live Livi is about three young skate girls and their bid to reinvigorate legendary Livingston skatepark. Livingston ‘Livi’ Skatepark is world-legendary among skaters. In the 1980s and ‘90s, Livi was thriving and attracting the best pro-skaters but forty years on the surfaces have deteriorated and become dangerous.
This documentary follows the story of three local
ambitious skate girls known as The Snagglerats. With the help of their
mums and old school skaters, the Snagglerats discover Livi’s unique
history shown using amazing 8mm archive footage, old skate magazines and
photos. There is also an unexpected chat with international skate
legend Tony Hawk. He fondly reminisces about his visit to legendary Livi
and says of the time: “Scotland had one of the few skate scenes in
Europe”.
Long Live Livi airs on BBC Scotland (channel 108) on Thursday 11th June at 8.30pm and will be available on BBC iPlayer:
Costa Mesa, CALIF. (June 11, 2020) – Vans’ long-running original content series, Loveletters to Skateboarding is about the love communities around the world have for skateboarding: a common bond shared regardless of race, religion, and sexual orientation. The 11th season of Loveletters is a testament to this, premiering worldwide today with a 6-part series dedicated to the voices of the LGBTQ+ skate community.
Cher Strauberry and Jeff Grosso
Exploring topics of identity, acceptance, allyship and more, this season of Loveletters to Skateboarding uplifts the shared journeys of a vast community of skaters who have found solace and connection through skateboarding. With stories from well-known skaters such as Brian Anderson, Leo Baker, Breanna Geering and Cher Strauberry, to members of the Unity crew, Skate Witches, and locals from around the world, Loveletters highlights the diverse yet often unheard perspectives of an emerging skate community.
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| The Unity Crew |
Messages of unity and equality must always be championed. The origins of the Pride Movement can be traced to formative voices from the black queer and trans community, who took pivotal action for their rights in the late ’60s. In honor of Pride Month, and in addition to using our collective voice to elevate these impactful stories, Vans is making a donation of $50,000 to the GSA Network, an organization working to unite trans and queer youth for racial and gender justice.
Elissa Steamer and Jeff Grosso
Vans’ Loveletters to LGBTQ+ was filmed earlier this year, before the passing of legendary skater and host Jeff Grosso, who was a champion for inclusive skateboarding. These episodes were undoubtedly the ones he was most proud of in the 11 years of the show. Jeff confessed, “I was taught at a young age to speak this way. I have been part of the problem, but I am trying to change…the last thing I want to do is make someone feel uncomfortable or make them not feel safe, especially when it comes to skateboarding.” Vans, alongside Jeff, believe all voices of the LGBTQ+ community deserve to be heard. In our Vans family, there is no place for hatred or bigotry, and it is our mission to welcome everyone into the creative community of skateboarding.
Watch Jeff Grosso’s Loveletters to Skateboarding now at YouTube.com/Vans and stay tuned for new episodes every Thursday.
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| HBO's Betty |
Hopefully, you've been following along for all six episodes of the new HBO show BETTY. I'm sure everyone is bummed that Season 1 is over, but the great news is Season 2 is in the works with a release date of May 2021.
Yeah, it's a long time to wait, but we are stoked to hear that all the original cast members are slated to come back and we can't wait!
If you haven't caught Season 1 - watch the trailer below and spend some time on HBO catching up - you'll love this show!
I'm not sure how we missed this one - but Soccer Mommy has a new song, CIRCLE THE DRAIN and the music video was directed by Atiba Jefferson and pro skateboarder Nicole Hause is in it! Lots of fun skating in a waterpark in Palm Springs - give it a watch!
Director: Atiba Jefferson
DP: Ty Evans
Editor: Cleigh Reed
1st AD: Farand Heydari
Gaffer: Kevin Denning
Key Grip: Ivan Gatz
Art Department: Frankie Palombo
PA: Leo Roberts
Skaters: Sean Malto, Jake Anderson, Curren Caples, Nicole Hause
Location: Palm Springs Surf Club
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| Gnarly girl Rae Skate Sticker by Proper Gnar |
This past week has left us feeling angry, hurt, and saddened about the underlying issues of our society, especially when it comes to abuse to the Black community via the police force. Protests are continuing in cities nationwide in the memory of George Floyd and so many others, to demand change. We know a lot of you have participated - which we love and we hope you will continue to do so wherever you can - this fight is not over until radical change happens in this country.
Make sure you also get registered to vote, study the candidates in every position, and vote! We can not express how important this is, your voice needs to be heard from the local level all the way up to the White House.
We posted links on our previous piece on where you can donate to organizations like Black Lives Matter, ACLU, Unicorn Riot, NAACP, and more - we hope you will spend some time checking them out and donating if you can.
During this time, we've decided to also educate ourselves on how we all can help each other right here in skateboarding.
To start, we'd like to acknowledge and recognize our Black Female Skate Community by promoting Female Black-Owned skateboard movements and businesses.
We’ve put together a list of people, brands and movements we know and love, as well as suggestions from you guys.
Whether you chose to follow on Instagram, order a product, or donate time/funds to a movement - we encourage you to explore this list and support these women - not just today, but every day.
Skateboarding has been predominately white males for decades - our aim has been to see more women skateboarding and now we need to take it even further and be specific about helping to encourage and amplify the voices of color in our own community.
Are we missing some of your favorite people, brands, or movements?
Let us know by contacting us via our Instagram page @girlisnota4letterword Make send you send us a DM - we read them!!
PROPER GNAR has been on the scene for five years now. They are based out of Dayton, Ohio but the owner and artist, Latosha, can and will ship everywhere via their online site which is chock full of skate decks with her own powerful graphics, apparel, stickers, and more. "I felt that women don't get the same amount of pay or sponsorships, and I wanted to create that change," says Latosha.
The brand got its start because Latosha is super into fashion, and is also an illustration artist, so she combined those assets with her love with skateboarding (15 years worth) and Proper Gnar was born.
To provide an understanding of how things are starting to change in skateboarding Latosha had this to share:
"I just want to say how proud I am of the skate community and how far it has all come. I was initially nervous about posting and sharing some things because the last time I did I got some negative, racist feedback. This time around the support has been overwhelming, and I really appreciate that.
When I first started skating Elissa Steamer was the only woman skater I knew. When I’d go to the park, guys would not only question my gender skating but also my color. Now there are so many of us out there and I love to see it."
Check out the goods at Propergnar.com
Skateboarder and model, BRIANA KING has been encouraging girls to get together and skate with her at various skateparks for a couple of years now and says "I don't see that stopping anytime soon!".
Growing up in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles, and later traveling the world as a model she strives to make sure people around her feel welcome and comfortable - even when they are the "new kid" at one of her skate clinics. She continually holds female and queer skate sessions where she teaches girls to skate and encourages them to stick with it by providing a support system of other girls right in their own neighborhood to skate with in the future.
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| Photo of Briana by Kris Evans |
Past skate clinics have taken place in Boyle Heights, Seattle, Lincoln Heights, and El Sereno.
Stay tuned to Briana's Website for updates on upcoming skate clinics in 2020.
And make sure you check out the video below to see how rad these sessions are!
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| Quinne with Blk Girl Grip |
BLK GIRL GRIP is the brainchild of Aziza -who started painting grip tape five years ago with her own designs. Why paint grip tape you might ask?
Aziza said, "I can't remember the last time I had blank grip -
if I am going to be looking down at my board, at least make it cute, right?"
Every single piece she designs is one of a kind and a work of art. If you are lucky enough to catch her at a skate event you can see what she has available and buy it right there, otherwise hit her up on her Instagram @blkgirlgrip - but please remember, like most female-owned businesses we are writing about, she is a one-woman show so be patient when showing your support!
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| Babes Brigade |
BABES BRIGADE, run by the raddest girl around, Stephanie Battieste, has been on a mission since 2015 to get girls and women in Toronto on skateboards no matter what! From meetups, lessons, parties, and group sessions this is one of the most fun women/girls skate groups we have ever met!
After spending countless years skating at her local skate parks, usually, as the only female, Stephanie began to start seeing more and more girls skating.
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| Photo Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word |
And we should also mention that for the over 21 ladies, Babes Brigade has its own signature beer from Prince Eddy's Brewing called the Haze Brigade - how rad is that?
SAMARRIA BREVARD is the first Black woman to medal at the X-Games. She is also the only female skater on the Enjoi Skate Team and she has a kickass signature board.
We suggest you buy her board to support because pro-female skaters are rare, as are people of color in skateboarding. Plus every sale helps Samarria fund her dream of heading to the Olympics for Women's Street skateboarding.
MS. RPRSNTD, where do we even start? Their founder, Adrienne is a force to be reckoned with on so many levels. The goal of MS. RPRSNTD is to provide girls in marginalized communities with access to skateboarding, but the movement goes far beyond that.
How about a skate related multi-media art show (Girl Gang at Space 15 Twenty) or an Instagram that shines a light on women of color in skateboarding, add creating skateboard decks with the word Feminist on them and you know that Adrienne is seriously doing it all.
MS. RPRSNTD is coming back this year all grown up as a full-fledged Non-Profit, so we can't wait to see what happens next! Make sure you stay tuned on their Instagram @msrprsntd
THE SKATE KITCHEN, this diverse group of young female skateboarders has been the talk of NYC and beyond for years now. They skate hard, and they don't take any shit from the guys. The group is diverse and the women of color to follow on Instagram include skaters MoonBear, Dede Lovelace and Ajani Russell.
Collectively they have a movie out about their group, "The Skate Kitchen" which can be viewed on Amazon Prime, and now they star in a popular TV Series titled BETTY currently showing on HBO.
Photos Ian Logan
We want you to know that just like you, we are angry and saddened by the death of George Floyd and also all the other instances of police brutality that happen daily in this country. 🖤
Today we participated in a protest held in Manhattan Beach and listened to a Black speaker from our former high school talk about the fact that he never really felt 100% accepted in this small beach town. And why he was leading this protest and speaking out. His words were powerful and gave us pause.
Today we want to let you know that we plan on making sure we spend more time actively elevating and encouraging girls and women of color on all our platforms. We need to encourage the next generation and make sure women’s skateboarding is as diverse as it can possibly be.
We are putting together a list of Black female-owned skate movements and businesses with links to each on our website and will also announce financial donations we will be making directly to those movements/causes. ✨
If you have favorites that you feel we should know about - please let us know on our Instagram page
Please make sure you speak out even if you feel you aren’t doing it 100% right. Because Injustice is injustice and it needs to STOP.
Also, please consider donating to the following impactful causes:
Black Lives Matter
NAACP
Unicorn Riot
People’s City Council Freedom Fund
Minnesota Freedom Fund
Nationwide Bail Fund
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
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Photos Ian Logan
We had the opportunity to photograph and document for LOS ANGELENO Magazine what some Los Angeles skaters were doing while the skateparks were closed during this pandemic. Skaters were forced to take things back to DIY with ramps in their yards, skating in closed parking garages, or even inside the house on hardwood floors.
You can check out the entire story and photos on LOS ANGELENO Magazine!