DEW TOUR ANNOUNCES NEW LOCATION IN DES MOINES, IOWA, HOME OF THE NATION’S LARGEST SKATEPARK, AND WILL SERVE AS THE ONLY U.S. BASED GLOBAL OLYMPIC SKATEBOARD QUALIFYING EVENT IN 2021
Sanctioned by World Skate as Pro Tour Level Events for Men’s & Women’s Skateboard Street and Park; 2021 Summer Dew Tour to be Held May 20-23 at the New Lauridsen Skatepark |
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Check out Longboard Girls Crew co-founder, Valeria Kechichian in REAL CHANGERS. The documentary is out now (you can watch it above) and features three women who changed the game in their male-dominated fields.
It really is a must see!
Big congrats Valeria, for all you have done, and continue to do, to further women in skateboarding!
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| The 5 rings with rainbow bridge as backdrop - Tokyo
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OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION UPDATE: SKATEBOARDING
Press Release 03/16/21
After the long break imposed by the pandemic, we are glad to finally announce the restart of the qualification season leading up to Tokyo 2020, the first Olympic Games in the history of Skateboarding.
17 - 23 May Dew Tour Des Moines (USA) Street & Park Pro Tour
31 May - 6 June Street World Championships Rome (ITA) Street World Champ.
14 - 20 June Park World CHampionships TBA Park World Champ.
The Seeding Rules for 2021 events have been reviewed considering the
long break taken from competition and the limited amount of point
opportunities left to athletes: The top 12 WSR ranked athletes per
gender and discipline will be pre-seeded to the Semifinals of Pro Tour
events and only the top 5 WSR ranked athletes after Dew Tour and
National Championship results inclusion will be awarded a pre-seeding
spot to the World Championship Semifinals in both genders and
disciplines.
Dew Tour and the start of Street World Championships will be separated
by one full week. No other calendar solution was possible. World Skate
is working with both event organizers to make it easy and convenient to
arrange athlete travels from North America to Europe.
As you are reading this article, a bulletin regarding the first event
has been published and further information regarding both: the Dew Tour
and the World Championships will follow suit.
Please note: the new location for Dew Tour will be announced to the media and general public on March 23, 2021.
To all the skateboarders worldwide: we look forward to meeting you soon...finally!
info via Around the Rings
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| Image via Lovell Family |
Everyone has been talking about the new movie "The Map of Tiny Perfect Things" since it launched on Amazon Prime a few weeks ago. One of the biggest questions with skaters has been, "who is the female skateboarder that nailed the stair jump?!"
Well, we have the answer, fourteen year old Mia Lovell from Arizona! She's competed at Exposure, Posieden, the Cal State Games (where she took home athlete of the year!), Dam Am and many more contests. Mia skates bowl and street, has a killer skatepark at her house and is absolutely one of the nicest people to spend time with! She's not only an excellent skater, but now she can add actor to her resume.
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| Mia's IMDB listing |
We decided that it was about time everyone learned what really happens when you get selected to skate in a major motion picture. Mia graciously took time out of her busy schedule to do this interview with us and share in the ins and outs, from being cast to being on set, and nailing that kickflip down the stairs scene.
If you haven't seen this film yet yet - put in on your watch list - because its really good!
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things tells the story of quick-witted teen Mark, contentedly living the same day in an endless loop whose world is turned upside-down when he meets mysterious Margaret also stuck in the time loop. Mark and Margaret form a magnetic partnership, setting out to find all the tiny things that make that one day perfect. What follows is a love story with a fantastical twist, as the two struggle to figure out how – and whether – to escape their never-ending day. Starring: Kathryn Newton and Kyle Allen
*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity
Cindy: So, let's talk about how you scored this excellent part of "Skate Rat Girl" in the new hit film "The Map of Tiny Perfect Things".
Mia: Mike McGill was looking for a girl for the film and was talking with Amelia Brodka, and she showed him a video of me doing a kickflip down a six-stair!
The instagram video that landed Mia the part!
Cindy: And that was it? You didn’t even have to come in for an audition?
Mia: Yes, that’s right. Mike called my dad and discussed it, and I got booked.
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| Mia with Mike McGill ~ Image via Lovell Family |
Cindy: You live in Arizona, but the movie was filmed in Alabama. How soon did you have to leave to start shooting?
Mia: It was about a month before I left.
Cindy: Did they ask you to practice anything specifically before you came?
Mia: Well, I knew it would be a stair set feature, but I didn't know how big, so I just kind of practiced my tricks on stairs leading up to it.
Cindy: But you already feel comfortable hitting stairs; you've got this pretty down – which is good. How many stairs did you have to kickflip down in the film?
Mia: It was a six stair, I believe, but they were really deep, so they're like twice as deep as regular stairs. Plus, it was in Alabama, and the weather was really rough, very humid, so there were times when I landed that I scrapped myself up a little bit.
Cindy: So, was Mike McGill, your stunt Coordinator, on set?
Mia: Mike was the stunt coordinator for the film, so he coordinated everything I did. And when I was doing my stunts, I got to talk to actors a little bit, and they were really nice.
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| Mia on set with lead actress, Kathryn Newton ~ Image via Lovell Family |
Cindy: How many days were you there?
Mia: About three days
Cindy: Did they ask you to do anything besides kick flipping the stairs, was there anything you did for the movie that was cut out and that we didn't see?
Mia: Everything that I did was put in. I was pretty happy about that!
Cindy: Wow, that's really cool because a lot of things usually get cut. You had a speaking part, too, right? Are you a member of SAG now?
Mia: I did. I’m not SAG yet because I have done two film things, and I think you need three to be SAG?
"The Map of Tiny Perfect Things" Trailer
Cindy: I think this is so cool because people have this idea that you need to live in Southern California to have these opportunities, and you're proof that if you just skate hard, have a positive attitude, people notice you – Instagram is a great place for that - no matter where you may live. Movies aren't always filmed in Southern California anyway. In your case, you went to Mobile, Alabama.
Mia: Yes, I was in Fairfield, Alabama, for this. I love that town. It was awesome being down there.
Cindy: I’ve been to Mobile quite a few times. There are few skate parks and good skate spots - did you get to go skate anywhere else, or did you just have to concentrate on a movie and the set?
Mia: The first day we got there was kind of like a practice day, so they took me to the actual set and had us skate it. And then, and then we just kind of hung out and went to a couple skate spots. Then on another day they actually filmed everything.
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| Mia in make-up before filming ~ Photo Lovell Family |
Cindy: Were you nervous once they said, rolling, and you had to do it on cue. Did it make you nervous at all or just like, hey, this isn't another day at the skate park.
Mia: I guess it is a little nerve-wracking because like everyone's looking at you, the skaters are there like watching and stuff, and they were all super cool. And then all the people filming, but once you start skating, you're kind of dialed into it, I think.
Cindy: Yeah, I think you get that skater mentality right, and you just zone in, just like you do for contests because you're used to that as well, you know once you do a contest, there are tons of people watching, and now at like Vans US Open we have cameras everywhere and it kind of gets you prepared for all this, which is great. We never used to have that.
Were there other girls skating in in this movie too, or you're the only female and with all guys?
Mia: Yeah, I’m the only one in there, and all the rest were guys.
Cool. And you're the only one who got to make the kickflip down the stairs.
Mia: Yeah.
Editors Note: In the movie, all the guys fail while trying to make a kickflip down the stairs, but Mia’s character rolls up and does it flawlessly!
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| Mia getting mic'd up ~ photo Lovell family |
Cindy: Now, what about your wardrobe? Did you bring some things and they selected from your real skate wardrobe, or did they have everything already for you and just said “hey, this is what you're going to wear?”
Mia: Leading up to it, they went to my Instagram looking for looks. So I brought some of my own stuff and on that practice day, I got to meet with the costume designers. I had my own little trailer and stuff while we were figuring out my outfit and stuff – it was really fun!
Cindy: Did they realize that it was kind of important that you wear your own shoes because of the feel on the board?
Mia: Oh yeah, they were super, super cool about that.
Cindy: I love that people realize that, because I work in that world, doing wardrobe styling and for many years I had to explain to clients like hey, they have to wear their own shoes for skateboarding, and BMX and this kind of stuff because you can't just throw on a new pair of shoes and have them dialed in immediately.
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| Mia waiting to skate ~ Photo Lovell family |
Mia: The producers were actually very familiar with skating. Both of their kids skate, and one was in the scene with me. They were really great with me. They made me feel really awesome and special.
Cindy: It sounds like you had a really good experience, and it sounds like the cast and crew were super nice. Was there a favorite part of your three days there?
Mia: After I land the trick in the scene, I come back and kind of celebrate with everybody. And it felt like so real, you know, is such a good feeling…
Cindy: like a real skatepark moment, where all your friends give you high fives and congratulate you for making it?
Mia: Yeah. It just felt so real and awesome!
Cindy: Were you sad to leave and go home?
Mia: I was. The trailer, the set, and the people were just so much fun.
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| Image via New Balance |
Samarria Brevard is making some serious history. Samarria becomes the very first Black female skater to get her own signature shoe - this one with New Balance Numeric. Talk about a history making moment in women's skateboarding!
This new edition shoe was designed in collaboration with New Balance Numeric athlete Samarria Brevard, with colors inspired by dragonflies.
Retails for $74.99 - Coming Soon
And that's not all!
Samarria now has her own signature truck from Thunder Trucks!
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| Photo Bryce Kanights |
Disciplines Park and Street; The Berrics to Host Street Final, CA Training Facility to Host Park
Vista, Calif. (March 11, 2021) — Together with Toyota and The Berrics, USA Skateboarding - the governing body for skateboarding in the United States will move forward with a 2021 National Championships with a new format combining both digital video and an in-person Olympic-qualifying format. Originally scheduled as a live event for March, USA Skateboarding decided to pivot to virtual qualifying for the athletes' safety during the pandemic. Video submissions will be 45-second runs for both Park and Street at the skatepark of their choice with in-person finals following Olympic event formats. The top-12 ranked Americans will be pre-qualified into the quarterfinals. Points awarded to the finalists will count towards World Skateboarding Rankings and Olympic qualifying. Men's and Women's Skateboard Park and Street events will make their Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games this summer in Japan.
“With the health and safety of the skaters as our primary concern, we’ve had to adapt our National Championships to a format that works in the time of Covid,” said Josh Friedberg, CEO, USA Skateboarding. “The good news is that American skaters will still have a chance to earn Olympic Qualifying points in an open and accessible qualifying process that will give skaters from all over the country a chance to participate in the National Championships alongside some of the best skaters in the world."
** More info coming soon on how/where to submit your videos!
USA Skateboarding National Championships presented by Toyota Virtual Video and In-Person Finals Schedule
April 9 – April 22: Open Qualifying Video Submissions
April 23 – April 26: Open Qualifying Judging
April 27 – May 3: 36 Quarterfinalists Announced, Quarterfinals Video Submissions
May 4: Quarterfinals Judging
May 5 – May 11: 20 Semifinalists Announced, Semifinals Video Submissions
May 12: Semifinals Judging
May 13: 8 Finalists Announced
May 27 – May 30: Finals In-person, Street — The Berrics, Park — CA | TF
“Toyota is thrilled to partner with USA Skateboarding as presenting sponsor of the 2021 USA Skateboard- ing National Championships,” said Dedra DeLilli, group manager, Olympic and Paralympic Marketing, Toyota Motor North America. “As the landscape around sport competitions has rapidly evolved over the last year, we commend USA Skateboarding for pivoting to both virtual and in-person qualifying to ensure the safety of those involved and so that these elite athletes can compete at the highest level in pursuit of their Olympic dreams as skateboarding is set to make its debut at Tokyo 2020.”
Skateboarders currently have the opportunity to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics based on their two best results in World Skate sanctioned events during the 2019 qualifying season (ended September 30, 2019) combined with their four best results during the 2020 - 2021 qualifying season ending June 30. We’re hopeful that there will be other Olympic Skateboarding Qualifying events before the Games — but with time running short, these National Championships will be one of the only opportunities for American Olympic hopefuls to compete prior to the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
USA Skateboarding will host the Junior and Adaptive National Championships this coming fall.
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| Image via Adidas |
Adidas Skateboarding celebrated International Women's Day with an announcement about a dual-release with Pro riders, Nora Vasconcellos and Maité Steenhoudt, that unveils their respective colorways for two iconic silhouettes from the brand’s archives — Gazelle ADV by Nora and Samba ADV by Maité . In celebration of International Women’s Day and the brand’s ongoing commitment to empowering female athletes, both timeless models have been re-imagined and updated for skateboarding.
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| Image via Adidas |
The adidas Gazelle, reimagined for Skateboarding by Nora Vasconcellos. Sophisticated materialization meets retro details for a timeless look. A White leather upper is paired with a nubuck suede t-toe and heel tab for a high-end finish. The exposed foam padded tongue and Gum overlay nods to classic skateboarding style.
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| Image via Adidas |
Vasconcellos’ original art on the heel tab and sockliner adds her personal touch to the iconic design while paying tribute to her mother and other female athletes who have fought for equal access to participate in sports with a special story printed on the footbed
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| Image via Adidas |
The adidas Samba, updated for the first time for skateboarding by Maité Steenhoudt. Capturing the classic elements of the original Samba, Steenhoudt’s design features a Black suede upper with White leather stripes. Wanting the shoe to look better with wear, Steenhoudt added a hidden layer under the t-toe that reveals color as you wear it down.
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| Image via Adidas |
A handwritten “Samba” and original artwork on the sockliner. Adding to the design is a hidden message on the footbed paying homage to her Antwerp skate crew as well as a subtle nod to her mother and grandmother on the collars.
Both the Gazelle ADV by Nora and Samba ADV by Maité releases March 16th at specialty skate retailers and adidas.com/skateboarding. The retail price tag is set at $100 USD and $80 USD, respectively.
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| Kyra, Kala and Quinne at Venice Skatepark ~ Photo Ian Logan |
Check out Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team rider Lola Glass, she's part of this new Adidas campaign about community and what it means. Lola is a badass illustrator (AKA The Young Vandal) and street artist, so when her friend and global street artist, SacSix, asked her to participate, she jumped at the chance to show people her inspirational place, Coney Island, and show off her Dusters x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Board!
Margielyn Didal of the Philippines wins ASIA SKATER OF THE YEAR - a well deserved honor in itself!
But there is MORE!
She takes home the award for STYLE FOR MILES, as well as...
the award for FASTEST FEET IN THE EAST.
All in all Margielyn took home $1,800 winning these three coveted awards, which were well deserved. Even during COVID she has been training safely and daily to prepare for the Olympics.
We can't wait to see her compete in the coming months!
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| Lizzie Armanto in the all-new Vans Skate Classics |
This is AWESOME news!!!
Vans is launching the all-new Skate Classics, their most iconic silhouettes with an updated, extra-tough construction designed first and foremost for skateboarders.
Completely redesigned with skaters in mind, Skate Classics deliver more of what Vans skaters like Lizzie Armanto need to enable maximum progression.
So much goodness packed into one shoe - Reinforced materials and upgraded construction provide added durability and energy-return cushioning for longer skate sessions, while a few finishing touches to the overall aesthetic prove that Skate Classics don’t just perform, they also look damn good doing it.
These classics last longer and feel better than ever before! We love that the PopCush energy-return footbeds snap back
and won’t pack out, keeping legs feeling fresh
to skate longer. And who doesn't want a longer sesh while staying comfy?
An always-stylish classic white/blue colorway prevails across the Skate Authentic, Skate Slip-On, Skate Sk8-Hi, Skate Old Skool, and Skate Era, while a new sidewall finish, Checkerboard flag, and “Skateboarding” branding subtly enhance these timeless styles.
Go inside Lizzie Armanto’s world with her personally curated Vans Spotify Playlist, live now.
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| All images via Vans |
The Vans Skate Classics collection, featuring the Skate Authentic, Skate Slip-On, Skate Sk8-Hi, Skate Old Skool, and Skate Era, will be available on March 4, 2021, at Vans Skate retailers and Vans.com/Skate.
Stephanie Person skating a demo at the 49ers football game
You may not know her skate history (yet), but one thing for sure is Stephanie Person paved the way for so many girls today, and it’s time her story was heard.
This started out as an interview but developed into more of a long and interesting conversation because Stephanie’s story is compelling, intense, and honest. Her path in skateboarding during the ’80s was not always easy. Still, she was always out there making things happen for herself and ultimately changing the game for the girls and women who came after her.
Read on to hear what it was like to be the very first, Black female pro skateboarder.
*This article has been edited and condensed for clarity
Cindy: I know you started skateboarding at age 16, and your rise was pretty fast; how did you start making a name for yourself in skateboarding?
Stephanie: I put on a skateboard competition when I was in high school; actually, this skater kid came up to me; he said, let’s do a competition at our high school, but then they said that was a liability. So then we asked to do it at the community center.
We needed sponsors and prizes. The skater kid said to me, you make the calls – so I was like, OK, I will. I had TransWorld and Thrasher Magazines, and I looked in the back. All the phone numbers were there, and every company that I called donated something for the competition as prizes. So I had UPS coming to my house every day for a couple of weeks. In fact, Gullwing was my first truck sponsor because of this.
Then the Community Center said they changed their mind because they were worried about the liability. I was like, oh my God, everyone is coming from everywhere, now what?
So I ended up changing the date to the 4th of July and holding it in a Park and Ride parking lot, as I knew it would be empty that day. My mom kept saying, don’t do it. If someone gets hurt, I’m going to be liable - because I wasn’t eighteen at the time.
We had banners going around this entire parking lot, and five hundred kids came. We had sponsored amateurs from everywhere. And that’s when my name got on the map.
Stephanie with her skate team
Cindy: That is huge, putting on a skate contest and getting all the sponsors lined up – especially since you were only in high school. What did you do next?
Stephanie: Then the O’Brien brothers, who were sponsored skaters, knocked on my door. They wanted me to throw another contest during the time the Capitola Classic was coming -all the pros come in for that. I said no as the first contest almost gave me a nervous breakdown. Eventually, I said yes, and I did everything again. All the guys came from the Capitola Classic, and Kevin Thatcher asked, are you the Black girl that threw this contest? I said yes, and the next thing I knew, it was everywhere that Stephanie Person put on the Montague Contest.
Cindy: Did you also travel for contests within California?
Stephanie: Then I started entering other competitions; there was one in Oceanside, and they did have a female freestyle division. I was about seventeen. I started skating street. Then I did CASL contests and did a lot of those in Southern California in the '80s. Then I met Cara-Beth Burnside, and vert skating took off again. That's when Judi Oyama (’70s pro-female vert skater on Santa Cruz) called up Richard Novak and got me hooked up with Santa Cruz.
Photo of Stephanie by Judi Oyama
Cindy: I hope you don’t mind Stephanie, but we decided to ask Judi what made her push for you to be on the Santa Cruz team. Here are Judi’s memories from that time…
“The first time I saw Stephanie skate, she caught my eye, not because she was a young woman vert skater, but because she was aggressive and had a style that was strong and fluid. She didn’t hold back and went for moves that most guys couldn’t even make. I knew that Stephanie had talent and would be a good representative for Santa Cruz Skateboards. She coached me to knee slide on the Raging Waters half pipe before I tried to ride it. She said if you can fall, you won’t get hurt. Sitting on the edge and taking the leap of faith that I wouldn’t get hurt was a great tip. I use it to this day when I see young girls learning to ride the deep stuff.” ~ Judi Oyama
Cindy: When you finished High School, did things change for you?
Stephanie: I ended up moving to Southern California and living with eight street skaters, I was skating vert at that time, but I stayed with them in that house for about six months
I was like, everyone is so sponsored, and I don’t see any other girls ever except a couple, so I thought, why can’t I be sponsored? So I started calling around, just like I did, to get sponsors for those skateboard competitions. I ended up getting sponsored by a ton of companies.
I was first sponsored by Madrid back then, and a skateboard shop in San Jose was my first shop sponsor. Then Rector Pads, Speed Wheels, Venture, Billabong, and Swatch. That was very interesting because I called Swatch up and said, “you guys have a new team out, but you don’t have any girls.” They said they had their team, but I kept explaining that having a female team rider would bring so much more attention to their demos.
I had opened up a 49er’s football game on the vert ramp – Christian Hosoi was there. We were asked to do stuff like that from time to time, so I explained that when you have a big crowd watching, not everyone skates, and most people don’t even know what a 50/50 grind is, but when they watch a girl drop-in, that gets attention. The company agreed, and then I was on Swatch.
Editors Note: Swatch was a popular company that made inexpensive (compared to quartz) watches with colorful plastic faces and bands. Swatch was very well-known and successful in the mid-’80s – ultra-cool. They tapped into musicians and skateboarders to popularize their brand.
I got all these sponsors myself, which people found to be very different; if there was a sponsor I wanted, I went after it.
1986 Thunder Trucks Ad in Thrasher featuring Stephanie Person
Cindy: I noticed something interesting when I was researching you, Stephanie. You used to skate for Thunder Trucks, is that right?
Stephanie: Yes.
Cindy: And they did an ad with you in Thrasher magazine, way back in 1986.
Stephanie: Yes, they did.
Cindy: It’s interesting because Samarria Brevard, the only Black female skater we have on the women’s USA National skateboard team, is currently sponsored by Thunder Trucks. I don’t think people realize that you paved the way for this situation, and for other situations that we will get to later in this interview.
Editors Note: It was almost unheard of for a company to put an ad in a mag like Thrasher of a female skater in 1986. Forget Black or White. Just talking about gender here. It was rare. And if you add race on top of gender, Stephanie was really setting herself apart and breaking skateboarding stereotypes for generations to come.
Stephanie: I’ve been in Thrasher a few times.
Cindy: You’ve been in quite a few magazines that people may not be aware of, right?
Stephanie: Yeah, there was a skateboard magazine called Power Edge, and I wrote an article for that called “Equal Time” or something. I was in Thrasher in a feature about girls skateboarding called "Sugar and Spice...?" And the Thunder Trucks ad in Thrasher. I was in TransWorld and had a few other photos in magazines here and there. I was also in the 1984 skate video, Future Primitive – doing a boneless. In 2010 I was featured in "How We Roll" a six-month exhibition of Black Surf and Skate Culture at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles. They used that photo of me about the exhibit on a billboard during the X Games that year - that was cool!
Stephanie (BW shot on right) "Sugar and Spice..?" April 1986 issue of Thrasher
Cindy: People may not realize how rare it was for a girl to get coverage skating vert back in those days. In the 70s, Skateboarder magazine covered the girls doing freestyle, slalom, and a few banked walls. Then when we transitioned into vert, it became more about the guys in every issue. It was almost as if they were saying, "girls don’t skate pools and half-pipes." But you pushed past that and kept pushing for coverage when it was mainly TransWorld and Thrasher.
How many girls did you skate with back then?
Stephanie: There was; Cara-Beth, Lori Rigsby, and I, and everybody else was not very strong. They weren’t very legit.
Cindy: And you girls didn’t have female divisions in contests like we did, right? We had the Gold Cup Series and the Hester Series, and we had to go out there and skate and practice for those contests every day. But what did you girls have as far as contests?
Stephanie: There were no female competitions, so we skated against the guys.
Cindy: We had that same situation in the beginning, and then we got women’s competitions.
Stephanie at a backyard ramp with her male skater friends
Stephanie: My entire adult skate career, I don’t know how many dozens and dozens of competitions I entered, but I was always skating against the guys.
Cindy: So, we actually went backward during that time with women in skate. For our group, when the skateparks closed, a lot of the girls dropped out to go to college, or they were focused on relationships, etc. You were the generation that kept that underground scene going. So punk compared to any other part of skateboarding.
Stephanie: Super underground, especially living in Northern California, because they were really into punk rock and all the punk bands. In Southern California, it was more like George Michael and dayglow. When I was in high school, I was listening to Ska, and I was listening to rockabilly and punk, that very NorCal vibe.
Cindy: Judi Oyama and I talked about that over the years. You have to really want it when you live in NorCal, because it was not like SoCal, where there were skate parks everywhere, and it was easy to skate. And almost all the manufacturers were down here. Luckily, you have NHS up there, and you skated for Santa Cruz, which we’ll get to in a second. But even now, there is this whole thing about being from NorCal – to me, NorCal is very punk and core in skate – like Steve Olsen core.
Stephanie in Fallbrook late'80s ~ Photo Mark Waters
Stephanie: I think during your era, it was like, a lot of parks closed of insurance problems.
And after that, I believe that women really, just in general, had a hard time.
Back then, I think when I was around, guys would try to pit me against Cara-Beth and Lori all the time, just because we were the only females. I don’t like that feeling. It gives me a rash.
Cindy: Yes, Judi and I have always been on the same page with that – bringing girls up with you is what we should all be doing. Unfortunately, some don’t feel that there is enough of the pie to go around, and that creates an insular situation – which no one benefits from in the long run.
Cindy: I read that in 1988 you turned pro. Is that correct?
Stephanie: Yes, but it wasn’t like that was the year I turned pro. You really didn’t have a choice – there were no amateur competitions in Europe where I was skating, so you had to compete in the pro divisions.
Cindy: It’s interesting to hear this and discuss it because nowadays, people feel that being pro means you have a pro model board. Girls didn’t have that back in the day – in freestyle days, yes – but only a couple girls had those pro models, but not during the vert days in the late ’70s and ’80s. During my era, you turned pro by going to a contest, entering the women’s pro division, and then you couldn’t go back to AM.
Stephanie: There were no amateur contests, no girls divisions in Europe. You just skated. A lot of the Americans were coming over to Europe to skate. So first I went over there to visit, then I moved there. I was skating with Tony Hawk and skating in the Pro Series. I lived there for 16 years.
The story behind that is so crazy because there was a picture of me doing a Frontside Air on an L-shaped ramp at a waterslide park which ran in the San Jose Mercury newspaper. I had Santa Cruz wheels in it – Richard Novak put it on the office wall there. Soon after, he asked for the team’s ideas and insights for a new video, and I was the only one who sent a page of ideas in. Later I approached Richard with a plan for me and Jeff Hedges, another AM, to go to Europe, promote the brand, hand out stickers, meet with shops, etc. Jeff said, “he will never pay for us to go to Europe,” but after hearing my pitch, Richard pulled out his Rolodex and started going through it and asked when we wanted to go and when do you want to come back – I’m green lighting this for you guys to go.
When we got back, I found out that the guys were complaining about me – they were saying I slept with everyone in Europe, which was not true because I was a virgin until I was 24 years old. I was getting too much attention, and there was jealousy, and I was asked to leave the team. I was about 20 years old at this point. I felt like had I been a guy, none of this would have been a problem.
This got me to Death Box, which back then was a small company in Europe, which ended up turning into Flip with Jeremy Fox. They asked me to ride for them, so it ended up being in my favor that I got off Santa Cruz and rode for them.
Cindy: What age were you when you first started with Santa Cruz?
Stephanie: I think I was like 19 years old then. I went to Europe at age twenty and stayed there for sixteen years. I came back when I was about thirty-five. My family kind of fell apart here in California, so I didn’t know where to go. So I thought I’ll just stay in Europe and live the life. And I did. I toured for five years, all over while I was there.
Cindy: As I remember, that was a point in time for skateboarding that while parks were closing here and people were turning to street. Things in Europe were still happening with vert because they were still embracing what we thought we had lost.
Stephanie in Germany doing an interview at a contest
Stephanie: When I did go to Europe to skate, I found that it was very different. People were very sweet and kind and awesome. It was a very different cultural experience.
J. Grant Brittain was over there covering contests, so people there were now hearing about me, but here in the states, they weren’t because I chose to be in Europe. I was still skating full hardcore, but I ended up losing contact with people like Judi because I was over there for so long.
Cindy: Back when you skated, forget female skaters, there probably weren’t any black skaters, male or female, is that right?
Stephanie: There were maybe a handful of Black male skaters.
There were no Black female skaters, except me during that time.
Cindy: Not to mention, you were like one of three girls skating hard – that’s not a lot. This is why it’s crucial to hear stories like yours, Stephanie – we are all getting older. The women’s stories in skateboarding are not being told in depth. When we are gone, those stories will go with us unless they are preserved for future generations.
Stephanie: Oh, I have a lot of stories from back in those days…
Cindy: I know you were recently featured in Thrasher sharing some of your skate history, which is pretty great!
Stephanie: Yes, but when Thrasher interviewed me, there’s all this stuff I really wanted to talk about but didn’t get to.
Cindy: OK, let's talk about that stuff here.
For instance, my experience was very different from Lori Rigsby’s. It was: girls shouldn’t skate; get the fuck out of here. Those were, like, tough situations. I went to a skateboard ramp in the south, and the Klan came and tried to beat me up.
Photo of Stephanie ~ Martin Willners
I had a very famous skateboarder try and rape me in a hotel room because I was just by myself. I wasn’t Laurie the blonde golden girl, or Cara-Beth, who grew up in the whole royalty of the Vans era and had all those people backing her. I never had a spot either, like Cara-Beth had Del Mar, and all we had was ramps that kept getting torn down. So I never had a consistent skate spot, you’d get used to one ramp, and then that was gone, and you’d have to skate shitty, even worse ramps.
It always felt like I never had backup from a group
of guys, I was always fighting my way to stay relevant and be me, and it was never easy. Everything, every single story, every single second of it was absolutely grueling and very hard.
Cindy: That was obviously extremely hard, and I am sorry you had to go through all that, but just know you opened so many doors – like Judi getting you on Santa Cruz, she has quietly done the same thing in the past few years, getting Minna Stess on the team. And, of course, Samarria is now on Thunder Trucks – you paved the way for that door to open up back in 1986. These are only two examples. There are so many more Black girls skating nowadays, and you led the charge.
Cindy: When did you stop skating vert – or have you?
Stephanie: What eventually took me out of skateboarding was I busted my knee – it took ten surgery's and four years of recovery to get over that. If that never happened, I’d still been skating hard and probably would have done even more.
Cindy: I really appreciate the time and depth you are giving us for this conversation. These are things that we, as female skaters, don’t usually share or get asked about – so thank you for being so honest, raw, and real.
Judi and I think that next up for you should be a Skateboarding Hall of Fame nomination!
Stephanie: Aw, thank you, you girls are so sweet!
Cindy: Thank YOU! I appreciate that you fought so hard for yourself and others in skateboarding. As a Black female skater, you paved the way for so many girls today, so thank you so much for all you’ve done, and just know what there’s a lot of us that definitely appreciate it!
You can follow Stephanie on her Instagram
We are so sad to hear that this will be the final issue of Stoke Much Magazine. This skate mag has shown diversity throughout each issue and it's beautifully done. We are truly sad to see it go.
We are honored to have team rider Briel Weingartner grace the cover and local South Bay skate friends Hannah Tallman and Katsumi Castro be featured inside.
Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word founder, Cindy Whitehead, has the last page in the issue , skating through an empty water park in the desert.
All photos were taken by Ian Logan
There are still some copies of this issue left and you can purchase one (or more) HERE, also check out the Skate Bud book and app!
The magazine may be shelved, but there is more goodness coming from Zach & Tiffany at Stoke Much - that you can be sure of!
Los Angeles skater, Dalia Lundquist is featured prominently in this new music video from Kito, VanJess, and Channel Tres. The song is called "recap" and we have it on repeat! Dalia does a great job as the young female skater throughout the video - congrats Dalia!
Check out this rad video interview with skater girls in Long Beach, California that Cal State University's Digg Magazine showcased.
Skaters ~ Megan Anderson, Brenda Tran, Kaylee Crawford, Lydia Mae Martinez
Video by Briana Mutlu
We are so excited to share that Exposure Skate is offering (2) $5k college scholarships.
Exposure has partnered with College Skateboarding Educational Foundation (CSEF) to offer two scholarships for female-identifying or non binary skaters who contribute to their community.
Applications are live!! Apply at EXPOSURE SKATE by June 1st!
Beatrice Domond ~ Solo Skate Magazine ~ Photo Mac Shafer
At 26 years old Beatrice Domond has helped pave the way for female skaters to create a career and space in skate that does not always involve competing. A rarity for women, and especially Black women. And don't think that it all came easily - she's worked hard for this career she has built - from sending out tapes of herself skateboarding at age 15, to practicing and skating eight hours a day - she has pushed for inclusion and earned it as well.
Beatrice has gone in directions most thought to be impossible, yet she has powered her way to being the first in many areas of skateboarding.
In 2015 Beatrice was in Supreme's "Cherry" video where she pulled off a no-comply impossible, but her video parts did not stop there. In 2019 she appeared in both the Boys of Summer video as well as Supreme's "Candyland" video.
Watch Beatrice in Supreme's Candyland Video
In 2018 Beatrice became a member of the team "Fucking Awesome".
As a skateboarder she has been featured in I-D Magazine, Vogue, Jenkem, WSJ, The Face,, Thrasher, Hypebeast, Transworld, Apartamento,and Dazed (to name a few).
The Berrics have sung her praises, and she earns respect on the street from skaters from NY to LA.
But her reach goes beyond skateboarding, and the fashion world has taken notice - from being featured in Tom Browne's golf collection, to a fashion profile on both Ssense and W Magazine, and even a video for cosmetics brand, Urban Decay, Beatrice is inspiring people from all walks of life.
In 2019 she became the only woman on Supreme's Skateboarding Team. That is a HUGE deal in itself.
Cover Girl: In 2020 Juice Magazine made Beatrice their cover skater with a photo by Mike O’Meally. A full interview with Beatrice is inside the issue. Again, breaking glass ceilings in the skateboarding world.
In 2021 Vans launched a new version of the AVE Pro with Beatrice's input - the shoe dropped to rave reviews and has signature details that Beatrice came up with.
Venture Trucks "Awake" video with Beatrice Domond
Beatrice's sponsors include: Vans, Supreme New York, Fucking Awesome, Venture, Spitfire and Boys of Summer.
You can follow Beatrice on her instagram @beatricedomond
Team rider Minna Stess is featured in this awesome CNN interview by Don Riddell. Get a glimpse inside Minna's life from the time she was a toddler learning to skate, to now, as she trains for the 2020 (now 2021) Olympics as the youngest member of the USA National Skateboard Team.
Go Minna!
We are huge fans of Mary Claire Morgan! If you follow her instagram page you will see why. She not only rips, but she is always having fun doing it. It's not about competing for Mary Claire, it's about encouraging more girls to skate and loving what she is skating, right that minute - that is the heart of a true soul skater!!
At age 13, she was one of the only girls at the skateparks when she began skateboarding at age 7. Now, she encourages other girls to join the sport. And that is RAD!
Sit back and enjoy this video on Mary Claire that just launched via the Charleston Post Courier!
Via Red Bull
Take a tour of pro skater Leticia Bufoni's backyard skatepark 😎.
If you ever dreamed of having your own backyard skatepark, then Leticia Bufoni's is one you should totally try and copy.
From winning some of the best skate competitions in the world to training at home, check out a behind the scenes look into the life of Leticia.
And while it seems like Leticia has been around winning contests forever - she is only 27 years old.
