We’ve been eagerly waiting for this NHS “Roll of Their Own” video to launch - it’s full of serious shredders, including our team rider Minna Stess!

The premiere of the video was shown last night at Wheels of Fortune in Seattle and launched on thrasher this morning - trust us, you don’t want to miss seeing this one!

Minna, along with Marbie Miller, Nora Vasconcellos, Breanna Geering, Nicole Hause, Alex White, Poe Pinson, Samarria Brevard, Suzy Heath, and Fabiana Delfino, skate their asses off in various spots throughout the ROTO tour (and even play a little baseball). Great skating, and an inspiration for every person out there who skates for the love of it!

Via Real Skateboards Instagram

Last night Real Skateboards had a premiere of Nicole Hause’s video part at the Wheels of Fortune event in Seattle, and they also announced her new pro model board!

We have to say that the graphic is awesome and we are hoping Nicole’s new board is up on the Real Skateboards website soon, because a lot of people are going to want to buy this one!

If you are in Seattle, hit up these skate shops to get Nicole’s new board NOW!

• Black Market Skate Shop

• 35th North Skate Shop

Congrats Nicole!!!

Just in from STU about the contest in Rio. As we have said in past posts, this is no longer an Olympic Qualifier, but it is still going to be an amazing event. Prize money is BIG and EQUAL for men and women. Skating will be insane!

Right now, it looks like the ranked athletes need to start confirming if they are attending, so this is not an open invite list right now.

As we have even more info, we will update everyone ASAP. Paraskate (adaptive skate) info is coming as well!

We are hoping there is a live feed, too- because we don’t want to miss the first big park event this year! And we definitely want to watch the women’s street as well!

Leticia Bufoni launched a new YouTube Channel yesterday called “Leticia Welcome To My Life,” and the first video to drop was an overview of Leticia’s jam-packed and fun-filled life. From skateboarding to parties to racing cars and more, it’s all looking pretty rad.

Could this be a promo channel “tester” to possibly get a reality show along the lines of Ryan Sheckler’s “Life of Ryan” that he had back in the day? Or will it be weekly YouTube drops like the Norris Nuts?

Sabre Norris and her family have amassed 6.1 million subscribers by turning their love for skating and surfing into a show that encompasses the entire family’s life - all without a traditional “TV” reality show. Leticia is already at 3k followers, and the channel just launched yesterday…

Stay tuned and subscribe to “Leticia Welcome To My Life” so you are in the know!

So… yet another snafu in the Olympic skateboarding debacle. Athletes from all over the world have been in Rio getting ready to compete in the first Olympic Park and second Olympic Street Qualifier, and it was just announced moments ago that World Skate has now canceled the event.

A huge letdown for these skaters, to say the least.

A bright light is that the contest goes on with STU heading it up - with great prize money, it will just not be an Olympic Qualifier.

Maybe we’re getting back to skateboarding, for skateboarding's sake!

More news on all of this HERE

Spotlight on the new generation! Featuring 20-year-old pro skateboarder Mami Tezuka from Shiga, Japan, showcasing the talented female professional known for her style and ability to ride backyard pools.

Tezuka started skateboarding at the age of three encouraged by her father, a passionate skater. Her powerful riding style blends high airs with extended grinds and technical lip tricks that make Tezuka a podium threat at major international competitions. Last year, Tezuka shook up the established order by claiming silver in Women’s Skateboard Park at X Games 2021. She then followed suit by earned her second X Games podium with bronze at X Games Chiba in 2022.

Tezuka began cultivating her unique riding style at a young age, inspired by watching her father and his peers. “There were always skateboards and skateboarders in front of her. It was Mami’s fate,” said Manabu Tezuka. Speaking on her beginnings, Mami Tezuka said: “I got into transition skating because my local skatepark has a lot of transitions. I don’t think transition skating is big in Japan, but there’s so much DIY stuff.”

Please join us for an awesome evening of skateboarding!

Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word, Bridge to Skate, and Volcom invite you to come skate at a girls and LGBTQIA+ skate session!

Prizes ✨ Food ✨ Raffles ✨

There is nothing better than skating with friends at this RAD spot.

Sunday, 9/18 from 5-8 PM at Volcom HQ - Address on the flier

Tell your friends - we can’t wait to see you there!!

Skater on flier is GN4LW team rider Mazel Paris

Thanks to these sponsors for donating prizes for this event!

• CHERRIES WHEELS

• LIQUID DEATH

• ALOHA BAGS

• S1 HELMETS

• SUN BUM

• BADASS SKATE MOM

• DWINDLE DISTRIBUTION

• BIGFOOT MAGAZINE

• ESSIE NAIL POLISH

• MARLORU BEACH BAGS

• BAKER

• TEARIOT

• BONES WHEELS

• NIKE

• MINI LOGO SKATEBOARDS

• SLOW TIDE

• JACKS SURF SHOP

• SKATELITE

• and MORE!

The women were absolutely ripping today during the women’s finals at Vert Alert in Salt Lake City, Utah!

Nice to see some new faces on the contest scene - although you may already know them from instagram - watching them compete is a whole other level!

Women’s Finals:

• Bryce Wettstein

• Jordyn Barratt

• Ruby Lilley

• Lilly Stoephasius

• Reese Nelson

• Arisa Trew

• Carlin Mikibbin

• Grace Marhoefer

Also, stay and catch the Women’s Best Trick event!

RESULTS - Women’s Finals

• Lilly Stoephasius

• Bryce Wettstein

• Arisa Trew

RESULTS - Women’s Best Trick

• Reese Nelson - FS Nosegrind to fakie over the gap

Congrats to all the skaters - the progression we saw was amazing!!

Vert is NOT dead!

Tony Hawk’s Vert Alert in Salt Lake City is almost here and we are stoked to see that more and more women are showing up to skate at this legendary event.

WATCH THE LEGENDS DEMO VIA LIVE STREAM ——> HERE

On Friday night, tune in at 7 PM MDT / 6 PM PDT / 9 PM EDT to watch the Legends Demo -make sure to catch Lizzie Armanto and Carabeth Burnside.

WATCH THE WOMEN’S FINAL VIA LIVE STREAM ——> HERE

On Saturday at 3 PM MDT / 2 PM PDT / 5 PM EDT watch the WOMEN’S FINAL - LIVE!

Confirmed pro skaters include:

• Amelia Brodka

• Jordyn Barratt

• Allysha Le

• Jordan Santana

• Grace Marhoefer

• Lady Meek

• Ruby Lilley

• Bryce Wettstein

And we are sure that more pro women are being added!

Good luck to our Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team riders who are out there competing as well - have fun Elle Warner, Maya Kenny and Katelyn West!

Team rider Minna Stess in the September Issue of Thrasher

September Issue of thrasher Magazine

The September issue of Thrasher is out on newsstands now, and the article “Roll of Their Own Tour” features Nicole Hause, Nora Vasconcellos, Marbie Miller, Fabiana Delfino, Suzie Heath, Samarria Brevard, Breana Geering, Poe Pinson, and Minna Stess.

** And don’t miss the cameo with Alex White!!

Pick up a copy now and support non-traditional skaters!

You really need to watch the SLS Women’s Street Final from Seattle. The skating was unbelievable and getting to watch the lone American, Poe Pinson, battle it out with the Japanese and Brazilian skaters in the finals was pretty awesome.

Spoiler Alert ahead - stop reading and watch the finals above if you don’t want to know the results yet!

Women’s SLS Results - Seattle

1. Rayssa Leal

2. Pamela Rosa

3. Momiji Nishiya

4. Yumeka Oda

5. Poe Pinson

6. Keet Oldenbeuving

7. Funa Nakayama

8. Roos Zwelsloot

Judi Oyama racing slalom back in the day - Photo Richard Oyama

In case you haven’t heard, Slalom racing has been invited to World Skate Games taking place in October 2022. The women are on fire, and we’d like to introduce you to one of our favorite slalom racers Judi Oyama.

Stepping on a skateboard over 49 years ago, Judi was one of the first Japanese American vert skateboarders. She slalom raced back in the ’70s when skaters did multiple disciplines - park, downhill, and freestyle. But Judi preferred timed events over judged events after a bad vert pool contest experience. From that date forward, Judi swore she’d only compete in timed events. 

Judi competing in Salem, Oregon

Judi had no intention of skateboarding for as long as she has, but now at age 62, Judi is proving that age isn’t a factor, and you can still have fun and compete at a high level - if you stay in shape. Judi just qualified to compete at the World Skate Games 2022 in Argentina (Buenos Aires and San Juan). She graciously offered to give up her well-earned spot for a younger racer, but she was told that her spot would go empty and that each racer had to earn their own spot. As of last month at The Slalom Supreme Race in Salem, Oregon the US team has six women qualified.

The USA team includes - Lynn Kramer, Judi Oyama, Madison Prez, Maggie Ramirez, Isa Ruiz, Lari Rupp and Aliera Soulsby-Monroy.

Some of the members of the USA men’s and women’s Slalom Team

This is the first time Vert, Slalom, and Downhill Skateboarding are going to debut so that one day these disciplines will hopefully be part of the Olympics.

Judi is currently raising the money to go to Worlds to cover her flights, hotels, rentals, and food expenses. The National team does not cover any of these expenses for athletes, so if you want to race, you need to fundraise on your own. She is even selling some of her vast collection of vintage skateboard items, which you can check out HERE.

Judi is also on the LaCosta Racing Team, which is non-profit, and you can donate tax-free to support her via this LINK.

Please make sure you put JUDI OYAMA in the notes so the funds will go to her fundraising account.

Judi’s sponsors include:

NHS - her original sponsor in her professional skate career starting 4 decades ago!

Santa Cruz Skateboards

Bronson Bearings

Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word Movement

Lenz Arts

Rip Tide Sports

Catto's Graphics

Product Sponsors Are:

Giro Helmets

187 Killer Pads

Mob Grip Tape

Old Bones Therapy

Sk8Kings - Turbo Wheels


You can read more about the event HERE

We can’t wait for the release of froSkate’s new Nike SB shoe!

Loud, proud, colorful, and full of energy, respectfully. That’s froSkate, a Women and POC–centered skate crew based in Chicago founded by Karlie Thornton in 2019. In just three years froSkate’s not only grown exponentially but become a global example of empowerment in skateboarding through inclusion, positivity, and being unabashedly real.

For their first collaboration with Nike SB, froSkate designed a Nike Dunk Pro High SB that reflects their diversity, style, heritage, and personality, using every inch of the classic silhouette as a platform for their mission statement and swag.

Read the interview with froSkate https://www.nikesb.com/articles/frosk...

Get a pair!

SB Dunk High Pro x froSkate

All Love

$130.00

Available 8/17 at 7:00 AM

"All Love, No Hate" in this collaboration with froSkate. Black-owned, Queer-led, and proudly unwavering, a group of non-traditional skaters in Chicago adopted the froSkate moniker in 2019 to give the city's BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities their shine. These Dunks are all about inclusivity, with a non-conformist design made for stepping past boundaries. Wildly colorful tongue graphics, heart-shaped perforations on the toe, and "All Love", "No Hate" embossed on the sides remind you that everyone is welcome in the skating community. The eye-catching upper and soles pay homage to the vibrant disposition of the froSkate crew, while the bright, mismatched left/right shoe designs celebrate the group's unique style and commitment to all love, no hate.

SNKRS: https://www.nike.com/launch/t/sb-dunk...

Shiloh Catori - Photo Vans / Anthony Acosta

For the second time at Huntington Beach, the local skate community witnessed the Vans Showdown, a unique “pointless” street skating contest, far removed from traditional skate formats. Aiming to promote the fun and cultural side of skateboarding, while showcasing the best skaters in the world, it was Hayley Wilson and Jhancarlos Gonzalez who came out on top.

Cocona Hiraki - Photo Vans / Anthony Acosta

Una Farrar - Photo Vans / Anthony Acosta

Big thanks to the skate community and brand partners Quasi, Palace, Alltimers, Spitfire, Baker, and Hockey for making today a memorable moment in the history of street skateboarding.

Cocona, Mami and Minna ready and waiting -Photo Vans / Anthony Acosta

Watch the recap here that includes Shiloh Catori, Kokona Hiraki, Una Farrar, Breana Geering, and Hayley Wilson. Andcheck out our fave announcer Alex White at it again!

From Netflix, Pulse Films, a division of VICE Media Group, and Flower Films comes a raw and immersive feature film that follows competitive skateboarding icon Leo Baker in the lead up to the 2020 Olympics.

As he faces the sharpening stakes and intensifying disconnect between how the world sees him and who he knows himself to be, the pressure to keep on the course or be true to himself comes to a career and life-defining turning point.

Stay on Board is Leo's journey balancing the gendered world of sports, transition, society, and skate culture, which ultimately leads him to the punkest thing imaginable.

Watch this incredible movie on NETFLIX starting AUGUST 11th.

F21 x Airwalk - shot at Venice Skatepark

We love that F21 used real Venice skaters and filmed at the park!

Iconic fashion brand Forever 21 launched its latest collaboration, a limited-edition back-to-school collection with Airwalk, a global skate and action sports lifestyle brand. The collaboration brings Airwalk’s legacy in skate culture to Forever 21 in the form of nostalgic designs that lean into the brand’s ‘80s and ‘90s heritage through chain details, stripes, bold graphics, checkers and more.

Shop the collection HERE

For more than three decades, Airwalk has brought the SoCal style and attitude to consumers around the world through its iconic aesthetic. The first collaboration of the year for Airwalk, the brands come together to inspire nostalgia and those who crave the unconventional to express their individuality.

Shop the collection HERE

The Forever 21 x Airwalk collaboration offers inclusive sizing for women, men and kids, priced from $6.99 to $54.99 and will be available for a limited time at all Forever 21 stores, on the Forever 21 app and at www.forever21.com.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MIMI KNOOP (@mimiknoop)

A little over an hour ago. USA Skateboarding’s High-Performance Coach, Mimi Knoop, posted her resignation from Team USA on Instagram. She included board members Micaela Ramirez and Oscar Loreto Jr. in the post as well (each has posted their own resignation info on their respective Instagram pages)

No official reason was given for the exits, but with everything we have seen going on lately in the news regarding USA Skateboarding, we can bet there are more shakeups coming.

As has been reported, Don Bostwick is now the new chair at USA Skateboarding, so we expect to see a lot of positive changes in the very near future!

Stay tuned.

Monarch founders Sky Brown and Leticia Bufoni battle to be the first to flap a kickflip down the 7 for Chris Cole’s battle Royale at the Berrics. Watch to see how it all goes down!

Next up, watch this video with Leticia Bufoni, Sky Brown, Diego Najera, Blake Norris, Kieran Woolley, Chloe Covell, Dylan Clark, and Romel Torres repping Monarch in The Berrics.

Brittney Griner and GN4LW Founder, Cindy Whitehead at the espnW Summit

WNBA Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist, Brittney Griner is 6'9, with a size 17 shoe, and can dunk like nobody's business. She was the #1 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA draft, and she is a SKATEBOARDER. Yep, you heard that right.

We met Brittney in 2014 at the espnW Summit, and after talking, we gifted her one of the very first Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word x Dusters California cruisers that we came out with. She loved our message and the board. And we loved meeting another lifelong skater at the Summit.

Brittney at The Berrics in 2013

Brittney has been an avid skateboarder since she was a kid. She is such a fan that she got tongue-tied meeting Tony Hawk for the first time and had a skate session at the Berrics in 2013 with Erik Kosten. When she was signed to the WNBA they asked her to “tone down her skateboarding” for fear she’d get hurt bombing hills and parking garages. But Brittney sneaked in a skate session when she could - because that’s what skaters do.

Eric Kosten and Brittney in 2013 at The Berrics

Fast forward to today’s news…

We are pretty sure you’ve seen the news for the past six months about Brittney being detained in Russia while awaiting trial on charges after hashish oil was found in her bags at a Moscow airport. Today Griner was handed down a sentence of nine years in a Russian prison. The news was devastating. The White House and President Biden have been working on her release and have classified her as a “wrongfully detained US Citizen, held as a political pawn.”

We are praying that her release is swift and soon and that she is back to playing basketball and skateboarding those parking garages she loves.

You can read more in-depth coverage about Britteny Griner’s arrest, sentencing and to understand better what a “Russian Penal Colony” really is HERE

We have to say that Mariah Duran’s “Rapa Nui” part is inspirational and beautiful in every way. It launched on Thrasher yesterday, and all we can do is play it on repeat. Watch it and prepare to be inspired to get out and SKATE! This has to be our favorite part so far this year!