In 2021 our team rider, Minna Stess, made history when she became the youngest female national skateboarding champion, but what you may not know is, her driving force to compete came from a deal she made with her father to get the gaming PC of her dreams.
Relive this historic moment retold by Minna Stess, ANIMATED!
10-year-old Reese Nelson was born in Calgary, Alberta and has been skating since she was four. Reese is so excited to her experiences and showcase her unique abilities on the CGT stage. After backstage rolls her reel, Howie makes a call to brag about Reese’s audition to the best in the business…Tony Hawk!
Poppy Starr turned Pro for Worble last night ~ Photos Ian Logan x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word
Last night’s skate premiere was one for the books! Not even the light rain, that came out of nowhere, could stop people from attending the W0rble Video Premiere launch party at Benny Boy Brewery near Downtown Los Angeles. The beer was flowing, and the brewery’s outdoor spaces were packed with skaters and friends, ready to watch the premiere of W0RBLE WORLD. It did not disappoint! Best skate film we have seen in forever!!
The Worble Crew!
Poppy Starr, Janthavy and Eunice were featured throughout and each of their parts were so damn good - lots of fun moments too. Watch this video on REPEAT!! It is what skateboarding is all about - shredding hard and having FUN!
It was nice to see some of Poppy’s longtime skate friends come out to cheer her on - Lizzie Armanto, Bryce Wettstein, Hayley Wilson, Hannah Tallman, Benny Gonzales, Allysha Le, Nicole Hause, Corbin Harris and so many more!
The Olsen Family - Kip, Poppy, Thomas, Banjo and Andrew
Right after the movie there was another surprise in store… W0rble turned Poppy Starr PRO! Her new board is so sick (artwork by Marbie Miller) and Poppy had no idea that her entire family was in the audience and had flown in from AU to watch the film and see her turn pro - what a great night!!
Full Worble World Video below after photo gallery…. All photos Ian Logan x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word
Poppy had a full on rock star kind of night!
PRESS RELEASE
Today, the Utah Sports Commission, Tony Hawk Inc., and X Games announced an incredible weekend of skateboarding featuring “Tony Hawk’s Vert Alert (THVA),” to take place at Vivint Arena in downtown Salt Lake City on Friday June 23rd and Saturday June 24th, 2023. After extremely successful Vert Alert events in 2021 and 2022, Tony Hawk and X Games are excited to announce that Tony Hawk’s Vert Alert will now be a direct qualifying event leading to X Games 2023.
This epic, free-to-the-public event will kick off with preliminary rounds of both the men’s and women’s pro vert contests and the incredibly popular Tony Hawk’s Vert Alert “Legends Demo.” Saturday the 24th culminates with a combined field of 16 of the best male and female vert skaters competing in the THVA Finals. 10 hand-chosen male and female skaters will compete in the popular “Best Trick Contest.”
Fans will be watching some of the biggest airs and most progressive tricks in vert skateboarding all on Hawk’s state-of-the-art vert ramp. And don’t forget an appearance on both days by the legend himself, Tony Hawk. Plus, check out the free indoor and outdoor interactive sponsor village.
Last year’s winners include Jimmy Wilkins, Mitchie Brusco, Moto Shibata, Lilly Stoephasius, Bryce Wettstein, and Arisa Trew. Best Trick winners were Edouard Damestoy and Reese Nelson.
Both THVA days are free to the public, with event details and times published at https://thvertalert.com/. Live streaming options for the Legends Demo, the Men’s and Women’s Finals, and the Best Trick Contests will be available at xgames.com. And in the days following Vert Alert, a two-hour highlight show featuring all the best from the weekend will air on ESPN.
“Continuing our terrific partnership with Tony Hawk on this two-day celebration of skateboarding will be great for Utah and also skateboarding globally,” said Jeff Robbins President & CEO of the Utah Sports Commission. “Welcoming back some of the top skateboarding athletes and Olympians in the world will once again showcase why, Utah is the State of Sport.”
“I’m excited to bring our world-class vert event back to Salt Lake City in 2023,” said Tony Hawk. “The stakes are higher than ever as this year’s event winners will automatically qualify for X Games 2023. The previous two years were hugely successful and we’re proud to be back with many of the most talented skaters in the world for a free, two-day vert showcase. It will be a triumphant return to Salt Lake City for the third Vert Alert! Come join us!”
“Vivint Arena has hosted many celebrated figures during its 32-year history, and we are thrilled to add Tony Hawk to that long roster of legends,” said Jim Olson, president of the Utah Jazz. “Tony Hawk’s Vert Alert will be an event unlike any other we have hosted, and we look forward to offering this entertaining weekend to our incredible community.”
TICKET INFORMATION
Entry to Vivint Arena and access to “Tony Hawk‘s Vert Alert” will be FREE to the general public on both days. VIP tickets and additional info are available at www.THVertAlert.com.
Maybe you’ve heard? The US Post Office has issued skateboard stamps!
The “Art of the Skateboard” collection features four different stamps created by indigenous artists (and skaters) Di’Orr Greenwood, Crystal Worl, James Taylor Jr., and Federico “MasPaz” Frum,
Crystal Worl, an Alaskan artist used a blue and indigo salmon formline design to express her Tlingit/Athabascan heritage.
William James Taylor Jr, a self-taught Virginia artist created an energetic red and orange graphic abstraction.
Federico “MasPaz” Frum, a Colombian-born, Washington, D.C.-raised muralist painted a stylized jaguar.
Di’Orr Greenwood, of Arizona represented her Navajo culture with a turquoise-inlaid skateboard that features eagle feathers and colors of the rising or setting sun.
Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamp issuance, using photographs of skateboards created for these stamps.
The stamps, which will have a printing of 18 million, are now available at your local post offices and also on the USPS website - so it’s easy to get these collectors items! We can only hope we gets some mail with one of these rad stamps on it!
You know we are huge fans of women who shine a light on non-traditional skate and surf communities, so we are very excited to haer about this new film getting ready to premier that features both surfers and skaters in Ghana.
Lucy Small, an Australian surfer and activist, embarks on a journey to Ghana to meet a group of pioneering female surfers and skaters. Ghana, which was once a stronghold of the transatlantic slave trade and has a history of Atlantic aquatic surf culture that predates colonial invasion, is the setting for a story of reclamation and joy.
The aim of this story is to challenge the negative representations that many African nations are often subjected to in western media.
The documentary, titled "Yama," begins in the bustling city of Accra and travels to the wave-rich coastline, where communities are driving the budding Ghanaian modern surf scene. The female surfers live in an area populated by the Fantes, who call their wooden boats "Yama," and these boats still cross Ghana's shoreline today.
"Yama" is a film by Maddie Meddings and Lucy Small, presented by Project Blank in association with Mecca Mpower, Heaps Normal, Surf Ghana, Obibini Girls Surf Club, Justice Brothers Surf School and Club.
Downhill’s Anna Pixner has decided to show the world what she is all about and where she skates. We will warn you, it’s a bit intense! Her new YouTube Channel is called “Anna Pixner’s Playground” and while only the first episode has dropped we are big fans!
We hope more female skaters will have channels that take you behind the scenes like this - yeah to Anna!!
Lori Peltier, the force behind G.R.O.W in Houston, TX is upping the excitement for this years “Girls Roll On Wheels” event by inviting USA skateboard Olympian, Jordyn Barratt, to be the special guest. Barratt will be on hand to perform a demo for the crowd, sign autographs and give girls new (and some not so new) to skateboarding some encouragement and camaraderie.
G.R.O.W’s event takes place on Saturday, April 29 from 3-7 PM at the Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark at 103 Sabine Street. All girls and all abilities are welcome to join in the fun, skate, watch and cheer each other on. This event happens just once a year and is so much fun!
In honor of International Women's Day The Berrics presents an inside look into one of the most skilled and influential female skaters of our generation, Mariah Duran. An olympian, a photographer, a traveler, and most of all, a skateboarder. Mariah has one of the most established careers in the game, so come along with us as we spend a day with her to find out WHO IS Mariah Duran? Mariah Duran, the Albuquerque, NM local, is what you'd call a professional. Multiple major contest wins, stellar video parts, and one of the best trick selections in the game,
Mariah has been blowing up since her first @XGames appearance in 2015. Mariah has podiumed at multiple @SLS contests, skated in the 2020 @Olympics has 2 X Games gold medal, and back-to-back @USASkateboarding National Championships. She's supported by some of the industries biggest sponsors including @meowskateboards , @adidasSkateboarding , @thundertrucks @BonesBearings and @MountainDew.
Evette, Maya, Klara, Mazel, Briel, Brooke and Cindy - All photos by Ian Logan
We were asked by “Boards Across Hermosa” to be part of the 27th Annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade here in Hermosa Beach and we couldn’t say no! We rounded up some of our team riders and made a plan. A special green Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word hat was made, clover balloons were brought in along with various shades of green beads to add some green to our skate wear.
The weather started off with a heavy mist, but as we got closer to parade time the weather shaped up and the street dried up enough to skate the parade route, give out stickers and wave to the crowds.
Team riders, Maya, Klara, Mazel, Evette, Briel and Brooke joined Cindy in skating the entire parade route!
GN4LW Team with Hermosa Beach Beach Mayor, Ray Jackson
Thanks to the Hermosa Chamber of Commerce, City of Hermosa Beach and Boards Across America for this fun opportunity!
We are happy that on International Women’s Day this video of our BFF, Judi Oyama, has dropped!
Meet Judi Oyama, a 63-year-old skateboarder who has been ripping the streets and skateparks for decades. As a pioneer of the sport, Judi was there for the inception of Independent Trucks and helped recruit many notable names to the Santa Cruz Skateboards team.
But Judi's love for skateboarding doesn't stop there. To this day, she still competes in slalom competitions, and is even a member of the US Slalom Skateboarding team.
In addition, Judi holds onto a treasure trove of skateboarding memorabilia, including rare boards, vintage magazines, and more.
Join us as we dive into the inspiring story of this skateboarding legend and learn how she continues to push the limits and break barriers in the world of skateboarding, while preserving its rich history for future generations to enjoy.
Pro Tip: keep your eyes out for a guest appearance by our Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team rider, Minna Stess
Here is some great news! After this last event in Sharjah, park skaters were left not knowing if/when there would be more qualifiers for them prior to the Paris 2024 Olympics. It seems that street skaters have always had an idea of when and where they woudl skate next but park was a bit up in the air…
ARGENTINA
ROME
SHARJAH
Starting in May things are going to get really busy if you are on tour!! Exciting news!!!
All info via World Skate
Join SkatePal for a month or two between April and September 2023 and help with the running of skateboarding classes!
Based either in Asira Ash-Shamaliya or Ramallah, you’ll be helping local skaters with the running of skateboarding classes for the local community. Some skateboarding experience is required, but you don’t have to be an expert - as long as you’re comfortable teaching others!
We especially encourage applications from female skaters to support the growing scene in Palestine - our participants' gender split is around 41% female : 59% male and we’re hoping to keep bringing it closer to 50:50 or beyond.
Volunteers who speak Arabic will be prioritized, but we’re open to anyone willing to learn as they go!
To find out more go to SKATEPAL
Who doesn’t love watching Fabiana Delfino skate?
Settle in and get ready to watch some intense slams, some great skating and a video featuring skating that is pure Fabiana!
Presented by Thrasher Magazine x Santa Cruz Skateboards
We’re excited to kick off Women’s History Month with this exciting news!
The very first demo of the Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word x Dusters cruiser board is featured as a two-page spread in the Smithsonian Museum’s new book, Entertainment Nation. We are thrilled to be in a book that is about all things entertainment, not just skateboarding. Why? It helps us reach a new and larger audience so we can continue doing what we do to help push and promote non-traditional skateboarding.
A really nice video piece from SLS on street skaters, Rayssa Leal, Keet Oldenbeuving, Aori Nishimura, Poe Pinson, and Chloe Covell. They speak about who has inspired them, the growth of women's skateboarding and where it will go from here! Prepare to be inspired by these incredible skaters!!
It was a fantastic day watching the 8 female finalists battle it out at the World Championships for Women’s Park Skateboarding. Everyone was holding their own and pushing the limits of what they had done in the previous days. The tricks were higher, new tricks were thrown in and the skating was flawless. Women’s skateboarding has grown by leaps in bounds these past few years and it was great to see!
It was also great to see THREE skaters from the USA in the finals - Bryce Wettstein, Minna Stess and Grace Marhoefer .They all did exceptionally well!
**One correction on the announcers commentary today - Kokona Hiraki from Japan is the youngest Olympic Medalist in 85 years , winning the SILVER Medal in Women’s Park at age 12. Gold was won by Sakura Yosozumi, age 17 and Bronze was won by Sky Brown, age 13.
1st Sky Brown - GBR
2nd Kokona Hiraki - Japan
3rd Sakura Yosozumi - Japan
If you weren’t up at 3 AM PT, let us fill you in. It was an exciting early morning here watching the 16 female semi-finalists battle it out to see who the 8 would be that move on to tomorrow’s finals! Watch the video above to get a full sense of how hard it was to make finals.
At the end we have 3 skaters from USA, 2 from Great Britain and 3 from Japan. What is unusual is AU and Brazil are out of the final mix. Some of the names you will recognize and a few are a bit newer on the Olympic Qualifier scene - Hinano Kusake from Japan is one to watch, Grace Marhoefer from the USA is coming on strong and Lola Tambling from team GB made a great showing today!
We’d like to extend a huge congratulate to our team rider Minna Stess for making the finals - well done!
The 8 Women Who Move to Finals Sunday AM - Congrats to all!
Image via World Skate
The big news this morning is that FIVE women from the USA have made the semi-finals in women’s park - Grace Marhoefer, Minna Stess (our GN4LW team Rider!), Jordyn Barratt, Bryce Wettstein and Carlin Makibbin. The USA has more skaters in the Women’s Park semi-finals than any other country.
Japan is holding strong as usual with Sakura and Kokona and Kisa in the mix, as well as Hinano leading the way. Team GB has to be stoked, not only has Sky Brown advanced, (which is to be expected) but Lola Tambling as well.
As we know with these comps, some skaters don’t show their full run until finals. Don’t worry that quarter finals were not broadcast live - you can tune in tomorrow AM to watch these 16 women shred to see which 8 make the finals!
Women semi-finals - 3:00 PM - 5:45 PM Local Time / 3:00 AM - 5:45 AM PST
Women finals – 5:10 PM - 5:55PM Local Time / 5:10 AM - 5:55 AM PST
Awards ceremony - 7:40 PM - 8:10 PM / 7:40 AM - 8:10 AM PST
Image via Olympics.com
Most likely, while you were sleeping, the Women’s Skateboarding Park Open Qualifiers took place in Sharaj, UAE. The women will now have a day off in between this Open Qualifier and the Quarter Finals that take place on Friday.
In addition to the 28 female skaters that made it to the quarter-finals - 5 more “pre-seeded” skaters will join them. This makes the field a total of 32 competitors that then gets cut to 16 for the semi-finals. This will be some harsh competition. After semi-finals the field is cut to just 8 skaters for the finals.
Right now Arisa Trew from AU sits in first and GN4LW team rider Minna Stess is sitting in second and the list goes on as you can see below.
Women semi-finals - 3:00 PM - 5:45 PM Local Time / 3:00 AM - 5:45 AM PST
Women finals – 5:10 PM - 5:55PM Local Time / 5:10 AM - 5:55 AM PST
Awards ceremony - 7:40 PM - 8:10 PM / 7:40 AM - 8:10 AM PST
