Janthavy Norton ~ Photo Elise Crigar

As we head into 2020 we thought we'd look back at 2019 and see just how far we've come!

Women's skateboarding was moving so fast this year and the pro women were traveling all around the world to compete at a much more rapid pace than ever before. It was hard keeping up with all the contests and exciting news that came out. But we made sure we covered everything from The Dew Tour, SLS, X-Games, Vans Park Series, Girls Combi, The OG Jam Series, Simple Sessions, and more!

We saw the final issue of Trans World Skateboarding hit the newsstands (RIP), and the rise of women's products - like Alexis Sablone x Converse and Nora Vasconcellos continued her rein with numerous collabs - enough that a girl can now skate everything Nora - from head to toe and wheels to deck! Amazing to see this!  Lizzie Armato declared Finland as her country for the Olympics and Amelia Brodka joined Poland's team. And in the biggest shocker of all in Olympic news, Sky Brown declared she was skating for Great Britain as opposed to Japan.

Things settled down midway through the year as the women got used to Olympic Qualifiers, traveling from country to country and going head to head with the dominate Japanese who tried at every stop to keep the American women off of the podium.

Towards the end of 2019, we saw a new USA National team be announced that included Jordyn Barratt, Brighton Zeuner, Bryce Wettstein, Minna Stess, Jordan Santana and Arianna Carmona for park and Alana Smith, Alexis Sablone Lacey Baker, Mariah Duran, Samarria Brevard for street.


As we head towards the 2020 Olympics this coming year, the emphasis for the pro women has been spending their time and effort on qualifying comps so some of the smaller, yet established contests, are taking a back seat (for now) and we hope we do not lose them as they have been a big support all along. We think we will see female skaters who are not trying to qualify for the Olympics this year, head back to the grassroots comps we love so much - it should be an exciting year all the way around!

Happy New Year!!   xo  GN4LW


Read on, to see just a few of the awesome projects GN4LW was involved with this past year!



FEBRUARY 2019

COLLAB WITH DOYENNE!  The Doyenne Skateboards x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word collab launched as part of Doyenne's new Winter Collection and we are so stoked!

The limited-edition tee featured a picture, circa 1977, of Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word founder, Cindy Whitehead,  screen-printed in lilac on a heavyweight white tee, with the tagline "Women That Made History". When companies like Adobe are using iconic 70's skate images of women like Cindy in their ads without proper credit, this new Doyenne x GN4LW collab tee answers back, firmly placing history where it belongs.


Giving Back: 10% of the cost of the T-Shirt will be donated to Free Movement SB to support their work for refugee youth through skateboarding and education in Athens.
 

 MARCH 2019

Photo Ian Logan

BILLBOARDS IN TIMES SQUARE, NYC!  Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word billboards went up in Times Square, NY to kick off WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, and the two digital platforms lit up the New York City sky during rush hour, while skater girls gathered on the sidewalk across the street to skate, talk, celebrate and take photos with the billboards.

We flew with some of the GN4LW crew out to NYC for the launch and had the best time meeting the NYC girls we know from Instagram. We gave out raffle tickets and prizes like a Dusters x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word "Street Angel" board, Sunshine Canteen tees, beanies, stickers, pins and our friends at OH-SO Magazine gave out copies of their premiere issue and Quell Skate showed up to pass out stickers as well.

"Women and girls in skateboarding should be seen and celebrated, says Cindy Whitehead, founder of Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word, it was awesome to see female skateboarders from California as well as New York, come out on Thursday night to view and celebrate these billboards as a collective group - it wasn't about who was on the billboards, it was about the fact that they were finally seeing other skater girls like themselves, larger than life."  


The billboards photos were shot by Ian Logan and designed by Elise Crigar. The skater girls featured are Quinne Daniels, Kyra Williams and Kala Baltasar.

GN4LW FEATURED IN NEW NANCY DREW MOVIE -  Team rider Amanda Caloia was Nancy Drew's stunt double in the new Warner Brothers movie, "Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase" and our "Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word" and "It's Not About Pretty" stickers were featured in the skateboard shots - the director liked the message they sent so they replicated them for all the boards used in Nancy's skate scenes!




APRIL 2019

Photo Ian Logan

WE WROTE ABOUT THE HELMET DEBATE - Helmets. They've been a hot topic since the '70s when skateparks were being developed and skaters were challenging their limits beyond banked alleys and sidewalks.

To wear a helmet or not to wear one?

See what we had to say HERE 

Briel ~ Photo Ian Logan

SPONSOR OF THE VENICE LADIES JAM - We were proud to help sponsor the 4th Annual Venice Ladies Jam again this year. At the crack of dawn, the park was filling up with girls practicing their runs and high-fiving one another.  The youngest competitor this year was 2 years old and the oldest in her mid 50's!

The best part of this event is seeing so many girls come out and skate, meet one another, form friendships and they now have a group of girls to continue skating with throughout the year. That's what keeps these girls progressing.


MAY 2019

INTERVIEW WITH STOKE MUCH MAGAZINE - Cindy was featured in STOKE MUCH magazine in their "Decades of Ladies" section. It was an awesome interview conducted by Zach Maloof, the magazine's founder and he really asked the ladies in this section some in-depth questions that other publications tend to gloss over.


JUNE 2019

FEATURE IN OH-SO MAGAZINE -  GN4LW Founder, Cindy Whitehead, had an awesome six-page feature, shot by photographer Elise Crigar, in OH SO Magazine. She spoke about the male-dominated world of skateboarding, her hopes for future generations of female skateboarders and more.
 

Kala ~ Photo Ian Logan

GRAND OPENING OF SOUTH BAY SK8 KIDS!  Some of the Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word crew were invited to skate the new SOUTH BAY SK8 KIDS facility before their grand opening on Saturday and it was so rad!  The space is bright and fun and there is everything from small street areas to a mini ramp and quarter pipes. South Bay locals Kala, Briel, Quinne, Vianez and Meredith were hitting up every section of the new facility and deemed it "epic"!
 

GO SKATEBOARDING DAY AT RANDY'S DONUTS! We teamed up with Randy's Donuts, and put on a girls demo with our partners at 2x4 Mini Ramps. So many people came out to watch the girls rip the mini ramp, 1/4 pipes and fun box. It really was an epic day!
 

METIZA PODCAST!  Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word founder and 70's pro skateboarder, Cindy Whitehead, was featured on the METIZA Podcast talking about everything girls skateboarding.

You can LISTEN to the METIZA Podcast ---->  HERE



AUGUST 2019

 

Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell at the Grand Re-Opening of Lake Street Skatepark ~ Photo Ian Logan

 
THE GRAND OPENING OF LAKE STREET SKATEPARK - We were stoked to be invited by Councilmember, Mitch O'Farrell and his team to come out and skate at the grand re-opening of Lake Street Skatepark in Los Angeles. Our female skaters and 70's pro skater, Lonny Hiramoto, got a bit of a private session early in the morning before the grand opening and tried out all the features the new park had to offer. Eleven-year-old Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team rider, Quinne Daniels deemed the park "epic!"
 

Photo Ian Logan

GN4LW FEATURED IN PRIMITIVE RACE'S MUSIC VIDEO "Turn It Up" - We were stoked to be involved in this video release for the band Primitive Race and their song "Turn it Up" - the video featured skaters Cassie Oseguera and Beverly Flood.

Primitive Race debuted the video for “Turn It Up" (Dave Lombardo Mix)” with the skateboard themed clip arriving as the band prepares to release the remix album Cranial Matter via Metropolis Records.

The video for the track features two female skateboarders and was inspired by Mosley’s sister-in-law, Cindy Whitehead, a member of the Skateboarding Hall of Fame.



SEPTEMBER 2019






WE HELPED SEND 4 GIRLS TO SKATE CAMP!  We love Skate Wild and how they support skateboarders via their skate camp scholarship program with New Balance.

We had the opportunity of working with Skate Wild this summer and helped send four girls to YMCA Skate Camp during "girls week" on Skate Wild scholarships. The girls had a blast, and an amazing opportunity they may not have had available to them otherwise.


OCTOBER 2019



WE WERE AT ESPNW!!  GN4LW founder, Cindy Whitehead, gave a 10 minute "Power Talk" at espnW in October. In case you missed watching it live you can catch it here. Cindy spoke about why she feels that disruption, rule-breaking and starting a revolution are key in changing the female landscape in skateboarding. She acknowledged the women who have supported her along the way and why it's so important to give back to the next generation of women and girls in skateboarding.

Photo Ian Logan

JESSE WEARS GN4LW  ON THE COVER OF THE NEW STREET ANGEL BOOK - We were thrilled to see that our favorite comic book artist, Jim Rugg, chose to put his heroine, Jesse, in a GN4LW tee on the cover of his latest book,  Street Angel: Deadliest Girl Alive !




NOVEMBER 2019

Photo of Janthavy Norton by Elise Crigar

NEW BOARD LAUNCH!  After seven years together, Dusters California and Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word celebrated the success of their long term collaboration with a re-issue of their first cruiser skateboard with the bold message and graphics that let girls know that there is definitely a place in skateboarding for them.

Keeping with their long-standing tradition of making sure girls know that it’s a revolution of equality, empowerment, and exposure, Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word worked with an all-female creative team to come up with the concept, images, video, and music for the launch of this new cruiser board.

“Having a female creative team on this project just felt right,” said Cindy Whitehead, OG pro skateboarder, and founder of Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word. “We are always encouraging girls to create their own skate media, and we felt this would be the perfect time to work with creative director and photographer Elise Crigar, cinematographer, Madeline Northway and the all-female band, the Anti-Queens to put together something really special.”

Traveling to the iconic ‘70’s skate spot Mt. Baldy outside of Los Angeles, with Arizona skater Janthavy Norton, wasn’t without its challenges, from rain that seemingly came out of nowhere to dense fog that made filming stop at some points, it was definitely a true skate trip in every sense. But in the end, the sun broke through, the ground dried up and the day couldn’t have been anymore epic.

The Dusters x GN4LW Re-Issue Cruiser has Cindy’s original artwork and lettering done in neon and metallic ink, and for this new version, the grip tape was changed to bright pink with a black skull. Gold Tensor 6.0’ trucks, and iridescent pink 62mm x 51 mm 83A wheels with a skull embedded in them finish off the look.

This is one in a long line of Dusters and GN4LW collaborations that give back to girls in skateboarding. Currently, proceeds go into a micro-grant program that helps girls with travel, creating media and more. The board is also part of Dwindle’s “regrowth” program with the National Forest Foundation, for every tree they harvest they plant two.

The Dusters California “GN4LW Re-Issue” is now available at surf and skate stores across the country and abroad.

Photo of Coral by Ian Logan

KING OF THE HARBOR SKATE CONTEST - We gathered girls from all around Southern California and came out in full force for the King of the Harbor skateboard contest, presented by The Beach Life Festival, in Redondo Beah, CA. It was so much fun and even set a record for female skaters at the event! Our founder, Cindy Whitehead took over the microphone and MC'd the girls' comps all day long.

WE WERE FEATURED IN THE "SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN WOMEN" BOOK!  Our very first collab cruiser board with Dusters California was featured on the cover of the just-released book, SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN WOMEN.

GN4LW founder and 70's OG skater, Cindy Whitehead, is written up in the chapter titled Breakthroughs and Backlash. The GN4LW x XS helmet collab is also featured in the section about skater girl gear.

WE TEAMED UP WITH CPK!  We are super excited that we had the support of California Pizza Kitchen this year! Every person who mentioned Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word or showed a flier, had 20% of their order donated to us to help further girls skateboarding! And who doesn't love pizza?




DECEMBER 2019

WE ANNOUNCED OUR PLEDGE OF $12,000 IN 2020 TO FEMALE PRO SKATERS - We ended the year with a high note by announcing on #GivingTuesday that we plan on supporting some very deserving pro-female skaters financially in 2020!


More info on that and who we plan on supporting, as we head into the new year! 

Happy New Year to all of YOU!

USA team rider, fifteen-year-old Jordan Santana, was featured recently on ABC TV's Localish speaking about girls in the sport, what it's like to be on team USA, the possibility of competing in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and her plans for the upcoming Olympic Qualifying season.

Congrats Jordan!

Santa Cruz is dropping an entire mini-series featuring their youngest team riders. Check out episode 2 where you get to see GN4LW team rider Minna Stess, and Japanese skater Misugu in the mix!

GN4LW founder, Cindy Whitehead, gave a 10 minute "Power Talk" at espnW in October. In case you missed watching it live you can now catch it here on our site. Cindy speaks about why she feels that disruption, rule-breaking and starting a revolution are key in changing the female landscape in skateboarding. She speaks about the women who have supported her along the way and why it's so important to give back to the next generation of women and girls in skateboarding.

Great to see AU pro skater, Poppy Starr Olsen featured, and seriously looking glam, on "Girlfriend" - Poppy is one of this years 25 under 25 winners. Poppy skates for Australia and is looking forward to competing at the 2020 Olympics in Tokoyo next year! We have to say we are digging that Sass & Bide dress Poppy is wearing, it's a serious departure from her day to day skate looks and we love how she rocks both!

Congrats Poppy!

And Out Come the Boobs

Mixt x GN4LW collab bags ~ Photo Siri Berting

Mamaskate Pants ~ Photo Dani Hobson

Urethane Revolution ~ John O'Malley

Nora Vasconcellos x Adidas Collection

We did an article about holiday skater gifts last week but realized that with so many adult female skaters, including skater moms, we needed to add some more rad gifts that we know they'd love to receive. So read on, get out your credit card and start ordering!



1. And Out Come The Boobs  - first of all, we love the name. And second of all, most women who skate and are breastfeeding would love to wear an edgy Thrasher, Creature or Anti Hero tee so they can keep feeling/looking like themselves after having a baby.  This rad company bills themselves as "breastfeeding clothes that don't suck" (Brilliant!) and consists of curated upcycled collections - so every piece is unique!  $35.00

And Out Come the Boobs


2. MIXT x GN4LW - came out this year with the cutest reversible tote bags as well as a wristlet. The palm tree photos were taken by Cindy during her travels and the Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word logo and motto is visible on the interior of the bags. Right now MIXT is doing a 30% off sale for our readers only on these 2 items - Valid until Midnight 12/18!!!

Reversible Tote  ~  regular price  $46.00 - take 30% OFF!
Wristlet ~  regular price  $29.00 - take 30% OFF!

Use Code -  GRLPWR30 for 30% OFF  Mixt x GN4LW products


3.  Mamaskate Pants - Tired of jeans and Dickies?  Try these awesome skate pants made for women by Mamaskate. Based in Los Angeles, CA these gals are legit and know what's up when it comes to making skate pants that not only fit your body but let you skate with no restrictions. It's seriously about time.   $100.00

Mamskate.com


4.  Urethane Revolution: The Birth of Skate - San Diego 1975 - Want to know how it all began? The inside stories of the fun and debauchery that took place in San Diego, CA - home to downhill, slalom, freestyle and banked walls? Then this is the book for you - it's a great read and author, John O'Malley, tells us stories from back in the day like no one else ever could! It's also chock full of great photos of the mid-1970s that you won't find elsewhere. A true collector's piece!  $18.51

Amazon


5. Nora Vasconcellos x Adidas - This new drop from Adidas has a full line of apparel that is actually unisex. From pants to polo's there is something for everyone on your list. The collection is chock full of pastels that miz nicely with each other or your standard-issue skate pants.    $40.00 - $75.00

Adidas

Poseiden's upcoming event is on December 15th, at the CA Training Facility (CA|TF), located in Vista, CA!

It will be Poseiden Foundation's first of many FREE Female Skate events that will be taking place at CAT, and you don't want to miss it!

Make sure you RSVP by clicking this LINK


Date:  Sunday, 12/15/19 
Time:  1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: CATF, 1410 Vantage Ct., Vista, CA

In case you missed watching the first-ever Women's Battle at the Berrics this weekend, besides the skate action, we were stoked to see this new video (ad) "True to This" from Volcom featuring women's skateboarding. In the past, Volcom has been male-centric in their skate advertising so this was a nice departure for promoting their women's line. Love seeing that happening.

Check it out and let us know what you think!

Minna Stess, Jordan Santana, Arianna Carmona ~ Photo Israel Santana

In 2020 we will progress beyond our micro-grant program and put some of our focus on financially supporting three USA National Team Riders for Park Skateboarding  ~ Arianna Carmona, Minna Stess and Jordan Santana ~ as they head towards their goal of competing at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan.

We will also be announcing our intent to help two well-deserving female skaters travel and compete on the Vans Park Series Tour in 2020.

We are pledging $12,000 toward this mission to start with and adding more funds and additional skaters we'd like to help reach their goals, throughout the year.

You can apply for a micro-grant via our on-line application HERE

Here are a few of our recent micro-grant recipients and what they have to say about how it helped them achieve their goals.

The "She is More" project features a variety of female action sports athletes

Being a recipient of the Girl Is Not A 4 Letter Word micro-grant provided the funds for me to travel Southern California to document girls in action sports for a portrait and interview project I created titled “She is More”. Not only did this grant provide me the funds, but it gave me emotional support. Knowing that Cindy Whitehead and Girl Is Not A 4 Letter Word believed in what I was doing, and saw enough value in it to assist me, made the overall experience that much more of an honor.

- Elise Crigar 
** photographer, designer, skateboarder, content creator, influencer

                                         Calleigh on her cross country skateboard journey



Being the recipient of a GN4LW micro-grant was like finally having someone, and ultimately a movement, believing in me. Knowing that not only was I gaining the financial support I required to be the first woman to attempt skateboarding across the United States solo, but that I was also being recognized for my potential contributions to skateboarding as a whole, was important to me. I was empowered to gather specific gear that other sponsors hadn't provided for my cause with the micro-grant's assistance, and honestly, there were points in my adventure I may not have succeeded in without that help. The GN4LW micro-grant was a small first step to realizing, accomplishing, and capitalizing on my dreams - Now that I've written and published my book on the adventure, it still puts a smile on my face to have been able to include Girl is Not a 4 Letter Word in the "special thanks" section.

- Calleigh Little
** first female to skateboard across the USA solo, author of "Carrion, Carried On", champion longboarder and endurance racer

Being a recipient of the Girl is not a 4 Letter Word micro-grant program this past summer was something that changed the progress of our community and brand Salty Bitches for the better. From the start, GN4LW brought girls to our first event that we had never met and that meant, introducing friends, bringing more females together to skate every month, and growing the Utah community. Cindy and GN4LW supports us, wants to help support girls who skate regardless of their age, ability, and style that allows ideas to come to fruition. The funds provided, went towards food and beverages we order at events for the girls to eat/drink while skating, and the savings towards local indoor skateparks once the dead of winter for Utah hits. I am inspired every day to bring people together for the better and get girls on boards in an educated, healthy way, The community of GN4LW understands that and we feel honored to be supported by them


- Noelle Sanders
** Founder of the Salty Bitches Skate Crew in Utah

Women's Battle at the Berrics - The Finals Night Is Set

The Final Four are locked in, so all that’s left is to set up the bleachers, invite a few legendary guests, and get ready to make history at the first WBATB Finals Night!

Tune in on Saturday, December 7  at 7 PM PST to see the Livestream,  And watch Lacey Baker, Samarria Brevard, Candy Jacobs, and Monica Torres battle it out.

This is gonna be huge!

ORDER HERE

 SHOP HERE

Salt Rags Skate Decks - Quinne Flying high

Sun. Skate. Seventies - 100 Post Cards by Hugh Holland

Pro Skater, Alexis Sablone's New Shoe From Converse

Street Angel book by Jim Rugg American Girl "Skatepark set" Bronson Bearings x Nora Vasconcellos

Kevin The Unicorn Book

Lizzie Armanto Skate Deck by Birdhouse

Hugh Holland - Silver, Skate Seventies. Book

Nora Vasconcellos Stance Socks

Dusters x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word "re-issue" Cruiser ~ Photo Elise Crigar

Check out our holiday gift guide, full of rad ideas for the female skater on your gift list!

We've put together a list of 11 gifts, beginner to advanced, that any female skateboarder in your life would love to unwrap this holiday season!  All products shown above can be purchased online, so no rushing around from store to store, trying to hunt them down. Some sites are offering free shipping or discount codes as well. All products listed are things we put our trust in and have first-hand experience with.

Happy Holidays!!



1. Salt Rags Skateboards has the perfect board for your little mini shredder!  With kid-appropriate graphics and sizes for any young skater, these boards are sure to be a hit under the Christmas tree. Check out their site for the appropriate sizing for your little one!  $42.00

SaltRags.com 


2. Sun. Skate. Seventies 100 Postcards by Hugh Holland -   Skateboarding culture of the 1970s is immortalized here by photographer Hugh Holland in this ideal gift format. These 100 colorful postcards celebrate the quintessential street style of young skateboarders honing their skills on asphalt streets and empty swimming pools. With their requisite tube socks and Vans, these young outsiders are masterfully depicted against a sometimes harsh but always sunny Southern California landscape. This chunky box is sure to delight fans of vintage photography, fashion, Los Angeles, Dogtown, and skateboarding.   $19.95

Amazon


3.  Converse x Alexis Sablone dropped this beautiful creamy colored suede skate shoe earlier this year and our founder, Cindy Whitehead, has been wearing it non-stop. Super comfy and looks chic on and off your board.  This shoe comes in women's sizes 6.5-10  $74.95

Zumiez


4.  Street Angel Graphic Novel - Artist Jim Rugg has done it again! Jesse "Street Angel" Sanchez is a homeless ninja girl on a skateboard! In-between kicking ass and taking sandwiches - she fights bullies, street gangs, ninjas, the man, cocky superheroes, hunger, and the ninja industrial complex. She also rescues a stray dog, makes weird new friends, and saves Christmas!?! This collection includes all of Street Angel's Image Comics adventures plus a couple of extra stories and behind-the-scenes materials.

Did you notice that STREET ANGEL is rocking our GN4LW Skull tee? yeah!!   $19.99

Amazon


5. American Girl "Skate Park Set" Snow Day? Skatepark rained out? Here's the perfect place for her dolls to “catch some air”! This 22-piece set includes -  A skate ramp with a built-in doghouse and a flip-up workbench for working on the board. A customizable skateboard. Four coral wheels and four green wheels that can be interchanged. Two coral trucks and two silver trucks that attach to the underside of the board. A teal helmet and matching elbow pads and knee pads. A grind rail for practicing tricks. Pretend skate wax to help the board slide on the rail. A sticker sheet for decorating the ramp and skateboard.     $100.00

American Girl


6. Bronson G3 Nora Bearings -in that awesome color purple that Nora loves these bearings make a great gift for any Nora fan. Great as a stocking stuffer too! They are even on sale right now!  $26.99

Skate Warehouse


7.  Kevin the Unicorn Book -  This fun kids book is written and illustrated by our rad friend  Jessika von Innerebner!  Everyone knows that unicorns are perfect. They are glamorous and glittery, and their smiles make rainbows appear! But Kevin is having a less-than-perfect day. First, he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed ...on the floor. Then he discovers that his mane is so wild that even his Super-Perfect-Hair-Day-Spray can't tame it. And the day just gets worse from there. Kevin does his best to keep his outlook sunny, but it's hard to keep smiling when everything goes horribly wrong!  

We also want to mention that one of the unicorns wears a GN4LW hat and rides a skateboard in this adventure - which we LOVE!      $17.63 hardcover or $10.99 for Kindle version

Amazon


8. Lizzie Armanto Pro Model by Birdhouse - This professional-quality Birdhouse Skateboards Lizzie Armanto Cat Skateboard Deck measures 8" wide x 31.875" long and is ideal for every skill level, from beginner to pro. Birdhouse Skateboards Lizzie Armanto Cat Skateboard Deck is a totally versatile skateboard deck that's perfect for street, pool, park, and vert. It's rock-solid with tons of pop and ready for a staircase near you. Comes pre-drilled and ready to set up.   $60.00

Birdhouse


9. Silver. Skate. Seventies. Book by Hugh Holland -  From 1974-1978 Holland captured it all, from his bird's eye view - sometimes in a van traveling with skaters, othertimes perched nearby as they carved up a backyard pool, ditch or skatepark.  It's interesting to point out, that these black and white images were taken in the very beginning, prior to his color work, when Holland was experimenting with photography techniques and capturing skateboarders as they too were trying out new terrain and creating a free flowing style that captivated the world. The stunning images show girls today how it was when skateboarding was in its infancy.  $37.67

Amazon


10.  Nora Vasconcellos Socks by Stance any female skater in your life would love these rad socks with Nora's artwork on them. Super cushy for skating and they never slip down.  And who isn't a fan of Nora?  $19.95

Amazon


11.  Dusters x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word "re-issue" Cruiser - just came out in time for the holidays. It rides like a dream and the graphics were done by GN4LW founder, Cindy Whitehead. This is the same cruiser board that Dusters x GN4LW did back in 2013 and it sold out fast - the new "re-issue" has updated features - check out the pink grip-tape!  $119.99 + FREE Shipping

Skate Warehouse

Janthavy Norton ~  Photo Elise Crigar

Watch the Video - Shot at Baldy Pipe!

After seven years together, Dusters California and Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word are celebrating the success of their long term collaboration with a re-issue of their first cruiser skateboard with the bold message and graphics that let girls know that there is definitely a place in skateboarding for them.

Keeping with their long-standing tradition of making sure girls know that it’s a revolution of equality, empowerment, and exposure, Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word worked with an all-female creative team to come up with the concept, images, video, and music for the launch of this new cruiser board.

“Having a female creative team on

project just felt right,” said

Cindy Whitehead, OG pro skateboarder, and founder of Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word.

“We are always encouraging girls to create their own skate media, and we felt this would be the perfect time to work with creative director and photographer Elise Crigar , cinematographer, Madeline Northway and the all-female band, the Anti-Queens to put together something really special.”

Traveling to the iconic ‘70’s skate spot Mt. Baldy outside of Los Angeles, with Arizona skater Janthavy Norton, wasn’t without its challenges, from rain that seemingly came out of nowhere to dense fog that made filming stop at some points, it was definitely a true skate trip in every sense. But in the end the sun broke through, the ground dried up and the day couldn’t have been anymore epic.

The Dusters x GN4LW Re-Issue Cruiser has Cindy’s original artwork and lettering done in neon and metallic ink, and for this new version, the grip tape was changed to bright pink with a black skull. Gold Tensor 6.0’ trucks, and iridescent pink 62mm x 51 mm 83A wheels with a skull embedded in them finish off the look.

This is one in a long line of Dusters and GN4LW collaborations that give back to girls in skateboarding. Currently, proceeds go into a micro-grant program that helps girls with travel, creating media and more. The board is also part of Dwindle’s “regrowth” program with the National Forest Foundation, for every tree they harvest they plant two.

The Dusters California “GN4LW Re-Issue” is now available at surf and skate stores across the country and abroad.

Buy the Dusters x GN4LW Cruiser

Thank You Supply

Skate Warehouse

So Cal Skate Shop

Surf Dome  

Board Paradise

Santa Cruz Board Room

Pro Skateboard Shop

Pavement Store

- New Zealand

Board Hub

- South Africa

Numero 4 Skate Shop

  - France

Cruisin City

- France

November 25, was International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Longboarder and filmer, Achel Machin, decided to create this powerful video to illustrate an important point. Violence against women is much more common than you imagine.

According to the WHO, 1 woman out of 3 has experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.  

And that excludes more insidious forms of violence such as gender discrimination or social expectations about how women should look and act.

"I believe that sometimes we turn a blind eye to this because it is easier to hang on to a stereotype than to accept a hard and scary reality. So today, I want to speak up to say that we have to stop pretending this problem doesn’t exist and talk about it." 

 ~ Achel Machin


Rider : Giulia Alfeo
Music : Zbigniew Preisner - Lacrimosa

"Hala" via Aplle TV+

If there was one good reason to sign up and get Apple TV+  it's this movie.

"Hala" is coming to Apple TV on December 6th and you don't want to miss it. The film made waves at this year's Sundance Film Festival and Apple TV snatched up the rights. It will have a small theatrical run starting November 22, so you may be able to catch it in a theater near you if you prefer to see it on the big screen.

"Hala" is a coming of age story of a Pakistani American teenager.  Hala is a 17-year-old who likes poetry and skateboarding. She also likes a boy who enjoys the same things, but her father wants to arrange a marriage for her in the traditional Muslim manner.

As she comes into her own, she grapples with a secret that threatens to unravel her family.

Hala is played by actress Geraldine Viswanathan. Anna Chlumsky, Jack Kilmer, Gabriel Luna, Azad Khan, and Purbi Joshi also star in the movie.

 "Hala" was written and directed by Minhal Baig and produced by actress Jada Pinkett Smith (wife of Will Smith).

Mateya

Olive

Briel

Kala

Cona

Teagan

Quinne

Cai

London

Demi

Mini Shredders

Penny

Coral

Isabella

Jessie

Cheryl

Tracie

Meredith & Jessie

Tracie

Meredith

Jessie

Cheryl

Mateya

Elaine

Charlotte

Quinne

Cona

Mykah

Grom Squad

Natalie

Dailynn

Koji

Hanna

Isabella & Penny

Quinne, Coco, Briel

Dailynn, Meredith,

Jessie & Hanna

Over 18 Division

  Photos by Ian Logan for Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word

These images are for social media use only

PLEASE CREDIT when posting 

@ianloganphoto x @girlisnota4letterword 

** If you know someone's name we missed captioning - PLEASE let us know by sending us a DM on Instagram - Thanks and we hope everyone had a blast!


 It was an epic day at the Redondo Beach, King of the Harbor skate contest this past Sunday. With the girls and women having their own divisions this year, they came out in full force to skate with other girls and have fun.

We had 19 girls in the "12 and Under" division!  Amazing!! There were some mini shredders so tiny that dad had to help them navigate the ramps. In the women's division we saw Vans Pro Park Series Champion, Hanna Zanzi show up and throw down, along with OG Jam regulars Jessie Frietze-Armenta, Cheryl Milstien, and Tracie Garacochea.

Our rad friends at 2x4 Mini Ramps provided a 5' halfpipe that everyone loved skating and there were quarter pipes, spine sections, and rails for those who wanted to street skate.

 Photographer Jenny Sampson was there shooting tintype portraits for her upcoming book Skater Girls and she was able to take great photos of so many of the girls who came to skate - so cool to see.


Huge thanks to the Redondo Beach Police Department, Beach Life and all the volunteers for putting this contest on!

Misugu

Sakura

Sky

 All photos via World Skate

In case you missed it - and it was easy to do - between the rain delays and the lack of online live feed, this is how the women's podium ended up for women's street and park in Rio this weekend.

This comp was the 1st Olympic qualifier for this season and was worth a lot of points - it was a ProTour comp as compared to the "5-star" events - how you placed mattered! And the women came out in full force to throw it down!

No USA women made the podium this time for park or street - but there are more events ahead, and we are pretty sure we will see some changes as the season moves on.

Misugu is holding steadily onto first place in every contest she is in - it's pretty hard to beat those huge 540's.

And little Rayssa Leal in street is making the podium again by taking second this time around - she is a definite contender!



Women's Park Podium

1. Misugu Okomoto
2. Sakura Yosozumi
3. Sky Brown

photo via Pamela Rose - instagram

Women's Street Podium

1. Pamela Rosa
2. Rayssa Leal
3. Aori Nishimura

Kala at The King of the Harbor Contest a couple years ago

And...

Did you know that you can come out and free skate? You don't even need to enter the contest if you don't feel like it?  

This is a GREAT time to skate with all your friends and get some free swag!

BeachLife and the Redondo Beach Police Department are hosting the annual "Redondo Beach King (and Queen) of the Harbor Skateboard Championships."

We are extremely excited to say that there will be a girl's division this year, so grab your girl gang and let's all get out there and SKATE together!!

The contest will take place on the Redondo Beach Pier at the Octagon, near the old Fun Factory.

Pro skaters Tony Alva & Mason Silva & Cindy Whitehead will be there to share the stoke. Cindy will be commentating for the girl's event. DJ Marko DeSantis from the band Sugarcult will be spinning throughout the day. Our fave people from 2x4 Mini ramps will be setting up their 5 ft half-pipe. We hear there will also be some street skating features set up as well. Something for everyone!

Oh yeah, and you can also bring your brothers or guy friends because this contest as for all ages, and genders!

Everyone that signs up gets a FREE: t-shirt, snacks, water, lunch and raffle ticket!

There will be amazing trophies & prizes as well as coveted tickets to The Beach Life Festival to the adult winners!!

And don't forget there will be an after-party at Barneys Beanery on the pier from 5-8 PM!!



PLEASE TELL ALL YOUR GIRLFRIENDS TO COME OUT AND SKATE - WE PUSHED HARD TO GET A GIRLS DIVISION THIS YEAR - LET'S SHOW EVERYONE THAT...

#GIRLSSKATETOO


Location - Date - Time:

Sunday, November 17, 2019
Redondo Beach Pier - by the Fun Factory in the Octagon area.


Age Groups (will be same age groups for the guys)

Girls 12 and Under
Girls 13 to 17
Women 18 and Over

Please Note - there will be a women's overall winner AND a women's "Best Trick" winner - each one will receive a 3-day pass to the upcoming Beach Life Festival as well as a trophy and Beach Life bundle of prizes!!

Kids will receive trophies, Beach Life merch, and merch from local sponsors!!


Schedule: Please Note!! ---------> Helmets are required

9am- Signups
10am-2pm- Kids competition
2-4:30pm - Adults competition
5pm-8pm - After party at Barney's Beanery on the RB Pier


Register info - Kids and Adults - do it now so you can just show up and skate!

Form to register for Kids Skateboarding, plus to see info and flyer on the event: www.redondo.org/skateboard

Form to register for Adult Skateboarding: https://forms.gle/zWkBDwav3RtbP2pK9

Photo Elise Crigar

SAVE THE DATE!

We are super excited to announce that California Pizza Kitchen is supporting Girls Skateboarding!!

Join us at one of your local California Pizza Kitchen locations (listed below) on November 21, 2019, to help support girls in skateboarding via our micro-grant program.

Make sure you bring this flyer - either via a printout / or on your mobile device and show it to your server. California Pizza Kitchen will be donating 20% of your bill to help girls in skateboarding - how rad is that?

It includes dining in, take out, catering and all beverages on November 21!!

WHEN?    Thursday, November 21, 2019

Participating  CPK Locations:

~ SANTA MONICA
~ MANHATTAN BEACH
~ HUNTINGTON BEACH
~ GLENDALE
~ HOLLYWOOD



See you there!!

  

"With its pink wheels and gold-colored trucks, this 2013 GN4LW skateboard conveys a definite feminine vibe, but the skulls and Cindy Whitehead's distinctive logo bring that skater-girl edge"

Jane Rogers ~ Curator at The Smithsonian Museum of American History's Sports Collections

Photos Ian Logan

We are super excited to share this news! The original Dusters California x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word cruiser is featured on the cover of the just-released book, SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN WOMEN".

GN4LW founder and 70's OG skater, Cindy Whitehead, is written up in the chapter titled Breakthroughs and Backlash. The GN4LW x XS helmet collab is also featured in the section about skater girl gear.

This gorgeous coffee table book makes a great holiday gift for the girl that you love, as every page features women in American History that paved the way:  Sally Ride, Billie Jean King, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mia Hamm, Ibtihaj Muhammed, and so many more inspiring stories!

You can get the book now via Amazon.

Right now it shows the book at a discounted price of $30.05 - but only 15 are left in stock - so grab it fast - looks like it's selling out quickly!