Latest posts:
Àngels Borrell
Àngels Borrell was 13 years old in 1978 when her skateboarding story began near Barcelona, Spain. And decades later, in her forties and fifties, she continued to skate thanks to…
Patty Segovia AGSJ
Patty Segovia (Krause) was born and raised in Los Angeles and is revered for being the organizer and promoter of the All Girl Skate Jam (AGSJ) from 1997-2013, as well…
2025 Wrap Up
2025 has been an epic year, and there’s still a few more weeks to go that I suspect will be super busy! While I’m mindful that some of the promotion…
Stefanie Åkesson
Stefanie Åkesson (she/her) is from Falun, Sweden and has a long legacy of competitive skateboarding and an inspiring story. Her full list of contest wins can be found on her…
Louisa Hawton
Louisa Hawton, aka “Bang Bang Lulu” or “The Smiling Assassin” is best known for being a professional boxer, World Boxing Council (WBC) champion fighter, and 2019 Supreme Boxing Female Fighter…
Lynnette Fraas
Lynnette Fraas was a competitive freestyle skateboarder in the 1970s, sponsored by Banzai skateboards, whose name started to appear in contest results in 1976. She is from San Diego and…
Jayme Erickson
Jayme Erickson and her sister Jordyn from Mankato, Minnesota were competitive street skateboarders in the early 2000s. Jayme was sponsored by Hurley, Real skateboards, and Ipath footwear and Jordyn rode…
Skate Book Launched
I’ve just returned from sunny San Diego to some Pacific Northwest winter rain (sob!) but am still riding that author’s high a month after seeing my book published and on…
Stephanie Massey
Stephanie Massey was a novelty in the late 1980s and early 1990s during a time when skateboarding pushed a stereotype of being an activity for delinquent boys. Very few “respectable”…
Betty and Train Trax zines
In the 1990s, the Riot Grrrl Movement, which originated in Olympia, WA, in the Pacific Northwest was a rallying cry for female punk musicians who were sick of the sexism…
Alex White
If you are remotely invested in skateboarding today, you will have encountered Alex White (she/her). She’s an entertaining persona offering commentary, interviews, and judging duties at skateboard contests like the…
Pink Punk Australia
In the July 1996 issue of TransWorld Skateboarding magazine there was an article about a tour to Australia which included photos of a female skateboarder whom I’ve dubbed “pink punk”…
Book Launch Countdown
It’s less than a week away from “Pub Day” for Girl Gangs, Zines, and Powerslides: A History of Badass Women Skateboarders and so far, the feedback has been encouraging! I’m…
Gerry Bowden
A photo from 1965 of a crew of young skateboarders hanging out from the Polk County History Center based in Bartow, Florida led me to their database to see if…
Peggy Walden
Peggy Walden of Marshfield, Wisconsin, began skateboarding in 1986 and was age 15 when she was featured in an interview for the February 1991 issue of the female-focused skateboarding zine…
Mystery 80s Big Hair Skaters
I once had a poster that adorned my dorm room wall advertising an All Girl Skate Jam from 2000 with the slogan “Big Air, Not Big Hair.” It was pretty…
Retro Skateboard Authors
LaVada Weir, Barbara Douglass, and Laura Torbet were three female authors from the 1970s who contributed welcoming and inclusive books about skateboarding. With my own book Girl Gangs, Zines, and…
Franzi Stolz
Franziska “Franzi” Stolz of Switzerland was introduced to skateboarding in 1995 and a few years later she gained access to a mini-ramp before becoming a competitive vert skater in the…
Pam Cox
I found this photo not long ago of Pam Cox skateboarding in both the Newport News Daily Press (August 22, 1978, p.3) and Culpeper Star Exponent (September 2, 1978, p.3)…
Pam Kenneally
In the August 1977 issue of Skateboard World magazine, Pam Kenneally received a “New Faces” feature because she had been cast in the role of “Randi” for the upcoming movie…
Beyond Boards
I keep a gratitude jar to collect reminders of positive moments and kind gestures throughout the year that I’m grateful for. On New Year’s Day I open the jar and…
1960s News Clippings Part 2
Every so often I do a deep-dive into newspaper clippings, which are often just average kids on the street having a good time. I have a new batch of photos…
Karen Hegmann
Today we’re celebrating Canada Day, so it’s the perfect time to acknowledge Karen Hegmann and the fantastic article she wrote for the magazine Concrete Wave (Holiday issue, vol. 7 no.…
Rebecca Griffiths
In 1978, a maze-like concrete skatepark was opened in Chester, UK by Geoffrey Blythin called the “Inner City Truckers Skateboard Park” on Sealand Road, on the former site of the…
hoopla Skateboards
Hoopla Skateboards was launched in 2008 by Mimi Knoop and Cara-beth Burnside (with support from George & Juli Powell, and Michael Furukawa at Skate One Corporation) to provide some of…
Concrete Surfer comics
“The Concrete Surfer” comic series from the pages of Jinty teen mag in 1978 by Pat Mills (writer) and Christine Ellingham (illustrator) was compiled and re-released thanks to the Treasury…
Cover Reveal
It’s cover reveal time for Girl Gangs, Zines, and Powerslides: a history of badass women skateboarders thanks to ECW Press. I enjoyed the design process, working with Jessica Albert and…
Poot! and Foxy zine
In 1993, a clothing brand called Poot! was trademarked by Tod Swank of Foundation Skateboards intended for a female market thanks to a connection with Keva Marie Dine the previous…
Brigitta Dittmann
If you live in Europe, especially Germany, you’ll be well aware of the iconic skateboarding company, Titus Skateboards which is a family business based in Münster. You can read about…
Check it Out magazine
In the mid-1990s, a group of Brazilian girls came together with a unique vision that would evolve into the publication Check it Out, which would have a profound effect on…
Isabelle Fried
With Mother’s Day approaching, I was reminded of Isabelle Fried (Caudle) who received some media attention in the early 2000s for her ability to juggle her love of skateboarding with…
Jill Viggiani
In the early 2000s, Jill Viggiani was a regular at the Talent indoor skatepark in Burlington, Vermont and had been vetted by members of the Burton snowboarding team as having…
Beatriz Saens
Skateboarding in Mexico in the late 1970s was gaining in popularity among youth, with skateparks opening and companies like Pepsi sponsoring a local team, including a girl named Beatriz Saens.…
Jaime Reyes
Jaime Reyes has been inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame (2025) and her impact on the progression of women’s street skating, especially in the 1990s is irrefutable. Jaime’s early…
Denise Barter
I am a big advocate for more women in leadership roles throughout the skateboarding industry. Denise Downs Barter (who now goes by Denise Pehrsson) is a great example from the…
Thrasher Interview
When the editor of Thrasher reached out and offered to feature the archive in an upcoming issue, I was nervous considering that, the magazine wasn’t exactly an ally for women…
NYC 1980s : Stana & Jessica
In 2010, an epic book was published called Full Bleed: New York City Skateboard Photography (MTV Press), edited by Alex Corporan, Andre Razo and Ivory Serra, followed up by a…
Dee Urquhart
Dee Urquhart (Ross) could be called the Scottish godmother of skateboarding considering the role she played, alongside her late husband, Iain Urquhart, an award-winning architect who designed the famous Livi…
Cindie and Rae Squilla
In the late 1970s, there were some enterprising parents from Pittsburgh who became the co-owners of the New Wave skatepark, and their daughters Cindie Squilla (Bonomi) and Rae Squilla (Keane),…
3rd Year Anniversary
I’ve got a tradition going! On International Women’s Day, I’m reminded that another year has passed since I launched the archive in 2022. And, like last year, I get to…
Kim Petersen
Kim Petersen’s name is among the legendary women who skated vert, bowl and pool competitively in the early 2000s, helping to validate women in this arena and establish a community.…
Ocea Lei Iverson
In 2010, a powerful exhibit at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles was launched called “How We Roll,” focused on Black surf and skate culture, and Ocea Lei…
Love & Friendship
In anticipation of Slow Impact 2025 in Tempe, Arizona I’ve been preparing some excerpts from my book to read as a kind of “sneak peak.” If you’re at the event,…
Skate Like a Girl
Skate Like a Girl has developed over the last twenty-plus years from a simple concept in 2000, providing workshops and events for girls, to an inclusive community, actively extending support…
Resistance
On a day like today, it’s tempting to be consumed with disgust, rage, and fear. My heart breaks for those who are being targeted specifically for their immigration status, their…
Ellen Berryman
Ellen Berryman is among an elite group of competitive 1970s pro skateboarders recognized today for being pioneers. But while some individuals are still very much entrenched in this scene and…
Villa Villa Cola
In 1996, skateboarding twins Tiffany Morgan (Campbell) and Nicole Morgan (Young) decided not to use a college fund that their parents had set aside for education, but rather to use…
Happy New Year 2025
Happy New Year! It’s 2025 and I couldn’t be more excited. 2024 was a bit of a rollercoaster, at least health-wise but it certainly ended on a high note. Plus,…
Christmas 2024
I love when all the vintage photos of Christmas mornings past are posted showing kids who are absolutely stoked to receive a new skateboard (The Skateboarding Hall of Fame hosts…
Jessie Van Roechoudt
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Jessie Van Roechoudt was someone to look up to and revere if you were Canadian, especially if you were a female skater. Beyond…
Anarquia! Brazil
There’s a certain mystique about skateboarding in the 1980s and its association with punk aesthetics and anti-establishment attitudes. This style wasn’t isolated in the United States, which I’m becoming more…
Gallaz
We have female skateboarders of Australia in the late 1990s and early 2000s to thank for the launch of the skateboard shoe brand, Gallaz, which was owned by Globe Industries.…
Lulu Hart
Lulu Hart (Bentley) from Coconut Grove, Florida was age 17 when the iconic photos of her skating freestyle on the South Beach Pier, Miami in 1977 were taken by Jonathan…
Skate Book Club
On top of writing / editing a book, Girl Gangs, Zines and Powerslides: a history of badass women skateboarders (Fall 2025) and on-going research for the archive / Instagram posts,…
Shaunda Shane
Filling a void in the representation of black female skaters in skateboarding history is critical, and it helps when you’ve got Clyde Singleton, Tony Hawk, journalists, newspapers and public librarians…
Chicago Girls Crew
In 1982, Cyndy Pendergast wrote in to Thrasher with photos of her female skate crew from Chicago. Cyndy would go on to be a legendary skater from The Turf skatepark,…
Halloween 1977
This little badass Skate Witch is 6-year-old Erin Oakes from Vancouver, Canada who ripped around on her skateboard on Halloween in 1977!! The photo was taken by her dad, Ken…
Keren Richter
Keren Richter is a big name today as an interior designer and artist, creating luxurious spaces with her company White Arrow in Brooklyn, but she also has a fascinating history…
Monica Polistchuk
Monica Polistchuk is a legendary Brazilian skater from São Bernardo do Campo, who began skating in the early 1980s. Her website Oopskate.com is a treasure trove of skateboard history, featuring…
Lisa Whitaker
Lisa Whitaker carved out space and opportunities for girls, women and non-binary skaters at a time when they were practically non-existent. She is a skater, filmer/photographer, creative producer, webmaster, mom,…
Celebrity Skaters 2
I’ve got another batch of celebrity sightings to share, starting with Lucille Ball in 1965, followed by Brooke Shields and Sandy West in the 1970s. See: “Celebrity Skaters” from back…
Irene Ching
In a recent visit to New York, I was encouraged by skateboarder C’naan Omer (Hamburger), who won Vancouver’s Slam City Jam women’s street in 2000, to reach out to Irene…
Fall 2024 Review
An early September package from Lisa Whitaker of Meow skateboards started things off right this fall! She had reached out, noticing I was rocking a favourite Meow t-shirt in a…
Claire Glavin
Claire Glavin (St. James) was originally in my mystery section, but thanks to her friend Judith Cohen we connected and had a conversation on April 11, 2024. I was grateful…
Canadian Skurfing
In Canada, we do things and call things a little differently than our American counterparts. Thanks to a friend and former Skirtboarder, Frédérique Luyet I was directed towards archival footage…
Perri Morgan
It’s obvious that Perri Morgan was a badass based on the fact that she is acknowledged for being a photographer behind a collection of photos of Fugazi performing in 1997…
50-50 Skate Zine by Zanna
50-50 Skate Zine: Skateboarding and Gender by Zanna of Portland, Oregon came out in September 1999 and was 54 pages in length full of wisdom, rage, activism, insight and skateboarding!…
Teresa Gamboa
Teresa Gamboa (nicknamed Tee or T-Styx) of Redondo Beach, CA is best known for being a surfboard glasser (applying fibreglass and resin to a surfboard and adding “lams” or laminates…
Summer Review 2024
It’s starting to feel like summer is wrapping up on the west coast with all this rainy weather, but spirits are high especially after today’s feature in the Nelson Star…
Dutch Female Skaters
The Netherlands has a long history of skateboarding dating back to the 1960s when Mr. Beenhakker, the owner of the Eerste Sprangse Metaalwaren Industrie (ESMI) roller-skate factory in Deurne, expanded…
French Skate Mag
My love for France continues! In 1978, the popular French magazine “Skate” produced eight issues, two of which feature female skaters on their cover, which is a fantastic ratio in…
Sylvie Vartan
It’s a big deal when a new skatepark is built and both skateboarders and community leaders / investors who rallied together honour the moment with a grand opening. Back in…
Paris 1978
In honour of the launch of the 2024 Paris Olympics, I bring you clips from a delightful video called Buble Skate from 1978 by Alain Igorra and Lionel Durand. The…
Yuka
This is Yuka [ ゆか ] skating freestyle in Japan in 1990, and I’m determined to learn more about her! Using Google translate and google.jp I stumbled upon this photo…
Faye Jaime
Faye Jaime was an original member of the Villa Villa Cola (VVC) crew out of San Diego back in the 1990s and early 2000s, celebrated in their zines and videos.…
Magazine Covers
When a skateboarder (and their photographer) discovers that a photo of them was chosen to grace the cover of a skateboarding magazine, it is a big deal worthy of a…
Lori Rarey
Lori Rarey (Hayden) is Wonder Woman. In the November 1978 issue of the National Skateboard Review on page 12, it was stated that “Lori Rarey did a chase scene for…
Linda Finley
In 1964, C&D Skateshop in southern California organized a team of youth who were avid surfers to provide demonstrations as part of the “Skate Board Division” of the Surf Team.…
Lauren Perkins
Lauren Perkins (Marvle) was a pro street skateboarder from Huntington Beach, who made an impact during the early 2000s. She locked in a variety of sponsors including Etnies, World Industries,…
Skate and celebrate
Happy Go Skateboarding Day and Indigenous People’s Day! Fun fact… Trevor Adolph of the Xaxli’p First Nation won the Canadian Nationals in the 12 and under amateur boys in both…
Stacey Roper
Stacey Roper (aka “Stace the Ace”) is a legendary pin-striper from Aotearoa (New Zealand), best known for her highly detailed work and official Rat Fink artist status. And yet, I…
Gale Webb
Over the years, Gale Webb has been dubbed “Mrs. Skateboard,” “The Skateboarding Mom,” “Rad Mom,” “Motocross Mom,” “Mrs. Moto,” and “America’s Sports Mom,” all of which she embraced. In Gale’s…
Arisa Trew 900
As you may be aware, Arisa Trew from Australia, at age 14 became the first female skater to perform a 900 in vert last week! Moments after her feat was…
Skateboarding Hall of Fame 2024
Last night, the Skateboarding Hall of Fame at the Vans Headquarters in Costa Mesa, CA recognized their 2023 and 2024 inductees, and there was a fantastic line-up of women receiving…
Jean Rusen
Jean Rusen Keyser (aka Calamity Jean) is someone who has successfully challenged the myth that skateboarding is purely a youthful pursuit, best taken up as a pre-teen before you have…
Dogs on Skateboards
It’s hard to resist a pet, let alone a puppy on a skateboard! Lately, there’s been a variety of dogs, kittens, birds and even a tiny turtle going viral online…
Rose Siggins
I hope all the moms, aunts, and caregivers had an awesome day today, especially everyone who raised funds at the 20th Annual Mighty Mama Skate-o-Rama, which was launched by Barb…
Joanna Field
Joanna Field is from Pacific Palisades and was a skateboarder who worked at Marina Del Rey skatepark back in the late 1970s. Photo: James Takakura Joanna was good friends with…
Child Prodigies 1970s
Child prodigy skateboarders are fascinating, especially today in this highly visible realm of competition leading up to the Olympics. Back in the 1960s, since skateboarding was essentially branded a child’s…
Sally Affleck
Sally Affleck (Felice) of Australia was a competitive skater starting out in the late 1980s, consistently holding her own throughout the 1990s and beyond. In North America, you might have…
Collaborations – Backside & Adjacency Bias
It’s been an exciting week with everything happening at once! First up, an article that I wrote for Adjacency Bias which focuses on skateboarding in the NorthWest, was published online.…
Kerry Cooper
Kerry Cooper (Germain) was a 1970s skater who is mostly under the radar, but her name occasionally appeared in contest results, starting back in 1976. At the Ventura 2nd Annual…
April Fool – Skateboard injury
I had a minor set-back in my momentum with this project, due to an unexpected visit to the hospital. On Valentine’s Day, after a 3-week battle with COVID, I was…
The Frumpies
The Frumpies were a punk band that formed in 1992 out of Olympia, WA who also happened to have skateboarding and Riot Grrrl connections. According to Wikipedia, the original members…
Janet Church
Janet Church (Atkins) from Anaheim, CA was documented by her little brother, Dave Church (RIP), who was also an active skateboarder, carving the Fish Bowl in 1977, which is such…
Armpit zine
Armpit zine was the brainchild of Erika Dubé, a Quebecois skateboarder who had spent significant time in California, getting to know the crew behind the San Diego zine, Villa Villa…
Lucie Kalinová
In the summer of 1999, I was fortunate to pursue a semester abroad in Prague, Czechia at Charles University. My motives were not academic. I had heard of a derelict…
2nd Year Anniversary
Happy International Women’s Day! Two years ago today, I launched the website and Instagram account, and it’s been another awesome year. I have to say the highlight as of late…
Denise Danielson
Denise Danielson was introduced to skateboarding in the mid-1970s when she was 14 years-old while living in Louisiana near New Orleans. I’m so pleased that we had the opportunity to…
Jessica Krause
Jessica Krause loves skateboarding, and if you witnessed her skills during the 1990s and early 2000s, consider yourself privileged because she was always willing to step up and take on…
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