Welcome to Womxn Skateboard History archive! The site is a digital collection organized into decades to help celebrate and create visibility of female and non-binary skaters.
Latest posts:
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 vert and ramp skater starting out in the late 1980s, consistently holding her own throughout the 1990s and beyond. In North America, you…
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…
Debbi Bennett
Skateboarding needs people like Debbi Bennett of Hollywood, CA! In 1978, at age 24, Debbi was behind a petition called “FreeSkate L.A.” when she learned that her city council was…
Swash Buckler
Narangkar Khalsa (Glover) was the publisher of the Oakland-based skate zine, Swash Buckler which included four issues celebrating female skaters. Issue #1 from January 2001 featured Bridget Ribbel, Dandelion Bordow,…
Stacey Roper
Stacey Roper (aka “Stace the Ace”) and her identical twin sister were born in a small town called Stratford in the north island of Aotearoa (New Zealand). At age four,…
Bonnie Votaw
Bonnie Votaw was a child prodigy skater from the 1970s and had the opportunity to travel to England in 1978 at the age of 8, along with friend, Jacqueline Jones,…
Kelly Moran
Kelly Moran of Burbank, California was a skateboarder in the late 1970s, who had connections in the film industry considering that her sister played “Joanie Cunningham” in the sitcom, Happy…
Slow Impact 2024
In just over a week, I’ll be flying down to Arizona to be part of the Slow Impact skateboard festival conference event in Tempe, February 16-19! I’ve got a lightning…
Judith Cohen
The original draft of this post from June 12, 2023, was an attempt to alert the skateboarding world that I was looking for Judith, as my internet sleuthing for one…
Leslie Anne Miller
Leslie Anne Miller was a competitive skateboarder in the early 1980s, and like her peer, Diane Veerman (Desiderio) she had a classic 80s look! Freestyle was her preference, and Leslie…
Peggy Oki
Peggy Oki almost needs no introduction considering her legacy as the lone female skateboarding member of the gritty Zephyr team, a Venice Beach crew which formed in the mid-1970s and…
Gloria Steinem
Gloria Steinem is an iconic journalist, activist, and feminist, who co-founded the magazine Ms. in 1972. So, you can imagine my delight when I stumbled upon photos of Gloria on…
Michelle Kolar-Scott
Michelle Kolar-Scott was a freestyle / street skater with the best of them back in the 1970s and was interviewed in 2016 by Lorrie Palmos in a fantastic feature for…
2023 Reflection
There’s been so many highlights of 2023, but mostly I’m just grateful to be able to keep building community while learning about fascinating women in skateboarding history by researching, interviewing…
Merry Christmas – 1977
Back in December 1977, I was just a wee babe at 3 months old, but this is the skateboarding vibe I was born into, and I love this photo. Kid…
Second Wind zine
In the early 2000s, Faye Lynn Richards based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico created her own skateboarding zine called Second Wind. Faye became a sponsored rider for the Idaho-based company…
1970s News Clippings
Just like the 1960s New Clippings feature, all of these skateboarders are “mysteries,” so please reach out if someone is familiar as I’m always grateful for a little backstory. Names,…
Denise Frohlick (Wait)
Denise Frohlick (Wait) of Coquitlam, BC was a champion skater in the early 1980s from Canada. I had come across her name in Thrasher within the September 1981 issue, within…
Anna Dimitriadou Kruse
Anna Dimitriadou Kruse (RIP) was born in Aurich, East Frisia in Germany on February 6th, 1991, and had family heritage in Greece, which she celebrated. She was a beloved skateboarder,…
Amy Pike Bradshaw
On Instagram, Amy Bradshaw has tagged herself @oldlady_skater, an identity which she celebrates. Over the years she has documented her skateboarding progress in photos and videos, her wavy silver hair…
New York mystery 1978
In Skateboard World magazine for December 1978, there’s an article about the scene in New York called, “Skating in the Big Apple” by Mark Diamond and Charles Feldman. In Brooklyn,…
Gale Springer
Gale Springer (Chorpash) grew up near Venice Beach, and was a skateboarder in the late 1970s and early 1980s from age 12 to 19. She enjoyed competing in bowl, pool,…
Alexis Schempp
Alexis Schempp (Allan) of Pittsburgh, PA has her mom to thank for introducing her to skateboarding in the early 2000s because after finding her mom’s old skateboard at age eight,…
Badass Barefoot skaters
It takes a certain level of confidence to skateboard barefoot, but back in the 1960s and 1970s many preferred it, especially those with a background in surfing. This era was…
Jodi McDonald
Jodi McDonald from West Palm Beach, Florida began skateboarding in 1994 when she was 14 years old, and according to fellow vert skater Heidi Fitzgerald, “Jodi brought speed, aggression –…
Francine Hill
Francine Hill was one of the photographed skateboarders who appeared in Cindy Berryman’s fantastic article, “Let’s hear it for the ladies” which was published in the August 1976 issue of…
Gratitude
It’s the season of gratitude (when is it not?), and I am feeling the love. There’s been so many delightful zines and packages arrive in the mail, which is just…
Elizabeth Nitu
Elizabeth Nitu is from Los Gatos, CA near San Jose, and is likely a familiar face if you were a fan of the Villa Villa Cola video Getting Nowhere Faster…
Wendy Bedell
Wendy Bedell (Sprague) was a skateboarder from Hawaii, featured in the February 1978 issue of Skateboard World with a photo of her landing a kickflip at A‘ala Park in Honolulu…
Deirdre Devine
Deirdre “Dee Dee” Devine was a freestyle skater in the 1980s who lived in Los Angeles as well as Arizona. According to her friend, legendary street skater Anita Tessensohn, Deirdre…
Rebecca Heller
Rebecca Heller co-authored the book, Skater Girl: a girl’s guide to skateboarding with Patty Segovia back in 2007 as an introduction for girls to get comfortable with learning the basics,…
Skate Crates NYC
Skateboarding appeals to many because it is fun, it’s social, it can be an escape from whatever drama is happening at home, and typically it’s performed away from the prying…
Jaime Luster
The photo of Jaime Luster by Jeff Ruiz from the July 1979 issue of Skateboarder, where she’s dwarfed by a massive trophy after winning the USASA Overall champion award for…
Rookie Skateboards
Beyond the skatepark, skateboarders tend to look for visual cues when determining if someone is aligned. For example, scuffed-up shoes that indicate the wear and tear of ollying and flicking…
Amy Paul
Back in the 1980s, when a female skater heard rumour of another girl who skated, they were destined to meet! This was the situation for KZ Zapata, author of the…
Pattie Hoffman
Pattie Hoffman received her induction into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame in 2018 for her skills, contest results, and contributions to the scene which began back in the 1970s and…
Patti – Kanoa Surf
A girl named “Patti” was documented by the photographer Albert Moote on June 20th, 1976 skateboarding “The Channell” in the Hollywood Hills area. She’s cruising around the banks, including one…
Noémie Harris
Noémie Harris was a skateboarder based out of France in the late 1970s who received support from several magazines, starting with Skatin’. In Issue No. 3 from 1978, Harris was…
Gail Yarbrough
If you’re a surfer in the Pacific Northwest, “The Point” just south of Seaside, Oregon is a cherished spot, located where the Pacific Ocean meets Tillamook Head. Gail Yarbrough (Williams),…
Canada’s Champion
I first wrote about PJ McKenzie (Pam Judge) back in May 2022 after sourcing just a few photos of her online, and then stumbling upon a few more through newspaper…
National Skateboard Review Mysteries
The skateboarding publication, The National Skateboard Review (1976-1979) by Di Dootson has provided a wealth of information for sourcing names of female skaters, their contest results, and photos. The challenge…
Barb Odanaka
Barbara Ludovise Odanaka’s return to skateboarding as an adult was the ultimate power-move and it was such a privilege to interview her (June 22, 2023) and be the recipient of…
Alison Matasi
In the early 1990s, Alison Matasi started skateboarding by butt-boarding at age 4, and properly riding by age 10. She was often accompanied by her big brother, Lee ‘Avers’ Matasi…
Stefanie Thomas
Stefanie Thomas was a competitive street skater in the early 2000s. She was originally from Satellite Beach, Florida but moved to Long Beach, CA with her roommate, another ripper named…
Leaf Treinen
Leaf Treinen was originally from Hawaii before growing up in Eugene, Oregon where she became a factory-sponsored skateboarder in the late 1980s / early 1990s. She is most recognized for…
Aina Maria Oliver
Mallorca (Majorca), Spain is a stunning island in the Mediterranean, and turns out there was a female skateboarder named Aina Maria Oliver (Campins) who would skate the local park called…
Michelle Matta
Michelle Matta (Overin) of Canoga Park near Los Angeles had a flurry of activity in November 1977 when she appeared in both Skateboard World as well as a 6-page feature…
SkateGirl
Following in the footsteps of Tara Cooper, who produced one of the earliest documentaries on women in skateboarding, a 30-minute film called Live and Let Ride (1999) and AKA: Girl…
G.B. Jones
G.B. Jones is an artist who collaborated on the queer punk zine called J.D.’s (AKA Juvenile Delinquents / James Dean / J.D. Salinger / Just Desserts diner / Jack Daniels…
Equal Time Mystery Skaters
In the late 1980s, with the skateboarding industry promoting itself as a domain for men and boys, assuming that there was no point in marketing to girls and women, the…
Laura Thornhill-Caswell
An archive on the history of women skaters wouldn’t be complete without Laura Thornhill (Caswell) with her massive list of contest wins. Her legacy is very much tied to the…
Bristol Girls Team
When the first UK National Championships was hosted at Crystal Palace in London (originally planned for July but delayed until August 10th, 1977 due to rain) there was no category…
Diane (Veerman) Desiderio
Diane (Veerman) Desiderio was a competitive freestyle skateboarder who embraced the 1980s with big hair, big earrings, and work-out gear as a whole look, including the slouchy socks (or maybe…
Colorado 1970s Slalom
From 1975-1978, there was a thriving skateboarding scene in Colorado primarily focused on slalom racing in the Rocky Mountains, and it included a crew of women. These skateboarders were celebrated…
Kym Agresti
Kym Agresti from Santa Cruz was a skateboarder who published the zine Hectic Times from 1990 to 1995 – a total of nine issues. According to a review by Flipside…
Jana Payne
Jana Payne (Booker) has been repeatedly recognized as a major influence on skaters like Vicki Vickers, Kym Milburn, and Terry Lawrence and has now been inducted into the Skateboard Hall…
1960s News Clippings
At this point, all of these 1960s newspaper clippings feature “mystery” skaters! Give me a shout if you have more of the back story. Thanks in advance! And check out…
Debbie Bragg
Auckland, New Zealand in 1978 opened up a kickass skatepark called Skatopia in the Manukau suburb, which was sponsored by Coca Cola. It emulated the park plans from Skatopia in…
Kim Adrian
While interviewing skateboarder Kim Adrian it occurred to me that I was speaking to a true “skater’s skater” – someone who skated for the love of it, committed to the…
Liz Bevington
Liz Bevington (RIP) was renowned and beloved as an eccentric Venice Beach local nicknamed “Skateboard Mama,” with a passion for skateboarding and kite skating. Liz was born in Germany and…
Zine update!
Do you love zines? Well, you’re in luck because I’ve added a new resource reference page where I will be uploading scans of historical zines for your enjoyment. Check it…
Cheryl Thornton
Cheryl Thornton, age 12 from Fort Worth, Texas was competing against the boys at a skateboard contest in May 1977 and came 2nd in Freestyle! The photo was taken by…
Lisa Muir
Lisa Muir Wakley is a legendary surfer based out of Pensacola, Florida who also competed in skateboarding. In an interview by Professor Steve Estes on southern surfing in June 2017,…
SkateBettys Alaska
Did you know that there was a crew of women skaters in Anchorage, Alaska in the 1980s simply called SkateBettys?! I didn’t either until a fantastic librarian who works at…
Leigh Zaremba
This photo and article of Leigh Zaremba and Dee Jay Cobb is from spring 1959! Woah! It was featured in the May 29, 1959 issue of the Pasadena Independent, and…
Girls Who Skate 1995
In the early 1990s the Riot Grrrl movement, which originated in the Pacific Northwest was not only having an impact on young women who loved punk music, but also skateboarders…
Cyndy Pendergast
Cyndy Pendergast was a confident skater in the Mid-West in the 1970s and 1980s and is listed as a “notable member” of the Turf skateboard park on a Wikipedia page.…
Suzette Owens
Suzette Owens was a competitive freestyle skateboarder out of Long Beach, California in the late 1970s. I was reminded of Suzette during a recent interview with Kim Adrian, as they…
Marilyn Latta
Marilyn Latta (not to be confused with Michelle Matta) was featured in a two-page interview in June 1978 for the Wild World of Skateboarding magazine. Marilyn was age 16 at…
One Year Anniversary
One year ago I launched the skate history archive and Instagram account. Thanks to everyone who has supported the project, shown me kindness, taken time to follow, read posts, celebrate,…
Karen Trimble
Karen Trimble of San Marcos, CA was a competitive freestyle skateboarder in the mid-1980s along with her brothers John and Terry. She was mentioned in passing within Terry’s Freestyle zine…
Sussi Berglund
Sussi Berglund (Mabbe) of Stockholm, Sweden was skateboarding in her teens and even appeared in a local newspaper performing a handstand in 1978 at age 16, evidently having a great…
Leigh Parkin
Leigh Parkin (Blake) was a Del Mar Skate Ranch local who began skateboarding in the 1970s and competed strongly in the early 1980s. In an email, Leigh shared that, “I…
Beth Fishman
Beth Fishman appeared in a four-page spread within the April 1978 issue of Wild World of Skateboarding after winning the SKAbo ESA Eastern Skateboard Championships held over three days in…
Stephanie Person
Stephanie Person is the first Black female professional skateboarder and her contributions throughout the 1980s are legendary. Skateboarding has always appealed to youth regardless of race or gender (see: Cheryl…
Vicky Voughn
Vicky Voughn is currently a mystery, possibly spelled “Vicki.” All I know is that she appeared in April 1989 to compete in the mini-ramp contest in Tempe, Arizona and was…
Kate the Skate
“Kate the Skate” was the name of a column dedicated to women in skateboarding within the British magazine called Skateboard Scene from January 1978 (issue 3) until August 1978 (issue…
Caia Koopman
Caia Koopman, who is a renowned artist living in San Diego, was born and raised in California and was skating during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In an interview…
MaryAnne Uyemura
MaryAnne Aquino Torres Uyemura was the first female member on the Pepsi Skateboard team in the Philippines from the ages of nine to eleven in the years 1978-1980. She was…
SK8HERS
During the early 1990s in Santa Barbara, where skateboarding was thriving in backyard mini-ramps and the Powell Skate Zone indoor park, a core group of women had found a connection…
Life
Life is precious and skateboarders are beautiful. There is so much heartbreak and anger right now in light of the violence and brutality that took Tyre Nichols away from his…
France 1960s
Skateboarding in the 1960s is primarily associated with the scene in California, as surfers found a new outlet for fun when the surf was flat and the activity took off…
Maria Elaigne Ferreira
Maria Elaigne Carmen Rita Rodrigues Ferreira was born in 1960 and is among the earliest female skateboarders in Brazil – a country with a rich history of amazing skateboarders! Thanks…
Jeannie Narducci
Jeannie Narducci (Figurski) was inducted into the Florida Skateboard Hall of Fame in 2003. She was an active skateboarder in the 1970s, along with her brother Dave. Jeannie appeared in…
Laurie McDonald
Laurie McDonald was a sponsored skateboarder in the 1970s, riding for team Powerflex. Although photographs, let alone an interview was elusive, she appeared in the freestyle results of a Hallowe’en…
Lisa Forman
Lisa Forman was a solid skateboarder in both transition and slalom, and further proof that there were some amazing female skaters during the 1980s. While she is practically ignored by…
Sandy Chadbourn
Sandra “Red” Chadbourn was a ripping skateboarder in the 1970s based out of Atlanta. She became sponsored by the best team around called Progressive Skateboards, which was the very first…
First Championships – May 1965
In May 1965, the first International Skateboard Championships was hosted at La Palma Stadium in Anaheim, CA. The event was televised by ABC’s Wide World of Sports and an article…
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Womxn Skateboard History 