Cherry skateboards was a female-run board company sponsoring women riders, founded by Emily Oliver in February 2003 to April 2009 with support and product design by Shodie Lyon. They were based out of Breckenridge Colorado and filled a void in a time when mainstream skateboard companies were still hesitant and resistant to consider developing diverse teams.
Emily shared via a website called Boarding.net that, “The idea for Cherry Skateboards was conceived one day while we were hanging out with other girl friends of ours who skate. We all felt that there are not many companies that support and encourage girls to skate even though the number of girls skating is quickly rising. So we decided why not start a skate company for and by women. We want Cherry Skateboards to be a company that women of all ages can feel good about supporting because they know we are supporting them.”
Their sponsored team included skaters in both street and vert. Over the years riders included Alex White, Alexis Schempp, Crystal Solomon, Hudson Poston, Jen O’Brien, Jill Viggiani, Kara Pizzamiglio, Sarah Drexler, and Summer LaClair. Some riders are better known than others, but most of them were competing and active in the scene.
A review of the company was shared out in Transworld Skateboarding in February 12, 2003 in an article called “Biz Buzz, Shoe Box, Roster Hops.” They explained that Cherry skateboards “will provide a platform for female artists and designers to develop board graphics and clothing designs.” The article highlighted that “Cherry Skateboards also lends its support to a variety of female-focused skate competitions throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as other female-positive events like NYC’s Ladyfest East, L.A.’s After The RAINN, and the Ladies’ Lounge at the Vans Warped Tour.”
Ads for Cherry Skateboards appeared in the women-focused magazines Check it out: Skateboard 4 Girls and Push. The owners also made an appearance on an Extreme sports show called ‘54321’ on the Fox network showcasing their product. The show was very short-lived, broadcast from November 2002 to November 2003.
I don’t have the full story on why the company disbanded, but it was a fantastic effort and vision.
Womxn Skateboard History 