Steffi Weiss

Steffi Weiss (Wolter) was a competitive skateboarder in the early 2000s who received significant attention after a series of solid contest results and was even described as the “German Elissa Steamer.” Obviously, a huge compliment and while German skaters like Nathalie Richter came before her, Weiss was the first pro female skateboarder in Germany, so she certainly had impact and continues to support the European skateboarding community.

Steffi is from just outside of Cologne, in Leverkusen. She started skateboarding in 1995-1996 around age 14 when she took over her older brother’s skateboard any chance she could get, even coming home early from school to nab it. “I was bored just watching, so I tried it and I loved it! I got addicted to new tricks and learning stuff” (CIO #16).

Steffi’s early sponsors were Plain Sane skateboards from Cologne and Gallaz shoes, which she traded-in for Popular Skateboards and Vans shoes. Other sponsors included Von Zipper, Square Wheels France, and Ragwear Clothing. In an interview with Suckmytrucks website, Steffi explains that, “I did my first skate contest in 1999 at the North Brigade and that’s how the first sponsors took notice of me.”

A German skateboard magazine called Monster, featured Steffi in their April 2001 issue with some great photos documented by Helge Tscharn.

A report by Johannes Gausepohl for a German skateboard website called BoardStation on November 2001 noted that Steffi was consistently placing in the top 3 at European contests. At the European Skateboard Championships in Basel, Switzerland she came 2nd in Street in 2001, 3rd in 2002, and 2nd in 2004. At the Etnies European Open at the Cosanostra Skatepark in Chelles, France in October 2001, she placed 2^nd behind Louisa Menke of the Netherlands and then took the “Female Best Trick” with a noseslide down the ledge, resulting in the top overall winner. Again she came 2^nd at the Etnies Cup in Rome, Italy but was still pleased with the results.

Square wheels also included her in their 2005 video called No Place Like Home… created by Sebastien Raban and Benoit Copin. Here’s her part:

While Steffi competed primarily in Europe, she still went up against some serious competition like Vanessa Torres, Lyn-Z Adams Hawks, Sophie Poppe and Lauren Perkins when she competed in the 2004 Skateboard World Championships and placed 8^th.

2004 was a good year and the European skateboard magazine, Kingpin gave Steffi the cover for Issue #8 in January 2004 doing a frontside boardslide down a rail and had voted her “Skater of the Year.” Steffi was living in Barcelona at the time and had no idea about the cover in advance and said she almost died when she saw it!

Photo: Ingo Shnader

Steffi shared that she loved going to contests, “I love travelling and meeting people from other countries and different languages. I don’t know when I travelled the first time by myself. I think when I was 16 to a contest in the middle of Germany… I slept somewhere outside at the contest area… before I got sponsored” (CIO #16).

In 2005, Steffi met up with North American skaters Alex White, Jessie Van Roechoudt and Kenna Gallagher in Barcelona. There’s a quick clip of her here, filmed by Lisa Whitaker and posted on the Girls Skate Network:

Unfortunately, the following year she had a bad ankle injury where she was urged to stop skateboarding, combined with needing to finish her studies. And yet, a job opportunity in 2006 with Vans allowed Steffi to stay connected, as she became team and events coordinator for Vans, hosting skatecamps for girls out of Berlin.

Steffi continues to be involved with Vans today, hosting workshops and advocating for inclusion in skateboarding for all. In an interview in 2021 with Solo magazine she shared that five years earlier she returned to skateboarding for a girls’ session at North Brigade (where she first competed) and was inspired. “It was so colorful and empowering so that motivated me to put all my energy into the skateboarding family again.”

Steffi is an awesome role-model as she is very active and enjoys surfing, snowboarding, motorcycling, mountain-biking, and is back on her skateboard after having started her own family! While Elissa Steamer was one of her favourite skaters back in the day, she’s also inspired by Alexis Sablone and Jenn Soto.

@moststeffinetly

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