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 contest on October 30th 1977 at the El Cajon skate which she won, ahead of Tina Guasti and Leilani Kiyabu.
Laurie and Sylvia Scott were listed as two skateboarders who were part of the first Pepsi and 360 Sportswear professional skateboard team, that also included a dozen or so male skaters. The team would expand to include Cheri O’Berg and a handful more men to the team. The team was sponsored to perform skateboard safety clinics and demos at local schools. Lauri was included in one of Pepsi’s advertisements along with Jerry Valdez in 1978.
Laurie would also go on to join the Skateboard Mania show, which was featured in the December 1978 issue of Skateboarder. The article by Jeff Ruiz describes the spectacle with its impressive light show and choreography playing out a futuristic battle between heroic skateboarders decked out in sparkling outfits, against an Evil Emperor. Vicki Vickers was the lead snow queen, with skateboarding roles for Kerrie Cooper, Leilani Kiyabu, Judi Oyama, and Deanna Calkins. While the show was short-lived, it sounded like it was pretty memorable for everyone involved.
Womxn Skateboard History 