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 zine Equal Time (1989 – 1992) by Lynn Kramer and then JoAnn Gillespie, was especially important. The zines were filled with letters, stories, drawings, rants, upcoming contests, and photos!
Brian Bailey photo: Women’s Skateboard Network’s “Labor Day Skate Jam” 1989 with Jen Sells, Chris Reis, Cara-beth Burnside, Lynn Kramer, Michelle ?, Suzanne Patten, and mystery.
While I was able to find content for some bigger names who acquired sponsorship like Anita Tessensohn, Cara-beth Burnside, Lori Rigsbee, Stephanie Person, and Sue Hazel, or Patty Segovia who launched the All Girl Skate Jam, as well as create individual posts for people like Caia Koopman, Christy Jordahl, Karen Trimble, Nathalie Richter, Lisa Forman, Rhonda Doyle, Sue Smith, and Vicky Voughn for various reasons, such as finding them on social media or having access to more detailed accounts, there are many skaters that remain a mystery.
- Amy Beurosse is shown doing an airwalk (Vol. 1, No. 2) and lipslide (Vol. 1, No. 3) both in 1989 by George Medlock.
- Autumn Brown is going for a sick acid drop in Vol. 1, No. 3.
- Over in Indiana, Cheri Johnson wrote in a letter and included a few photos of herself skating her own backyard mini-ramp and at a spot called Swinney’s, encouraging folks to come visit her in Fort Wayne.
- Chris Reis was a German skateboarder who appeared in Vol. 1, No. 3 and Vol. 2, No. 1 (by George Medlock) without much background story. She has loads of pop and appears to be a confident street skater. In 1989, there was the first all-female contest in San Diego, hosted by the Women’s Skateboard Network which Lynn Kramer called the “Labor Day Skate Jam” and Chris showed up along with a crew from Santa Cruz!
- Danielle McDade was a ramp competitor at the Tempe, Arizona contest placing second with an air to fakie, FS Air and fakie ollies, which Kramer reported on in Vol. 1, No. 3. Apparently, Danielle was co-owner of ‘The Original Skateboard’ shop in Apple Valley, CA.
- Next up is Donalda Gilligan of Santa Cruz, who was shredding the Buena Vista pool back in 1989 and would often hit up Derby Park. Lynn described her as a “grind master” in Vol. 2, No. 1.
- In April 1989, Vol. 1, No. 1, Jennifer Sells of Oakley, CA, contributed a thoughtful article called, “We are progressing aren’t we?” voicing her reflection on Stephanie Person‘s article “Equal Time” from Poweredge magazine. And then, in Vol. 2, No. 1 in 1990, she wrote another essay called “Skating for Life,” describing her experience as a female skater in poetic detail. She had had photos appear in the previous two issues including a fingerflip (by “Crane”) and nosepick at Derby Park.
- Julie Sack of Santa Cruz, was familiar because a few years later in 1992, she was included in the game-changing video SK8HERS directed by Ethan Fox, and has a photo in Vol. 2, No. 1 when Lynn was on a roadtrip around Santa Cruz. She was sponsored by Brand-X along with Rhonda Doyle and Sue Hazel.
- Lisa Craft is shown having a fun session, throwing down a boneless for Vol. 1, No. 2.
- Mayr Chioma received a hearty farewell, as she was a contributor to the zine and oversaw memberships to the Women’s Skateboard Network. She was heading east to Florida, as noted in Vol. 1, No. 3. She had her own mini ramp in Santa Cruz, along with friend Dana which was featured in Vol. 2, No. 1. She hosted a fun ladies session with six girls on one ramp!
- Derby Park was a popular spot back in the day, and Suzanne Patten of Santa Cruz had several photos taken there by George Medlock for the Vol 1, No 2 issue.
Loads of names appear in letters and articles (and the mailing list which Stace “the Ace” Roper forwarded me) and it makes sense considering that there were 250 members of the Women’s Skateboard Network by 1992 all networking through the zine. Hopefully more stories and photos will emerge thanks to social media!
Womxn Skateboard History 