I’ve got another batch of celebrity sightings to share, starting with Lucille Ball in 1965, followed by Brooke Shields and Sandy West in the 1970s. See: “Celebrity Skaters” from back in 2022 for a feature on Jodie Foster, Farah Fawcett and Katharine Hepburn, not to forget the story on Gloria Steinem!
For an episode of the CBS sitcom The Lucy Show (1962-1968) called “Lucy Bags a Bargain” (S4 E17), Lucille suddenly appears butt-boarding on a motorized skateboard after fumbling away in the Sports Department, trying to make a sale.
The following decade (April 7, 1978), Brooke Shields attempts to give skateboarding a go, then glamorously takes a break to enjoy some bubble-bum in front of the Washington Square arch. The caption under one of the photos was a bit creepy and newspapers around the country then added a variation to the theme.
“At the age of one, she was a pretty baby in an Ivory Snow ad. Today, at the age of 12, she is on her way to be a movie superstar with her R-rated ‘Pretty Baby’ premiering in New York this week and later across the country, and with five new films in the works. Brooke is a tall, gracefully gangling youngster. She has removable braces on her teeth. For this outing, she’s wearing boots, jeans and a sweater.” WTF??
Photos: Bettman
In 1980, Brooke is back… this time posing for magazine ads in Japan with a Santa Cruz board.
Sandy West (aka Sandra Sue Pesavento), one of the founding members of the band The Runaways, hangs out on a skateboard looking badass, as most drummers do. Apparently, she surfed, rode skateboards and enjoyed rollerskating.
The floral shirt photo was taken by Michael Ochs in Los Angeles in December 1976.
Sandy was born in July 1959 in Long Beach, CA and raised in Huntington Beach. In her bio, it’s noted that she was the most athletic of her seven sisters and took up drums at age 9 when her grandpa bought her a kit.
Love seeing these celebrities give it a go! And maybe they would’ve pursued skateboarding more diligently if they weren’t under the scrutiny of the public?
Womxn Skateboard History 