Louisa Hawton, aka “Bang Bang Lulu” or “The Smiling Assassin” is best known for being a professional boxer, World Boxing Council (WBC) champion fighter, and 2019 Supreme Boxing Female Fighter of the Year, among many other boxing-related titles, and I’m not surprised to learn that she was also a ripping skater in the early 2000s.
According to her Wikipedia page, Louisa was born in 1985 in Fremantle, Australia, near Perth on the west coast. Louisa started skating at age 15, often skating to school, and while she didn’t thrive at school and being part of an institution, there was one teacher, Miss Caple who motivated her with skate sessions, so long as she finished an assignment (2021). The reward system and respectful treatment worked for Louisa, since it offered her an opportunity to express herself and acknowledged that we all learn in different ways.
Louisa wanted to be a champion, she watched the X Games on TV and dreamed big. She also opted not to finish school, but rather spend her time at the Mandurah Skate Park. She was a gritty teen and on one occasion, even with a leg injury and ten stitches from a bicycle accident, Louisa was still determined to enter a local contest. She wrapped it up and won the contest!
There were still personal struggles at home with her parent’s divorce, and then being kicked out of both parents’ homes, but skateboarding was her refuge (2021) and eventually she sought out counselling and mental health support.
Louisa was fortunate to be skateboarding in Australia when Globe shoes launched the Globe World Cup, which included a division for women, called the Gallaz Skate Jam after their brand, Gallaz shoes. Louisa competed at the Gallaz Skate Jam 4 (Globe World Cup) in February 2002 in Melbourne placing 9th in street (won by Amy Caron), and then, the following year, improved on her result, placing 7th out of 30 girls (won by Vanessa Torres). During her run, Louisa ollied into a 12-foot bowl, which meant she was noticed by the editors of Chick. The publication was described as a “mini-mag for girls who surf” in Australia with 72 issues from 1998 – 2006.
Louisa (age 18) took the cover for the April 2003 issue of Chick and received a short interview. Louisa said she was impressed by Lauren Perkins (who came 4th) who skated with confidence, and it was evident that Louisa had confident to spare! She said some guys in her town “actually stopped skating. I guess I inspired them… There’s nothing better than going to the skate park, having guys give you suss looks and just dropping in and kicking some arse.” Oh hell yes!!!
Louisa was then asked what was going on in her mind when she ollied into the bowl, and if she was nervous. “I sorta did that trick cause no one else was even looking at it. I like to do things no one else is. I up and decided to do it anyway… I was so amped before it I actually had to calm myself down a bit.”
Photo above is from an interview on Louisa in the Australian Skateboarding Magazine (ASM) conducted by David Bradley in the early 2000s. Would love a proper scan of this… all I know is that it was on page 70!
There was some support flowing Louisa’s way from her first sponsors, Surf Central, who covered her trip to the event in 2002, and then Element Skateboards. Louisa was so pumped on the experience that she decided, “If I can do well in this, I can do anything.” And I love that Louisa meant it and followed her dreams into another male-dominated pursuit as a boxer, even moving to the U.S. for her career. Louisa acknowledged that there were many cross-over elements between skateboarding and boxing, including discipline and repetition, considering how relentless she had to be to learn a new trick on a skateboard and the work required to prepare for a boxing match.
Louisa also got a taste of traveling around the U.S. during those days as a skater in the early 2000s, going to the All Girl Skate Jam with fellow Aussie, Esther Godoy and Kiwi legend, Stacey Roper (aka Stace the Ace). Stacey has some fond memories of seeing the Grand Canyon with Louisa on a skate trip and is a big fan of her Aussie friend.
To learn more about Louisa, watch this documentary called Lulu: The Purple Circle, follow on Instagram, tune into this “Terrible Happy Talks” podcast, check out her website where her mantra is “anything is possible.”
Reference:
- Farrugia, Shannon. “Louisa ‘BangBang’ Lulu Hawton: Skateboarder, Mother, Boxing World Champion.” Terrible Happy Talks Episode 123 (September 11, 2021).
Womxn Skateboard History 