Author: Natalie Porter
-
Louisa Hawton
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.…
-
Lynnette Fraas
Lynnette Fraas was a competitive freestyle skateboarder in the 1970s, sponsored by Banzai skateboards, whose name started to appear in contest results in 1976. She is from San Diego and attended Mission Bay Senior High (1978-1980). At the 2nd Annual Amateur Freestyle contest in Oceanside on July 11, 1976 there were 2000 spectators according to…
-
Jayme Erickson
Jayme Erickson and her sister Jordyn from Mankato, Minnesota were competitive street skateboarders in the early 2000s. Jayme was sponsored by Hurley, Real skateboards, and Ipath footwear and Jordyn rode for Roxy. The skateboarding sisters were regulars at the 3rd Lair Skate Park – an indoor set-up that opened in 1997 and is still operating…
-
Skate Book Launched
I’ve just returned from sunny San Diego to some Pacific Northwest winter rain (sob!) but am still riding that author’s high a month after seeing my book published and on bookstore shelves! Girl Gangs, Zines, and Powerslides: A History of Badass Women Skateboarders was released on September 16th with ECW Press, and the whole experience…
-
Stephanie Massey
Stephanie Massey was a novelty in the late 1980s and early 1990s during a time when skateboarding pushed a stereotype of being an activity for delinquent boys. Very few “respectable” parents would permit their daughters to pursue skateboarding. Photo: Stephanie in Poweredge June 1989. Fortunately, Stephanie’s parents, Dan or “Danny” and Ruth Massey were already…
-
Betty and Train Trax zines
In the 1990s, the Riot Grrrl Movement, which originated in Olympia, WA, in the Pacific Northwest was a rallying cry for female punk musicians who were sick of the sexism and misogyny rampant in the punk scene, that created unsafe and toxic environments for women. They communicated their manifesto through DIY zines and at their…
-
Alex White
If you are remotely invested in skateboarding today, you will have encountered Alex White (she/her). She’s an entertaining persona offering commentary, interviews, and judging duties at skateboard contests like the Olympics, Exposure, Wheels of Fortune, and SLS, she’s part of the rotating crew that delivers the Vent City podcast, long-time Chair of the Skate Like…
-
Pink Punk Australia
In the July 1996 issue of TransWorld Skateboarding magazine there was an article about a tour to Australia which included photos of a female skateboarder whom I’ve dubbed “pink punk” because of her dedication to pink and badass aesthetics. In my efforts to claw through decades worth of skate magazines I rarely pay any attention…
-
Book Launch Countdown
It’s less than a week away from “Pub Day” for Girl Gangs, Zines, and Powerslides: A History of Badass Women Skateboarders and so far, the feedback has been encouraging! I’m trying to stay positive even though there’s some nagging thoughts of doubt and anxiety, imagining friends, family, and strangers reading or listening to it (there’s…
-
Gerry Bowden
A photo from 1965 of a crew of young skateboarders hanging out from the Polk County History Center based in Bartow, Florida led me to their database to see if I could find out more about the girls who were included. Two of the skaters were named – Gerry Bowden and Paul Daniel III. I…
Womxn Skateboard History 