Category: 1980s
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Kathy Sierra
In the February 23, 2015, issue of Wired magazine, an article by Katherine Sierra (a former freestyle skater from the 1980s) appeared called, “Silicon Valley could learn a lot from skater culture. Just not how to be a meritocracy,” which was in response to a Wired article lauding skateboarding legend, Rodney Mullen. Sierra explained how…
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Anita Tessensohn
You’ve most likely seen the iconic Powell Peralta ad featuring Anita Tessensohn and Leaf Treinen which declared that “Some Girls Play With Dolls. Real Women Skate.” The ad came out in the December 1987 issue of Thrasher and February 1988 issue of Transworld Magazine and were promptly cut-out and pasted to the walls of isolated…
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Michelle Ticktin
Michelle Ticktin of Glasgow, Scotland was a ripping vert skater in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In October 2024, I was fortunate to connect with Michelle on Instagram, and was forwarded an update on her story by email, resulting in a major edit to this post. When asked about what or who first inspired…
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April Hoffman
April Hoffman (Weems) was a freestyle skater in the 1980s who was sponsored by Gordon & Smith (G&S) and Independent trucks. She was the grand-daughter of the legendary couple Jeanne and Stan Hoffman who opened and operated the Pipeline Skatepark in the Badlands from 1977-1988 in Upland, California. And, her uncle Don Hoffman is a…
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Cara-Beth Burnside: Part One
Cara-Beth Burnside is a skateboarder of legendary status whose presence and perseverance within the subculture has transcended decades. She has witnessed the highs and lows of skateboarding as an industry, as well as the shifting attitudes towards female skaters, which she helped transform. Considering the impact of her story, this feature is in two-parts, beginning…
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Ericka and Rhonda Watson
Ladies Skateworld zine from 1986, created by Lauri Kuulei Wong was especially important because it celebrated women like Rhonda and Ericka Watson who were learning to skateboard. It was a powerful reminder that not everyone is destined for sponsorship and glory, but that women and girls at every level have a right to occupy space…
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Tara Kaylor
Tara Kaylor (Garner) first appeared in skateboarding media within a report on the “Easter Week Contest” in San Diego on April 8, 1977 by Di Dootson in the May 1977 issue of the National Skateboard Review. The contest was hosted at the Standley Recreation Center with 300 spectators. Dootson wrote, “Tara (the Terror) Kaylor was…
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Antonella Ferrero
Antonella Ferrero was an Italian slalom skater who won the Italian championship in 1980. She competed in the Junior division and either matched or surpassed Giammarco Luca, who became a legendary Italian skater in the 1990s, since they were the same age. There’s also a clipped photo featuring Antonella on the cover of a slalom…
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Sue Smith
Sue Smith took up skateboarding in the 1970s and appears in contest results in the early 1980s in the girls 13 and under categories, representing Lakewood park. Thanks to the newsprint Skat’nNews, there’s a thorough review of competitive skateboarders including the women although the reportage of their runs and background story was still minimal. The…
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Christy Jordahl
My awareness of Christy Jordahl (Hurst) from Huntington Beach, CA began almost like an unfounded rumour. I had read an interview with Saecha Clarke in the magazine Check it Out back in 2005 who explained that she only knew two other female street skateboarders in the late 1980s being her friend Christy and Anita Tessensohn.…
Womxn Skateboard History 