Category: 2000s
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Amy Pike Bradshaw
On Instagram, Amy Bradshaw has tagged herself @oldlady_skater, an identity which she celebrates. Over the years she has documented her skateboarding progress in photos and videos, her wavy silver hair flowing, and has garnered a devoted following. Amy was born in Inglewood, CA in 1964 and started skating around age 9. In an interview for…
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Alexis Schempp
Alexis Schempp (Allan) of Pittsburgh, PA has her mom to thank for introducing her to skateboarding in the early 2000s because after finding her mom’s old skateboard at age eight, she became hooked! The following year, when Alexis was nine, her family moved to Oceanside, CA and she was soon recognized for her fearless approach…
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Jodi McDonald
Jodi McDonald from West Palm Beach, Florida began skateboarding in 1986 when she was 14 years old, and according to fellow vert skater Heidi Fitzgerald, “Jodi brought speed, aggression – it was like, beautiful chaos when she skated.” [October 24th Update: Jodi’s battle with breast cancer continues, so please enjoy this post but consider donating…
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Elizabeth Nitu
Elizabeth Nitu is from Los Gatos, CA near San Jose, and is likely a familiar face if you were a fan of the Villa Villa Cola video Getting Nowhere Faster (2004) filmed by Lisa Whitaker, sponsored by Element and 411VM. Photos: 2003/2004 Lisa Whitaker Elizabeth was the 9-year-old child prodigy, doted on by the crew.…
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Rebecca Heller
Rebecca Heller co-authored the book, Skater Girl: a girl’s guide to skateboarding with Patty Segovia back in 2007 as an introduction for girls to get comfortable with learning the basics, the lingo, the gear and even some history. YouTube videos were still evolving as the default teaching tool, although there were some very cool efforts…
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Barb Odanaka
Barbara Ludovise Odanaka’s return to skateboarding as an adult was the ultimate power-move and it was such a privilege to interview her (June 22, 2023) and be the recipient of her story that is so inspiring even with its moments of heartbreak. Please note that Barb has given me permission to share details of her…
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Alison Matasi
In the early 1990s, Alison Matasi started skateboarding by butt-boarding at age 4, and properly riding by age 10. She was often accompanied by her big brother, Lee ‘Avers’ Matasi (RIP) at skateparks and DIY spots around Vancouver, Canada. In an interview by Rose Archie, Alison stated, “There were always skateboards around my house from…
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Stefanie Thomas
Stefanie Thomas was a competitive street skater in the early 2000s. She was originally from Satellite Beach, Florida but moved to Long Beach, CA with her roommate, another ripper named Jayme Erickson. Her sponsors included woman-owned company Rookie, Stereo, Etnies, Destructo, Accel, Bones, and Westside skateshop. She had a smooth, confident style with plenty of…
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SkateGirl
Following in the footsteps of Tara Cooper, who produced one of the earliest documentaries on women in skateboarding, a 30-minute film called Live and Let Ride (1999) and AKA: Girl Skater (2002) featuring the Gallaz team on a tour of Australia, Susanne Tabata stepped up with one beast of a documentary. In 2006, Tabata directed…
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Diane (Veerman) Desiderio
Diane (Veerman) Desiderio was a competitive freestyle skateboarder who was among very few female professionals in the 1980s. She embraced the era with big hair, big earrings, and work-out gear as a whole look, and would often perform in tandem with her husband, Primo. In July of 1983, the NSA Paramount contest results in Los…
Womxn Skateboard History 