Category: Mystery
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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.…
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Sunshine Lee
In the late 1970s Sunshine Lee was an up-and-coming skateboarder in southern California sponsored by Vans but her full story has yet to be discovered. In his memoir, Authentic: a memoir by the founder of Vans Paul Van Doren explained how “Each Vans store manager was encouraged to choose seven or eight skateboarders and supply…
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Yuki Kuwabara
Yuki Kuwabara was a skateboarder at Wild Wheels skateboard park in Covina, California in the late 1970s. She was featured in an article called “Surfers with wheels: skateboard parks banking on safety to keep their customers rolling in” by Mike Ward. The article was published by the Los Angeles Times in the October 9, 1977…
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Yvonne Cucci
Yvonne Cucci (Summerfield) was originally a mystery until this post was shared on social media and we connected for an interview on Friday, September 2nd, 2022. Yvonne grew up in Torrance, California and played many sports such as flag football, softball and soccer as a kid. She was active and loved being outside. The best…
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Marina Gera
In the 1960s, skateboarding was taking off as not only an alternative activity for surfers but an accessible and social activity for all youth that wasn’t dependent on access to waves. In the same issue of Skateboarder magazine that features the legendary Pat McGee on the cover (October 1965), there’s a small photo of Marina…
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Mystery skaters – Skateboarding prohibited
It’s June 25, 2022 and I’m not sure what to say to radiate strength and hope for women in the U.S. after recent decisions at the Supreme Court, and to women around the world whose lives are dictated by the ignorant and the heartless except find strength in community – you’re not alone and this…
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Gina Esperanza
Gina [Esparza?] Esperanza appeared to be a prodigy skateboarder in the late 1970s, based out of San Diego with her home skatepark being “Skateboard Heaven” in Spring Valley. She was a competitor in both Freestyle and Pool and would pick up a sponsorship from Hobie. Skateboard Heaven had a variety of bowls, snake run, clover…
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Kathy Zatko
Kathy Zatko appears in the January 1989 issue of Thrasher, celebrating her accomplishment of being the first girl to enter an Eastern Skateboard Association (ESA) contest, which was held at the Brooklyn Banks in New York City. She placed fourth overall in the freestyle contest, and the photo of her holding her trophy is taken…
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Mystery Skaters – Japan
I’m fascinated by the incredible progression of women skateboarders in Japan and only have a few leads from back in the day, in the form of mystery photos. First off is this kickass 1980s photo by legendary photographer Yoshiro Higai showcasing a gang of female skaters from his book Judo Air (2015). Who were they?…
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Thrasher Betty Hunt
Thrasher magazine in the early 1980s was hit and mostly miss when it came to the representation of women skateboarders in their pages. The problem was that there was this fear around being labeled a poseur or a fraud that likely stemmed from the punk scene, which was always intent on rooting out folks who…
Womxn Skateboard History 