Tag: Canada
-
Karen Hegmann
Today we’re celebrating Canada Day, so it’s the perfect time to acknowledge Karen Hegmann and the fantastic article she wrote for the magazine Concrete Wave (Holiday issue, vol. 7 no. 3) back in 2008, edited by Michael Brooke called “Canadian Contest Memories.” Photos: Karen Hegmann practising in her driveway in Ottawa, 1977 Karen wrote: “In…
-
3rd Year Anniversary
I’ve got a tradition going! On International Women’s Day, I’m reminded that another year has passed since I launched the archive in 2022. And, like last year, I get to reflect on my experience at the Slow Impact long weekend in Tempe, Arizona, which was extra special since my good friend (and former housemate), Rhianon…
-
Jessie Van Roechoudt
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Jessie Van Roechoudt was someone to look up to and revere if you were Canadian, especially if you were a female skater. Beyond being talented on a skateboard, Jessie was a photographer, creative writer, well-traveled, and always articulate in her views. She emphasized the importance of inclusion and…
-
Halloween 1977
This little badass Skate Witch is 6-year-old Erin Oakes from Vancouver, Canada who ripped around on her skateboard on Halloween in 1977!! The photo was taken by her dad, Ken Oakes and published in The Vancouver Sun newspaper (Nov. 1, 1977). Ken Oakes was a photographer who worked for the newspaper, as well as contributed…
-
Canadian Skurfing
In Canada, we do things and call things a little differently than our American counterparts. Thanks to a friend and former Skirtboarder, Frédérique Luyet I was directed towards archival footage and an article from the CBC about “skurfing.” The definition of “skurfing” according to the Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail was “a craze which…
-
Armpit zine
Armpit zine was the brainchild of Erika Dubé, a Quebecois skateboarder who had spent significant time in California, getting to know the crew behind the San Diego zine, Villa Villa Cola. Back in Montréal, Quebec, Erika determined that the local crew of female skateboarders, who would soon become known as The Skirtboarders in 2002, needed…
-
2nd Year Anniversary
Happy International Women’s Day! Two years ago today, I launched the website and Instagram account, and it’s been another awesome year. I have to say the highlight as of late was going to the Slow Impact festival / conference in Tempe, AZ as well as securing a book deal with ECW Press as mentioned in…
-
Denise Frohlick (Wait)
Denise Frohlick (Wait) of Coquitlam, BC was a champion skater in the early 1980s from Canada. I had come across her name in Thrasher within the September 1981 issue, within an article called “The Great Canadian Open.” On page 11, it was noted that in the banked bowl-riding contest at Seylynn skatepark, “Women’s Open winner…
-
One Year Anniversary
One year ago I launched the skate history archive and Instagram account. Thanks to everyone who has supported the project, shown me kindness, taken time to follow, read posts, celebrate, and shared their stories! With every post I feel a bit lighter and more connected. I’m still hoping to skate with a rad crew of…
-
Sophie Bourgeois
In the late 1970s and 1980s, one of the top female skateboarders from Canada was Sophie Bourgeois from Drummondville, Quebec but you would hardly know it due to the limited acknowledgement, if any in Canadian skateboard magazines or history books. Like Pam Judge, Canada’s first female National Champion, Sophie would go on to be sponsored by…
Womxn Skateboard History 