Tag: Skateboard History
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Cindie and Rae Squilla
In the late 1970s, there were some enterprising parents from Pittsburgh who became the co-owners of the New Wave skatepark, and their daughters Cindie Squilla (Bonomi) and Rae Squilla (Keane), and son Paul Squilla benefitted from the opportunity. Rae said “my parents were part owners [of New Wave]. I sort of recall that it cost…
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Kim Petersen
Kim Petersen’s name is among the legendary women who skated vert, bowl and pool competitively in the early 2000s, helping to validate women in this arena and establish a community. Kim grew up in a small town called Dewitt, Iowa, west of the Mississippi River, and had an athletic background in competitive gymnastics. In an…
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Ocea Lei Iverson
In 2010, a powerful exhibit at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles was launched called “How We Roll,” focused on Black surf and skate culture, and Ocea Lei Iverson (she/her/they/them) was part of the planning team focused on women’s participation. Ocea’s father is Black American with Indigenous heritage, and her mother is first…
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Love & Friendship
In anticipation of Slow Impact 2025 in Tempe, Arizona I’ve been preparing some excerpts from my book to read as a kind of “sneak peak.” If you’re at the event, skater / author Kyle Beachy has arranged an evening called “Anything At All” at 8pm on February 22nd at Cowtown skateshop. It should be a…
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Skate Like a Girl
Skate Like a Girl has developed over the last twenty-plus years from a simple concept in 2000, providing workshops and events for girls, to an inclusive community, actively extending support to trans and gender non-conforming skaters by offering safe spaces and clinics. According to their About page, their vision is social equity, “promoting confidence, leadership,…
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Resistance
On a day like today, it’s tempting to be consumed with disgust, rage, and fear. My heart breaks for those who are being targeted specifically for their immigration status, their race, sexuality, gender, and those brave individuals who chose right over wrong in relation to January 6th in condemning terrorist behaviour, now deemed permissible. How…
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Ellen Berryman
Ellen Berryman is among an elite group of competitive 1970s pro skateboarders recognized today for being pioneers. But while some individuals are still very much entrenched in this scene and identity, Ellen or El, as she prefers to be called has cultivated her own path, one that led her to become an environmental consultant thanks…
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Villa Villa Cola
In 1996, skateboarding twins Tiffany Morgan (Campbell) and Nicole Morgan (Young) decided not to use a college fund that their parents had set aside for education, but rather to use the money to start a female-focused skateboard and apparel company. Lisa Whitaker of Meow Skateboards recalled that the sisters tried to pitch their idea to…
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Christmas 2024
I love when all the vintage photos of Christmas mornings past are posted showing kids who are absolutely stoked to receive a new skateboard (The Skateboarding Hall of Fame hosts an awesome collection of these images). You know their whole world is about to be altered forever like this image of “Gretchen” in 1977 that…
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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…
Womxn Skateboard History 