Tag: skateboarder
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KZ Zapata
Flipping through old Thrasher magazines I spotted two mystery photos of a skater named KZ Zapata. In April 1986, a photo of her was included in an article by Bonnie Blouin called “Sugar and Spice…?” alongside Stephanie Person, April Hoffman, Babs Fahrney, and Michelle Sanderson. The caption said she was a 19-year-old student at UCSB…
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Colleen Boyd Turner
Colleen Boyd Turner is a fine addition to the Skateboarding Hall of Fame (2021), and as her Instagram account proves, she’s still very active in her seventies! I highly recommend checking out her page, as it is a wealth of skateboarding history and an inspiration for womxn skaters, especially those with grandma status. Colleen shared…
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Thalia Zelnik
Thalia Zelnik grew up in in the West Village of New York in the 1970s and 1980s, and when I stumbled upon a photo of her online, which was also published in Thrasher in the February 1987 issue, and a few other issues, I had to reach out. Thanks to social media, we made a…
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Tina Trefethen
The classic photos of Tina Trefethen performing “freestyle gymnastics” on her skateboard are iconic representations of skateboarding in the 1970s. While Trefethen was graceful (and flexible!), she loved the adrenaline rush of racing. And, according to her bio for the 1976 NY World Masters program guide she was a champion Hang Glider, winning the 1975…
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Kyla Duffy
Kyla Duffy was one of the first skateboarders sponsored by Rookie in New York City and also got hooked up by Vans. She grew up in Absecon, New Jersey in an athletic family, as her mom had been a professional figure skater. Kyla was best known for skating vert and transition, and she also competed…
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Leilani Kiyabu
Leilani Kiyabu (Glasheen) was called an overnight success in her “Who’s Hot” feature by Jim Goodrich in the December 1978 issue of Skateboarder. “Lani” was born in Germany, then moved to Hawaii where she learned to skate at age 11, but without support, she set it aside until her family moved to San Diego, where…
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Skaters Comic France
I’ve somehow stumbled upon the most curious / rad French comic book publication called Skaters from 1978-1979 where the superheroes are skateboarders! The authors were Enzo Chiomenti, Jose de Huescar, Fuschino & Angelo Maria Ricci. Curious to know if the artists/writers were skaters? It looks absolutely sweet and I’ll bet there were kids who couldn’t…
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The Hags
This hardcore all-female skate crew was launched in 1983 and was the inspiration of Sevie Bates and her punk friends living in West Los Angeles. Bates had received her first skateboard in the early 1970s at age 9 – a wooden board with clay wheels called, “The Black Knight” and she was an inspiration to…
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Mystery Skaters – Sweden
Can you help identify these skateboarders? The photographer is Ingmar Jernberg from Gothenburg, Sweden. I know that it’s 1979 and the photo says Stjärnhusen, which I assume refers to the housing complex in the photo series. The neighbourhood is called Frölunda. Apparently, Tony Alva might have met them on his first European Tour. I think…
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Patti McGee
Patti McGee (born August 23, 1945) began surfing at age 12 in San Diego and was part of the Pump House Gang in her teens. When she saw a skateboard in 1962 at the Hollywood Teen Fair during her Easter vacation, it seemed like a great option for days when there was no surf. Pat’s…
Womxn Skateboard History 