Tag: Vancouver

  • Skate Book Launched

    Skate Book Launched

    I’ve just returned from sunny San Diego to some Pacific Northwest winter rain (sob!) but am still riding that author’s high a month after seeing my book published and on bookstore shelves! Girl Gangs, Zines, and Powerslides: A History of Badass Women Skateboarders was released on September 16th with ECW Press, and the whole experience…

  • Halloween 1977

    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…

  • Alison Matasi

    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…

  • Michelle Pezel (and Antisocial)

    Michelle Pezel (and Antisocial)

    For skateboarders living in Vancouver, Canada, and the countless skaters who have visited the city and made their way to Antisocial skateshop (or even found refuge on her couch), Michelle Pezel is a legend. She is the co-owner of Antisocial with Rick McCrank, and has relentlessly offered community-building, launch parties, creative outlets, and even activist-activity…

  • Lisa Jak Wietzke

    Lisa Jak Wietzke

    The skateboarder movie genre, with classic titles like Thrashin’ (1986) and Gleaming the Cube (1989), has tended to dismiss female roles as “the love interest” or just a sidekick or non-existent. This changed in 1990 with the release of a little-known student-made movie called Grinding to Win. It is set in West Vancouver, written and…