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Check out our video recap from our March event at the RVCA Space!
Our collab shirt with Lowcard is still available in our online store. Drawn by Sydney Tomer
Thank you again to our sponsors, KCDC, RVCA, Nike SB, Budweiser, Babe Rosé
Video by Kyra Isabella Chen
Edit by Adrian Koenigsberg
Homage has been hosting at least 1 girls session a month! They have been so rad and truly a place for learning! Every one we attend, each skater mentions landing something new - so rad! Keep it up Homage!
Check out pictures from the evening below -
Photos by Shelly Simon
Photos by Dennis Williford
Presented by: KCDC Skateshop & Nike SB
We’ve been wanting to throw a girls beginner clinic with KCDC for a while. We got to host our clinic around International Womxn’s day alongside Nike SB’s international celebration– once again perfect timing with KCDC
The turnout was incredible with folx from age 4–50! We had a chance to huddle before the session to learn each other’s names and goals for the day. We were so inspired by how many people came to step on a board for the very first time!
We geared up and spread out around the space to conquer fears, learn some new skills and make new friends.
We had some really amazing volunteers - some of the girls from Late Skate came out. And some folx from Queer Skateboarding NYC too! May, pictured below, brought some fun dance vibes into her teaching style. Even the busiest person we know, Amy Ellington, got a chance to teach some pumping on the ramp!
Some of our favorite moments were made on the ramp – built by Pat Smith and the CODA Skateboards crew.
But don’t worry, we got some flatground in too!
At the end - everyone was all smiles. We took some time to applaud everyone’s efforts and victories before digging into Screamer’s Pizza (which we don’t have photos of because we dig into the pizza so quickly!)
Check out more photos below - All photos taken by Nate Hutsenpiller
Vista, Calif. (March 19, 2019) — Together with Toyota and Nike, USA Skateboarding - the U.S. governing body for skateboarding - announced 16 members would join the first-ever skateboarding national team. Men’s and Women’s Skateboard Park and Street events will make their Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games. The 16 skaters named to the national team qualified based on performance in international level events during the year before their selection. In June of 2018, USA Skateboarding became the 50th National Governing Body (NGB) recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and responsible for the selection, training, and fielding of U.S. national teams that compete in the Olympic Games, Pan American Games, and other sanctioned team events.
Front Row (l to r): Wettstein, Zeuner, Baker, Sablone, Soto, Duran, Barratt, Hause
Second Row (l to r): Joslin, Lopez, Huston, Eaton, Wright, Sorgente, Schaar, Rennie
“We couldn’t be more excited to finally take the wraps off the first-ever USA Skateboarding National Team,” said Josh Friedberg, CEO of USA Skateboarding. “We’re honored to have partners like Toyota and Nike that understand the intrinsic value of the sport we love and appreciate all they’ve done to get USA Skateboarding up and running. It’s a historic moment in the history of skateboarding, and we’re looking forward to doing all we can to support these amazing skateboarders on their Road to Tokyo.”
Skateboarders will have the opportunity to qualify for the Olympics based on their three best results in World Skate sanctioned events during the 2019 qualifying season (now through September 15, 2019) combined with their six best results during the 2020 qualifying season (September 16, 2019 – May 31, 2020). The 2020 World Championships will also be a direct qualifier for the games for the top 3 podium spots at each event.
“Toyota is proud to be involved with this historic moment as a proud sponsor of USA Skateboarding and the first-ever National Team announcement,” said Dedra DeLilli, group manager, Olympic and Paralympic Marketing, Toyota Motor North America. “This event marks the official start of a great journey for these incredible skateboarders. We are dedicated to helping the inaugural USA Skateboarding National Team, and look forward to the road ahead with them.”
The skaters named to the 2019 USA Skateboarding National Team include:
Women’s Park:
Brighton Zeuner (Encinitas, CA), Bryce Wettstein (Encinitas, CA), Jordyn Barratt (Haleiwa, HI), Nicole Hause (Stillwater, MN)
Women’s Street:
Lacey Baker (Covina, CA), Mariah Duran (Albuquerque, NM), Jenn Soto (Jersey City, NJ), Alexis Sablone (Old Saybrook, CT)
Men’s Street:
Nyjah Huston (Laguna Beach, CA), Chris Joslin (Hawaiian Gardens, CA), Jagger Eaton (Mesa, AZ), Louie Lopez (Hawthorne, CA)
Men’s Park:
Alex Sorgente (Lake Worth, FL), Tom Schaar (Malibu, CA), Tristan Rennie (Rialto, CA), Zion Wright (Jupiter, FL)
For more information on events, qualifying and athletes log on to www.usaskateboarding.net or follow on social media to stay in the loop for all announcements.
We noticed Lowcard promoting girls sessions at their ramp, and they’ve been giving us some support on our events so we figured we’d celebrate the mutual support for women’s skating with a fun t-shirt collaboration. We had our friend Sydney Tomer draw a beautiful illustration for the back of the shirt.
As we finalized plans, we got to thinking, what’s the point of a t-shirt if you can’t throw a party to celebrate its existence?
Photo by Boyz Bieber
With near perfect timing, KCDC and RVCA secured a space for exactly the purpose of partying and skateboarding. Thanks to Pat Smith and CODA Skateboards, we had a wavy blue ramp to skate as well.
Photo by Jacob Pritchard
Photo by Los Estrada
We started the night off with some bevs provided by Budweiser, BABE and Healthade Kombucha, then we got to skating.
While we started off letting dudes skate the ramp too, we quickly realized (with the help of some girls bringing it to our attention) that not every girl felt down to skate with the dudes. So we quickly ushered the dudes off the ramp and for about an hour got to see what it felt like to be the ones skating while the dudes watched, and I gotta say, it was pretty cool.
Photo by Nate Hutsenpiller
The vibe on the ramp immediately changed. It was the first time I realized how different girls and guys can be within the skate scene. The mood went from chaotic and aggressive to thoughtful and supportive. While guys were dropping in on each other, 2 or 3 at a time, when they first cleared the ramp, the girls didn’t want to be the first one, each person offering the other the first drop in. All levels of skating got support and hype because everyone was just generally stoked to be skating. This was a true place for support, no one was there to show off, just to have fun, and you could feel it.
Photo by Nate Hutsenpiller
When we invited the dudes back on the ramp, it went back to being chaotic, but something changed… some of the dudes started holding other dudes back to give the girls a chance to skate. They were cheering for more than just the ‘best tricks’ but also for girls who were putting the work in.
Photo by Jacob Pritchard
I actually had a guy come up to me saying “I’m glad you kicked us off the ramp, I can skate any time I want, but some of these girls can’t, it’s about time the dudes watch for once. And I honestly think a lot of guys here didn’t even know this many girls skated”
It was truly inspiring getting to see all of the girls who showed up and skated the ramp and raised each other up!
Thank you again KCDC & RVCA for providing the space, and Lowcard & Sydney for giving us a reason to party!
Check more photos from the event below - and check out the shirt in our online store while we still have them.
It was the coldest day of the year so far, but around 7pm at a brisk and snowy 8-ish degrees, the girls started to file into Homage ready to shred.
If you haven’t heard of Homage, it’s officially a Skateboarding Academy by day, and when we are lucky enough, like we were on Wednesday night, they open up their space for anyone to skate for a small admission fee.
Johnna, who works at Homage, saw the need for a women’s skate night and made it happen! She and John (pictured below) welcomed skaters of all levels came to skate the 3 ramps, and a few other skate obstacles. (She also very kindly cleaned my wound, and put a bandaid on my hand when I cut myself later that night - thanks again Johnna!)
John Reeves & Johnna Artis
It was refreshing to see such a strong turn out of all levels and all rad energy.
Some girls even came to skate quads!
If you missed this session, we’re happy to announce that there will be more Women’s sessions at Homage with the next one being Friday February 22 7pm - 10pm.
Check out our gallery below.
All Photos by Dennis Williford @ Chum Media
Is the description on the Instagram page for NYC Skate Project aka NYCSP. These words meant a lot to me as I’ve been trying to find the right way to communicate that while Quell is focused on women, run by two cis women, we intend to create a space where all non cis males can not only be welcomed, but *celebrated*
When we learned that NYCSP was holding an event - we couldn’t wait to see what was in store, and our expectations were certainly exceeded.
Lacey Baker, with the assistance of Kristin Ebeling of Skate Like a Girl and Skate Witches and Brian Anderson (yes, the Brian Anderson), successfully created exactly as the Instagram described. Everything was thought through and intentional.
“NYCSP was born out of my need for community and connection. I wanted to create a space in NYC intentionally for queer folks and women to feel welcomed, to be fully self expressed, and to learn how to skate. The intimidation and hyper masculinity at skateparks is generally overwhelming; it’s refreshing to be in a space where that’s a non-issue.” - Lacey Baker
When we arrived at Skate Brooklyn we were greeted at the door by well loved local skaters Jessyka Bailey and Marissa Rosewood who welcomed everyone and checked them in for the event. There were gender pronoun pins and a sign that stated,
Once again I was met with the perfect phrasing to an idea I’ve been trying to explain - with Quell, we aren’t looking to exclude men, we just want more space for non cis men in skateboarding media and at the skate park.
In the first room to the left was an art display by Jeffrey Cheung of Unity Press . In the next room was a row of perfectly lined up Meow Skateboards with Lacey’s signature MOB Grip and Spitfire Wheels and all the necessary safety gear from Triple 8 pads.
The fun really began when the first wave of people arrived for instructor training. Here we introduced ourselves and took the time to learn how to facilitate learning. So we could offer a helping hand in the upcoming clinics.
It was time to put all of the knowledge shared in the room to the test during three, one hour clinics. We saw people of all genders and sexual orientations, all under one roof for the same goal, to have fun, learn, and probably fall a lot. People who have never stepped on a board came, others came with various levels of experience.
We saw quite a few first drop ins, as well as new tricks for the more advanced skaters. Regardless of tricks, everyone left feeling accomplished, supported, and stoked. After the clinics - we wrapped up with lots of hugs and reflection.
Then, it was PARTY TIME (is it even really a party if Stevie May isn’t doing handstands?)
Permanent Wave Played and so did Witch Slap. We rounded the night out with some raffles and of course, dancing.
Thank you Lacey, The NYC Skate Project, and Skate Brooklyn for having us - we can’t wait for the next one!
*All photos by Kyle Dunn
Groundbreaking state exchange showcases global culture and camaraderie of women’s skateboarding.
The first event of its kind, the Skate Exchange in Tokyo, Japan was an iconic and perspective shifting moment for women’s skateboarding worldwide. Over the course of five days, skaters from across the globe congregated in Tokyo, Japan to take part in the Skate Exchange. The experience organized by the Women’s Skateboarding Alliance in partnership with B-Global Agency and powered by JTB set out to unite skaters across the globe for a cultural exchange but also to show the world the true essence of skateboarding. Skaters came from all over; Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, the U.S and Japan, to together experience the city and this unique event - from exploring the streets of Harajuku and Tsukiji Fish Market to skating the Komazawa skatepark and Shibuya crossing.
During the main public event, at Murasaki skatepark on Saturday (December 1), over 1000 skaters and spectators were in attendance, including Olympic ice skaters, Maia and Alex Shibutani, and five of the biggest Japanese TV stations. It was said to be the biggest skate event of the year at the park. The atmosphere was buzzing, with skaters as young as two rolling along to be inspired and get involved. Before the best trick contest kicked off, 33 children and youth from local schools and charities took part in a clinic supported by Levis, with pros such as Jenn Soto, Mariah Duran and Lacey Baker getting hands on to help. Spectators enjoyed the laid-back contest which included local up and coming skaters throwing down tricks alongside seasoned pros. Japanese skater Nanaka Fujisawa took the top spot but all the skaters wowed the audience and enjoyed a relaxed, fun competition, with Alexis Sablone putting down the final crowd-pleasing trick with a kickflip down the gap. Many local skaters said it was the best week of their life and something which would change women’s skateboarding in Japan and the world forever.
The Skate Exchange has done Tokyo, but it’s only just the beginning as it looks to expand to new locations in the future bringing together more female skateboarders with the spirit of fun and friendship at the forefront of what the Skate Exchange and what skateboarding is all about.
Find out more and keep in touch at theskatexchange.com @theskatexchange
Check out the photos below!
Dec 15, 2018 we threw a party at El Cortez to celebrate the release of our third magazine!
Monte played an incredible set presented by Women That Rock. Thank you so much to our sponsors who made our raffle incredible: Trophy Griptape, Low Card Magazine, Arizone Skate, Housewife Skate, Element Womens, Loo Wax and Old Blue Last Beer for the drink specials.
Check out the photos below! And get a copy of Issue 003 online now.
Photos by Pedro Hernandez
As the weather gets colder and open sessions & girls skate days at House of Vans seem like a distant memory, we realized that it’s time to rally the girls and get to the indoor skate spots, as few and far between as they are. So that’s exactly what we did.
Since going to 2nd Nature skatepark around this time last year, I’ve dreamt about going back, this time, unafraid of dropping in! When we reached out to Doug and 2nd Nature he was immediately stoked about our idea.
Doug linked us with Ruthless Ruthie’s mom, Georgia who made sure to rally the Majestic Skate Crew and the rest of the girls. Paired with the Jersey Girls who came through via Grit & Grace and Sk8 Babes crew coming from Connecticut - we really had a dream team of girls come through to skate.
Just a fun session of skating would have been enough in terms of having a great time but we added in two contests - why not?
1. Fastest time around the bowl: First place taken by Jordan Pascale
2. Best Trick
First place taken by Nicole Hawkins with a Nollie Back Lip
Second place by Mathilda Kotsonis with a bil ol’ boneless over the stairs
Everyone was so impressed by the level of skill in the room, but no one was surprised, because we already knew how rad everyone who came was!
Big thanks to 2nd Nature, Trophy Griptape, Low Card Magazine, Arizone Skate, Housewife Skate, Ugly Drinks, Kitu Coffee, Luna Bar and Neu Kombucha who helped make it all possible!
So many girls came up to use throughout the day letting us know that they are so used to being the only girls at the skatepark. We’re stoked to help bring the female skate community together to show the next generation of shredders that girls skate too and remind them how rad they are!
Big BIG shout out to every girl who came out and showed up, regardless of skill level. Skateboarding is fun and skateboarding is for everyone!
Check the photo recap below
Photos by @losv4s @seanbradyphoto and @mooresophia
Write up by Kristen Scalise
For more, check out the video recap from Trophy Griptape here
Sunday November 18th, 2018 we hosted an All Girls Skate Jam at 2nd Nature.
Thanks to 2nd Nature for having us. We’ll be posting photos very soon.
Thank you Trophy for the video.
Filmed by Anthony Prather
Additional Film by Muhammad Floyd
The days were hot and the nights were chilly, I was having a hard time deciding if I over packed or under packed. Under the afternoon beaming sun, I knew I would want my jeans and jacket at sundown. My first trip to Cali in my lifetime and my mission to skate was cut short by my broken arm just two weeks ago. But I was intent on not letting that ruin the trip. I set out to understand and see the heights of skating, at the all female skate competition called Exposure with my skate crew of amazing friends under our group name, Late Skate.
The Late Skate Girls
As we entered the Encinitas skate park for the first day of competition, some of us quickly became star stuck as we saw our whole Instagram feed standing before us. There was Noravexplora getting a line in her classic lavender attire, skating passed tweakermom, breezeana hitting a steezy grind across the park, Samarriabrevard not too far off. Here everyone was, all female skaters, pro or not, gathered to push the limits under competition circumstances.
Some of the girls I was with attended a few years ago and were quickly greeted by the friends they made last time. It was like walking into your local bar where everyone knows your name. One of my Instagram favorites came right up to my friend and they reconnected. I was so nervous to meet her, intimidated by her talent, however my boundary of self doubt was shattered by her sincere friendliness. As I tried to remain cool I realized she’s just like me, down to skate and have fun. The guard of prestige didn't exist in a place like this. Everyone shared the love of skateboarding and here everyone was welcome.
We watched the early rounds of competition, even the youngest age groups were competing at an amazing skill level. As we took a break from the spectating, we traveled through the merch area where there were numerous booths of femme powered brands like autonomy skateboards, which had extremely desirable decks, clothing, and were passing out free stickers and whoopie cushions. There wasn’t an item for sale where I was frustrated by the graphics, namely in the vein of objectifying women or violent graphics. In fact most of the merch inspired me and all the booth owners were incredibly friendly and on the buzz of excitement that emanated through the park. There were several athletic and health conscious booths that were there to help treat us skateboarders as athletes; everything from coconut matcha water to cryotherapy stations from Bones Love Milk, to a more holistic incense tent that was blazing the Palo Santo.
It was like swimming in a pool of good energy, and new friends could be anyone you met eyes with.
Lizzie Armanto
As we came back for the second day of the event, we prioritized seeing the Vans pro bowl competition. As we turned into the entrance of the bowl, it was an open seating arrangement of skating’s highest caliber. Glancing around the pool as people were locating seats were every pro skater you could think of; Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, Bucky Lasek, Christian Hosoi, just to name a few, all there to support the best female skaters. Lizzie Armanto was warming up alongside Allysha Le, Nicole Hause, and Arianna Carmona amongst other notable competitors. It was an amazing moment to think what my purpose was there. Though I may not be a pro skater, I had a place at the pool. Me and my fellow girls of Late Skate are a part of the new generation of skateboarding, female skateboarding. Writing history by participating, growing, and pushing our limits in the male dominated sport.
We found space to camp out at the side of the bowl right in front of the red line that marked to not get closer as to not interfere with the skaters. I couldn’t help but wonder if the purpose of the red line was also to protect the audience from the front side airs, steep rock to fakies, and the occasional no comply where trucks raced by at speeds that could merit a painful blow to the face. It was honestly terrifying to see the skaters charging towards our direction at full speed in order to fly above the pool. I had never experienced such professional skating at such a close view. There is nothing that can compare to seeing it with your own eyes, not any instagram post, photo, or professional video, there really was energy radiating through the park.
Everyone was working on their signature runs during the practice round, bailing on the tougher stunts. I couldn't help but wonder if my startled reaction from them flying by my face was contributing to their bails. I had to retain composure as to not affect their run, or so it seemed. I was skeptical that they would complete a full run during the competition, seeing as it looked challenging for them; but when the pressure was on, so we're they; the mark of a professional.
During the competition, the women were in their own world. I could tell by their laser locked eyes, intent on focusing on the part of the bowl they were aiming for. Each of their four 40 second runs flew by as they cruised through the runs and had time to freestyle after they landed their planned tricks. My favorite was when Kody Tamanaha landed several slashes, one long crisp board slide, a frontside Smith grind revert out, to a shove onto the coping. This was another moment that expanded my knowledge of what was possible in a bowl.
It’s always an incredible moment to see someone so in the zone, it doesn't matter if you are watching or not. At one point, one if the contenders shot right in front of me to do a hand plant, it was as if everything froze in time only to resume, as I heard her exhale after letting go to drop back into the deep end.
As the final moments of the competition came to a close, winners were announced, I had an overwhelmed and satisfied feeling. I was not expecting to see everyone I look up to in skateboarding in two days, and none the less meet them, become friends with them, and be front row for a competition by my favorite skaters. Late Skate and I returned to the street portion of the park to sesh on the same ground as everyone who had completed that weekend. We were all so abuzz of inspiration. We left the park with a fervor, a sweet disposition to skate even better after seeing everyone compete at the event, with the newfound thought- that maybe next time that could be one of us.
Last month, we took advantage of the warm weather and rode over the Williamsburg Bridge to Rizzo’s for some pizza. Our incredible friends Jacob Pritchard and Shelly Simon took these kick ass photos of the occasion.
A while back we worked with Mango Visuals to create a short film on Quell.
Linda and Dan were so special and it was awesome to collaborate on such a fun project.
Special Thanks to: Becky Burt at Pink Pineapple Surf – Skate Sean Brady and Tracy Barton-Herishen at Jersey Shore GRO Shot and Edited by: Dan Natale and Linda Pluhar Producers: Adrian Koenigsburg, Linda Pluhar, and Dan Natale Girl Skate Session organized by: Pink Pineapple Surf Skaters: Victoria Clement Haily Durovich Jill Carlock Julia Coan Allie Frank Maya Volpacchio Seton Iglay Ella Condon Zoe Herishen Lily Brady Amelia Stanley Emily McEntee Kimberly Jachimek Abby Meberg Scarlett Scillia Cat McKiever Leah Alberto Audrey Iglay Belle Alvarado
It's so exciting to see people all across the world coming together through skateboarding. I especially love companies like Vans, who use their resources to balance the playing field for women in skateboarding. If you aren't aware- Vans recently announced an equal prize purse to men for the Combi Contest this March.
Additionally, they're planning 100 mobile skate clinics in major cities around the world to teach women how to skate. Many of those locations are listed on their site here
I wanted to share on our site the full clip Vans recently put out with Atita Verghese and Lizzie Armanto. It's an awesome little look into the developing skate community of India, and time and time again how great it is to see girls getting together for love the love skateboarding.
