Image via Palace Gap

Have you seen the new PALACE GAP ads and video featuring our team rider Anna Shea? Shot in and around iconic spots in San Francisco, these visuals are not just stunning; they're a testament to the growing influence of skateboarding culture. The video, filled with vibrant adventures, makes you feel like you're on an epic skate trip with these young skaters, including Anna, who plays a significant role in this campaign.

Image via Palace Gap

 Anna makes her first appearance in this super cool video, which features many of your favorite legendary skaters: Elissa Steamer, Karl Watson, and Tommy Guerrero, and Palace skaters Kanin Garner, Jamal Smith, Heitor Da Silva, and Jahmir Brown.

We were honored when Gap came to us to help find the skater girl for this shoot. After quite a few remote auditions, Anna ended up getting the part, and we could not be happier for her. At just nine years old, she absolutely held her own throughout the two days of filming.

Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team riders Maya and Anna celebrating the PALACE GAP launch

When the PALACE GAP collection was unveiled, it was a moment of celebration and unity. Anna, along with her PALACE GAP mates, rolled out to the original Gap store on Market Street in San Francisco. The surprise arrival of her Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word teammate, Maya Kenny, added to the joy and camaraderie of the event, showcasing the strong bonds within the skateboarding community.

Image via Palace Gap

Now we have some other great news!

Moving forward this year, Gap has provided a financial grant to Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word to help us do what we love: support girls and women in skateboarding!

Look out for more of our support for indie projects and special events that give back to the skate community. 

First up is the annual Chica de Mayo all-girls skate event on May 18th in New Jersey; this event is put on by team rider sixteen-year-old Zoe Herishen, who has, for the past eight years, thrown a fantastic East Coast skate event to help teach and encourage girls to get out and skate together. We have sent some special Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word give-a-ways that will only be at this event, so you don't want to miss it!

Thanks to Gap for this fantastic opportunity and your belief in what we do! Stay tuned to see what we have planned next with Gap’s support!!

All images via Nike

Nike SB has partnered with Converse CONS team rider Alexis Sablone to design skateboarding federation kits for the United States and Japan, as well as a unique kit that represents everyone who rolls.

The collection also includes two limited-edition skateboarding footwear styles: a fresh take on Alexis’ signature Converse CONS AS-1 Pro and a complementary Nike SB Dunk Low.

Anything but uniform, the 2024 federation kits are the creative collision of skateboarding’s style, influence and inclusivity — fostering freedom of expression and personality to lead, on and off the board.

All images via Nike

“It never crossed my mind that I’d get to design federation kits. Then again, there was a point when I didn’t even think skate would be an Olympic sport,” says Alexis. “When I got the call to design the kits, I had a gut instinct that told me, ‘Of course. I’m a designer and a skater, and I competed in the Olympics. Why not? Who gets a chance to do that?’”

Merging classic workwear pieces, the collections reimagine traditional sportswear with skateboarding insights, allowing athletes to choose from a deep range of options and aesthetics to best represent their personal style.

Drawing on Alexis’ design acumen and decades ingrained in skateboarding culture, the collections feature three key pieces tied to the greater story of sport and skateboarding: a bowler shirt, Parisian-inspired chore coat and relaxed-fit denim pant.

“I knew I had to create enough of a range where there’s a style for everyone, whether that was something louder and more graphic-heavy or something more subtle and subdued but still with some character,” says Alexis.

The architect, multidisciplinary creator and former Olympian designed distinct crests for the USA and Japanese kits by combining the countries’ iconography, colors and skateboarding spirit with her signature postmodern style.

All images via Nike

The USA crest, for example, harks back to skateboarding’s genesis on the sun-soaked streets of California by celebrating the freeform experimentation and improvisation that continue shaping the sport’s culture today. Alexis juxtaposes timeless American symbols — a rose, an eagle, red and white stripes — with playful characters that evoke the synergy between skateboarding’s impulse-driven energy and its expressive, jazz-like flow.

“Sometimes when you begin a design, coming up with a narrative is helpful,” says Alexis. “For example, I thought about skateboarding’s roots in the United States. What’s that story? The crest is a simple way through graphic elements to express pride in a place.”

All images via Nike

Alexis also blends skateboarding and culture in another crest designed for athletes across the globe. The design features a pair of chameleons connected by a wavy illustration of Earth and centered with four unique species of orchids — one of the most diverse and unpredictable plants on the planet.

A balance of boundless originality and colorful diversity, the crest represents the transcendence of skateboarding and the creative connectivity that binds skateboarders around the world. Alexis chose the color-changing lizard, she says, “for the simple reason that skateboarders can look any number of ways.”

She incorporated similar themes throughout the footwear collection, manifesting chameleons and their vibrant, unpredictable color patterns in both footwear styles.

The Converse CONS AS-1 Pro and iconic Nike SB Dunk Low are bound by bumpy, reptilian textures and color-changing, wear-away leather, as well as chameleon camo liners. In a touch distinct to the federation collection, the Swoosh on the Dunk Low is also fashioned to resemble a chameleon’s characteristic curving tongue.

The Nike SB 2024 federation kits and apparel collection will be available July 18 at select skate shops. The Converse CONS AS-1 Pro and Nike SB Dunk Low will be sold in an exclusive twin pack featuring both silhouettes Aug ust 22. Both styles will also go on sale individually August 29 through SNKRS, on converse.com and in select skate shops.

Details about the Japanese skateboarding federation kit will be available in the coming months.

Photo Ian Logan x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word

Check out team rider Mazel Alegado on the cover of the May issue of Scholastic News Magazine that is in schools now! We don’t want to give it all away here , but there is a great two- page interview (and more photos inside) on Mazel’s skateboarding career, and her dreams of representing Team Philippines in the 2028 LA Olympics!. Congrats Mazel!!

You can read the full article at SCHOLASTIC NEWS for free!

A big thank you to Ian Logan for taking photos of our team riders at events (like this one at Exposure Skate) and skate sessions!

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

THESE SKATE ARCHIVES HAVE BEEN STOLEN.

I had all my Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word prototype cruisers and longboards stolen from my storage. There are more designs than pictured here, as we did numerous collaborations with Dusters California through the years.

None of these boards have been ridden - they are pristine. Some are still in their poly bags.

Also, stolen 8 Pom Pom x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word decks - photo here as well.

If you come across any Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word Boards for sale in chats, online, or anywhere that seems suspicious, please, I implore you, contact me. These boards are not just products, they are the very essence of GN4LW, a unique and irreplaceable part of our history.

Also stolen are signed boards by everyone who attended Eddie Elguera's events in the 1970s and 1980s—keep a look out for those, too.

I am sincerely hoping we can get these back.

6 Women will move on to the Final to battle it out for the trophy at the SLS first-ever Championship Tour stop in San Diego!

Women’s Group 01: Gabriela Mazetto, Paige Heyn, Liz Akama, Funa Nakayama, Raysssa Leal

Women’s Group 02: Wenhui “Zoe” Zeng, Aoi Uemura, Yumeka Oda, Momiji Nishiya, Chloe Covell

Stay tuned for the finals and a recap of everything that went down!!

Chloe Covell has been on a roll this year! Watch this just released video of how Chloe won SLS Paris.

Klara, Brooke, Evette, Anna, Briel, Quinne and Cindy

We were asked again this year by “Boards Across Hermosa” to be part of the 28th Annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade here in Hermosa Beach, and we couldn’t say no! We rounded up some of our team riders (Klara Kermoade, Anna Shea, Evette Halitzka, Briel Weingartner, Brooke Benson, and Quinne Daniels) and made a fun day of it!

The crowd loved seeing the girls skate, and every time someone would yell, “Do a kick-flip,” one of the girls would throw one down to the cheers of the bystanders! These girls are always out there showing that Girls Skate Too! Love that.

Photos ~ Ian Logan x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word

Team riders, Anna, Klara, Quinne, Evette, Briel and Brooke joined Cindy in skating the entire parade route!

Thanks to the Hermosa Chamber of Commerce, the City of Hermosa Beach and Boards Across America for this fun opportunity!

With a fresh change of scenery and spots for days, Rayssa Leal and friends break in her new Dunk in Los Angeles.

Featuring Rayssa Leal, Filipe Mota, Keet Oldenbeuving, Gabryel Aguilar, Leonardo Adrian, and Felipe Gustavo. Filmed and edited by Eric Iwakura.

The SB Dunk Low by Rayssa Leal is available March 19 in select skate shops and March 20 in SNKRS.

So much talent and all the women pushing hard for that podium finish in women’s street. Watch until the end - because things take a huge twist!

Watch the eight women who made the Women’s Park Finals in Dubai - this event was something to see!

We are not going to give you the podium info - you’ll have to watch and see for yourself!!

Image Via World Skate

We were up at 3:30 AM PT today to watch the women’s semi-finals and these ladies did not disappoint. Some seriously rad skating went down. We can only imagine what they will bring for tomorrows finals!

Sunday, March 3rd Women’s Park Finals Finals

9AM ET / 6AM PT

You can watch it all go down on World Skate TV, Olympic Channel, Red Bull TV

Image via World Skate

Image via World Skate

Three American women made it through to the semi -finals - veteran skaters, Minna Stess, Jordyn Barratt and Bryce Wettstein. Japan is pushing hard, Spain is in the mix as well, France and Brazil have one skater each, Australia has Ruby Trew, Arisa Trew and and Coco Crafter, and Lola Tambling makes up the lone spot for GB (since Sky Brown is not competing due to pursuing her qualification in Puerto Rico for surfing in the Olympics) - this is a semi-final that we have not seen in the past! I know that we will be on the edge of our seats for this one!

Women’s Park Semi-Finals:

Saturday, MARCH 2nd

6:20AM ET

3:20AM PT - you’ll be getting up early for this one!!

You can watch it all go down on World Skate TV, Olympic Channel, Red Bull TV

Image via World Skate

That Women’s Open was intense - so many skaters throwing down great runs (we were able to see parts of it via parents live streams on Instagram and some replays from World Skate) But the filed had to be narrowed down and this is how it went.

Quarter Finals happen Friday in Dubai (which is Thursday evening in the USA) - and again this section of the comp is NOT on a live stream (ARGH!).

The women below who made the top 29 in the Open Qualifiers will join pre-seeds: Minna Stess (USA), Hinano Kusaki (JPN), Kokona Hiraki (JPN)

It should be a great comp and we will be updating who makes it to the semi-finals and how to watch that event LIVE, tomorrow!

The top 29 advanced to the quarter-finals

1. Yosozumi Sakura (JPN) - 82.00

2. Ruby Lilley (USA) - 77.50

3. Hasegawa Mizuho (JPN) - 76.65

4. Isadora Pacheco (BRA) - 74.13

5. Arisa Trew (AUS) - 74.00

6. Naia Laso (ESP) - 73.75

7. Bryce Wettstein (USA) - 73.33

8. Li Yujuan (CHN) - 72.26

9. Aaliyah Wilson (AUS) - 70.00

10. Ruby Trew (AUS) - 69.00

11. Kaihara Asahi (JPN) - 67.25

12. Lilly Strachan (GBR) - 67.00

13. Jordyn Barratt (USA) - 66.90

14. Lola Tambling (GBR) - 66.85

15. Nakamura Kisa (JPN) - 66.80

16. Julia Benedetti (ESP) - 66.60

17. Sugawara Mei (JPN) - 66.46

18. Emilie Alexandre (FRA) - 66.32

19. Fernanda Tonissi (BRA) - 66.07

20. Madeleine Larcheron (FRA) - 65.80

21. Lillian Erickson (USA) - 65.60

22. Lilly Stoephasius (GER) - 65.55

23. Grace Marhoefer (USA) - 65.50

24. Heili Sirvio (FIN) - 65.40

25. Coco Crafter (AUS) - 65.10

26. Lin Yi-fan (TPE) - 58.63

27. Poppy Starr (AUS) - 56.00

28. Helena Laurino (BRA) - 49.00

29. Cona Suganami (USA) - 46.47

Filmed in 2023 this is Francesca Shuda with her first full part dedicated to Street Skating in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas.

This part also welcomes Francesca Shuda to the Kinetic Skateboarding Team.

From Kinetic Skateboarding: "We had the opportunity to have Francesca become a part of Kinetic's shop team, even though it feels like she had always been a part of the crew! This girl has put in time, work and effort since showing up a couple of years ago at a Wilmington Skate Birds meetup. Since then she's gone on to be sponsored by Meow Skateboards and 187 Killer Pads. Aside from her just ripping it up whether in the park, streets or comps, she also is just a very kind and sweet person, and is always a friendly face at the park from Philly to Delaware and everywhere in between. As much as she wants to succeed, she wants others to succeed right alongside with her. Congratulations Francesca!! You deserve it."

Filmed & Edited by Jimmy Shuda. Animation by Calista Tussey. Thumbnail photo by Justin Mondschein.

Image via World Skate SB

Welcome to Dubai!

The upcoming Park Pro Tour Stop will be from February 25th to March. 3rd. Right after that will be the Street Pro Tour Stop from March 3 through March 10th . Both of these competitions will take place at the brand new skatepark located in the area of Dubai Harbor.

Over 500 skateboarders are expected to be in Dubai to compete at this event and the pressure is on. This event determines who will move on to eventually qualify for the Paris Olympics this summer.

How to watch WST Dubai Park 2024 live on Olympics.com

Livestream coverage of WST Dubai Park 2024 will be available to watch worldwide on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and will begin with the semi-finals on Saturday 2 March and include the finals on Sunday 3 March.

Rankings and Schedule Info below via Olympics.com

The event will be the last chance for skaters to accrue points towards their Olympic World Skate Ranking (OWSR) before a cut is made - using those rankings - ahead of the second phase of qualification, the Olympic Qualifying Series (OQS).

The OQS is a two-part competition series taking place in Shanghai (16-19 May) and Budapest (20-23 June) and will be the settings to determine the final fields for Paris 2024.

The 44 highest-placed eligible athletes per gender in the OWSR after Dubai will be invited to the OQS respecting the following principles:

• No more than six athletes per country per gender per event (respecting the order of the OWSR)

• At least one highest-placed athlete from each continent for the representation of all continents

• At least one highest-placed athlete who is a national of the Olympic Games 2024 host country France

• At least one highest-placed eligible athlete who is a national of the OQS host country, (People’s Republic of China and Hungary)

• At least one Universality places eligible athletes

The stakes, therefore, going into Dubai are high with spots in the next stage of qualification on the line.

USA’s Minna Stess is pre-seeded and ranked #1 in the USA - Image via World Skate SB

WOMEN’S - PRE-SEEDED SKATERS:

The top five seeded skaters in the OWSR will skip the qualifiers and join the contest in the quarter-final phase.

1. Hiraki Cocona (JPN)

2. Kusaki Hinano (JPN)

3. Sky Brown (GBR) - not competing

4. Raicca Ventura (BRA)

5. Minna Stess (USA)

WOMEN’S SCHEDULE

Sunday 25 February

• Women’s practice

Monday 26 February

• Women’s practice

Tuesday 27 February

• Women’s practice

• Pre-seeded women’s practice

Wednesday 28th February

• Women’s Open QualifierPre-seeded women’s practice

Thursday 29th February

• Pre-seeded women’s practice

Friday 1 March

• Women’s Quarter-final practices

• Women’s Quarter-final

Saturday 2 March

• Women’s Semi-final practices

• Women’s Semi-final - LIVE!!!

Sunday 3 March

• Women’s Final practice

• Women’s Final. - LIVE!!!

Anna with her new quiver of Welcome Skateboards

We are excited to share the news with you that Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team rider Anna Shea is now on flow for Welcome Skateboards!

Photo of Anna ~ Sev Boosinger

Nine year old Anna Shea has been tearing up the Nor Cal (and So Cal) scene for a couple years now and at Santa Cruz’s 50th Anniversary party she caught the eye of Welcome Pro and skateboarding icon, Nora Vasconcellos, who kept her eye on Anna in the months to follow and eventually brought her onto Welcome Flow.

Anna loves to skate everything from a great skatepark to an extreme DIY spot, which makes her a versatile skater and fun to watch!

Big Congrats Anna!!

Grab the March issue of Thrasher while you can - Elissa Steamer (aka The Goat of women’s street skating) is on the cover. You don’t want to miss this!

Most people in skateboarding are aware of this collab deck, but hearing Chloe talk about it on the Jimmy Fallon Show was the best! The “Chloe” board was designed by Jason Dill, who started the skateboard brand F---ing Awesome.

"They do these boards where they put all the pro skaters' school photos on them and he saw my high school portrait and he was like, 'Oh my God it's amazing, can we put it on a skateboard?' I was like, 'I'm not a pro skater but I'm pro skaters, so yes,' " laughed Sevigny, adding that she gave her "blessing" for her photo to be used.

This board sold out in minutes - so good luck getting your hands on one - your best bet is Ebay.!

We are BIG fans of TOGETHXR and they have just released a rad video on one of our favorite street skaters, Chloe Covell.

Chloe Covell just gets better with age. The 13 year old made X Games history as the youngest women’s street gold medalist earlier this year. Prior to that, she became the youngest skater with two podium finishes in competition history. Now she looks ahead to represent her country of Australia at the Paris Olympics and continue her impressive run. Already with sponsors from Nike SB and Oakley, TOGETHXR caught up with one of the hottest street skater in the world.

A "relationship" that began in 2019 and has always been filled with growth and unique moments is now summarized in the most coveted video part.

Filmed and edited by Ivan Vicente, this video part of Rafaela is a moment of dedication and mutual respect... In the end, it is said that they only celebrate relationships.