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!
10-year-old Reese Nelson was born in Calgary, Alberta and has been skating since she was four. Reese is so excited to her experiences and showcase her unique abilities on the CGT stage. After backstage rolls her reel, Howie makes a call to brag about Reese’s audition to the best in the business…Tony Hawk!
We have to say how cool this couple is! pro skaters Lizzie Armanto and her husband Axel Cruysberghs star in Thrasher Magazine’s new video “Till Death Do Us” Part, and it’s the first time a husband and wife have had a video skate part together. How rad is that?!
We give it two thumbs up!!
We’ve been eagerly waiting for this video part from 10-year-old Reese Nelson to drop. Tony Hawk and Birdhouse have been dropping hints for a while now, but today it was finally released - along with the news that Reese is now a full-fledged member of the Birdhouse team Huge news when you just turned 10 a day ago! Congrats Reese!
BTW - if you haven’t seen this mini shredder skate, you are in for a treat!
Leticia Bufoni launched a new YouTube Channel yesterday called “Leticia Welcome To My Life,” and the first video to drop was an overview of Leticia’s jam-packed and fun-filled life. From skateboarding to parties to racing cars and more, it’s all looking pretty rad.
Could this be a promo channel “tester” to possibly get a reality show along the lines of Ryan Sheckler’s “Life of Ryan” that he had back in the day? Or will it be weekly YouTube drops like the Norris Nuts?
Sabre Norris and her family have amassed 6.1 million subscribers by turning their love for skating and surfing into a show that encompasses the entire family’s life - all without a traditional “TV” reality show. Leticia is already at 3k followers, and the channel just launched yesterday…
Stay tuned and subscribe to “Leticia Welcome To My Life” so you are in the know!
Team rider Minna Stess in the September Issue of Thrasher
September Issue of thrasher Magazine
The September issue of Thrasher is out on newsstands now, and the article “Roll of Their Own Tour” features Nicole Hause, Nora Vasconcellos, Marbie Miller, Fabiana Delfino, Suzie Heath, Samarria Brevard, Breana Geering, Poe Pinson, and Minna Stess.
** And don’t miss the cameo with Alex White!!
Pick up a copy now and support non-traditional skaters!
From Netflix, Pulse Films, a division of VICE Media Group, and Flower Films comes a raw and immersive feature film that follows competitive skateboarding icon Leo Baker in the lead up to the 2020 Olympics.
As he faces the sharpening stakes and intensifying disconnect between how the world sees him and who he knows himself to be, the pressure to keep on the course or be true to himself comes to a career and life-defining turning point.
Stay on Board is Leo's journey balancing the gendered world of sports, transition, society, and skate culture, which ultimately leads him to the punkest thing imaginable.
Watch this incredible movie on NETFLIX starting AUGUST 11th.
Monarch founders Sky Brown and Leticia Bufoni battle to be the first to flap a kickflip down the 7 for Chris Cole’s battle Royale at the Berrics. Watch to see how it all goes down!
Next up, watch this video with Leticia Bufoni, Sky Brown, Diego Najera, Blake Norris, Kieran Woolley, Chloe Covell, Dylan Clark, and Romel Torres repping Monarch in The Berrics.
Brittney Griner and GN4LW Founder, Cindy Whitehead at the espnW Summit
WNBA Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist, Brittney Griner is 6'9, with a size 17 shoe, and can dunk like nobody's business. She was the #1 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA draft, and she is a SKATEBOARDER. Yep, you heard that right.
We met Brittney in 2014 at the espnW Summit, and after talking, we gifted her one of the very first Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word x Dusters California cruisers that we came out with. She loved our message and the board. And we loved meeting another lifelong skater at the Summit.
Brittney at The Berrics in 2013
Brittney has been an avid skateboarder since she was a kid. She is such a fan that she got tongue-tied meeting Tony Hawk for the first time and had a skate session at the Berrics in 2013 with Erik Kosten. When she was signed to the WNBA they asked her to “tone down her skateboarding” for fear she’d get hurt bombing hills and parking garages. But Brittney sneaked in a skate session when she could - because that’s what skaters do.
Eric Kosten and Brittney in 2013 at The Berrics
Fast forward to today’s news…
We are pretty sure you’ve seen the news for the past six months about Brittney being detained in Russia while awaiting trial on charges after hashish oil was found in her bags at a Moscow airport. Today Griner was handed down a sentence of nine years in a Russian prison. The news was devastating. The White House and President Biden have been working on her release and have classified her as a “wrongfully detained US Citizen, held as a political pawn.”
We are praying that her release is swift and soon and that she is back to playing basketball and skateboarding those parking garages she loves.
You can read more in-depth coverage about Britteny Griner’s arrest, sentencing and to understand better what a “Russian Penal Colony” really is HERE
We have to say that Mariah Duran’s “Rapa Nui” part is inspirational and beautiful in every way. It launched on Thrasher yesterday, and all we can do is play it on repeat. Watch it and prepare to be inspired to get out and SKATE! This has to be our favorite part so far this year!
Lizzie Armanto BS Crail
An all-gender capsule by Lizzie Armanto built around Vans’ first signature skate shoe designed by a woman in 20 years.
This season, Vans delivers the latest update to its newest Skate silhouette, The Lizzie, supported by a head-to-toe all-gender apparel offering created in collaboration with Vans team rider and Olympic skateboarder Lizzie Armanto.
As a trailblazer in skateboarding, Lizzie’s first-ever signature skateboarding shoe by Vans was designed to provide something else entirely for skateboarders whose needs are not being met. The silhouette also represents Vans’ first signature skate shoe designed by a woman in 20 years. Now in its second season, The Lizzie is offered up in a new dirt earth tone, as well as a wide range of sizes that includes kids’, and is supported by Lizzie’s new head-to-toe apparel collection that brings together several staple pieces, providing a completely fresh take for a new generation of skateboarders.
“I believe skateboarding is for everyone,” Lizzie said, “which is why I’m excited to share the ‘Little Lizzie’, along with an all-new inclusive clothing collection.”
The Lizzie features hard-working design elements that are meant to cater to a broader range of skateboarders. The new vulcanized construction features a higher outsole cup and rounded edges for a stable, broken-in feel. The universal fit features the perfect amount of EcoCush™ cushioning, increasing boardfeel for a wider range of skaters while the 3D embossed DURACAP™ toe adds durability in high-wear areas. An all-new micro-waffle tread and Sick-Stick™ rubber offers maximum grip.
This season, Lizzie’s rose graphic design inspiration— debossed on The Lizzie heel counter and appearing throughout the collection— is a nod to the “thank you, have a nice day” reusable bodega bags that come with a friendly reminder to reuse and recycle.
Her signature shoe also received the Vans VR3 designation, meaning it follows strict footwear materials guidelines for all major components. Under the VR3 designation, The Lizzie will always be made in part with organic cotton, natural rubber, and biobased foam. The Lizzie also utilizes suede sourced from Leather Working Group (LWG) tanneries that have been rated gold or silver for environmental responsibility.
The apparel and accessories assortment has been designed in close partnership with Lizzie to create an all-gender offering that mixes her personal style with functional skate details. Her collection is a combination of everyday pieces like the Armanto overalls and tote, including a hand drawn rose graphic that appears across the line. The Armanto overalls feature a relaxed fit made from canvas fabric, with novelty strap detail, a front patch pocket, back metal hardware, logo embroideries and felt patch details. The Armanto long sleeve knit is the perfect everyday piece with timeless rib knit fabric.
A true embodiment of Vans’ DNA, Lizzie Armanto is an icon of originality and positivity. With her down-to-earth, fashion-forward, barrier-breaking approach, it’s no wonder Lizzie has become a role model to skateboarders around the world. Moving to Santa Monica at age 14, Lizzie quickly became a fixture at local skate park The Cove. While she spent every day refining her skateboarding skills, she never imagined it as a career for herself. It is perhaps this humble attitude along with her unrelenting drive that has paved the way for the iconic milestones she’s achieved today. From being the first female to complete Tony Hawk’s 360 Loop, to gracing the covers of TransWorld Skateboarding and Thrasher, and recently competing on the world stage at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Lizzie is setting the tone for a revolution the skateboarding world’s been waiting for.
Vans’ The Lizzie and the Lizzie Armanto collection are available now at Vans Skateboarding retailers and at Vans.com/TheLizzie.
Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story
We headed up to Hollywood last night to Outfest’s LGBTQ+ Film Festival to catch the premiere of STAY ON BOARD: THE LEO BAKER STORY. So many skateboarders and people involved in skateboarding came out to support Leo and see this beautiful film, We ran into Poppy Starr Olsen, Hannah Tallman, Nora Vasconcellos, Julie and Quinne Daniels, Brian Anderson, Lisa Whitaker of Meow Skateboards, Heidi Lemmon from the Skatepark Association, and many, many more.
The film follows pro street skater Leo Baker over a crucial four-year period of his life, but with the help of Leo’s mom, Donna Baker, who saved everything since the start of his skateboarding career, the story goes back much further.
As you may remember, Leo was originally part of the USA National Team headed for the 2020 Olympics but later quietly resigned and gave up his quest to skateboard in the Olympics for Team USA.
This film sheds light on why that decision played a huge part in Leo being true to himself and living an authentic life. Stay on Board chronicles Leo’s journey balancing the gendered world of sports, transition, society, and skate culture.
Q&A after the film with Directors Nicola Marsh, Giovanni Reda, Leo Baker, and editor Sasha Perry
Directed by Nicola Marsh and Giovanni Reda. The film is from executive producers Drew Barrymore, Alex Schmider (Director of Transgender Representation at GLAAD), Ember Truesdell, Marisa Clifford, and Thomas Benski. Edited by Sasha Perry, Lauren Saffa.