Girls Skateboarding 2016 - A Year in Review.
2016 saw a steady upward trajectory in women's skateboarding. From the announcement that skateboarding will be included in the 2020 Olympic Games, to Transworld Magazine's first issue with a female skater on it's cover - and pages and pages of female skate coverage inside, to the just released all girls skate film
Quit Your Day Job
, it's been a damn good year for visibility in women's skateboarding.
To see exactly what we mean, take a look at just a few of the articles and posts we have featured this past year. Our goal is always to post at least five times per week about girls in action sports, and this year there were many times when we were posting two to three times a day just to keep up with the news out there.
But this doesn't mean that we can sit back and coast in 2017.
We need to make sure there are more contests for girls, that prize money grows for women, visibility increases, and that pro female skaters secure top sponsorship deals so they can make their living from the sport they love. Here's to making all that and more happen in the coming year!
Happy New Year and keep shredding hard!
Pro skateboarder Julz Lynn leaves Silly Girl to launch her own company, Julz Skateboards and launches a website with new boards, tees and more
Alana Smith, Natalie Krishna Das, and Jean Rusen make a guest appearance at KTR in Arizona
Vans Girls Combi is the most fun event ever, partly due to the fact that a squad of Brazilian girls fly in to compete and make everything FUN.
Australian skateboarder Poppy Starr Olsen, turns pro and wins Vans Girls Combi
Leticia Bufoni wins Transworlds Readers Choice Award!
Pro skater Amelia Brodka stars in fashion designer Christian Siraiano’s new film and kills it skating in a beautiful dress.
The new Vans shoe campaign launches and features Lizzie Aramanto
Poppy Starr Olsen joins the Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team
11 year old skateboarder Brighton Zeuner announces she is turning pro.
Pro surfer (and mom!) Bethany Hamilton surfs a 40 ft wave at Jaws and the footage is EPIC.
Downhill skater Tara Tate shares with us what it was like cheating death when she was hit by a truck while riding down a mountain road.
Season 7 of Camp Woodward is now LIVE and stars Brighton Zeuner and her brother Jack, as well as Zepp Hayes, and Damonte Tillman.
The Australian Bowl Riding Championships had more girls skating than ever. 1st place went to Poppy Starr Olsen, 2nd to Jordyn Barratt, and 3rd to Sari Simpson.
Lizzie and Poppy both competed with the men as well in the ABC competition – Lizzie took 15th and Poppy 16th - well respected placings out of 32 skaters.
Brazilian street skater Leticia Bufoni stars in the music video “Snapback” by Old Dominion
16-year-old Brazilian street skater Pamela Rosa, wins Gold in Oslo X-Games, Lacey Baker takes Silver and Vanessa Torres brings home the Bronze.
Bowl-a-Rama in Australia had a jam session for the girls and they skated to a sold out crowd.
Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word adds soul skater and artist, Elise Crigar as an ambassador to the team.
Poppy Starr Olsen has her art work shown in the Love & Guts art show and it sells out instantly!
Longboarder Ella Howlett releases a stunning film of her skating in an abandoned building.
Minna Stess & Bryce Wettstein star in Disney’s “Be a Champion” commercials which air everywhere!
GIRLS WHO RIDE Magazine keeps up the push for women in action sports with another jam packed issue filled with surfers, skateboarders, wakeboarders, snowboarders and more!
15 year old snowboarder Chloe Kim makes history with a perfect score in half-pipe at the 2016 U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix in Park City, Utah. She also did a victory run with back to back 1080’s!
Badass downhill racer Emily Pross, graces the cover of SKATE SLATE Magazine.
Nora Vasconcellos stars in Sapphire Road’s “Runaway Child” music video
Pro skateboarder Allysha Le is on the cover of Coping Block Magazine this month
MARCH
Vert Attack X in Malmo, Sweden happens, and the results are 1st Lizzie Armanto , 2nd Brighton Zeuner, 3rd Nicole Hause
Pro skater Hunter Long releases a popular series of videos called “How to Skateboard” – this month she challenges girls to learn a “rock to fakie”
The Camp Woodward series, featuring Brighton Zeuner, is going strong on the web, and people are stoked to have a female skater as a lead in the popular series.
Leticia Bufoni is profiled in INKED magazine
Vans turns 50 this month!
GrindTV features our founder, Cindy Whitehead as one of “4 Women Who Inspire On International Women’s Day” Hannah Teter, Sally Fitzgibbons and Lindsey Vonn are include as well, and all are applauded for their work in giving back to women in sports.
Leticia Bufoni does some modeling for Canal Off
Skateboarder Poppy Starr Olsen and surfer Kyra Williams are featured on espnW in an article about She Plays We Win
Minna Stess is now a team rider for Santa Cruz Skateboards!
Lizzie Armanto and Poppy Starr Olsen compete in the Australian Open of Surfing’s skateboard contest – against the boys
The Venice Ladies Springtime Jam had tons of female skaters show up and D.J. Krza was spinning tunes all day – rad girls session!
Skate Slate continues its female skate coverage with a column called Ms. Monthly written by longboarder Cindy Zhou.
Big wave surfer Paige Alms releases an insane movie called THE WAVE I RIDE – which is a must see!
7 year old skating sensation Sky Brown and her little brother Ocean appear on The Steve Harvey show “Little Big Shots” where they rip it up and teach Steve to skate.
Female big wave surfer and total badass, Keala Kennelly, takes the win at the XXL Awards and kills it with her female empowerment speech.
NYLON Magazine features 5 female skate crews from Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Chicago, Phoenix, and The Bronx.
Our fav WCMX girls, Katherine Beattie and Jamey Perry, battle it out at the World Championships and Jamey Perry wins to become the new women’s WCMX champion.
We release our 4th board with Dusters California and the “It’s Not About Pretty” cruiser gives a portion of its proceeds back to 501c3 non-profit Exposure Skate
Vianez Morales and Sky Brown are featured on Teen Vogue’s website for photographer Christin Rose’s new photo project She Plays We Win.
The Pink Helmet Posse does a shoe collab for girls with Vans and releases a fun video to promote it.
Katherine Beattie becomes the FIRST woman to do a backflip in a wheel chair – Woodward West films it and it goes viral!
Surf site LIQUID SALT premieres a video on Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word and what our movement is all about.
Girls Skate LA has a session at The Berrics and tons of girls show up to skate
The Vans Pool Party Men’s Comp has a demo by Brighton Zeuner, Spencer Breaux and Jordyn Barratt
GIRLS LIFE Magazine does a 4 page feature on surf and skate style, with pro skater Jordyn Barratt.
Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word founder, Cindy Whitehead, as well as Ellen Berryman and Jen O’Brien are inducted into The Skateboarding Hall of Fame
The girls from Meow Skateboards are featured on Pop Sugar
Skate Like a Girl’s annual Wheels of Fortune Event in Seattle became an X-Games Qualifier and the wild card spots go to Savannah Headen, Jen Soto and Aori Nishimura.
Vogue Magazine decides to have “Skater Week “ on their website and team rider Minna Stess along with Sierra Prescott are featured for “Great Skater Hair”
The ESPY’S fail to nominate even one female skater for their annual awards, but 2 male skateboarders make the list. Something that needs to change in 2017!
Thanks to Heidi Lemon from Salt Rags Skateboards, “Go Skateboarding Day” at Venice Skatepark was celebrated with an all girls session and “Ghost Jam” in the park, and Arbor Girls had a “Push” clinic in the old park where girls could learn to skate.
A music video called WILD CHILD is released and it features skateboarders, Brighton Zeuner, Jordyn Barratt, Bryce Wettstein and Spencer Breaux.
THE SKATEBOARD MAG features Lizzie Armanto, Brighton Zeuner, Monica Torres, and Sabre Norris in their NEXT NEW WAVE section
The Red Hot Chili Peppers release the music video for their new hit song “Dark Necessities” and it features badass longboarders Amanda Powell, Amanda “Panda” Caloia, Carmen Sutra, and Noelle Mulligan.
Lizzie Armanto gets her own Protec Commercial
Girls start a Change.org petition to keep their beloved Sheldon Skatepark open
Iconic 80’s skate brand Vision Street Wear is now being sold at Forever 21 and loses some of its street cred.
X-Games Austin happens during off and on rain showers, and women’s park is included this year – podium is Kisa Nakamura Gold, Lizzie Armanto, Silver, and Jordyn Barratt, Bronze.
X-Games Women’s Street has Pamela Rosa take Gold, Mariah Duran wins Silver, and Lacey Baker brings home Bronze.
We hear about the first East African girls skate team. Megabi Skates and they are seriously rad.
Prior to the X-Games, 11 year old Brighton Zeuner is featured on espnW talking about what it’s going to be like competing as the youngest female athlete in X-Games history.
JULY
Van Park Series in Huntington Beach, throws out the “invite only” list and makes the comp open to any skater who submits a video and can compete with the level of competition that is happening. Girls from all over show up to tear it up.
Hanna Zanzi seemingly comes out of nowhere to win the Vans Park Series, Lizzie Armanto takes second and Jordyn Barratt nabs third.
Arbor Girls continues with their Arbor Girl skate sessions in Venice and lots of girls show up to skate or learn to skate.
Supergirl Pro puts on another all girls skate contest at its event in Oceanside, with Amelia Brodka at the helm. Kisa Nakamura takes first, Jordyn Barratt second, and Poppy Starr Olsen in third.
Pro surfer Coco Ho wins the Supergirl Pro surf event!
Reine Oliveira, Karen Jonz, and Rayssa Leal are all selected to carry the Olympic torch through Brazil (while skateboarding)
GRO Keeps going strong with its all girls skate sessions in NYC and Brooklyn – more and more girls join in
The Santa Cruz "Lady Lurkers" skate crew release a video on “soul skating”
Jordyn Barratt goes to Canada to help open, and do a demo at the new West Kelowna Skatepark
Poppy Starr Olsen appears on the “Sunday Night” show in Australia
Leticia Bufoni wins the “Queen of Swag” award at the Teen Choice Awards
Lizzie Armanto appears in a full page article in Teen Vogue
Woodward West releases a short video with footage of Leticia Bufoni ripping it up at the camp.
The Movement Foundation and photographer Christin Rose start giving grants to female athletes and Vianez Morales is the first skateboarder to receive one!
Downhill skater Candy Dungan has a new video for Seismic out that we played on repeat in our office the entire month
AUGUST
Our fav badass WCMX girls Jamey Perry and Katherine Beattie release a new video showing them ripping at Venice Skatepark.
The Vans Park Series has its World Championships in Malmo, Sweden and 12-year-old pro skateboarder Brighton Zeuner takes the win, with Jordyn Barratt in second and Kisa Nakamura in third!!
LA Girls Skate Sesh has a get together at The Skate House, and girls we’ve never met before show up to kill it.
Lizzie Armanto is on The Ride Channel’s FREE LUNCH video and spills all.
Poppy Starr Olsen appears in THAT’S LIFE Magazine
A documentary film about skater girls in Cuba is released - "Hermanas en Ruedes" shows these underground skater girls searching to find their path
The IOC votes to include both skateboarding and surfing into the 2020 Olympics!
Ethiopia gets it’s first skatepark ad the girls are ruling
SEPTEMBER
Mariah Duran goes pro for Meow Skateboards and they launch her new pro model “Whiskers”
Luxury fashion line, Hermes releases a video featuring female skateboarders.
"Quit Your Day Job" Video has its premiere in Los Angeles to rave reviews
LA Girls Skate Sessions are going strong with another get together at Westchester Skate Plaza
I.D. releases a short film by Ophelia Wynne that covers the growing female skate scene in Brighton.
Street League announces that eight female skaters have been selected to compete for $30,000 in its October event
BCK Magazine features some of the younger skater girls – Briel and Teagan, photographed by Julie Daniels
Vans takes out a full page ad in Teen Vogue featuring pro skater Lizzie Armanto
Bella and Relz from the Pink Helmet Posse are featured in a new min-documentary
World Champion Downhill skater, Emily Pross, is on the show “Life and Living” discussing how she scored a lucrative sponsor so she could compete and go to college.
“That One Day” a short film from fashion house Miu Miu launches and we get to meet the rad all girl skate crew, “The Skate Kitchen” from NYC
Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word welcomes street skater Emma Houle to the team
The new issue of Girls Who Ride Magazine is out and has a feature on “Soul Skaters” with Sierra Prescott and Elise Crigar
OCTOBER
Culture Trip does an article on skate style featuring the GRO NYC crew
Tasmania, AU gets its first ever skate comp just for the girls, “Queen of Concrete”
Japanese skater, 8-year-old Sky Brown, creates “Skating For Change” and volunteers her time at inner city programs to help girls learn to skate while visiting Los Angeles.
Twelve year old Pro skater Brighton Zeuner gets profiled in Rolling Stone Magazine
Pro skater Lizzie Armanto is featured on “While the Water Boils” a series that talks about passion.
Minna Stess competes with the boys at Tim Brauch Contest and takes 5th place
Transworld Skateboarding Magazine comes out with an issue filed with female skateboarders, and Lizzie Armanto grabs the cover!
Dickies features female skaters in its new ads and videos.
Street Skater Monica Torres skates in a new video and ad for Vibe Shoes
Longboard Girls Crew skaters Amanda Powell and Amanda Caloia star in a new commercial for Spike TV
Allysha Le, Savannah Headen, Sierra Prescott and more, are featured in the new Snapchat Spectacles video
The Women’s SLS Super Crown Champion for 2016 is… Lacey Baker!
NOVEMBER
V Magazine releases a video featuring the girls from GRO NYC Crew
Pro Skater Poppy Starr Olsen meets Queen Rania of Jordan
Kelly Slater’s new Wave Pool has a full on "girls only session" video
Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word announces it’s new Partnership with Flower Child Restaurant and selects Pro Bowl skater Jordyn Barratt and Pro downhill skater Amanda Caloia as the store ambassadors
Exposure Skate gets a well deserved feature on espnW
Minna Stess and Leticia Goncalves gain ATV status at Exposure Skate
Poppy Starr Olsen opens and closes the Faith Connexion fashion show during MADE at Sydney fashion week – on her skateboard
Pro skaters Jordyn Barratt and Hunter Long are featured in a video on The Ride Channel
The popular comic book character Street Angel created by artist Jim Rugg, appears in comics wearing GN4LW apparel while she fights the bad guys on her skateboard.
Poseiden Foundation throws its 8th annual Ladies Day at the Berrics and more girls than ever show up!
GRO NYC skaters are featured in a new campaign for Vans x Natalie Westling shot by Christin Rose.
Cindy Whitehead founder of Girl is Not a 4 Letter Word is featured on ATTN: along with 8 year old skateboarding phenom Sky Brown talking about gender equality
Female skaters weigh in on the election with skate video titled “Women Against Trump”
11 year old Sabre Norris makes surfing history by being the youngest surfer to earn a wildcard spot in a major AU surfing event.
Thrashers King of the Road has 3 female mystery guests – Nora Vasconcellos, Lacey Baker and Samarria Brevard
DECEMBER
Quit your day Job releases the first full length skateboard video in 12 years and their indiegogo supporters get to watch it first on vimeo!
Minna Stess gets a profile on Athleta girl
Leah Ho becomes the newest LA84 SAMbassador and the only female skateboarder!
GN4LW Crew gets some love from NBC TV!
Sabre Norris is on The Ellen Show and is an instant hit!
Bowl-a-Rama in Australia announces a women’s comp in February
Zoe Herishen Joins the Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team
Girls Skate India Releases The Girls Skate India Tour Video
Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word is the ONLY site dedicated to bringing you updates DAILY on girls skateboarding - we cover it all, and throw in some rad news from surfing and snowboarding as well. We'd like to thank you all for visiting us often and for making 2016 a great year!
Here's to making 2017 even BETTER!
To see exactly what we mean, take a look at just a few of the articles and posts we have featured this past year. Our goal is always to post at least five times per week about girls in action sports, and this year there were many times when we were posting two to three times a day just to keep up with the news out there.
But this doesn't mean that we can sit back and coast in 2017.
We need to make sure there are more contests for girls, that prize money grows for women, visibility increases, and that pro female skaters secure top sponsorship deals so they can make their living from the sport they love. Here's to making all that and more happen in the coming year!
Happy New Year and keep shredding hard!
JANUARY
Pro skateboarder Julz Lynn leaves Silly Girl to launch her own company, Julz Skateboards and launches a website with new boards, tees and more
Alana Smith, Natalie Krishna Das, and Jean Rusen make a guest appearance at KTR in Arizona
Vans Girls Combi is the most fun event ever, partly due to the fact that a squad of Brazilian girls fly in to compete and make everything FUN.
Australian skateboarder Poppy Starr Olsen, turns pro and wins Vans Girls Combi
Leticia Bufoni wins Transworlds Readers Choice Award!
Pro skater Amelia Brodka stars in fashion designer Christian Siraiano’s new film and kills it skating in a beautiful dress.
The new Vans shoe campaign launches and features Lizzie Aramanto
Poppy Starr Olsen joins the Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team
11 year old skateboarder Brighton Zeuner announces she is turning pro.
Pro surfer (and mom!) Bethany Hamilton surfs a 40 ft wave at Jaws and the footage is EPIC.
Downhill skater Tara Tate shares with us what it was like cheating death when she was hit by a truck while riding down a mountain road.
Season 7 of Camp Woodward is now LIVE and stars Brighton Zeuner and her brother Jack, as well as Zepp Hayes, and Damonte Tillman.
FEBRUARY
The Australian Bowl Riding Championships had more girls skating than ever. 1st place went to Poppy Starr Olsen, 2nd to Jordyn Barratt, and 3rd to Sari Simpson.
Lizzie and Poppy both competed with the men as well in the ABC competition – Lizzie took 15th and Poppy 16th - well respected placings out of 32 skaters.
Brazilian street skater Leticia Bufoni stars in the music video “Snapback” by Old Dominion
16-year-old Brazilian street skater Pamela Rosa, wins Gold in Oslo X-Games, Lacey Baker takes Silver and Vanessa Torres brings home the Bronze.
Bowl-a-Rama in Australia had a jam session for the girls and they skated to a sold out crowd.
Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word adds soul skater and artist, Elise Crigar as an ambassador to the team.
Poppy Starr Olsen has her art work shown in the Love & Guts art show and it sells out instantly!
Longboarder Ella Howlett releases a stunning film of her skating in an abandoned building.
Minna Stess & Bryce Wettstein star in Disney’s “Be a Champion” commercials which air everywhere!
GIRLS WHO RIDE Magazine keeps up the push for women in action sports with another jam packed issue filled with surfers, skateboarders, wakeboarders, snowboarders and more!
15 year old snowboarder Chloe Kim makes history with a perfect score in half-pipe at the 2016 U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix in Park City, Utah. She also did a victory run with back to back 1080’s!
Badass downhill racer Emily Pross, graces the cover of SKATE SLATE Magazine.
Nora Vasconcellos stars in Sapphire Road’s “Runaway Child” music video
Pro skateboarder Allysha Le is on the cover of Coping Block Magazine this month
MARCH
Vert Attack X in Malmo, Sweden happens, and the results are 1st Lizzie Armanto , 2nd Brighton Zeuner, 3rd Nicole Hause
Pro skater Hunter Long releases a popular series of videos called “How to Skateboard” – this month she challenges girls to learn a “rock to fakie”
The Camp Woodward series, featuring Brighton Zeuner, is going strong on the web, and people are stoked to have a female skater as a lead in the popular series.
Leticia Bufoni is profiled in INKED magazine
Vans turns 50 this month!
GrindTV features our founder, Cindy Whitehead as one of “4 Women Who Inspire On International Women’s Day” Hannah Teter, Sally Fitzgibbons and Lindsey Vonn are include as well, and all are applauded for their work in giving back to women in sports.
Leticia Bufoni does some modeling for Canal Off
Skateboarder Poppy Starr Olsen and surfer Kyra Williams are featured on espnW in an article about She Plays We Win
Minna Stess is now a team rider for Santa Cruz Skateboards!
Lizzie Armanto and Poppy Starr Olsen compete in the Australian Open of Surfing’s skateboard contest – against the boys
APRIL
The Venice Ladies Springtime Jam had tons of female skaters show up and D.J. Krza was spinning tunes all day – rad girls session!
Skate Slate continues its female skate coverage with a column called Ms. Monthly written by longboarder Cindy Zhou.
Big wave surfer Paige Alms releases an insane movie called THE WAVE I RIDE – which is a must see!
7 year old skating sensation Sky Brown and her little brother Ocean appear on The Steve Harvey show “Little Big Shots” where they rip it up and teach Steve to skate.
Female big wave surfer and total badass, Keala Kennelly, takes the win at the XXL Awards and kills it with her female empowerment speech.
NYLON Magazine features 5 female skate crews from Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Chicago, Phoenix, and The Bronx.
Our fav WCMX girls, Katherine Beattie and Jamey Perry, battle it out at the World Championships and Jamey Perry wins to become the new women’s WCMX champion.
We release our 4th board with Dusters California and the “It’s Not About Pretty” cruiser gives a portion of its proceeds back to 501c3 non-profit Exposure Skate
Vianez Morales and Sky Brown are featured on Teen Vogue’s website for photographer Christin Rose’s new photo project She Plays We Win.
The Pink Helmet Posse does a shoe collab for girls with Vans and releases a fun video to promote it.
Katherine Beattie becomes the FIRST woman to do a backflip in a wheel chair – Woodward West films it and it goes viral!
MAY
Surf site LIQUID SALT premieres a video on Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word and what our movement is all about.
Girls Skate LA has a session at The Berrics and tons of girls show up to skate
The Vans Pool Party Men’s Comp has a demo by Brighton Zeuner, Spencer Breaux and Jordyn Barratt
GIRLS LIFE Magazine does a 4 page feature on surf and skate style, with pro skater Jordyn Barratt.
Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word founder, Cindy Whitehead, as well as Ellen Berryman and Jen O’Brien are inducted into The Skateboarding Hall of Fame
The girls from Meow Skateboards are featured on Pop Sugar
Skate Like a Girl’s annual Wheels of Fortune Event in Seattle became an X-Games Qualifier and the wild card spots go to Savannah Headen, Jen Soto and Aori Nishimura.
JUNE
Vogue Magazine decides to have “Skater Week “ on their website and team rider Minna Stess along with Sierra Prescott are featured for “Great Skater Hair”
The ESPY’S fail to nominate even one female skater for their annual awards, but 2 male skateboarders make the list. Something that needs to change in 2017!
Thanks to Heidi Lemon from Salt Rags Skateboards, “Go Skateboarding Day” at Venice Skatepark was celebrated with an all girls session and “Ghost Jam” in the park, and Arbor Girls had a “Push” clinic in the old park where girls could learn to skate.
A music video called WILD CHILD is released and it features skateboarders, Brighton Zeuner, Jordyn Barratt, Bryce Wettstein and Spencer Breaux.
THE SKATEBOARD MAG features Lizzie Armanto, Brighton Zeuner, Monica Torres, and Sabre Norris in their NEXT NEW WAVE section
The Red Hot Chili Peppers release the music video for their new hit song “Dark Necessities” and it features badass longboarders Amanda Powell, Amanda “Panda” Caloia, Carmen Sutra, and Noelle Mulligan.
Lizzie Armanto gets her own Protec Commercial
Girls start a Change.org petition to keep their beloved Sheldon Skatepark open
Iconic 80’s skate brand Vision Street Wear is now being sold at Forever 21 and loses some of its street cred.
X-Games Austin happens during off and on rain showers, and women’s park is included this year – podium is Kisa Nakamura Gold, Lizzie Armanto, Silver, and Jordyn Barratt, Bronze.
X-Games Women’s Street has Pamela Rosa take Gold, Mariah Duran wins Silver, and Lacey Baker brings home Bronze.
We hear about the first East African girls skate team. Megabi Skates and they are seriously rad.
Prior to the X-Games, 11 year old Brighton Zeuner is featured on espnW talking about what it’s going to be like competing as the youngest female athlete in X-Games history.
JULY
Van Park Series in Huntington Beach, throws out the “invite only” list and makes the comp open to any skater who submits a video and can compete with the level of competition that is happening. Girls from all over show up to tear it up.
Hanna Zanzi seemingly comes out of nowhere to win the Vans Park Series, Lizzie Armanto takes second and Jordyn Barratt nabs third.
Arbor Girls continues with their Arbor Girl skate sessions in Venice and lots of girls show up to skate or learn to skate.
Supergirl Pro puts on another all girls skate contest at its event in Oceanside, with Amelia Brodka at the helm. Kisa Nakamura takes first, Jordyn Barratt second, and Poppy Starr Olsen in third.
Pro surfer Coco Ho wins the Supergirl Pro surf event!
Reine Oliveira, Karen Jonz, and Rayssa Leal are all selected to carry the Olympic torch through Brazil (while skateboarding)
GRO Keeps going strong with its all girls skate sessions in NYC and Brooklyn – more and more girls join in
The Santa Cruz "Lady Lurkers" skate crew release a video on “soul skating”
Jordyn Barratt goes to Canada to help open, and do a demo at the new West Kelowna Skatepark
Poppy Starr Olsen appears on the “Sunday Night” show in Australia
Leticia Bufoni wins the “Queen of Swag” award at the Teen Choice Awards
Lizzie Armanto appears in a full page article in Teen Vogue
Woodward West releases a short video with footage of Leticia Bufoni ripping it up at the camp.
The Movement Foundation and photographer Christin Rose start giving grants to female athletes and Vianez Morales is the first skateboarder to receive one!
Downhill skater Candy Dungan has a new video for Seismic out that we played on repeat in our office the entire month
AUGUST
Our fav badass WCMX girls Jamey Perry and Katherine Beattie release a new video showing them ripping at Venice Skatepark.
The Vans Park Series has its World Championships in Malmo, Sweden and 12-year-old pro skateboarder Brighton Zeuner takes the win, with Jordyn Barratt in second and Kisa Nakamura in third!!
LA Girls Skate Sesh has a get together at The Skate House, and girls we’ve never met before show up to kill it.
Lizzie Armanto is on The Ride Channel’s FREE LUNCH video and spills all.
Poppy Starr Olsen appears in THAT’S LIFE Magazine
A documentary film about skater girls in Cuba is released - "Hermanas en Ruedes" shows these underground skater girls searching to find their path
The IOC votes to include both skateboarding and surfing into the 2020 Olympics!
Ethiopia gets it’s first skatepark ad the girls are ruling
SEPTEMBER
Mariah Duran goes pro for Meow Skateboards and they launch her new pro model “Whiskers”
Luxury fashion line, Hermes releases a video featuring female skateboarders.
"Quit Your Day Job" Video has its premiere in Los Angeles to rave reviews
LA Girls Skate Sessions are going strong with another get together at Westchester Skate Plaza
I.D. releases a short film by Ophelia Wynne that covers the growing female skate scene in Brighton.
Street League announces that eight female skaters have been selected to compete for $30,000 in its October event
BCK Magazine features some of the younger skater girls – Briel and Teagan, photographed by Julie Daniels
Vans takes out a full page ad in Teen Vogue featuring pro skater Lizzie Armanto
Bella and Relz from the Pink Helmet Posse are featured in a new min-documentary
World Champion Downhill skater, Emily Pross, is on the show “Life and Living” discussing how she scored a lucrative sponsor so she could compete and go to college.
“That One Day” a short film from fashion house Miu Miu launches and we get to meet the rad all girl skate crew, “The Skate Kitchen” from NYC
Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word welcomes street skater Emma Houle to the team
The new issue of Girls Who Ride Magazine is out and has a feature on “Soul Skaters” with Sierra Prescott and Elise Crigar
OCTOBER
Culture Trip does an article on skate style featuring the GRO NYC crew
Tasmania, AU gets its first ever skate comp just for the girls, “Queen of Concrete”
Japanese skater, 8-year-old Sky Brown, creates “Skating For Change” and volunteers her time at inner city programs to help girls learn to skate while visiting Los Angeles.
Twelve year old Pro skater Brighton Zeuner gets profiled in Rolling Stone Magazine
Pro skater Lizzie Armanto is featured on “While the Water Boils” a series that talks about passion.
Minna Stess competes with the boys at Tim Brauch Contest and takes 5th place
Transworld Skateboarding Magazine comes out with an issue filed with female skateboarders, and Lizzie Armanto grabs the cover!
Dickies features female skaters in its new ads and videos.
Street Skater Monica Torres skates in a new video and ad for Vibe Shoes
Longboard Girls Crew skaters Amanda Powell and Amanda Caloia star in a new commercial for Spike TV
Allysha Le, Savannah Headen, Sierra Prescott and more, are featured in the new Snapchat Spectacles video
The Women’s SLS Super Crown Champion for 2016 is… Lacey Baker!
NOVEMBER
V Magazine releases a video featuring the girls from GRO NYC Crew
Pro Skater Poppy Starr Olsen meets Queen Rania of Jordan
Kelly Slater’s new Wave Pool has a full on "girls only session" video
Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word announces it’s new Partnership with Flower Child Restaurant and selects Pro Bowl skater Jordyn Barratt and Pro downhill skater Amanda Caloia as the store ambassadors
Exposure Skate gets a well deserved feature on espnW
Minna Stess and Leticia Goncalves gain ATV status at Exposure Skate
Poppy Starr Olsen opens and closes the Faith Connexion fashion show during MADE at Sydney fashion week – on her skateboard
Pro skaters Jordyn Barratt and Hunter Long are featured in a video on The Ride Channel
The popular comic book character Street Angel created by artist Jim Rugg, appears in comics wearing GN4LW apparel while she fights the bad guys on her skateboard.
Poseiden Foundation throws its 8th annual Ladies Day at the Berrics and more girls than ever show up!
GRO NYC skaters are featured in a new campaign for Vans x Natalie Westling shot by Christin Rose.
Cindy Whitehead founder of Girl is Not a 4 Letter Word is featured on ATTN: along with 8 year old skateboarding phenom Sky Brown talking about gender equality
Female skaters weigh in on the election with skate video titled “Women Against Trump”
11 year old Sabre Norris makes surfing history by being the youngest surfer to earn a wildcard spot in a major AU surfing event.
Thrashers King of the Road has 3 female mystery guests – Nora Vasconcellos, Lacey Baker and Samarria Brevard
DECEMBER
Quit your day Job releases the first full length skateboard video in 12 years and their indiegogo supporters get to watch it first on vimeo!
Minna Stess gets a profile on Athleta girl
Leah Ho becomes the newest LA84 SAMbassador and the only female skateboarder!
GN4LW Crew gets some love from NBC TV!
Sabre Norris is on The Ellen Show and is an instant hit!
Bowl-a-Rama in Australia announces a women’s comp in February
Zoe Herishen Joins the Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team
Girls Skate India Releases The Girls Skate India Tour Video
Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word is the ONLY site dedicated to bringing you updates DAILY on girls skateboarding - we cover it all, and throw in some rad news from surfing and snowboarding as well. We'd like to thank you all for visiting us often and for making 2016 a great year!
Here's to making 2017 even BETTER!
Happy New Year!