Leo Baker’s essay in Four Wheels and a Board

A new coffee table book about the history of skateboarding, the skaters, board graphics, and pivotal moments in skateboarding drops today.

Four Wheels and a Board, edited by Jane Rogers and Betsy Gordon, designed by Elise Crigar and Alex Barnes, and published by Smithsonian Books, chronicles skateboarding from its early surf roots to the recent 2020 Olympics.

Judi Oyama’s interview for Four Wheels and a Board

With essays and interviews from well know female and LGBTQ skaters throughout history, this is a book that every non-traditional skater should buy and read. Never before have these stories been told all in one place by the girls, women, and LGBTQ community that lived them.

At times the stories are very direct, and all are inspiring, coming from a marginalized group who forged their own way in a male-dominated industry. The essays and interviews are a factual look at the evolution of these non-traditional skateboarders. The book is filled with visual examples of these skaters’ history, and the layouts are stunning.

The cover of Four Wheels and a Board published by Smithsonian Books

You can order a copy of Four Wheels and a Board HERE

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.

Streaming on Netflix on August 11 - don’t miss it!