We are so stoked to see that one of our favorite Olympic skateboarders, Poppy Starr Olsen, has a book coming out and we can’t wait to read it. Poppy is as talented off her board as she is on. She’s done various projects with her artwork over the years (did you know that she used to draw for hours on the long flights from her home in Australia to California for comps?) but this is her very first book and we are so excited for her!

Here are the details on the new book which will have to tide you over until its release date 2 months from now - but pre-order now so you get a copy as soon as it’s released!

A funny and fresh novel for young readers from Australian Olympic skateboarder and creative soul Poppy Starr Olsen. written with Jess Black, author of the bestselling Kaboom Kid series.

My name is Poppy Starr Olsen. I’m twelve. I’m a bit of a dreamer. Okay, a lot of
a dreamer. I love drawing and being creative. I also swim, surf and skate. And, well, this is my story . . .

You’ll meet my family. They’re really loud but I love them to bits. And you’ll meet my friends - they’re so cool.

There’s some drama in my story, too. Think: an awesome skate comp I’m not allowed to enter, but then I am and it’s going to be canceled! I have to figure out how to save the comp and work on my best tricks in the bowl and keep up with my school work and create my art. There’s so much to do! But it’s an epic adventure.

You can pre-order Poppy’s book in AU HERE and if you live in the USA HERE

Pro Tip: While you’re waiting for Poppy’s book to arrive, tune into the movie TALL POPPY, which is an awesome documentary about Poppy’s life as a pro skateboarder that follows her through her younger years, up until the Olympics. We give it a solid 10!

Lulu ~ Photo Mindy Johnson

When we read on Instagram that Lulu (@thejohnsonettes) was planning on doing 30 tricks in 30 days we sat up and took notice. As the days progressed, we could see that Lulu was pretty serious about this challenge that she gave herself and was constantly stepping it up. These weren’t just tricks she already knew how to do, she challenged herself to learn new tricks each day as well!

Lulu ~ Photos Mindy Johnson

We sat down last week with Lulu via zoom to ask how the idea came about, what she learned along the way, her advice for other skater girls, and more.

GN4LW: How old are you Lulu?

Lulu: I’m eight!

GN4LW; How long have you been skateboarding?

Lulu: A year and three months.

Lulu ~ Photo Mindy Johnson

GN4LW: What gave you the idea to do this challenge?

Lulu: We had a really long winter and my dad thought it might be a good idea to help me get my wiggles out. (Lulu lives in Minnesota)

GN4LW: Do you have indoor skateparks there?

Lulu: Yes, and 3rd Lair is my favorite! I like to go crazy in the bowl.

GN4LW: What is your favorite skatepark to skate in the summer?

Lulu: I like Shoreview Skatepark because it has transition skating.

GN4LW: What do you like best about skateboarding?

Lulu: I like that you can be free to do whatever you want and there are no rules!

GN4LW: (We couldn’t agree more!)

GN4LW: Out of the thirty tricks you did - do you have a favorite?

Lulu: Yes, my handplant. I was doing it at Shoreview on about a 4.5 ft quarter pipe

GN4LW: What do you think was the hardest trick for you to get down in those thirty days?

Lulu: I’d have to say my kick-flip flyout, it took me like three hours to get that trick

GN4LW: That’s what skateboarding teaches you right? To keep trying.

Lulu: Yeah!

Lulu ~ Photo Mindy Johnson

GN4LW: Was this a family affair because someone had to drive you, film you, etc?

Lulu: Yes, my mom filmed me, my sisters were the cheerleaders and my dad helped too.

GN4LW: Did you make a list of thirty tricks ahead of time and plan this out day to day?

Lulu: No, it was more like I’d get to the skatepark and depending on my mood I’d pick a trick to try.

GN4LW: Was it frustrating some days?

Lulu: Yeah… and then I’d switch what trick I was doing.

GN4LW: What have you been doing since the challenge ended?

Lulu: Well, yesterday I went to the skatepark and started doing a bunch of the 30 tricks in one run, including a new trick I just learned yesterday!

GN4LW: So, now you are linking tricks - which is great!

Lulu: I went from a FS 50-50 to a Smith grind.

Lulu ~ Photos Mindy Johnson

GN4LW: How did you decide what tricks you wanted to learn or try in the thirty days?

Lulu: My mom would look at Instagram and save videos of tricks she thought I might like and then show them to me after school.

GN4LW: Is there anything you want girls to know about this experience?

Lulu: If you fall don’t give up, just keep going because you only fail when you give up and don’t try again. And the only two things you can control are your attitude and your effort.

GN4LW: Pretty wise advice!

Congrats Lulu - we can’t wait to see what you do next!

Lulu~ Photo Mindy Johnson

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Here is a list of the THIRTY TRICKS Lulu did in THIRTY days

1- FS smith

2- BS disaster

3- FS disaster

4- drop in on 13 vert

5- 5-0 grind

6- front shuvit

7- 180 fly out

8- BS & FS 180s on flat ground

9- handstand down a ramp

10- 270 feeble to fakie

11- feeble grind

12- late grab BS airs on vert

13- fly out with melon grab (over cone)

14- FS ollie

15- boneless fingerflip

16- rock to fakie in the 9ft end of the bowl

17- invert handplant

18- fakie Ollie with weddle grab

19- fakie Ollie with weddle grab on vert

20: FS alley oop 5050

21: backside air melon grab over the hip

22: no look kickflip

23: BS 180 off a box

24: pop shuvit off a box

25: a frame KICKFLIP

26: tail stall revert

27: Casper stall/flip

28: body varial fly out

29: kickflip flyout

30: kickflip down 2 stair

Image via The Smithsonian Museum of American History

The Smithsonian Museum of American History has a new exhibit, We Belong Here” that highlights the 50th anniversary of Title IX which we feel is super important to know about.

“Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program that receives funding from the federal government”.

But Title IX hasn’t been as female-friendly in the sports world as people assumed it would be. While it did help in increasing the numbers of girls and women that played sports there are still many instances of racism, sexism, and bigotry.

In skateboarding, Title IX really hasn’t been active per se because skateboarding is not usually part of school programs that receive funding from the federal government. We have had to forge our own path, speak up, stand up and push for equality. We are getting there, but there is a lot of work to still be done.

We are excited to say that the new Smithsonian Museum of American History exhibit “We Belong Here” includes skateboarders Leo Baker as well as Cher Strauberry. Both of these skateboarders are great examples of non-traditional skateboarders carving a path that will lead to the inclusion of others, as we push forward with the reality that skateboarding is not a male-dominated sport, but is welcoming to everyone.

Finding Leo Baker in the exhibit:

At the right of the case is a larger-than-life cut-out photograph of Leo Baker, a transgender skateboarder who identifies as nonbinary and presents as masculine. They have closely cropped hair and are wearing a black t-shirt and jeans while performing a flip. To the right of the photo cut out is Baker’s white t-shirt that reads: They/Them. Above the photo is a splash of green and a quote by Baker who encourages other trans and nonbinary athlete to find ways to compete in sports traditionally defined by gender: “Your authenticity is your superpower.” A sketch at the lower right of the case shows a person holding a protest sign with hearts that reads: “Trans rights are human rights.”

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Big thanks to Jane Rogers, curator at The Smithsonian Museum of American History’s Sports Collections for the images and info - Big congrats to Jane and crew on this amazing exhibit!

Shiloh Catori ~ Image via The Boardr

The Boardr put on a skate event at LES Skatepark in NYC this weekend and the winner in both the men’s and women’s divisions each received $500 and an all-expense trip to Jackalopefest. Second place received $250, and 3rd $150. Awesome right?

Image via The Boardr

In the women’s division, Ricci Tres a 29-year-old non-traditional skater who identifies as female won the contest with her back-to-back tricks and awesome style. Shiloh Catori a 13-year-old powerhouse from Florida claimed second and won $250. 16-year-old Jordan Pascale who competes in these events quite often grabbed third. Points from this contest are added to each skater’s global ranking - which The Boardr keeps track of and you can check out HERE

Ricci - ollie off the ledge

After the contest results were posted on social media the floodgates opened and not-so-supportive comments accumulated on The Boardr Instagram discussing Ricci’s win as well as Shiloh’s Instagram telling her she was the “rightful” winner. Shiloh and The Boardr did not respond to those comments. Fox News also tried to get hold of both parties to weigh in, and to their credit, they both refused to connect.

This morning Shiloh is in Rome where she is trying to focus and compete in the Olympic Qualifiers for Women’s Street and she had this to say about all the drama on social media. (see her Instagram video below)

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A post shared by Shiloh Catori (@shiloh.catori)

Shiloh is a 100% skateboarder and wise beyond her years - we are thankful to have people like her in skateboarding making everyone feel welcome.

Congrats to all the skaters on a great contest!

Photo Elise Crigar

گفته می‌شود این فیلم در #شیراز گرفته شده. اگر درست باشد باید بگوییم شما حضرات خودتان را با هر چی زور زدن و وعده بهشت دادن و ملت اویزان کردن برای #روسری جرواجر کردید، نسل جدید به پاشنه کفشش هم نگرفته است.
دم همه شماها گرم که با زندگی کردن تان #مبارزه می کنید. #جمهوری‌اسلامی pic.twitter.com/bDXr1OdMPf

— Ardavan Roozbeh (@aroozbeh) June 23, 2022

We are feeling for our skate sisters in Iran right now with this awful news that came to light after Go Skateboarding Day…

Iranian state media reported Friday that authorities detained five female skateboarders and the organizers of the Go Skateboarding Day event where dozens of teenagers mixed freely and girls didn't wear headscarves. Both are a no-no under Islamic law, but usually, in larger cities, people look the other way - unfortunately not this time.

A video posted on Twitter of the “Go Skateboarding Day” event that took place on the main street in the city of Shiraz went viral on social media, prompting anger among conservative religious authorities in a country where the wearing of a Muslim hijab is mandatory for all women and teenage girls.

The state TV report said the provincial judiciary was looking into the event, while the state-run IRNA news agency reported that a rally to oppose Western-style gatherings of teenagers would be held after Friday prayers in Shiraz.

Iranian law bans women over the age of 9 from appearing in public without covering their hair with a hijab — a strict dress code imposed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Many have publicly criticized the restrictions and a large number of the females in the video were not wearing headscarves. In recent years, Iranian adolescents have repeatedly challenged the regime's efforts to control various aspects of social life.

To know more about Islam law and better understand how they want Westerns to feel about it please read

Five things you need to know about women in Islam: Implications for advancing women’s rights in the Middle East

Photo via Olympics.com

How to watch the first Olympic Street Qualifier event LIVE!

The road to Paris 2024 starts this week in Rome, Italy where the first street event Olympic qualifier will be held. You’ll find Tokyo2020 medalists, plus some of the best skateboarders in the world, throwing down their best and newest tricks on this course.

The week-long Pro Tour event, running from 26 June to 3 July, is the first of the 2022 season where skateboarders can earn points for their Olympic World Skateboard Ranking (OWSR).

What to Know:

The Tokyo 2020 medallists and top five ranked athletes in the OWSR as of 24 May will skip the open qualifier stage and will be pre-seeded directly into the quarterfinals.

For the women’s competition these are Pamela Rosa (1), Rayssa Leal (2), Nishimura Aori (3), Nishiya Momiji (5) and Nakayama Funa (11).

How To Watch Live

All times below are CEST

Saturday, 2 July Live on Olympics.com

Men's & Women's Semifinal
Competition Format: 2 Runs + 5 Trick Attempts (Best Run + 02 Best Tricks Counts)
8 Athletes per heat (4 heats) - 16 per Gender

4:30 p.m. Women's Semifinal Heat 1 Eastern Time is 10:30 AM / Pacific Time is 7:30 AM
5:55 p.m. Women's Semifinal Heat 2
7:30 p.m. Men's Semifinal Heat 1
8:55 p.m. Men's Semifinal Heat 2

Sunday, 3 July Live on Olympics.com

Men's & Women's Final
Competition Format: 2 Runs + 5 Trick Attempts (Best Run + 02 Best Tricks Counts)
8 Athletes per heat (2 heats) - 8 per Gender

4:55 p.m - 6:30 p.m. Men's & Women's Practice - Eastern Time is 10:55 AM / Pacific Time is 7:55 AM
7:00 p.m. Women’s Final
9:00 p.m. Men’s Final
10:30 p.m. Awards ceremony

Kraft Sports + Entertainment and KAGR hosted the “Equal Play” event at Gillette Stadium to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX. The event was headlined by tennis icon Billie Jean King and moderated by award-winning sports journalist Jackie MacMullan as they highlight the importance of women in sports.

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX here are some things you should know.

The legislation was enacted in 1972 and prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs. It is credited with promoting gender equity in sports and advancing opportunities for millions of American women since then.

But as Billie Jean King has pointed out, the primary beneficiaries of Title IX have been white suburban girls. She pointed to girls of color, girls with disabilities, trans athletes, and all LGBTQ+ youth when she spoke of re-energizing 'focus on strengthening and advancing equity and opportunity for all girls and women.

Listen and learn.

BTW - did you catch Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team rider, Minna Stess, on The Players’ Tribune Instagram speaking about Title IX today? If you missed it, we’ve got it right here. Pretty cool!

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Hello, World!

Photo Ian Logan x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word Team riders - Klara, Kaiya, Quinne, Briel

Happy Go Skateboarding Day!

Get out and skate with friends or roll by yourself - all that matters is that you have fun and skate!

Mazel + Kateyn Double Smiths ~ Photo Ian Logan x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word

The Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team was invited to the Oakley “Go Skateboarding Day” event hosted by Eunice Chang on Saturday, and all the girls were on fire!

Evette ~ Photo Ian Logan x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word

Girls Session with Oakley ~ Photo Ian Logan x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word

Team riders Briel, Mazel, Evette, Katelyn, sisters Quinne and Kaiya, and their mom, Julie, showed up at noon to get the girl’s sesh rolling along with fellow skaters (and host) Eunice, Jantahvy, Hayden and Erin.

Mazel

Quinne

Julie

Katelyn

Briel

Evette

The girls were pushing each other with no signs of stopping. When the “cash for tricks” portion of the event started - things really heated up. With the crowd cheering them on, we saw the skaters pull out all the stops to put on an amazing show for the crowd that gathered on Santa Monica’s 3rd Street Promenade to watch them.

Briel, Evette, Hayden and Quinne ~ Photo Ian Logan x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word

Hayden

Eunice

Janthavy

Erin

When you start the day with the Oakley team helping you make custom sunglasses, score a rad tote bag, a yummy lunch, and have access to an amazing mini ramp by Keen, you skate HARD!

Quinne Making Dipped Oakley Sunglasses

Evette, Mazel, Kately with their Oakley Bags

Oakley Dipping Station

Quinne's Custom Dipped Oakleys

Mazel + Janthavy

Briel getting a custom print

With all the girls getting to help create their own custom sunglasses at the Oakley dipping station, the variety of colors were unique to each skaters distinct style and no two looked alike.

Photo Ian Logan x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word

If you’d like to check out our video footage from the day, it’s up on the @girlisnota4letterword Instagram now

Mazel ~ Photo Ian Logan x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word

Thanks so much to the Oakley team for having us be part of this amazing Go Skateboarding Day event!

USA’s Jordyn Barratt & Nyjah Huston ~ Photo Ian Logan

These are questions we get asked a LOT.

How do you qualify for the Olympic Skateboarding team?

Is there a clear path to follow in order to qualify?

Well, you are in luck, we have compiled the latest information from the IOC and will break it down right here for you! We aren’t going to lie, it’s a lot of info to take in, and at times may feel overwhelming if you are not used to this system.

USA’s Olympic Skateboarding Team 2020 ~ Photo Ian Logan

How many athletes will compete in skateboarding at Paris 2024?

In total, 88 athletes will compete in the Paris 2024 skateboarding competition - 22 athletes per event for the men’s and women’s street, and men’s and women’s park events. This is eight more in total than in Tokyo.

As the host country, France will receive four quotas - one for men and one for women in each event - while the same amount will be set aside for Universality Places which will be decided by the Tripartite Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The other 80 quota places will be allocated based on competitions leading up to the Games, with a maximum of 12 quota places per National Olympic Committee (NOC) - three for men and three for women in each event.

USA’s Bryce Wettstein and Brighton Zeuner ~ Photo Ian Logan

What is the skateboarding qualification pathway to Paris 2024?

For the 80 athletes (20 per event) aiming to qualify for quota places for Paris 2024 (outside of the host nation and Universality Places), the following process will provide them the opportunity to book their tickets to the Games.

First, an athlete will need to be listed by name in the Olympic World Skateboarding Rankings (OWSR) as of 24 June 2024.

Several competitions will be taken into account in the OWSR and the five event tiers from which points are attributed are as follows:

• World Championship

• Olympic Qualifying Series

• Pro Tour

• ‘5-Star’ events

• ‘3-Star’ events

Unlike the Tokyo 2020 qualification pathway, Continental championships will now be ranked as '3-Star' events, and National Championships won't be included in the qualification strata.

The OWSR will be separated into three seasons, divided as follows:

• 2022: 22 June to 31 December

• 2023: 1 January to 31 December

• 2024: 1 January to 23 June

Unlike some other sports, athletes will be selected by name. Those names will be decided according to the OWSR as of 24 June 2024.

Each of the five continents of the Olympic Movement is guaranteed one athlete per event. If a continent doesn't qualify one athlete, the place will be allocated to the highest-ranked athlete on the OWSR from the continent representation, if available.

USA’s Mariah Duran, Alexis Sablone, Bryce Wettstein ~ Photo Ian Logan

The following are the Paris 2024 qualifying events for 2022

• 26 June - 3 July 2022: Street Skateboarding Rome (Pro Tour) - Rome (ITA)

• 2 October - 9 October 2022: Rio World Skate Park World Championships 2022 - Rio De Janeiro (BRA)

• 9 October - 16 October: Rio World Skate Street World Championships 2022 - Rio De Janeiro (BRA)

USA Women’s Park Team 2020 - Brighton Zeuner, Bryce Wettstein, Jordyn Barratt ~ Photo Ian Logan

Skateboarding qualification timeline for Paris 2024

• 22 June 2022 - 23 June 2024: Olympic period to earn OWSR points

• 26 June - 3 July 2022: Street Skateboarding Rome (Pro Tour) - Rome (ITA)

• 2 October - 9 October 2022: Rio World Skate Park World Championships 2022 - Rio De Janeiro (BRA)

• 9 October - 16 October: Rio World Skate Street World Championships 2022 - Rio De Janeiro (BRA)

• 24 June 2024: Olympic World Skateboarding Rankings published & World Skate to inform NOCs/NF of their allocated quota places

• 29 June 2024: NOCs to confirm use of allocated quota places to World Skate

• 30 June 2024: World Skate will commence the reallocation of all unused quota places

• 7 July 2024: World Skate will complete the reallocation of all unused quota places

• TBD: The Tripartite Commission to confirm in writing the allocation of Universality places to the NOCs( where applicable)

• 8 July 2024: Paris 2024 Sport Entries deadline

• 26 July - 11 August 2024: Olympic Games Paris 2024
  

USA Women’s Street Team 2020 - Alexis Sablone, Mariah Duran, Alana Smith~ Photo Ian Logan

What is the Paris 2024 skateboarding competition format and schedule?

The skateboarding competition at Paris 2024 will take place over four days at La Concorde on 27 and 28 July for street events, and 6 and 7 August for park events.

World Skate has released the competition formats for the Paris 2024 Street event, as well as for all Qualifying events, which are as follows:

Competitions will be held in two phases: the qualification and the final, with the top eight in the first phase making it to the final.

In each phase, skateboarders will complete two runs of 45 seconds each, which will be scored between 0 and 100 with only the score of the best run counting. They then perform five tricks, and also scored between 0 and 100, with the best two tricks counting towards the score. The total score is compiled by adding the scores of the best run and two tricks, making a final score between 0 and 300.

One important new rule that has been added is the Scoring Refusal Procedure of the trick phase. A skateboarder now has the right to have a trick scrubbed if they wish to attempt to improve it, without incurring any repetition penalty. Refused attempts count for zero points.

The Park format for Paris 2024 qualifiers has not yet been released.

Christiana Means ~ Photo Ian Logan

We have been waiting excitedly to share this news with you! The lineup for the women competing in Premier Skateboard Association’s new league has been announced and the roster is full of heavy hitters!

Mariah Duran, Pamela Rosa, Samarria Brevard, Keet Oldenbeuving, Monica Torres, Chelsea Castro, Margie Lynn Didal, Alexis Sablone, Funa Nakayama, Candy Jacobs, Roos Zwetsloot, Christiana Means, and Adrianne Sloboh.

If you don’t know how PSA is running their league, you’ll want to read the interview we did with them HERE because equality is the name of the game, and what they are doing is AWESOME!

Photo Ian Logan

July 9th is the first event and it takes place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles - Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.com.

You never know what will happen when you’re skating in Venice! Team rider Kaiya Daniels was approached by the German magazine, Faz, to be part of an editorial spread they shot in and around the skatepark. She got to wear an outfit that was a combination of Deisel and Celine while she skated during the shoot.

Also included were Marissa Martizez from @MamaSkate (above) and Noodee @Manatweeek below.

In her recent Instagram post, Noodee describes in detail what she wore, and let’s just say it was amazing!!

* Styling Leonie Volk

*Text Celina Plag

*Fotos Eva Baales

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A post shared by • 𝙽𝚘𝚘𝚍𝚎𝚎 • (@manatweeek)

Photo of Maya by Ian Logan x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word

We get super stoked when our younger team riders are featured in magazines like the new issue of BUTTER Magazine. Maya is just twelve years old but she’s inspiring girls everywhere with her smooth and aggressive style.

Jump over to BUTTER Magazine to read Maya’s interview!

We have to admit that we binged watched “Surviving Summer” on Netflix in one night. Yep, it’s that good! Expelled from school and exiled to Australia, a rebel New York teen (Summer played by Sky Katz) makes waves among a young surfer's inner circle — and leaves a mess in her wake.

We are not sure if Sky Katz is doing her own stunts or if she skates/surfs in real life - so, if you know who in the skate world is doubling for her, please let us know so we can give them a shout-out!

Update as of 6/16/22 - Summer’s stunt double in Australia portion of the show is Ava Godfrey! We love finding out that rad skaters we know get these cool jobs - Go Ava! The stunt double for Summer skating in NYC is Veronique Chalarca. Good job there too!

Surviving Summer is on Netflix now!.

Brett Wilhelm/ESPN

The full list hasn’t been released (yet) but here’s what we know so far…

Women’s Street - Rayssa Leal, Leticia Bufoni
Women’s Park - Sky Brown, Sakura Yosozumi

Location for both women’s park and street competitions will be CATF. The CA Training Facility is the first and only high-performance training center developed for skateboarding. CATF features both a full-sized concrete Street and Park courses created by the designers of X Games Street and Park courses.

Dates: July 20-24, 2022

X Games has promised that more updates on the invite list are coming soon - so stay tuned!

We love it when we all come together as a community to share the history of women’s skateboarding. Our friends at BigFoot Magazine just wrote about the Villa Villa Cola OG skate film “Getting Nowhere Faster” and we shared that on our Facebook page. In response, one of our rad followers, Marc Brinkers, came forward to show us his own VHS tape of this rare classic, SK8HERS, which was released in 1992 and was one 30-minute VHS tape in a two-part set - the other VHS tape was SKATE SESSIONS.

SK8HERS features Cara-Beth Burnside, Rhonda Doyle, Saecha Clarke, and Diane Desidero.

The film was produced by Patty Segovia (from the All Girls Skate Jam days!), and Brock Suter and Ethan Fox did the cinematography, directing, and editing.

And don’t fear that you can’t get your hands on this little-known gem - we have it playing right here on our site for you to enjoy!

Mariah Duran ~ Photo Credit: Durso

The annual summer Dew Tour competition circles back for its second year at Lauridsen skatepark in Des Moines, Iowa, to host some of the world’s best women, men, and adaptive athletes in skateboarding. California Skateparks has laid down the foundation for the nation’s largest park and a world-class arena for top skateboarders to showcase the highest caliber of skateboarding to the world.

This year’s event is an invite-only competition that focuses on street and park disciplines. Field sizes include 12 skateboarders for the men and eight for the women. Each competition is straight to finals, where participants are allotted three 45-second runs, and their best run counts to their final score. Skateboarders are judged on overall impression on a 1–100-point scale.

2022 also marks the return of the Dew Tour’s Battle of the Shops, featuring mid-west regional skate shops featuring five mid-west regional skate shops: Subsect, Escapist, Familia, Uprise, and Infinity. Each shop will have two team riders represent their store and will be comping on the street course in two heats. The top three shops will then move on to a final where the winners will be placed.

With initial invites sent out, here’s an official first look at the invited athletes you can expect at Dew Tour in Des Moines, Iowa, and be sure to tune in to the live street and park broadcast on DewTour.com/live!

Sky Brown, crailslide ~ Photo Chris Dangaard

Women’s Park
Sakura Yosozumi
Sky Brown
Bryce Wettstein
Lizzie Armanto
Cocona Hiraki
Mami Tezuka
Nora Vasconcellos (not confirmed)

Alternative Women’s Park
Kisa Nakamura
Minna Stess (not confirmed)
Ruby Lilley

Pamela Rosa, backside lipslide ~ Photo Durso

Women’s Street
Pamela Rosa
Rayssa Leal
Samarria Brevard
Momiji Nishiya
Aori Nishimura
Mariah Duran
Funa Nakayama
Alexis Sablone (not confirmed)

Alternative Women’s Street
Chloe Covell
Poe Pinson
Roos Zwetsloot

2022 Dew Tour Des Moines Event Schedule (Click Here)

A modern-day love letter to the series beloved by millions and one of today’s most respected skaters 

Vans, the original action sports footwear and apparel brand, is proud to announce the Vans x Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Collection by Lizzie Armanto. Inspired by the pioneering show and skater, the newest collection between Vans and Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon is a joyful yet gritty love letter for fans to wear on their sleeve. The collection of footwear, apparel and accessories evokes a DIY-approach with an old-school feel, led by Vans’ new performance-driven silhouette, The Lizzie— the first Vans signature skateboarding shoe designed by a woman in 20 years. Available on June 10, 2022, the Vans x Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon by Lizzie Armanto collection is part of a broader Vans x Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon capsule.

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon is a shojo manga written by Naoko Takeuchi, which began serializing in 1991 in the monthly magazine Nakayosi (published by Kodansha). The original book has been translated into 17 languages and the animated series produced by Toei Animation has been developed in more than 40 countries causing social phenomena in Japan and throughout the world. Vans has teamed up with Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon in a collection that reflects the same resiliency and inclusive spirit seen today in Vans’ team rider Lizzie Armanto. 

The footwear range offers three Vans Skate Classics styles adorned with black and white graphic collages depicting Sailor Moon and Sailor Guardians. The Skate Old Skool and Skate Slip-On combine heritage styling and a punk inspired theme. 

The crown jewel of the footwear collection, The Lizzie is given the full Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon treatment. Created to provide something else entirely for a wider range of skateboarders whose needs are not being met, The Lizzie features a new vulcanized construction with a lower profile sidewall foxing tape, an exposed radiused outsole edge, and flex grooves for a stable, broken-in feel. The universal fit features the perfect amount of EcoCush™ cushioning, increasing boardfeel for a wider range of skaters. A new 3D Embossed DURACAP™ toe and Sidestripe has even more durability in high-wear areas, while an all-new micro-waffle tread and Sick-Stick™ rubber offers maximum grip.

Carrying over to an apparel offering, the Vans x Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Collection by Lizzie Armanto features a similar aesthetic in black-and-white tones across a BFF-fit hoodie with anime illustrations on the front and Checkerboard detailing on the sleeves, and a reversible bucket hat with a Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon logo patch on a solid black colorway, and Checkerboard detailing and Vans logo patch on the reverse side.

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. 

The Vans x Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Collection by Lizzie Armanto will be available beginning June 10, 2022, at Vans retail locations and at vans.com.

The Nike SB “Begging to be rad in Puerto Rico” video with Gnarhunters was released this week. It features Elissa Steamer, Nicole Hause, Jake Anderson, Leticia Bufoni, Eric Koston, and Mason Silva.

Elissa Steamer - image via Nike

If you’re not familiar, Gnarhunters is Elissa Steamer's skate and surf brand, and Nike SB is dropping its second shoe for the brand (the first was in 2019) this month.

Nike SB x Gnarhunters shoe - image via Nike

The Gnarhunters Dunk Low SB is black and white, has a bungee cord lace and toggle system, and removable velcro Swoosh. Finished with a co-branded wax comb keychain, Gnarhunters tongue and heel branding, and custom art insole for added protection.

The new shoe retails for $120 and is available May 24 exclusively at skate shops.

Image of Rayssa via April Skateboards

Rayssa Leal - Photo via X Games Chiba

We remember seeing Rayssa on Instagram when she was just seven years old doing a heelflip downstairs with fairy wings on -the short clip went viral after Tony Hawk posted about her. Since then, she has become a staple on the pro street skateboarding circuit making history with the highest score in women's SLS history, as no woman had achieved a 360º flip followed by a handrail maneuver until this point in an official competition. Her recent gold medal at X Games Chiba, and her silver medal in women’s street at the 2020 Olympics only solidified her place in skateboarding history.

In 2021 her sponsor, Nike, paid tribute to Rayssa’s beginnings by producing a short video titled “New Fairies” with Rayssa letting girls know that “when fairies have fun, they put an end to all this prejudice”. At age fourteen she has accomplished more in skateboarding than most pro skaters do in a lifetime.

Rayssa Leal pro model - April Skateboards

Last week it was announced that her sponsor, April Skateboards, was turning her pro with her very first pro model being available now. Her name and artwork of fairy wings, grace the new board.

Big congrats to Rayssa - well deserved!