Last night Real Skateboards had a premiere of Nicole Hause’s video part at the Wheels of Fortune event in Seattle, and they also announced her new pro model board!
We have to say that the graphic is awesome and we are hoping Nicole’s new board is up on the Real Skateboards website soon, because a lot of people are going to want to buy this one!
If you are in Seattle, hit up these skate shops to get Nicole’s new board NOW!
Congrats Nicole!!!
Just in from STU about the contest in Rio. As we have said in past posts, this is no longer an Olympic Qualifier, but it is still going to be an amazing event. Prize money is BIG and EQUAL for men and women. Skating will be insane!
Right now, it looks like the ranked athletes need to start confirming if they are attending, so this is not an open invite list right now.
As we have even more info, we will update everyone ASAP. Paraskate (adaptive skate) info is coming as well!
We are hoping there is a live feed, too- because we don’t want to miss the first big park event this year! And we definitely want to watch the women’s street as well!
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!
So… yet another snafu in the Olympic skateboarding debacle. Athletes from all over the world have been in Rio getting ready to compete in the first Olympic Park and second Olympic Street Qualifier, and it was just announced moments ago that World Skate has now canceled the event.
A huge letdown for these skaters, to say the least.
A bright light is that the contest goes on with STU heading it up - with great prize money, it will just not be an Olympic Qualifier.
Maybe we’re getting back to skateboarding, for skateboarding's sake!
More news on all of this HERE
Spotlight on the new generation! Featuring 20-year-old pro skateboarder Mami Tezuka from Shiga, Japan, showcasing the talented female professional known for her style and ability to ride backyard pools.
Tezuka started skateboarding at the age of three encouraged by her father, a passionate skater. Her powerful riding style blends high airs with extended grinds and technical lip tricks that make Tezuka a podium threat at major international competitions. Last year, Tezuka shook up the established order by claiming silver in Women’s Skateboard Park at X Games 2021. She then followed suit by earned her second X Games podium with bronze at X Games Chiba in 2022.
Tezuka began cultivating her unique riding style at a young age, inspired by watching her father and his peers. “There were always skateboards and skateboarders in front of her. It was Mami’s fate,” said Manabu Tezuka. Speaking on her beginnings, Mami Tezuka said: “I got into transition skating because my local skatepark has a lot of transitions. I don’t think transition skating is big in Japan, but there’s so much DIY stuff.”
Please join us for an awesome evening of skateboarding!
Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word, Bridge to Skate, and Volcom invite you to come skate at a girls and LGBTQIA+ skate session!
Prizes ✨ Food ✨ Raffles ✨
There is nothing better than skating with friends at this RAD spot.
Sunday, 9/18 from 5-8 PM at Volcom HQ - Address on the flier
Tell your friends - we can’t wait to see you there!!
Skater on flier is GN4LW team rider Mazel Paris
CHERRIES WHEELS
LIQUID DEATH
ALOHA BAGS
S1 HELMETS
SUN BUM
BADASS SKATE MOM
DWINDLE DISTRIBUTION
BIGFOOT MAGAZINE
ESSIE NAIL POLISH
MARLORU BEACH BAGS
BAKER
TEARIOT
BONES WHEELS
NIKE
MINI LOGO SKATEBOARDS
SLOW TIDE
JACKS SURF SHOP
SKATELITE
and MORE!
The women were absolutely ripping today during the women’s finals at Vert Alert in Salt Lake City, Utah!
Nice to see some new faces on the contest scene - although you may already know them from instagram - watching them compete is a whole other level!
Women’s Finals:
Bryce Wettstein
Jordyn Barratt
Ruby Lilley
Lilly Stoephasius
Reese Nelson
Arisa Trew
Carlin Mikibbin
Grace Marhoefer
Also, stay and catch the Women’s Best Trick event!
RESULTS - Women’s Finals
Lilly Stoephasius
Bryce Wettstein
Arisa Trew
RESULTS - Women’s Best Trick
Reese Nelson - FS Nosegrind to fakie over the gap
Congrats to all the skaters - the progression we saw was amazing!!
Vert is NOT dead!
Tony Hawk’s Vert Alert in Salt Lake City is almost here and we are stoked to see that more and more women are showing up to skate at this legendary event.
On Friday night, tune in at 7 PM MDT / 6 PM PDT / 9 PM EDT to watch the Legends Demo -make sure to catch Lizzie Armanto and Carabeth Burnside.
On Saturday at 3 PM MDT / 2 PM PDT / 5 PM EDT watch the WOMEN’S FINAL - LIVE!
Amelia Brodka
Jordyn Barratt
Allysha Le
Jordan Santana
Grace Marhoefer
Lady Meek
Ruby Lilley
Bryce Wettstein
And we are sure that more pro women are being added!
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!
You really need to watch the SLS Women’s Street Final from Seattle. The skating was unbelievable and getting to watch the lone American, Poe Pinson, battle it out with the Japanese and Brazilian skaters in the finals was pretty awesome.
Spoiler Alert ahead - stop reading and watch the finals above if you don’t want to know the results yet!
Rayssa Leal
Pamela Rosa
Momiji Nishiya
Yumeka Oda
Poe Pinson
Keet Oldenbeuving
Funa Nakayama
Roos Zwelsloot
Judi Oyama racing slalom back in the day - Photo Richard Oyama
In case you haven’t heard, Slalom racing has been invited to World Skate Games taking place in October 2022. The women are on fire, and we’d like to introduce you to one of our favorite slalom racers Judi Oyama.
Stepping on a skateboard over 49 years ago, Judi was one of the first Japanese American vert skateboarders. She slalom raced back in the ’70s when skaters did multiple disciplines - park, downhill, and freestyle. But Judi preferred timed events over judged events after a bad vert pool contest experience. From that date forward, Judi swore she’d only compete in timed events.
Judi competing in Salem, Oregon
Judi had no intention of skateboarding for as long as she has, but now at age 62, Judi is proving that age isn’t a factor, and you can still have fun and compete at a high level - if you stay in shape. Judi just qualified to compete at the World Skate Games 2022 in Argentina (Buenos Aires and San Juan). She graciously offered to give up her well-earned spot for a younger racer, but she was told that her spot would go empty and that each racer had to earn their own spot. As of last month at The Slalom Supreme Race in Salem, Oregon the US team has six women qualified.
The USA team includes - Lynn Kramer, Judi Oyama, Madison Prez, Maggie Ramirez, Isa Ruiz, Lari Rupp and Aliera Soulsby-Monroy.
Some of the members of the USA men’s and women’s Slalom Team
This is the first time Vert, Slalom, and Downhill Skateboarding are going to debut so that one day these disciplines will hopefully be part of the Olympics.
Judi is currently raising the money to go to Worlds to cover her flights, hotels, rentals, and food expenses. The National team does not cover any of these expenses for athletes, so if you want to race, you need to fundraise on your own. She is even selling some of her vast collection of vintage skateboard items, which you can check out HERE.
Judi is also on the LaCosta Racing Team, which is non-profit, and you can donate tax-free to support her via this LINK.
Judi’s sponsors include:
NHS - her original sponsor in her professional skate career starting 4 decades ago!
Santa Cruz Skateboards
Bronson Bearings
Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word Movement
Lenz Arts
Rip Tide Sports
Catto's Graphics
Product Sponsors Are:
Giro Helmets
187 Killer Pads
Mob Grip Tape
Old Bones Therapy
Sk8Kings - Turbo Wheels
You can read more about the event HERE
We can’t wait for the release of froSkate’s new Nike SB shoe!
Loud, proud, colorful, and full of energy, respectfully. That’s froSkate, a Women and POC–centered skate crew based in Chicago founded by Karlie Thornton in 2019. In just three years froSkate’s not only grown exponentially but become a global example of empowerment in skateboarding through inclusion, positivity, and being unabashedly real.
For their first collaboration with Nike SB, froSkate designed a Nike Dunk Pro High SB that reflects their diversity, style, heritage, and personality, using every inch of the classic silhouette as a platform for their mission statement and swag.
Read the interview with froSkate https://www.nikesb.com/articles/frosk...
Get a pair!
$130.00
Available 8/17 at 7:00 AM
"All Love, No Hate" in this collaboration with froSkate. Black-owned, Queer-led, and proudly unwavering, a group of non-traditional skaters in Chicago adopted the froSkate moniker in 2019 to give the city's BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities their shine. These Dunks are all about inclusivity, with a non-conformist design made for stepping past boundaries. Wildly colorful tongue graphics, heart-shaped perforations on the toe, and "All Love", "No Hate" embossed on the sides remind you that everyone is welcome in the skating community. The eye-catching upper and soles pay homage to the vibrant disposition of the froSkate crew, while the bright, mismatched left/right shoe designs celebrate the group's unique style and commitment to all love, no hate.
Shiloh Catori - Photo Vans / Anthony Acosta
For the second time at Huntington Beach, the local skate community witnessed the Vans Showdown, a unique “pointless” street skating contest, far removed from traditional skate formats. Aiming to promote the fun and cultural side of skateboarding, while showcasing the best skaters in the world, it was Hayley Wilson and Jhancarlos Gonzalez who came out on top.
Cocona Hiraki - Photo Vans / Anthony Acosta
Una Farrar - Photo Vans / Anthony Acosta
Big thanks to the skate community and brand partners Quasi, Palace, Alltimers, Spitfire, Baker, and Hockey for making today a memorable moment in the history of street skateboarding.
Cocona, Mami and Minna ready and waiting -Photo Vans / Anthony Acosta
Watch the recap here that includes Shiloh Catori, Kokona Hiraki, Una Farrar, Breana Geering, and Hayley Wilson. Andcheck out our fave announcer Alex White at it again!
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.
F21 x Airwalk - shot at Venice Skatepark
Iconic fashion brand Forever 21 launched its latest collaboration, a limited-edition back-to-school collection with Airwalk, a global skate and action sports lifestyle brand. The collaboration brings Airwalk’s legacy in skate culture to Forever 21 in the form of nostalgic designs that lean into the brand’s ‘80s and ‘90s heritage through chain details, stripes, bold graphics, checkers and more.
Shop the collection HERE
For more than three decades, Airwalk has brought the SoCal style and attitude to consumers around the world through its iconic aesthetic. The first collaboration of the year for Airwalk, the brands come together to inspire nostalgia and those who crave the unconventional to express their individuality.
Shop the collection HERE
The Forever 21 x Airwalk collaboration offers inclusive sizing for women, men and kids, priced from $6.99 to $54.99 and will be available for a limited time at all Forever 21 stores, on the Forever 21 app and at www.forever21.com.
A little over an hour ago. USA Skateboarding’s High-Performance Coach, Mimi Knoop, posted her resignation from Team USA on Instagram. She included board members Micaela Ramirez and Oscar Loreto Jr. in the post as well (each has posted their own resignation info on their respective Instagram pages)
No official reason was given for the exits, but with everything we have seen going on lately in the news regarding USA Skateboarding, we can bet there are more shakeups coming.
As has been reported, Don Bostwick is now the new chair at USA Skateboarding, so we expect to see a lot of positive changes in the very near future!
Stay tuned.
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!
Sasha Senior - owner of Bliss Skateboard shop
We love meeting amazing women who help further skateboarding. So we were excited that we had the opportunity to sit down via zoom and do an interview with Sasha Senior. Sasha is 33 years old, a skater, a powerhouse, and is making history, opening the first Black female-owned skate shop in North America. Bliss Skateboard shop, with Sasha at the helm, opened its doors on March 20, 2020 - during the beginning of the pandemic.
Read on for how she did it, what it takes and how it’s all going.
Bliss Skateboard Shop
GN4LW: We absolutely love what you are doing by opening a female-founded skate shop - it’s important that women in this industry participate in areas where they can further skateboarding for other non-traditional skaters - can you tell us what made you decide to open a skate shop?
SASHA: I was having a convo with another skate shop owner, and he asked me if there was a skate shop by me, and no, there wasn’t. So that made me decide to start looking into it. I figured I had weekends free, so maybe I should? I found a great location five minutes from the local skatepark. So I got the space, and I was like, “I guess I’m a skate shop owner now.” I literally put the cart before the horse. That was the point when I realized I was really committing.
GN4LW: So, now you have a location, and since you went into this on a bit of a whim, what were your next steps to get products and build the shop?
SASHA: I didn’t really fully understand the commitment and work it would take to start a shop. So I saved some money and just made it all happen… I didn’t take out any loans, so I used the money I had to buy products, and as they sold, I rolled that back into the shop to buy more products.
GN4LW: You opened when the pandemic started - how was that?
SASHA: We opened on March 20, 2020, and a few days later, the government said we were going into lockdown… Non-essential stores were closed, so I shifted to online immediately. It was a learning curve. Sales were local - I’d advertise the website on my Facebook page and have people call my cell phone and tell me what they wanted to order, then I’d meet them at the shop in 20 minutes to give them their order. I’d leave it outside the door, wait for them to pick it up, and it went on like that for quite a while.
Saha Senior on camera for a promo for Bliss Skateboard shop
GN4LW: When did you start doing shipping orders?
SASHA: The next year is when I started shipping things which opened up even more areas for me.
GN4LW: How did things change for you as a shop owner as the pandemic went along?
SASHA: There was a lack of product available for me to stock - there were either really small boards or really large boards available, so that was tough. I was scraping the bottom of the barrel to get products that my customers needed and wanted. It was tough. I was placing smaller orders than larger, more established shops, so I was not always able to get what I wanted. It was a struggle.
GN4LW: How did you find and connect with skateboard distributors when you started?
SASHA: In Canada, we have to buy from Canadian distributors. Which I didn’t know when I started. Once I got with the first distributor here, I was still a bit limited as they only carry certain products. I really had to research and establish those connections to get to other distributors to get other brands I wanted to carry. I’m used to paperwork in my main job, so that wasn’t a struggle for me - but for someone else, a vendor application might be harder. Once I had that first distributor to help show trust with other distributors and made it easier to get an account with them. Even Google searches, Instagram, etc., helped me find the suppliers of the products II needed.
GN4LW: How do you feel about sharing resources?
SASHA: I’m like an open book, and I share info - I fully believe in that. A guy opened a new skate shop in Ontario and reached out asking how to get the product he needed, and I gladly helped him, so he didn’t have to go through what I did. Because in the future I’d like to think we all help each other. If I don’t have a board a customer wants, maybe I can call him and refer them that way. Hopefully, he will do the same for me. I want to maintain those connections - that’s what makes the skate community stay together.
Sasha - Kickflip
GN4LW: So it sounds like working with other skate shops is important to you?
SASHA: Keeping those connections is important. Maybe he decides to have a demo day and then asks you to do a popup with your skaters? And it works both ways - we all should support each other. And I think when you help your customers and have a good vibe in your shop, it’s better for everyone - so why wouldn’t I help - even if my shop doesn’t have what you need?
GN4LW: Sometimes non-traditional skaters are conditioned to guard all the info they have because they fear that someone else being on that team or having that resource takes away from them - it sounds like you are like me; we don’t believe that. At all.
SASHA: Let’s get the resources together, and I feel that there is always opportunity out there. Do you think that the guy who opened Burger King said to himself, I’m not going to open because there is already a Mc Donalds out there? Or if Wend’s said I’m not going to open because there are those other two. No, they said to themselves, “I’m doing it this way” - we can all be in this space, and I’m going to do it my way, and if they like me, they will come to my space. And that’s the same with anything you do - if you say, “I’m not going to be able to get that opportunity because someone else already has it - then you won’t.”
GN4LW: You need to do a TEDx talk - seriously!!
SASHA: Thank you - that would be rad!
Sasha Senior in front of her skateboard shop, BLISS.
GN4LW: Have you had any issues with people having issues that you are a Black, female-owned skate shop?
SASHA: No, the guys who leased me the space asked what I was going to do with it, and I said, “a skate shop.” They were saying, “wow, we don’t have one of those. That’s great!”. I finally told one of my friends halfway through building out the shop that I was doing this, and he was saying, “do you know how much work that is?” I really don’t look at obstacles that way - the fact that I am a Black woman or anything else did not cross my mind - I wanted to own a skate shop, and so I did it.
GN4LW: That is a great attitude to have - for anything in life!
SASHA: Right? If I had that attitude of I can’t because I’m a woman, I am a Black woman, I would have never gotten into skateboarding. And I have been skating since I was thirteen, only stopping when I was injured at one point in time.
GN4LW: The work you are doing is important for everyone else in the community and beyond.
SASHA: Yeah, my friend said, “you know, as a Black woman, you are going to make history doing this, right?’ But I hadn’t even thought about that - I just wanted to open a skate shop. And the fact that that is now the case is cool - but that was never my intention starting out. I came into like, “I’m a skateboarder,” that’s it.
GN4LW: Have you seen an influx of girls and women gravitating toward the shop?
SASHA: It is awesome now to see more women and girls coming into the shop buying boards and saying that I’ve inspired them - that’s really dope. I have never had the opposite response of “oh, don’t you feel weird?” I don’t feel weird because I’m a skateboarder at the end of the day.
GN4LW: It’s about knowing you belong here. No matter what. But I do think it’s great having a shop where girls and women feel OK asking basic questions and feel comfortable about it.
Sasha - ollie at the skatepark
SASHA: I like the fact that I represent women in skateboarding - every woman in skateboarding does. Growing up, if there had been a woman who owned a skate shop in my town, I’d want to skate even more.
GN4LW: A skate shop becomes your local community.
SASHA: Yes. And there is something really rad about skating with an all-women crew sometimes. It’s just a different vibe than when I skate with the guys. Skating with all women is empowering. We’re all out here doing something a lot of people think women don’t do.
GN4LW: Agreed - the feeling is different and so powerful.
SASHA: It really is.
GN4LW: Do you carry a lot of female-owned brands in the shop?
SASHA: In the beginning, during the pandemic, there was a supply shortage, but at one point, I was able to get Meow skateboard decks in, and then I wasn’t. I couldn’t get other things as well. And I also feel that there are not enough female-owned skate brands out there. There needs to be more.
GN4LW: Do you have any female employees at the shop?
SASHA: Right now, I have all guys working at the shop, I’d love to have more women in the shop working, but I need to find those women who skate and know the products and have the knowledge and experience.
Bliss Skateboard Shop
GN4LW: What is your favorite thing about the shop?
SASHA: I like the community aspect of it. Bliss Skateboard Shop has encouraged so many to skateboard in and near Windsor. I like connecting the community through skateboarding.
GN4LW: What would you like people to know about you and your skate shop?
SASHA: It’s doable, but it’s not going to be easy all of the time. I’m still learning how to make my business better. You have to take the time to understand that success is not going to happen overnight, there are going to be failures, and you are going to have issues. It’s all a lesson, and you need to learn from it. I can’t expect to open and my brand to be like Nike or Empire Skate shop in Montreal. I can’t have these huge expectations right away, or else you will burn yourself out.
GN4LW: It takes a lot of hard work - you also hold a full-time job as well!
SASHA: I had to find some good time management skills. I evaluate how important each issue is and prioritize them. So not everything is problem #1 - because that doesn’t work. If you do that, you won’t get anything done, and you’ll burn yourself out.
GN4LW: What advice would you give other women who want to start a business in skateboarding?
SASHA: I would say, do your research, don’t get discouraged, don’t let other people’s ideas of what they think your brand should be and change your idea of what you want it to be. And that well-known quote, “whatever you do at the end of the day, just start!”. Plan, but don’t be afraid just to start.
GN4LW: Any advice to a girl or womxn who wanted to start skateboarding?
SASHA: DO IT!! Don’t let guys at the park intimidate you. People always say, “I’m not ready for the park yet. I can’t even ollie,” but that’s what the park is for. Every single person you see at the park couldn’t ollie in the beginning either. Put headphones in, be in your own world if you need to, and just skate!
BLISS SKATEBOARD SHOP
3216 Sandwich St
WINDSOR, Ontario N9C1A8
(226) 759-6316
admin@blisssk8shop.com
They ship internationally too!!
