Get ready for some serious inspiration!
Our badass friend and Skateboarding Hall of Fame Inductee, Judi Oyama, shares with AARP how she became a pioneer for women in the sport and continues to compete in slalom for Team USA.
Judi has been invited to compete in Rome at Worlds - so stay tuned!
Real life sucks, but it doesn’t have to. Pick up a skateboard and transport yourself to a much better reality. Toy machine skateboard video #10 can help you transition from a sucky existence to an incredible one.
Directed and Edited by Don Luong
Starring - Jeremy Leabres, Georgia Martin, Myles Willard, Axel Cruysberghs, Shiloh Catori and Braden Hoban. With appearances from the rest of the team!
** It should also be noted that Georgia Martin just went pro for Toy Machine!! Get it Georgia!!
All photos Anthony Acosta
Costa Mesa, CALIF. (May 30, 2024) – Vans Global Skateboarder Arisa Trew is making history in skateboarding. In 2023, she shattered barriers by becoming the first woman to land a 720 on a skateboard and then the first to perform the trick in a competition run, clinching the Women's Skateboard Vert gold at X Games California 2023. The next day, she added another feather to her cap by winning the Women's Skateboard Park Gold, making her the youngest X Games double gold medalist at 13. These remarkable achievements led to her being honored with the 2024 Laureus World Sports Award for Action Sports Person of the Year. Following the award, Arisa became the first woman to land a Switch 540. Now, she's taking Skateboarding to even greater heights by becoming the first female to land a 900, a feat accomplished 25 years after Tony Hawk's groundbreaking achievement.
Congratulations to Arisa for her unwavering determination in pushing skateboarding forward, a testament to her relentless pursuit of progression that continues to inspire future generations.
Check out Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team rider ,Mayzie Feher, shredding at Venice Skatepark in this new ad for Belkin Nano 2 Wireless Earbuds. We love it when we see our team riders in these ads and commercials!
Congrats Mayzie!!
Check out the full article on Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team rider Minna Stess in TEEN VOGUE!
Louise-Aïna Taboulet photographed by Marili-Ande for Dior
Dior has come out of the Olympic gate flying high! The French fashion power-house has paired up with fifteen female athletes to represent Dior in a stunning ad campaign in advance of the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
French skateboarder Louise-Aïna Taboulet, who is currently #1 in the Women’s Park standings for France, was chosen by Dior as their ambassador to represent skateboarding.
The photo series, will be displayed at Le Café Dior in La Galerie Dior in Paris from July 24 to September 9, 2024.
All photos by Ian Logan x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word
We joined forces with our amazing friends from Bridge to Skate and had a blast at the South Los Angeles Station Youth Activities League Center (complete with a private skatepark!). Our girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team riders Mazel Alegado, Mayzie Feher, Brooke Benton, and Quinne Daniels brought a truckload of new and gently used skate gear to donate. They spent the afternoon showing young girls (and boys) the ropes, from the basics to dropping in.
Our team riders shared their inspiring stories with the kids. They spoke about their lives as competitive skateboarders, their dreams of competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and the hard work they put in both at school and in the skatepark to turn those dreams into reality.
The May issue of Scholastic Magazine features team rider Mazel on the cover and has a three-page story about her personal journey in skateboarding. We are so grateful to Scholastic Magazine for sending us enough copies of the issue to pass out to every child in the program. All four team riders signed the magazines and personally handed them out. After that, it was time to skate!
After a teaching session, the kids were ready to see a demo, and these rad girls did not disappoint! They skated hard, answered questions, did tricks that the kids asked to see and kept the momentum going.
Huge thanks to Gap for supporting Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word with a grant and for donating tee shirts and hats from the Palace Gap collection that we were able to give to these new and enthusiastic young skateboarders!
I had a chance to sit down with my good friend Danna Black and speak with the guys behind Vision Street Wear China and talk about what it was like back in the day to work with VSW to bring their iconic styles into mainstream fashion. Vision was one of the first skate companies to go from core skateboarding to the public wanting it just as much as the pro skaters did. The designs were epic and and coveted to this day!
It came down to the wire in Shanghai but Australia's Arisa Trew came out on top at the first stop of the Olympic Qualifier Series. Watch her second run to see some seriously badass tricks in a run that would not quit!
Make sure to stay tuned for the next stop in Budapest from June 20-23!
The women’s Park semi-finals from Shanghai were a nail biter! We are not going to give away anything here. Except that FIVE out of SIX USA women made it into the semi’s. Minna Stess, Jordyn Barrett, Bryce Wettstein, Grace Marhoefer, and Ruby Lilley. Just tune in above and watch it go down.
Tomorrow we will have the women’s finals posted to watch as well, so stay tuned!
Get Ready!
There are only TWO more stops for the top 44 skaters in the world before the Olympic teams are selected. Currently there are six USA Women in the mix for Park, and four USA women in the mix for street.
After Shanghai, the Budapest event will take place from June 20-24
Each of the four events—Men’s Park, Women’s Park, Men’s Street, and Women’s Street—will feature 22 athletes in Paris, for a total of 88 skateboarding athletes overall.
On 24 June 2024, the skateboarders ranked in the top spots in these rankings will obtain quota spots for Paris 2024. A maximum of three athletes from each National Olympic Committee (NOC) may qualify for each event: So each Olympic team could feature, at most, three men and three women each in street and park, for a total possible squad of 12 skateboarders. Each continent is allotted at least one athlete.
As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective teams at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at Paris 2024 depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation.
The points on offer at OQS - a two-part qualifying series - will be worth much more than what was previously offered in phase one meaning no one in their current ranking is safe.
Skaters will have their points from part one, with their points from Shanghai and Budapest (the second stop for OQS) combined to form an official ranking from which the final field for Paris 2024 will be decided.
You can watch all the action from OQS in Shanghai live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app for mobile devices.
16 May: Women’s Park Preliminary Round
17 May: Women’s Street Preliminary Round
18 May: Semifinals for all events
19 May: Finals for all events
)Hiraki Kokona (JPN)
Kusaki Hinano (JPN)
Sky Brown (GBR)T
Naia Laso (ESP)
Yosozumi Sakura (JPN)
Minna Stess (USA)
Raicca Ventura (BRA)
Ruby Trew (AUS)
Bryce Wettstein (USA)
Lilly Stoephasius (GER)
Arisa Trew (AUS)
Ruby Lilley (USA)
Lola Tambling (GBR)
Dora Varella (BRA)
Grace Marhoefer (USA)
Yndiara Asp (BRA)
Hasegawa Mizuho (JPN)
Jordyn Barratt (USA)
Lillian Erickson (USA)
Isadora Pacheco (BRA)
Sugawara Mei (JPN)
Cho Hyunju (KOR)
Nakamura Kisa (JPN)
Emilie Alexandre (FRA)
Heili Sirvio (FIN)
Fay Ebert (CAN)
Julia Benedetti (ESP)
Poppy Starr (AUS)
Charlotte Heath (AUS
)Nana Taboulet (FRA)
Gadea Moja (ESP)
Lilly Strachan (GBR)
Aaliyah Wilson (AUS)
Coco Crafter (AUS)
Li Yujuan (CHN)
Hedda Hjertberg (SWE)
Zheng Haohao (CHN)
)Victoria Bassi (BRA)
Lucrezia Zarattini (ITA)
Madeleine Larcheron (FRA)
Fernanda Tonissi (BRA)
)Ceci Rendueles (ESP)
Alisa Fessi (AUT)
Aya Asaqas (MAR)
Nishiya Momiji (JPN)
)Rayssa Leal (BRA)
Oda Yumeka (JPN)
Chloe Covell (AUS)
Akama Liz (JPN)
)Nakayama Funa (JPN)
Yoshizawa Coco (JPN)
Pamela Rosa (BRA)
IIto Miyu (JPN)
Paige Heyn (USA)
Gabi Mazetto (BRA)
Roos Zwetsloot (NED)
Cui Chenxi (CHN)
Daniela Terol (ESP)
Liv Lovelace (AUS)
Keet Oldenbeuving (NED)
Haylie Powell (AUS)
Zeng Wenhui (CHN)
Natalia Munoz (ESP)
Mariah Duran (USA)
Lucie Schoonheere (FRA)
Lore Bruggeman (BEL)
Jazmin Alvarez (COL)
Poe Pinson (USA)
Candy Jacobs (NED)
Charlotte Hym (FRA)
Felicity Turner (AUS)
Ha Siye (KOR)
Kemily Suiara (BRA)
Zhang Yan (CHN)
Zhu Yuanling (CHN)
Isabelly Avila (BRA)
Jessica Ready (NZL)
Afrika Criado Oliva (ESP)
Aldana Bertran (ARG)
Jeromine Lourvet (FRA)
Samantha Secours (CAN)
Vareeraya Sukasem (THA)
Lan Junyi (CHN)
Ailin Arzua (ARG)
Meagan Guy (USA)
Marina Gabriela (BRA)
Weronika Choromanska (POL)
Boipelo Awuah (RSA)
"Now this is a skateboard"
Hop in on the sessions with the Powell-Peralta squad.
Make sure you keep an eye out for our Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team rider Mazel Alegado at the 5:57 mark. It’s rare that a female skater gets into one of these videos, and she's ten-years-old!
GO MAZEL!
Image via Palace Gap
Have you seen the new PALACE GAP ads and video featuring our team rider Anna Shea? Shot in and around iconic spots in San Francisco, these visuals are not just stunning; they're a testament to the growing influence of skateboarding culture. The video, filled with vibrant adventures, makes you feel like you're on an epic skate trip with these young skaters, including Anna, who plays a significant role in this campaign.
Image via Palace Gap
Anna makes her first appearance in this super cool video, which features many of your favorite legendary skaters: Elissa Steamer, Karl Watson, and Tommy Guerrero, and Palace skaters Kanin Garner, Jamal Smith, Heitor Da Silva, and Jahmir Brown.
We were honored when Gap came to us to help find the skater girl for this shoot. After quite a few remote auditions, Anna ended up getting the part, and we could not be happier for her. At just nine years old, she absolutely held her own throughout the two days of filming.
Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word team riders Maya and Anna celebrating the PALACE GAP launch
When the PALACE GAP collection was unveiled, it was a moment of celebration and unity. Anna, along with her PALACE GAP mates, rolled out to the original Gap store on Market Street in San Francisco. The surprise arrival of her Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word teammate, Maya Kenny, added to the joy and camaraderie of the event, showcasing the strong bonds within the skateboarding community.
Image via Palace Gap
Moving forward this year, Gap has provided a financial grant to Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word to help us do what we love: support girls and women in skateboarding!
Look out for more of our support for indie projects and special events that give back to the skate community.
First up is the annual Chica de Mayo all-girls skate event on May 18th in New Jersey; this event is put on by team rider sixteen-year-old Zoe Herishen, who has, for the past eight years, thrown a fantastic East Coast skate event to help teach and encourage girls to get out and skate together. We have sent some special Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word give-a-ways that will only be at this event, so you don't want to miss it!
Thanks to Gap for this fantastic opportunity and your belief in what we do! Stay tuned to see what we have planned next with Gap’s support!!
All images via Nike
Nike SB has partnered with Converse CONS team rider Alexis Sablone to design skateboarding federation kits for the United States and Japan, as well as a unique kit that represents everyone who rolls.
The collection also includes two limited-edition skateboarding footwear styles: a fresh take on Alexis’ signature Converse CONS AS-1 Pro and a complementary Nike SB Dunk Low.
Anything but uniform, the 2024 federation kits are the creative collision of skateboarding’s style, influence and inclusivity — fostering freedom of expression and personality to lead, on and off the board.
All images via Nike
Merging classic workwear pieces, the collections reimagine traditional sportswear with skateboarding insights, allowing athletes to choose from a deep range of options and aesthetics to best represent their personal style.
Drawing on Alexis’ design acumen and decades ingrained in skateboarding culture, the collections feature three key pieces tied to the greater story of sport and skateboarding: a bowler shirt, Parisian-inspired chore coat and relaxed-fit denim pant.
“I knew I had to create enough of a range where there’s a style for everyone, whether that was something louder and more graphic-heavy or something more subtle and subdued but still with some character,” says Alexis.
The architect, multidisciplinary creator and former Olympian designed distinct crests for the USA and Japanese kits by combining the countries’ iconography, colors and skateboarding spirit with her signature postmodern style.
All images via Nike
The USA crest, for example, harks back to skateboarding’s genesis on the sun-soaked streets of California by celebrating the freeform experimentation and improvisation that continue shaping the sport’s culture today. Alexis juxtaposes timeless American symbols — a rose, an eagle, red and white stripes — with playful characters that evoke the synergy between skateboarding’s impulse-driven energy and its expressive, jazz-like flow.
“Sometimes when you begin a design, coming up with a narrative is helpful,” says Alexis. “For example, I thought about skateboarding’s roots in the United States. What’s that story? The crest is a simple way through graphic elements to express pride in a place.”
All images via Nike
Alexis also blends skateboarding and culture in another crest designed for athletes across the globe. The design features a pair of chameleons connected by a wavy illustration of Earth and centered with four unique species of orchids — one of the most diverse and unpredictable plants on the planet.
A balance of boundless originality and colorful diversity, the crest represents the transcendence of skateboarding and the creative connectivity that binds skateboarders around the world. Alexis chose the color-changing lizard, she says, “for the simple reason that skateboarders can look any number of ways.”
She incorporated similar themes throughout the footwear collection, manifesting chameleons and their vibrant, unpredictable color patterns in both footwear styles.
The Converse CONS AS-1 Pro and iconic Nike SB Dunk Low are bound by bumpy, reptilian textures and color-changing, wear-away leather, as well as chameleon camo liners. In a touch distinct to the federation collection, the Swoosh on the Dunk Low is also fashioned to resemble a chameleon’s characteristic curving tongue.
The Nike SB 2024 federation kits and apparel collection will be available July 18 at select skate shops. The Converse CONS AS-1 Pro and Nike SB Dunk Low will be sold in an exclusive twin pack featuring both silhouettes Aug ust 22. Both styles will also go on sale individually August 29 through SNKRS, on converse.com and in select skate shops.
Details about the Japanese skateboarding federation kit will be available in the coming months.
Photo Ian Logan x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word
Check out team rider Mazel Alegado on the cover of the May issue of Scholastic News Magazine that is in schools now! We don’t want to give it all away here , but there is a great two- page interview (and more photos inside) on Mazel’s skateboarding career, and her dreams of representing Team Philippines in the 2028 LA Olympics!. Congrats Mazel!!
You can read the full article at SCHOLASTIC NEWS for free!
A big thank you to Ian Logan for taking photos of our team riders at events (like this one at Exposure Skate) and skate sessions!
I had all my Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word prototype cruisers and longboards stolen from my storage. There are more designs than pictured here, as we did numerous collaborations with Dusters California through the years.
None of these boards have been ridden - they are pristine. Some are still in their poly bags.
Also, stolen 8 Pom Pom x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word decks - photo here as well.
If you come across any Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word Boards for sale in chats, online, or anywhere that seems suspicious, please, I implore you, contact me. These boards are not just products, they are the very essence of GN4LW, a unique and irreplaceable part of our history.
Also stolen are signed boards by everyone who attended Eddie Elguera's events in the 1970s and 1980s—keep a look out for those, too.
I am sincerely hoping we can get these back.
6 Women will move on to the Final to battle it out for the trophy at the SLS first-ever Championship Tour stop in San Diego!
Women’s Group 01: Gabriela Mazetto, Paige Heyn, Liz Akama, Funa Nakayama, Raysssa Leal
Women’s Group 02: Wenhui “Zoe” Zeng, Aoi Uemura, Yumeka Oda, Momiji Nishiya, Chloe Covell
Stay tuned for the finals and a recap of everything that went down!!
Chloe Covell has been on a roll this year! Watch this just released video of how Chloe won SLS Paris.
Klara, Brooke, Evette, Anna, Briel, Quinne and Cindy
We were asked again this year by “Boards Across Hermosa” to be part of the 28th Annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade here in Hermosa Beach, and we couldn’t say no! We rounded up some of our team riders (Klara Kermoade, Anna Shea, Evette Halitzka, Briel Weingartner, Brooke Benson, and Quinne Daniels) and made a fun day of it!
The crowd loved seeing the girls skate, and every time someone would yell, “Do a kick-flip,” one of the girls would throw one down to the cheers of the bystanders! These girls are always out there showing that Girls Skate Too! Love that.
Photos ~ Ian Logan x Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word
Team riders, Anna, Klara, Quinne, Evette, Briel and Brooke joined Cindy in skating the entire parade route!
Thanks to the Hermosa Chamber of Commerce, the City of Hermosa Beach and Boards Across America for this fun opportunity!
With a fresh change of scenery and spots for days, Rayssa Leal and friends break in her new Dunk in Los Angeles.
Featuring Rayssa Leal, Filipe Mota, Keet Oldenbeuving, Gabryel Aguilar, Leonardo Adrian, and Felipe Gustavo. Filmed and edited by Eric Iwakura.
The SB Dunk Low by Rayssa Leal is available March 19 in select skate shops and March 20 in SNKRS.
