Don’t Think Just Skate

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_katkat000 advice from the Philippines – Don’t think.  Just Ride.

It’s true, where every you live or travel to, you need to get out of your head to enjoy life.

Skateboarding should be about the fun and freedom you feel – if it’s not – why are you skateboarding?  And if you’re worried how you’ll look to the other skaters?  You’re not skating with friends.  Friends support and encourage.  True friends know it’s through falling that we learn. And real skaters are too busy skating to make fun and judge other skaters!

 

And as it’s March 31st – we can all celebrate because it’s my God Mom Denise’s birthday – she’s in New Orleans!

On the Road – Where are Skating Fashionistas ???

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Artist_of_art_ captioned this On the Road.

Skating Fashionistas can be found everywhere.  If you have a picture or event to share please let me know.  [email protected]

More girls skate when they see girls skateboarding and we encourage each other.  It’s positivity grows when people show & encourage positivity.  All are welcome to share their pictures/stories & events.

I just added an events page – check it out to see Skating Fashionista Events!

Jackalopes are real – Happy Easter

I love Canada and soon it will be  Jackalope time  in Montreal – August 19- 21st.

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Jackalope is just one of the many events that World Cup Skateboarding organizes.  Below is my  interview with Don Bostick President of World Cup Skateboarding since 1993.

SF:  I’ve heard people say skateboarding is a fad – goes up & down in popularity.  Is that what you’ve seen in the last 20 plus years?  And if so why does that happen?

Don:  Back in the early days and I mean the early days of the 60’s when I started skateboarding, it was often referred to as a fad. It appeared and disappeared as most fads do overnight. However, for the past 40 years, skateboarding has enjoyed good and bad times in a roller coaster type of fashion. About every 10 years, things are good with companies thriving and the number of skateboarders go up. Then for different reasons, business slows down and the number of skaters fall off. Basically, kids grow up and discover girls, driving owning a car and getting a job, etc. – life changes.. However, the big difference in the last 10 years is the number of returning skaters! Check out the skateparks and it’s become a family thing now. So many dads and moms are skating with their kids; boys and girls. The other difference is the influence of long boarding, cruising and just skating for transportation.

Because of all the TV exposure skateboarding has received in the past 20 years via the X Games, Gravity Games, Dew Tour, Street League, MTV Sports Festival, Vans Triple Crown, and more, new skaters have been drawn into skating that might not have been by just the skate media, etc. Then add in social media, skating is everywhere world wide!

SF:  Overall do you think there’s been a steady increase in the number of girls skateboarding even if the total number of skaters has decreased?

Just based on what I’ve seen around the world, the number of girls skateboarding is definitely on the rise. Pre teens, teens, mature girls and even older moms are out there doing it. Girls of all ages are really enjoying skateboarding. They are also enjoying all the different forms of skateboarding from skating the parks, the streets and cruising on longboards as well. On my trip to Colorado for the Winter Dew Tour, I saw a girl traveling with a downhill skateboard set. A totally specialized low gravity deck about 34 “ long, 10” wide, with cut outs for the 72 mm wheels, etc. She had it attached to her backpack. As an old downhiller, I thought it was super cool to see. There is so much more support for the girls, which I believe is huge help in attracting girls to skateboarding. It’s a special time in skateboarding for girls, with all the new skate companies targeting the female market and special events out there giving opportunities to the girls, like the Vans Girls Combi Pool Classic and Exposure! Thanks to all the ladies over the years paving the way, making today’s atmosphere even possible!

SF:  I see so many skate parks opening up around the world – I think that’s a good sign for the future of skateboarding – do you?

Yes, I do think it’s a good sign for the future of skateboarding. Internationally, skateparks have blown up in the past few years! I’m not sure of the number of parks around the world, but they are certain up from the number of skateparks, say 5 or 10 years ago.

The biggest deal and change is that of number of parks are free and open to the public! Here in the United States, everything changed once the liability laws changed. We’re now in tune with the rest of the world and parks are everywhere.

Parks breed new skaters and maintain older skaters, which is why they are important! With parks opening up around the world, skateboarding’s future is secured. Similar to having basketball courts for soccer fields.

SF:  If you had one wish for skateboarding – mine is to see more girls of all ages & levels skateboarding for fun – what would your wish be?

I like that! I also feel your wish is already coming true, just based what I’ve seen in recent years for the number of girls now skating around the world.

My one wish for skateboarding would be that we weren’t so fragmented as an industry and dare I say as a sport? There are so many different aspects of skateboarding. Everyone is different and what attracts them. From kick flipping down a double stair to racing downhill at 50 miles an hour to skating backyard pools, cruising the beach or making the first 1440 on the mega ramp, it’s all skateboarding! I would just like to see everyone respect each other and their style of skating! Yeah, that’s my wish!

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That’s an awesome wish – what are your wishes for skateboarding?  Please keep sharing your pictures – seeing is believing – & yes Jackalope’s must be real see above & below.  Happy Easter!

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Photo from Project Jackalope by Emily Ecton

 

 

 

 

 

 

Missing Girls Art Project

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MISSING is a public art project started by Leena Kejriwal in India.

Black silhouettes of a young girl have been painted all over Indian cites to represent dark holes into which millions of girls disappear. It’s estimated that global trafficking has 27 million people and millions of that are children. This is horrible and way too many people don’t know about it.

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MISSING or #missingirls is bringing awareness about sex trafficking in hopes people will step out to see it ended.
I found out about #missingirls at the beginning of this year and thought it was such a great idea that I made a stencil and painted it on my skateboard. I actually told my mom that some day I was going to work for and help these people, and then one month later, I was asked to be the USA ambassador. I’ve painted the stencil on other peoples skateboards at a few local skateparks and am really stoked about how much everyone gets excited about it. We also have been working towards painting it at churches and local business. I am so grateful to Aura Skateboarding and Training Facility for showing so much support and being the first place that the Missingirls stencil has been painted here in the USA!   They also have done half price admission days for anyone who get the Missingirl stencil painted on their skateboard.
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In the past 3 months we’ve been able to paint the Missingirl stencil on over 30 boards! But sadly Sex trafficking isn’t the only kind of trafficking, labor trafficking is a huge part of human slavery and there are things YOU can do to help us end it! Look for the Fair Trade label. Buying fair trade chocolate, coffee, rice, clothing, soccer balls and many other items does make a Huge impact on ending trafficking. Where we put our money really does make a impact!
Also if you would like to put the Missingirl stencil on your skateboard or business or anywhere you know you can, I will email you the stencil PDF so you can make your own!
Please keep the trafficked girls and everyone who is trafficked in your thoughts and prayers!
15yrs old, Vista CA
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Thank you Carly for writing this blog post & everything else you do to help Missing Girls.

Don’t be shy – if you’re a skater any board/skates and doing something rad  – share it – skatingfashionistas aren’t just skateboarders or girls – they are people who keep it stylish on & off the board.

Yes – more girls skate when they see girls skateboarding AND more people make positive changes when they see & feel positivity!

Skateboarding Increases Self-Confidence

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Proud dad moment today! Little one decided all by herself that she’s ready to join the afterschool skate club!!

thanks for sharing dad – I know you have fun skateboarding & appreciate that you share it

My parents both engineers – they like data and facts – I’m an artist so I see and feel that skateboarding builds self-confidence.  Self-confidence is stylish on & off the board so share how your confidence is growing.

By the way her dad (aka skateyogi) shares skateboarding with lots of people.

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Above a picture from okbana in Phrao, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

You know I LOVE the pink outfit & shoes – stylish!

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Chloe Sharing from Auckland, New Zealand

Makes my day when girls take the time to write their own post – thanks Chloe & thanks to her mom for encouraging her to be her best self.

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I am 8 and a half and I have been skateboarding for a bit over 6 months.   I live in Auckland, New Zealand. My favourite skatepark is in Devenport but I skate at Victoria Park almost every weekend.
 
It is really hard to put into words why I like skateboarding so much! I love it because even though you fall over sometimes it is still fun. It makes me a bit sad that there are not many girls who skateboard, but it makes me happy and I try to encourage other girls who skate.
 
I enjoy all types of skateboarding, but I love bowls because my favourite thing to do at the moment is to drop in. I am trying to learn to olly and pop shuvit.  – Chloe

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Thanks Chloe for taking the time to share & as more girls do there will be more girl skateboarders.  And that tower – magnificent.  One of the best things about being the skatingfashionista is learning about rad places.

Skate parks with views are so stylish!

Union Bay – what I’m loving

Shorts – especially length of shorts is an issue for me.  I’m about the style and the look – my dad, skateboard coach and the school dress code woman – not so much.

So when I find a pair of shorts that can make all of us happy – I have to show them off.

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Above I’m in the Delaney Short.  The description reads slip into these shorts when the weather heats up.  Deep pockets add practicality and the cotton-spandex blend ensures the perfect fit.  True these shorts are cute on & nice to skate in.  And because as I mentioned they are an “approved” length I got them in two other colors.

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But wait there’s more colors

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I’m seriously considering getting the black ones too.  Ordering on-line is simple easy click here to see all the Union Bay shorts.  My favorites the Delaney’s are now on sale for $20 and shipping is only $4.95 but waived if you spend over $75.

An additional fashion restriction I have coming up in the summer is that when I L.I.T. (leadership in training) at the YMCA there’s a dress code.  From page 40 of the YMCA Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA Camp Guide

L.I.T.s will be required to follow the Y camp staff dress code:  solid, non-denim pants or shorts; unaltered Y L.I.T. t-shirt; tennis shoes.  Female L.I.T.s will be required to wear one-piece bathing suits when applicable.

Yes – this is worse than the daddy & school dress codes.  Once again hurray for Union Bay Delaney shorts, however, I’m the skatingfashionista.  I don’t just skateboard – I ice skate too.

Just this past weekend I saw one of my campers from a past summer.  I loved that he remembered me and is still ice skating.  Shorts and ice skating can get cold.  Jeans would be ideal but they are NOT ALLOWED.

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Above a comfy Union Bay option.  What I love about the Carlita Jogger is you can dress them up or keep them casual.  They will be perfect for ice skating as well as skateboarding and just lounging.  They are now on sale for $25 and come in the color above and Lt. Walnut.

I can’t just have one pair of pants to go to work so Union Bay has me covered with the Crystal Skinny Pant – below.

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These pants are a first for me because they have a side zip.  They are also on sale – for an amazing $19.99 – I haven’t skated in them yet – but I wore them to school and had a good day.  Plus you can get an extra 10% off your first order on-line and they are available at most major department stores – my shorts came from Kohl’s.

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You can also check Union Bay out on Instagram – and if you tag them in your Union Bay you could be featured.

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My wish to all of you & myself – NO MORE DRESS CODES.  But even with restrictions I know we can still keep it stylish on & off the board.  Ok the one-piece bathing suit – that might be a step too far so see you soon at camp but maybe not at any water camps.

Recap on All Girls Ride – March 19th – Philippines

I love when girls share their stories so especially loved Allison sharing this recap on the All Girls Ride.  If you have an event you want to post just email me at [email protected].

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The event happened March 19.

We held 2 divisions of DH race. Class A and B. Then a longest puckdown competition. 🙂 Organized by: LGC South Luzon – Philippines. Our sponsors are: Big H Skate Co. , Freeride Skateshop, Easy Skate-Surf, Skate Champion, GSS, STFU Apparel, Baked Foot Clothing, Full Tuck Skate Shop and Tingguian Tribe.

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Allison awesome post – thanks for sharing & for keeping it stylish on & off the board.

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