Indiana Skater Girls Who Started a Skater Girl Community

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When you start a project like this collage #girlscanskate USA you’re never sure where it will take you.  You can be faced with some rejection, however, it’s worth it for the friends you end up making.
Ashley shares these pictures and below her skate story.
There is no doubt in my mind that skater girls are strong in Indiana. Ashley and her friend Erica go out of their way to encourage other girls.  Ashley even started a Facebook page so girls know where the other girls will be skating.
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The mission of the Indy Broad Squad is to connect with other girls in the Indy scene…to create a sisterhood where girls can learn from each other, not compete with each other. There’s a handful of us, and we all have our own style, our own backgrounds, our own moxy, and the true love of skateboarding. We invite all girls to vibe off our mojo and join us as we grow with our passion and skill. 
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on instagram Ashley &  Erica
Ashley’s Story
I got into skateboarding when I was in middle school. I had always been kind of tomboyish and when my brother started skateboarding I immediately took interest in it too. When I stopped following my dork of a brother around and made my own friends, I ventured outside of the tennis court by my house to actual skateparks around indy.
I think it was my freshman or sophomore year of high school that I went into a park carrying my skateboard and the first thing some little shit head kid said to me was “do you  actually skateboard?” in the most sarcastic tone I had ever heard.
I honestly never understood why it was so hard for dudes to encourage girls to skate rather than doubt they even have the ability. The older I got the more I realized this had a lot to do with age, maturity and competitiveness of little boys. I also realized that outside of skateboarding (because I didn’t know other girls that skated), no matter how old a girl was she was still competitive with other girls. Whether it be with beauty, weight, status, or stability.
I have always loved skateboarding because I didn’t have to compete with anyone, I wasn’t on a team that lost or won. But above everything else, skateboarding would always be there for me. It wasn’t some dude who would dump me or some girl who would stab me in the back. Good or bad times, skateboarding would never leave me.
A few years ago I came to the conclusion that there had to be other females around this town that had the same passion about skateboarding that I did. So I created a ‘Girls Who Skate Indy’ Facebook group so that I could hopefully connect with them and then eventually they could also connect with each other. Every time I saw a girl at the park I didn’t know, I told her about it. Now we use the group to let everyone know where we will be skating and when so if any others want to join they can.
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If there was one place I could find girl friends who didn’t constantly think they were better than me, it was within skateboarding. And I definitely have.
 
Photo credit: Nick Traycoff
Park: Major Taylor Skatepark

 

Cruising in Wyoming

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Wyoming the last state alphabetically but not the last state on our #girlscanskate USA.  Above allisonmccuskey cruising in Jackson Hole.

Wyoming is now on my list to skate – so beautiful.  Many more posts on states to come – this is turning in to the funnest collage yet!

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UPDATE 6/8/16

from Allison

I began longboarding when my dad bought me my first longboard as a high school graduation gift. There weren’t many hills in my neighborhood so I had my yellow labrador retreiver pull me around so I could go really fast. Now days I just like to cruise on it. I love carving down smooth steady declines. I’m not much for speed but mostly just to feel the wind in my hair 🙂 
I really appreciate what you’re doing. As an aspiring professional skier and mountain biker in a male dominated community I totally understand the importance of shining light on women 🙂 
thanks Allison for sharing & I love to see and hear that skating is just one of the things #girlscando

 

Skateboarding with Daddy in a Parking Garage

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This is a fun video.  Then you read the caption and realize

Daddy took me to bomb my first parking garage!

now it’s sweet – then you finish reading the caption

We found later that it was where the police park some of their cars lol

Abstar317 – keep skateboarding & having fun with your dad & it’s rad your mom supports you too!

I skate with my dad at the Carmel Valley Skate Park next door to a police station – I’d like to think if they had a parking structure they’d let us skate that too!

 

North Dakota found through Friends

Finding a skater girl in North Dakota was challenging.  But not impossible thanks to

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they introduced me to joyorama – Joy is skateboarding in Fargo North Dakota – she’s been skating for 11 years and is still obsessed!

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Finding the girls for #girlscanskate USA was more fun than I ever imagined.  And I got way more help than I expected.  After a rough start with the West Virginia guy who told me the only girls at skateparks are girlfriends, I’ve been met with only positive vibes & help.

The posts will keep coming and once all the states have been posted – the collage will be released.  Thank you to everyone who believes and encourages #girlscanskate.

Below Joy’s Skateboard Story

SKATEBOARDING = freedom

I started skating at 19 years old. At times, I wish I would have started younger but then again, maybe I wasn’t ready for the wave of skateboarding to overtake me as it did at 19. Once I started, I was hooked. In college if I wasn’t in class, working, or studying, I was skating at our local Fargo skate park. The love of it never seemed to escape me, some nights I would awake in the morning to the reminisce of skateboarding dreams.

To me, skateboarding brings freedom. I never feel as free as I do when I’m on my skateboard. At the skate park, there are no obligations, no stress. There I can ride fast and hard and get that overwhelming adrenaline rush that is pure bliss. I get in the zone and don’t have to think about anything else.

My routine is to grab my motorcycle and throw my skateboard on the back. I take a moto joyride to the skate park and it’s the best of both world’s colliding: skating and motorcycle.

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I purely ride park. My favorite trick is a fakie tail stall. I just conquered a fakie 5-0. I do a lot of cobing tricks; stalls, rock-n-roll, fakie rock-n-roll, etc… and like to ride fast and have long session lines.

I met the other love of my life through skating, my hubby. He saw me riding and thought I looked intimidating because I had my focused, skate default face going on. He later saw me at church and struck up a conversation that started out as, “hey, you’re that girl that skates…” And soon after that we were dating and have been married 9 years now. I can’t even begin to explain how energizing it is to have someone that shares the same love of riding. By day he’s a graphic designer and off duty he’s a phenomenal BMXer who has been sponsored twice and was invited a few years ago to Greenville, NC to ride with some pros that came to Fargo. He wasn’t going to go and I told him if he didn’t I’d kill him. He did end up going. (I brag about him because he is the most humble person I know).

Recently I’ve been teaching a 16 year old girl who rides longboards to skate. She just learned to drop in; I was so proud! It’s so fun to share this unique love of a wood board on wheels with a fellow girl and I know the girl skate culture will only continue to grow.

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The Fargo skate park has a great dynamic and culture. I’m typically the only girl and all the guys are really tight. These skate park people, we’re like a family. We don’t see each other during the winter and then when spring comes we are so excited to get back to what we love doing. After our crazy long winters, there is this insane excitement that buzzes at our park.

I’m 30 now and its been 11 years since skateboarding overtook me, and the only thing that troubles me about getting older is the thought that I won’t be able to skate as I age. I saw some 40-50 something ladies carving at the Denver skate park and I hope that’s me some day.

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Shout out to all my fellow skater girls. If any of you lovely people are in Fargo, hit me up and we’ll go skate the day away.

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Skateboarding in Montana in a Dress

As the skatingfashionista – I’m all about skating in what you want.  There’s no uniform in skateboarding.

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Cool_onfamily shares this picture from Big Sandy Skate Park in Montana with the caption Sometimes it’s so hot outside you have to just put on your dress & skate !!!

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For more on Big Sandy Skate Park check them out on Facebook.  Concrete Disciples call it a labor of love which Jeff Ament donated to his hometown.  Plus there’s more to come check out Evergreen Skate Parks who’s working on Phase 2.

Hawaii & More Hawaii

Kody.tamanaha shares this picture but I can’t give you the link to this photo because someone hacked it and deleted all her photos.

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Whoever did that – really why ?!!!

Kody is back in business and sharing new pictures.

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More girls skate when they see stylish girls skateboarding and get encouragement.  Do things like the hacking stop #girlscanskate – no mean things like that just make those who want to skate & inspire others to skate to work harder.

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Above Kody skateboarding with huntahlong.

Did you know that Hunter is the first skateboarder, male or female from Hawaii to skate at the X-Games ? Yep she’s making history this week in Austin! Go Hunter! Photo @ryancolle – trivia girlisnota4letterword

How to Watch Girls at the X-Games Austin – Saturday June 4th

STREET
Watch @XGames Women’s Street Finals LIVE this Saturday 9am PST on TV: ABC on WEB: www.watchespn.com @mahfia_tv @thealliance_wsa @girlsskatenetwork #xgwstreet
PARK
Watch @XGames Women’s Park Finals LIVE WEBCAST this Saturday 1pm PST at www.watchespn.com @mahfia_tv @thealliance_wsa @girlsskatenetwork #xgwpark
Thank you Kim Woozy for sharing this info
 UPDATE 6/4/16 Results
street
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Vermont

After a few false starts the real picture of #girlscanskate Vermont is below

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Thanks kaleahopal for sharing this picture from Burlington Skate Park.  More girls skateboard when they see stylish girls skateboarding and they get encouragement – which they must know in Vermont because they are making park improvements.  More skaters = more & updated skate parks!  Just another reason to support #girlscanskate.

The Burlington Skate Park Advisory Committee (SPAC)is working with CEDO and the Parks Department to build a new 20,000 sq ft cement skate park as part of the larger redevelopment of the Moran Plant. – for more information check out their Facebook page

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What to do in Connecticut ?

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Tisha skating in Connecticut says her plan is Skate, Travel, Tattoos, Eat – Repeat

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Looks like it’s working for her.  To see more of her skating and other girls especially in New England – check out New England Female Skateboarding they have a huge event coming up June 18th

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Plus they meet on Tuesdays for free girls skate sessions at The Edge Indoor Skate Park.  I’m glad to see all these girls  believing skate & repeat 🙂

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