Gale Webb – Photographer

September 22, 2016 Jordan

Being a photographer is just one of the many things that Gale Webb does. I’m writing this post as part of the series on “girls who shoot girls skateboarding”. Yes I love Gale’s photos but what I really admire about her is that she does and experiences so much. No one puts a “label” on Gale.

Above, she’s been written about and profiled in magazines. Which I love because “seeing is believing” so when girls see Gale in action they start to believe they could try that too. She skateboards, races motor cross, snowboards, and in-line skates.

She competed in the USASA – United States Snowboard Association for over 5 years. She competed in Half Pipe, Down Hill Slalom, & Boardercross.

She describes herself as a bit wild, with a need to go fast! She says, “Sports always makes me feel whole and my biggest pleasure is helping others.”

Below, she draws a crowd and proves that skateboarding isn’t just for “kids”.

I found out that Gale skated in her 40’s after a near death skydiving accident. She took a horrible event and turned it into the positive message of “never give up”. And TBH it would be pretty easy to give up if you broke your neck & back plus had doctor’s telling you “you’d never lead a normal life”.

Gale also responded to the death of a close friend from a drug overdose with positive action. She couldn’t bring her friend back but she does help others from not going there. To find out why she’s called America’s Sports Mom check out her http://galewebb.com/ site.

To find out more about Gale’s photography check out her http://www.galewebbphotos.com/ site. Yes you’ll see amazing pictures of why she’s in the “girls who shoot girls skateboarding”.

Be sure to check out sections like All Girl SK8-Board Jam and EXPOSURE A Womens Sk8 Event.

You can also check Gale’s photos out on her IG. Plus see pictures of Gale with some of her many friends.

Thank you Gale for sharing your talents with the world & inspiring everyone to “never give up”!

I plan on seeing Gale at EXPOSURE Skate – 11/5 at the Encinitas Community Park – look for the pink shoe laces & camera so you can find her too!

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Pro Freestyle in the Hague with the Girls

September 21, 2016 Jordan

When Marcel Den Oude shared this video with me, I knew I had to write a post. Go ahead watch it then read the post.

So what, who is Girlifornia?

Girlifornia is a video platform for girl riders. We film and interview action sport girls around the world.

Here they can show and tell the world what is cooking in their life and world.

Every year our goal is to make lot of small videos and as well one big film.

Can girls just ask to be involved?

We are looking for ladies around the world who love to film and love action sports. Tell us about your ideas and let’s start projects.

Email: [email protected]

What’s the Pro Freestyle in the Hague?

Pro Freestyle in the Hague is the 2nd stop in a Sports – Music – Culture Festival celebrating the progression of action sports. It features contests for Skateboarding, BMX Park, BMX Street, Scoot, Inline, and MTB Park.

Does Pro Freestyle Welcome Girls?

Yes, at Pro Freestyle the girls are just as important as the men.

Where can you find out more about Pro Freestyle?

Above you can find Pro Freestyle on IG.

Below on Facebook.

And on their website http://www.profreestyle.nl/

Thank you Marcel for sharing this event & Martijn for helping me write the post & all you do at Pro Freestyle.

If you have an event that welcomes & empowers girls – share it – because more girls skateboard when they see girls skateboarding & receive encouragement.

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sPACYcLOUd sTREET tEAM

September 20, 2016 Jordan

Back in January I wrote a blog post on a sPACYcLOUd Team Member.

Now I’m writing a blog post on all of the girl sPACYcLOUd Street Team members. First a little background on sPACYcLOUd .

born in DC, from the mind of designer Tatiana Kolina (AKA Tati), with a focus towards the unique spirit that lives in all of us. The ethical core of sPACYcLOUd is built on self expression, love, and positivity. Its visual aesthetic breathes from the world of break dancers, hip hop artists, street artists, skateboarders, motorcycle riders, and other free spirited and creative individuals. Those whose wardrobe exists in a state of counter-culture, carving through life to the rhythm of their own choosing. sPACYcLOUd reflects political and social currents though clothing, artwork, and attitude.

I met Tati at EXPOSURE Skate 2015 where she was a proud supporter of girls skateboarding. The reason she gives back and supports others is because she was able to succeed when a host family helped her. When she asked how she could pay them back the answer was “You pay back by helping others when you have an opportunity.”

I love that. I’ve been very blessed by the number of people and organizations who’ve supported my blog and vision. There’s no way I can pay them back – what I can do is Pay it Forward.

That’s why I’m always looking for opportunities to write about people/organizations that are making a positive difference. I often write about people you probably didn’t hear of because everyone has the ability to make a positive difference. And I believe hearing stories about people you don’t know is as inspiring or more inspiring than hearing about celebrity stories.

One thing that makes the sPACYcLOUd team unique is that they are tasked with looking for ways to contribute to the community. I know – pretty rad they aren’t just great athletes or stylish spokes models, they are community contributors.

Matty Launais aka @froz3nbabies

Quote I saw on her IG that I loved: if you are a girl and/or a skateboard and would like to participate in a sPACYcLOUd fashion show this Saturday hit my DMs ! boys etc are welcome too

Lexy Cassell aka @Heyitzlexy

She was at Woodward Week 9.

Natalie Krishna aka @nataliekrishnadas

Above Natalie was the guest pro at the Ann Arbor Girls Sesh on 9/11/16 – more on the blog click here.

Mia Charles aka @boobsonboards

Above a video from Mia’s IG. Her IG was recently hacked, so she’s starting over – show her lots of love as she builds it back up.

Sidney Ramos aka @sidney_skates1

A video of Sidney when she was at Venice Beach from Virginia.

Lily Coble

Lily is 6 years old and doesn’t have her own IG yet. So look for her on the sPACYcLOUd feed.

Corinne Seguin aka @co2vision

Corinne was the original sPACYcLOUd post. Above after a coaching session she says It was a pleasure coaching you @fatimaptacek Practice as much as you can you got it!

Brie Helmuth aka @ill_brieski

Brie wears many hats/helmets. Her mission is to stay committed to progressing with Rock and Break dance, enlighten the hip hop community with her style and physical fitness, and progress with the new generation of Brooklyn culture while preserving the roots of the meaning behind dance when it first developed in the 70s.

These are just the girls on the team. sPACYcLOUd Team also has some boys. http://www.spacycloud.com/streetteam

sPACYcLOUd is very active in the community and participates in many events such as Just Kickin’ It Sundays. Click the picture to read details. What I really love is that everyone is welcome to come & share the good times with us.

sPACYcLOUd organizes snowboard, surf, and skateboard camps – truly supporting all boarders!

If you’re part of a team or club or organization making a positive difference by welcoming others to the skate/boarding community – please share. Till next time keep it stylish on & off the board.

UPDATE – sPACYcLOUd in action

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Zorah Quattlebaum – photographer

September 19, 2016 Jordan

Pictures are worth 1000 words. Pictures tell a story and it’s through stories that people learn, remember, and believe.

My blog is based on more girls skateboarding when they see girls skateboarding. I thought if people could see all kinds of girls, all around the world, on all types of boards, and at all skill levels they’d believe #girlscanskate.

In the two years I’ve been blogging I’ve found more girls skating then I ever could have imagined, in places I’d never heard of, and using skating to create positive change.

For the blog’s 2nd anniversary I wanted to celebrate some of the photographers who make these pictures possible. I love & appreciate all the people out there taking & sharing skate photos – so know that in addition to the photographers featured there are many more out there who tell the story of #girlscanskate.

Plus I wanted to put an end to the myth that gender plays a role in photography, so this series features female skate photographers.

Each post will share some of the photographer’s favorite photos. Why they choose to shoot girl’s skateboarding. And where you can find more of their work.

This is the first post and it’s with the amazing Zorah Quattlebaum.

Each photographer chose which questions to answer and what photos they wanted to share.

SF: How/when did you start photographing skateboarding? Do you skateboard?

Zorah: I started photographing myself skateboarding when I was about 12 up until I turned 16, I would set my little point and shoot camera on the opposite side of my mini ramp and time my tricks based on the 10 second count down setting.

I picked up my first skateboard when I was 10 years old. I was constantly watching skating videos and reading Thrasher magazine religiously, so I would study how tricks were meant to look, I lived and breathed skateboarding.

The summer I turned 16, I signed up for the photography program at Woodward East. I was a regular at Woodward, returning to the skating program every summer since I was 10 but I remember seeing fellow campers walking around camp with cameras and immediately went down to the office to switch programs. During my week as a photo camper, my instructors introduced me to professional skateboarders like Sean Malto and Mike Mo. They both took time to sit for portraits while my instructor was giving me hands on instruction with interacting with professionals as well as teaching me about the flashes we were using at the time. After my week as a photo camper, I was offered a 2 week internship in the photo department. I returned as a photo intern for the next 3 years.

I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today without the support from the Digital Media department at Woodward.

SF: How did you get involved with shooting skater girls?

Zorah: I started shooting photos of my best friend Charlotte Tegen after that first summer as a photo intern, I met Charlotte that same summer at Woodward. I would take weekend trips to NYC to visit her and we could skate around the city and shoot photos together.

Charlotte

Charlotte moved to Baltimore about 2 years ago for school, we go out skating/shooting multiple times a week. I encourage her to try tricks she’s never tried before and we always get a killer shot at the end of our session.
Back in the fall of 2015, I sent out emails requesting information about summer internships from multiple companies, including MAHFIA.TV . A few months passed until I finally received a response, the one and only response I received was from Kim Woozy, founder of MAHFIA. We had a phone meeting the next day and she told me she checked out my website and loved the work that I was doing and extended an invitation to Wheels of Fortune in Seattle and X Games in Austin to be the primary photographer for both Women’s skate events!

Alexis Sablone X Games Austin 2016

It was a dream come true, honestly. I was able to meet and work side by side with my favorite female skaters, women whom I looked up to since I was a kid. It’s such an honor to call them my friends now, all of them are unique in their own way and absolutely kill it. I look forward to working with all of them more in the upcoming months as I relocate myself to Los Angeles from Baltimore, Maryland.

SF: Did/do you have role models or people/organizations that continue to encourage and support your photography?

Zorah: Of course I have to give credit to my parents first, they always supported my photography and encouraged me to follow my dreams. I was born into a family of artists and photographers, I played with cameras instead of toys most of the time as a kid!

Now as an adult, I’m beyond thankful for the support I’ve received from the MAHFIA.TV and WSA family! Kim Woozy, Mimi Knoop, and the enormous crew of pro girls that encourage and support me more than I could ever imagine! We all have such bright futures ahead of us and I’m so honored to be a part of the female skating revolution! Big things are coming, we can all feel it!

Mariah Duran X Games Austin 2016

SF: Where can people see your work?

Zorah: You can find my work on my website (www.zoraholivia.com), my instagram (ZorahOlivia), and MAHFIA.TV! I’m always looking for girls to shoot photos of, don’t be afraid to reach out!

Jordyn Barrett X Games Austin 2016

Life is about connecting with others so we can learn ad grow from each other, let’s shoot some photos and make memories!

Thanks Zorah can’t wait till you move to LA & I get to meet you in person.

Zorah – it’s hard finding photographs of the photgraphers – at Element Skate Camp summer 2016

This was just the first post on girls out there shooting girls skateboarding because #girlscanskate – girls are unstoppable especially when they support & lift each other up.

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Cruising with Your Friends

September 18, 2016 Jordan

Click the picture above for a video on how Darcie aka sweetd_tothe_g, Erica aka mountainmind & misslaurenlebel cruise through life.

Share how you keep it stylish on & off the board because more girls do skateboard as they see girls skateboarding, having fun, & encouraging each other.

Besides skateboarding – they have some other rad interests like . . .

climbing and yoga. And if you’re in Seattle are check out this show on 9/22/16 at 7pm.

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Paul Mitchell the School San Diego

September 17, 2016 Jordan

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Paul Mitchell (PM) for awhile. I worked with them at Super Girl 2015 and they supported me at EXPOSURE Skate 2015, and Clash at Clairemont 2016.

flashback photo to Super Girl 2015 where the Paul Mitchell cape made me believe I could skate vert so I could. Believing is key to succeeding!

Now I’ve had the opportunity to work with the Paul Mitchell School in San Diego on KAABOO.

It’s KAABOO’s second year and Paul Mitchell School in San Diego was excited to be back. Last year they did a braid bar and in 2016 they were doing hair and makeup in the Indulgences Lounge.

When I say they – I mean the students, which PM calls Future Professionals, under supervision of the instructors. Which is the same service they offer at their San Diego school location – 410 A Street.

410 A Street is in the Financial District of downtown San Diego and was originally a bank. It became the school in 2004 and since then has consistently been winning awards and has an impressive list of alumni.

They offer full and part time programs. Part of Cosmetology is classwork and part is “on the job”. As a result the school has a salon where the Future Professionals under supervision provide a host of services – including haircuts, styling, color bar, texture, and wash house services. The bonus is they have long hours – open till 10pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday and reduced pricing because it’s at the school.

I had my hair done there and enjoyed it so much that I know I’ll be back. They wash your hair in the vault because they kept the best parts of the bank.

As I’ve blogged about before #givingismystyle is part of the Paul Mitchell culture and is shown at the school when the students from teams and take their skills beyond the school walls, doing hair & makeup at fashion shows, charity events, and more. Our Future Professionals donate their time, talent, and energy to various San Diego County charities through cut-a-thons, fashion shows, and countless other fundraising events and philanthropic activities. We make a difference—and have fun doing it!

As our co-founder John Paul DeJoria has famously said, “Success Unshared is Failure.” That’s why our Future Professionals at Paul Mitchell The School San Diego are proud and excited to give back through local events and our annual three-month FUNraising campaigns. In fact, since 2004, Paul Mitchell Schools throughout the country have raised more than $13.3 million for charities in their communities and around the world.

To find out more about the school – visit the salon &/or attend the school check them out https://paulmitchell.edu/sandiego/programs/cosmetology

and to find out how much fun they had had KAABOO be following their Instagram and looking for my event recap.

And yes be on the look out for the car – you know that help for all your hair style needs is nearby if you see this car!

Tim Brauch San Jose 2016 with Arianna Carmona

September 16, 2016 Jordan

World Cup Skateboarding – WCS – stopped at the Lake Cunningham Regional Skatepark in San Jose, CA on September 11 & 12th.

The event is the 18th annual Tim Brauch Memorial Bowl Contest continuing a tradition set so many years ago in honor of a great skateboarder and a gentleman, who charmed the skateboarding world with his unique and energetic style of skateboarding that led him to become World Champion!

I didn’t go but I checked in with Don Bostick, from WCS because I saw so many good things on IG from skater girls that I wanted to do a blog recap.

Don shared some history with me – in 2005 the event moved from the Vans Skatepark in San Jose, CA (it closed down) to the Scotts Valley Skateboard Park that was built in honor of Tim Brauch, it’s also known as the Tim Brauch Memorial Skateboard Park. It was the first year the girls skated the bowl area and received WCS Bowl Points. Kim Petersen won the event that year.

This year Arianna Carmona won the Women’s Pro Division and here’s what she loved about the event.

photo @besuro

SF: How many years have you been going to Tim Brauch Competition in San Jose?

Arianna: I’ve been going to the Tim Brauch Memmorial Contest for about 4-5 years now.

SF: What was different this year? It was in September not July was that better – not as hot? There were “girl” practice sessions this year – was that good? Other differences?

Arianna: It was different this year because there weren’t as many people as usual, which helped because the snake sesh wasn’t as bad. The heat however, was still the same.

The girl practice sessions were nice, because we got our own little time to practice and didn’t have to worry about colliding with any of the big guys haha.

photo @besuro – @bevmoskater, @nicolehause, @flying_arianna, @huntahlong, @autumntust

SF: What’s unique to that bowl? What’s your advice for girls who might be scared of the bowl – it looks intimidating.

Arianna: I would say the waterfall is pretty unique because of how big it is. I’m not gonna lie that bowl is pretty intimidating at first but I would tell other girls to just go for it, start at the bottom if you want and just kinda pump around to get used to it. After a couple of runs you get pretty familiar with it.

photo @besuro

SF: Is the park close or how far did you have to travel? If you had to travel did you come early to practice?

Arianna: For me the park is 6 hours away because it’s up in NorCal so we did have to travel a bit far for this one. This year we flew up on the Wednesday before the contest.

photo @lawyer4life – @minnask8, @flying_arianna, @extremelife2003

SF: Favorite memory of this event?

Arianna: My favorite memory was watching Minna Stess nail all of her runs and get rewarded the first place she deserves. I was so happy and proud of her and I loved the look on her face while she was up there getting all her goodies. She rips!

Thanks Arianna for sharing. And thanks Don for always supporting all skateboarders.

More girls skateboard when they see girls skateboarding and get encouragement – so who’s next on why they had fun at Tim Brauch this year?

Lotus & Luna – Accessories that Empower Women

September 16, 2016 Jordan

Lotus & Luna is a company committed to helping women escape the cycle of poverty.

Their handcrafted boho accessories provide fair employment to women in Thailand.

SF: How and when was Lotus and Luna started? I love that you live in Leucadia, CA right by my home.

Courtney: Our founder Janelle traveled through Asia after college and fell in love with Thailand and the people who live there. She knew she wanted to create her own brand of accessories but wanted to do it in a way that supported the women who live in villages outside of Chiang Mai. She started visiting Thailand more and more, and eventually made connections and started designing our bracelets with the women who live there. She started our brand in January and it has taken off since then!

SF: I read each Lotus and Luna accessory is handmade. Can you tell us more about that? And how does Lotus and Luna empower women?

Courtney: Each time we visit Thailand we meet up with our head artisan, Rung, and start designing bracelets. Once we decide on our final designs, Rung assigns them to women in her village and the others near by. This is especially great for older women in Thailand, because once they are too old to do manual labor, it becomes really difficult to find a job. So we empower the women by giving them an opportunity to work from home and earn a fair wage.

Below a photo of our artisans & click here to read the Lotus & Luna Mission

SF: Where can people shop Lotus and Luna?

Courtney: The easiest place to shop our entire brand is on our website, www.LotusAndLuna.com.

We also sell at O’Neill, Tilly’s, and soon we will be at Urban Outfitters too! Plus hundreds of boutiques around the country.

SF: What’s your favorite piece? It’s so hard to decide – I think mine might be Summer Solstice choker because I always want summer days to be long.

Courtney: You’re right, it is sooo hard to decide! I think my favorite right now is the Navajo Spirit Triple wrap- it has turquoise, which provides protection and wisdom, plus a quartz center for high energy
levels.

All of our bracelets are made with real stone, and you can read about their benefits on our website!

Thank you so much Courtney for sharing about Lotus & Luna. I hope everyone checks Lotus & Luna out & sees how “girls” working together really can keep it stylish on & off the board.

And thanks to everyone who read this post use the code SKATINGFASHIONISTA20 when you make a purchase through http://www.lotusandluna.com/ and save 20%.

till next time keep it stylish on & off the board & yes this is the perfect jewelry to wear at a festival – like KAABOO

Above I’m wearing my favorite Lotus & Luna choker.

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Kettle Potato Chips at KAABOO

September 16, 2016 Jordan

I love potato chips, so I was excited that Kettle Brand Potato Chips was at KAABOO last year and thrilled they are coming back.

Here’s the inside scoop from Rachel Kravitz’s their Field Manager.

SF: Why is Kettle Brand excited to come back?

Rachel: We love the vibe of the festival – everyone is having fun, enjoying music and art. What better time to enjoy the best tasting natural chip around!

SF: Where can people find you at KAABOO and after?

During the festival, people can look for the Kettle Brand booth on Kaaboolevard between the “Palate/Artwork” and the “Humor Me” pavilions.

Keep an eye out for people wearing Kettle Brand shirts throughout the venue.

You can also keep an eye on what we’re up to on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @KettleBrand, and we also just joined Snapchat, so add us there!

thanks Rachel!

my favorite – Sea Salt – if you see me at KAABOO make sure to tell me yours

I’m the skatingfashionista and I approve eating Kettle Potato Chips as stylish on & off the board!

Berrics recap of Poseiden Foundation X LA Girls Skate Sesh

September 15, 2016 Jordan

Check out this link

to see a rad recap of the Poseiden Foundation X LA Girls Skate Sesh event at the the Skate House on August 27, 2016

Amazing things happen when we support each other. Keep sharing your pictures, stories, events – more girls skateboard when they see girls skateboarding & get encouragement.

thanks – Berrics – Poseiden Foundation – LA Girls Skate – Skate House

Skating Fashionista

Monthly Archives: September 2016

Gale Webb – Photographer

Pro Freestyle in the Hague with the Girls

sPACYcLOUd sTREET tEAM

Zorah Quattlebaum – photographer

Cruising with Your Friends

Paul Mitchell the School San Diego

Tim Brauch San Jose 2016 with Arianna Carmona

Lotus & Luna – Accessories that Empower Women

Kettle Potato Chips at KAABOO

Berrics recap of Poseiden Foundation X LA Girls Skate Sesh

Skating & Fashion are Better Together