Mariah – Crossfitter who Loves to Skateboard

I love that Mariah is both a skater

and photographer of other skater girls (below she’s doing both).

And of course I love that she has fun skating.

As for why Mariah loves skating and thinks more girls should skate

I love skating because it makes me feel fast and powerful! Gives me confidence that I can do adventurist tasks and that I am never too old to let go and have fun.

Long boarding makes me feel goofy, bad ass, and beautiful at the same time. I feel capable of anything and love breaking the typical stigma of boys being the ones who get to skate.

Girls look just as cool and can be just as good if they have a passion for it. I love taking my longboard out to the beach and cruising along watching everything as I fly by. I try and catch details as I pass everything and everyone and it overwhelms me how many beautiful, people/ things there are in this world!

This blog exists because more girls skate when they see stylish girls having fun skating and hear why they love to skate.  If Mariah’s answer didn’t just make you want to skate ???

It’s always the right time to try skating.  You can always quit if you don’t like it.  If you never try, you’ll just be wondering what if.

 

 

Stoked 2 Skate Spreading Kindness in SF Bay Area

Stoked 2 Skate is a non-profit private indoor skatepark for the youth in Sonoma County, California.

Recently they opened the park for the Quit Your Day Job SF Bay Area Premier – an all-female skate video by Erik Sandoval & Monique O’Toole.

Proceeds from the event went to Skate Like a Girl SF Bay Area.  I wasn’t able to go but you can see tons of rad shots from MAHFIA.TV

Just click above or below to see all of Carmen Z’s photos.

I wanted to get this post up during Random Acts of Kindness Week because I think the pictures from the event show kindness in action (girls supporting girls) plus it’s truly kind that Stoked 2 Skate opened their doors for this event.

To find out more about Stoked 2 Skate I asked Moniz some questions.

Why and when did you open Stoked 2 Skate?

Moniz:  Since we have two kids that have been skateboarding since they were very young,(Finnley and Minna Stess), we’ve witnessed first hand what skaters are like when they can’t skate for the entire rainy Winter. Have you ever seen a wild animal trapped in a cage? haha It’s like that, but then multiply that times two at our house.

We also met a lot of skaters over the years lamenting about the rainy times and also many kids who wanted to learn to skate but either couldn’t afford the gear or their parents weren’t really into the idea of them skateboarding. We knew we could help with all of that, what Northern California really lacks are indoor skating facilities, so we decided to take it head on. It has been a long but satisfying process and we are still growing.

We’ve had lots of wonderful people join us over the years in the many stages, like our incredible fiscal sponsor Mentor Me Petaluma.

To sum it up we provide a welcoming environment to encourage the instruction, practice, training, enjoyment and advancement of our youth members in all aspects of skateboarding within a safe, supervised indoor environment.

What programs/sessions does Stoked 2 Skate offer?

Moniz:  Our programming is in the planning stages and we will have multiple clinics, classes, events and skate camps.  So far we have partnered with San Francisco Skate Club  and now we are adding  Skate Like a Girl to programming this Summer.

We have hosted many sessions randomly since we’ve built the bowl and street course. It’s been incredible hosting skaters of all ages and abilities from literally all over the world as well as many from all over the U.S.!

We’re just really happy to finally have a facility that makes skaters really stoked especially when it’s raining outside.

Was this premier one of your first “big” events?

Moniz:  This event was actually or second “big” event.
The first was a video premier for a local skateshop a couple of months ago and it was really great because we got to meet a huge bunch of  local skaters  and we all had the best time.
This QYDJ + Skate Like a Girl  premiere/fundraiser was our first with a skate clinic session built into the schedule of the day. We love Skate Like a Girl and we were so happy to have them join us after all this time of talking about partnering up we finally got to start!
We had over 100 skaters for the event hailing from New Mexico, Seattle, Los Angeles and from all over the SF Bay Area.
Skaters from the film were on hand to help out the girls learning to skate too! We had Mariah Duran, Vanessa Torres, Samarria Brevard, Savannah Headden, Jenn Soto, Christiana Smith and filmmaker Monique O’Toole.
Above from  metro skateboarding IG
3 of the realest just conducted a clinic at @stokedtoskate ?? @jennsoto_skates ? @samarriabrevard@mariahduran_ ?Give them all a follow for more sickness and check our story for more from the event ?: @rickyflipsk8 ?#metrogrammed
above Vanessa Torres, who’s recovering from surgery, in the parking lot on a GN4LW cruiser (there are still a few LIMITED EDITION Element “Getting Nowhere Faster” decks available)
Above from metro skateboarding IG
@SamarriaBrevard@StokedToSkate/SOMA park’tage – Inspiring watching the ladies of @Quityourdayjobvid raise the bar off its hinges this weekend! Stay tuned for more throughout the week and give em a follow for more sickness #metrogrammed +?: @rickyflipsk8
Above  from metro skateboarding IG
@MariahDuran_takes the safety off at @StokedToSkate/#SOMA ???Great to see the ladies of @QuitYourDayJobVidrip the Bay last weekend ?? Give em a follow for more sickness ?
We even had the best volunteers from The Berkeley High School Skate Club come over to help us out, which was really cool too.
Is following Stoked 2 Skate IG the best way to stay informed on what’s coming up?   How does someone get involved, volunteer, sponsor Stoked 2 Skate?
Moniz:  Stoked to Skate’s IG is a good place to follow in order to keep up with us.  We are working on building our website right now which is stokedtoskate.com so checking in there and we also have a Facebook page.  Contacting us at any of our platforms  is the best way to  volunteer, get involved with us or sponsor!
Thank you so much Moniz for opening the doors and sharing all the kindness that will be flowing from Stoked 2 Skate.  More girls skate when they see girls skating and more acts of kindness happen when people see them, so hope this post inspires everyone to make Random Acts of Kindness Week be every week.

Sharing Kindness through Skateboards

In 2013 Cindy created a brand called “Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word” and came out with a collaboration skateboard with Dwindle Inc. (the largest company in professional skateboarding) by designing a skateboard aimed at the female market. The GN4LW brand gives back to women in action sports with every collab it does.

Who are we talking about?  Cindy Whitehead and this post is about the kindness she shares through skateboards.

Above the Gypsy Queen which benefits EXPOSURE Skate available by clicking above, at skate shops worldwide and at Zumiez.com.

Below Cindy INAP (It’s Not About Pretty) which also benefits EXPOSURE Skate & is also still available.

Cindy’s giving through skateboards started with the White GN4LW which benefited GRO (Girls Riders Organization) and is now a collectors item.


One of my favorites the Black GN4LW benefitted Poseiden Foundation.

the board is now a collector’s piece & I look a lot older

Also benefitting Poseidon Foundation was the GN4LW Longboard below.



Cindy is not done giving.  The Hermosa will be available March 1, 2017 and will benefit Bridge to Skate; so be on the lookout for that and all the other rad things Cindy has in store for the world.

possible sneak peak of the Hermosa

I have the pleasure of knowing Cindy and that these boards are just one of the many acts of kindness she does daily.  To me the greatest act of kindness she does is encouraging all girls to believe in themselves both on & off the board.

Girls who support (are always kind) to other girls are angels on earth!

 

LA Girls Skate Sesh Act of Kindness

I love when girls meet up to skateboard and LA Girls Skate Sesh made their session even radder by collecting canned food.  Collecting food for the hungry is an awesome act of kindness!

Thanks Jazzmen for organizing the event & taking the extra time to collect the cans!  She’s aka wake bake_skatecreate and her “service” to get these girls events happening inspires me.

The following photos are from LA Girls Sesh IG and Heidi Lemmon – they show how much fun was had by all.  They collected almost 50 cans for the LA Food Bank in South Central!

photo LEIA Juliette

@melani_skate in this picture by Heidi showing us you’re never too young to have fun skateboarding

Hannah as captured by Heidi

my yoga buddy Bridget with friends Alysia & Traci

Kala with her stylish GN4LW sticker

More girls skateboard when they see girls having fun skateboarding so share your pictures and stories.

This week is Random Act of Kindness Week, so the posts are about skater girls and organizations that spread kindness.  Kindness really does start with one smile, by welcoming everyone, by cheering someone on and it grows.  Collecting even one can means someone will not be hungry, so I hope this post inspires you to do a random act of kindness today.

 

Linus Knew the Power of the Blanket

I met  NIGHT:SHIFT Goods at Agenda in January 2017.  As I blogged in my recap, they made me re-think my bedding situation.  I was in a rut – living with boring blankets.

As you see above – I’m not bored anymore.  I love the color blue because it’s calming and looks fabulous in so many shades.  I prefer a throw size blanket because it’s easier for travel and I prefer woven blankets because they’re cozier.  Deciding which blanket at NIGHT:SHIFT Goods was still hard because they have so many that fit my preferences.

In the end Osmosis won my heart.  Having just gotten out of biology, I remember that osmosis is all about bringing concentrations into balance.  I think that’s fitting because my blanket should keep me balanced.

Why do I think a blanket will keep me balanced?  Linus from Peanuts had a blanket and it helped him through life.  The Great Pumpkin didn’t show up – the blanket stayed with him, never mocking always comforting.

There’s even a charity – Project Linus – that

Provides love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need

by giving them a blanket.  As part of Random Acts of Kindness Week I encourage you to check out Project Linus they’ve given over 6 million blankets since 1995.

Plus when you’re blanket looks as incredible as Osmosis, why leave it at home?  Take your blanket with you.  It can be a cold & lonely world.  Don’t face it alone take your blanket with you.

You may have to get out of bed, you don’t have to go alone – skatingfashionista

I will be updating this post with pictures from my blanket adventures.  Going into this, here’s what I think my blanket will help me with:

  1. Cape – be your own superhero.
  2. You need a hug.  Blankets are made to hug.
  3. Hide.  If you’re under your blanket they won’t see you.
  4. It’s cold outside.
  5. Block out the haters.  If you cover your ears with your blanket, you won’t even hear the gossip.  They just jealous anyway & sad because no one buys a bully a blanket.
  6. Yoga – be different strike a pose on your blanket.
  7. Build a fort.
  8. Protection during scary movies.
  9. Time out – so much easier to just take a nap if you have your blanket with you.
  10. Avoiding the school dress enforcer.  (Really couldn’t our tax dollars be better spent than having someone play fashion police.  Crop tops & tank tops like skateboarding are not a crime!)

Keep checking back for updates & if you have blanket adventures to share just email or DM the world always needs more stories to smile about.

Gang of Girls Spreading Kindness

The Big Blend Theory shares this fun video.  It’s so fun it inspires you to want to skate with your girls.  It’s captioned:

Pascal’s new gang of girlfriends. I’m loving how supportive they are of one another. The meaning of rad, right here. ✌?They even got me to skate down two ramps. ?Only after watching Pascal of course.

I had to post this during Random Acts of Kindness Week because girls encouraging girls needs to happen more.

The Big Blend Theory is in Portland, Oregon – where’s your “girl gang”?

When you share your pictures/videos and stories of girls encouraging each other, which is the essence of kindness, it inspires more girls to do the same.

I also love that this post shows skateboarding and girls have no age limits.   At nearly 40 she’s buying her first skateboard to skate with the other girls!  Yes, more girls skateboard when they see girls having fun skateboarding!!!

Skatingfashionista Valentine

Wishing everyone Happy Valentine’s Day by sharing this sweet video from Brandi

If the video isn’t enough to melt your heart

Please keep sharing your pictures & stories of having fun skateboarding it really does inspire more girls to try skating!

Skate Rising February 2017 Celebrating Kindness

Skate Rising met on 2/11/2017 at Academy Skate Park in Vista, CA.  Over 60 girls came to skate, contribute to a service project, and find out about Random Acts of Kindness.

Nina, who donates her time to photograph Skate Rising events, introduced the analogy of trees & kindness.  She had all the girls act like a tree to see their roots & trunks keep them anchored and strong while their branches let them reach others.

The girls found out about Random Acts of Kindness Week, which this year is from 2/12 – 2/18, and were challenged to commit at least one act of kindness in the coming week.  They are encouraged to share their acts by tagging #RAKweek2017 #SkateRising #EXPOSURESKATE on social media and come back in March to share what they did as inspiration to encourage everyone to perform  daily acts of kindness.

All acts of kindness – small to huge – can have a rippling effect.  “Kindness is contagious.”  Each girl who wanted to wrote her name on a leaf as her pledge to perform an act of kindness.

With the leaves in place it was time to skate.

The entire Skate Rising event is an act of kindness.  From the volunteer parents above & below doing whatever needs to be done – just two examples.

SkateXS provides loaner boards sized just right for smaller feet.

To the organizer Calli,

sisters Carly & Tabitha,

and Academy Skate Park Staff – like Mike below

you see so many acts of kindness – smiles, hand holding, offers of encouragement!

I love to volunteer at these events because I’m grateful for them.  When I started skating none of this existed.  How refreshing to have an event that promotes kindness and empowerment.

So happy to see girls from outside San Diego come too – like Angela, Stella, Briel, London & Teagan.

Thank You EXPOSURE Skate for having a youth program – Skate Rising.  Huge thanks to Neal Mims for opening the doors to Academy Skate Park – especially appreciated with this Seattle like weather.

All girls who want to share their skate stories & inspire others to try skating are always invited to have a blog post just email or DM me because more girls do skate when the see girls skateboarding & yes sharing your story to encourage others is definitely an act of kindness!

Skate Rising is a free monthly event in the San Diego area.  Held the 2nd Saturday of the month.  To find out more and/or volunteer contact Calli the organizer at [email protected].  This month’s service project benefitted Alpha Project by providing hygiene kits for people that are moving off of the streets and into more permanent housing.   There is also a Skate Rising in Phoenix area held the 3rd Saturday of the month.

 

Rastaclat a Bracelet that Spreads Kindness

As part of Random Acts of Kindness Week #RAKweek2017 from 2/12 – 2/18 – I wanted to share some of the kindness Rastaclat is spreading.

I’ve blogged about Rastaclat several times including their support of Tilly’s Life Center.

They also support Breast Cancer Awareness with Classic & Miniclat:  Awareness bracelets.

Yes, they donate 100% of the proceeds to the American Cancer Association.  And for the Classic: Futures

they donate 100% of the proceeds to the Boys & Girls Clubs serving youth in Carson, South Angeles, & Watts.

Why are they so generous with their support?  Because they are all about kindness.

RASTACLAT IS A SYMBOL OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
DOING GOOD FOR YOURSELF AND OTHERS.
WE BELIEVE THAT POSITIVE ACTION
CAN CHANGE LIVES, INSPIRE CONFIDENCE,
AND UNITE US AS HUMAN BEINGS.

Logos_Rastaclat_Circle_greyLogo

#SEEKTHEPOSITIVE

When you’re living righteously and sharing positivity you just do kind things.  I also believe that a Rastaclat bracelet can remind you to stay positive.

I look pretty positive in the picture above, but it was far from a story book night.  I was lucky to have the reminder on my wrist that in the end it’s always my choice to be positive.

Hoping you all choose to do an act of random kindness a day & if you need a reminder wear a Rastaclat bracelet.  Imagine how beautiful the world would be if we all chose kindness and to #SEEKthePOSITIVE!

 

Arbor Girl Sharing Skateboarding

Love this picture that Lisa shares from when she taught refugees in The Netherlands how to have fun skating.  She says her friend was shy but after a few tries she liked it!  Photo by Rosanne.

Lisa’s an Arbor Girl so it makes perfect sense that she chooses adventure!

Where are you sharing skating and choosing adventure?  More girls skate when they see girls skating.  Sharing & encouraging is stylish on & off the board so hope you share your pictures and stories soon.

Lisa sharing skateboarding is an act of kindness – so it’s the perfect post to start #RAKweek2017 to find out more about how the smallest act of kindness can make the world a better place check out