After being rained out in March, Skate Rising came back triumphantly on Saturday April 14th. Over 120 girls participated at the Encinitas Community Park.

Leigh Radon, co-founder of  @tea_collection and Amelia Brodka, co-founder of  @exposureskate lead the girls in making vision boards.

What’s a vision board?

A vision board is a tool used to help clarify, concentrate and maintain focus on a specific life goal. Literally, a vision board is any sort of board on which you display images that represent whatever you want to be, do or have in your life.

Do vision boards work?

They have for me.  Last year when I hated school because I was being bullied, I made a vision board. I envisioned being at a school where I was accepted, having friends, and enjoying learning. Today I have all of that at my new school.

I hope that every girl who attended and those reading this take the time to make a vision board.  Visualization really is a great place to start any goal. Skate Rising itself happened because Calli Kelsay envisioned it and then took action to make it happen and before that EXPOSURE Skate happened because Amelia Brodka and Lesli Cohen imagined it. There really is no limit to what you can visualize – so start working on your board now!

For a break you can go skateboarding, which is what the girls did. Thanks so much to all the volunteers like Neal Mims who help the girls achieve their vision of skateboarding.

I look forward to the second Saturday of every month.

If you’re in the San Diego area be sure to stop by 9:00am the second Saturday of the month at Encinitas Community Park. To find out more about Skate Rising contact the organizer Calli Kelsay at [email protected] and follow Skate Rising on Instagram to see the latest both for the San Diego and Phoenix areas.

Till next time keep it stylish on & off the board knowing that if you can visualize it, you can achieve it!

For the 9th year The Sheckler Foundation is hosting Skate For A Cause.

It’s a

family friendly event that combines a world class skate jam with a carnival

Admission is free or you can upgrade to VIP. The day is jam packed with excitement:

In addition to the schedule above the Cinco De Mayo carnival runs all day with traditional games that have been “skatified” so you can toss bearings, Bull pong, dunk a skater, toss an Indy Truck and do so much more with family and friends. Plus there’s always delicious food and tasty drinks to be found.

Even if you’re not able to make it, please take time to see how The Sheckler Foundation is causing change through their Be The Change Program.

This years Be The Change recipient was Team Lilly Foundation.

Each cause that’s nominated is an example of how we can all chose to make a positive difference by helping others.

This is event is just one way Ryan keeps it stylish on & off the skateboard – how are you showing and sharing your style?  Hope you share soon because we all grow when we inspire each other to be and do our best.

More girls around the world skateboard when they see girls having fun skating. @elyskater29 is from Mexico and now she’s in Chili.

Both on and off her skateboard, Ely wants to share and help others.

Here’s to hoping that no matter where you are in the world, you are able to skate with people like Ely who want to share just because.

A smile is a smile all around the world and everywhere it has the ability to make everything better.

The world is happier with more skateboarding & smiles!

What do you do if you live in a country where skateboarding isn’t popular?  You promote it!

Love the enthusiasm that @skateboardinginhaiti has.

More girls and more people skateboarding when they see it’s fun and receive encouragement.  That’s why it’s so important that you share with the world why you have fun skateboarding.

When you share skateboarding you are helping someone learn skills they can use on and off the board.  Skateboarding is all about learning perseverance. It’s about getting up one more time than you fall and about trying something new when what you’ve been doing just isn’t working.

How are you sharing skateboarding?

Check out Skateboarding in Haiti to be inspired and I hope to hear your stories of inspiration soon.

Being thankful and showing gratitude are ways to keep you focused on the positive, which in turns helps you stay motivated to be and do your best. So I loved to see the @FMskategirls post captioned

Thank goodness for tennis courts so we can skate the night away!

The FM Skate Girls are the in the Fargo-Moorhead areas and they are dedicated to sharing their love of skateboarding to inspire more girls to skate.

Where are you having fun skateboarding?

And who and what are you grateful for?

When we share the positive it grows and we all are inspired to do and be our best.

In my family birthdays are big business in April.  Starting off with April 10th which is Neal Mims birthday.

We might not be blood family – but we are definitely family.  Neal has helped me grow up by showing me how to have fun on & off the board.

He inspires courage to face your fears and be the best you can be.  Who inspires you? Remember to take time to thank them and then play it forward.

Happy Birthday Neal – so glad you’re in my life.

As I’m finishing finals, I really appreciate the importance of having friends to remind me

The cartoon is by Jenn Mitchell aka @comixbyjenn – she’s a Torontonian living in Seoul.

I asked her about the inspiration for the cartoon and here’s what she had to share:

My cartoon was inspired by my amazing friend and co-worker of 10 years, Skye. When I draw people I think about characteristics that define them. Immediately when I began to draw Skye her love for skateboarding, and of course her Vans skate shoes, came to mind! She has been skateboarding since she was a young girl and is a great example of someone who goes against the grain and is fearless in everything she does! Skye is opinionated, hilarious, and a great friend who would give you the shirt off her back! She has been friends with Deb, the other person in the cartoon, for over 30 years! She is also a great example of a woman who supports other women and girls!

Skate Rising  is an opportunity to meet other skater girls. At the Encinitas Skate Rising events I’m able to meet the girls in person and through Skate Rising Phoenix I’m able to meet girls virtually.

One Arizona skater girl that inspires me is Mia Lovell.

At 11 years old, she’s been skateboarding almost half her life and doing wonders to share skateboarding with other girls.

More girls skate when they see girls having fun skating so it’s wonderful that she has already been featured on TV.

Plus she’s sponsored by Autonomy Skateboards so she’s working with a team to encourage and inspire more girls to skate.

I had a chance to ask her some questions and this is what she had to share.

You started skateboarding at 5 – how did you first get involved?  

Mia:  My Dad grew up skating. When I was 5 we went to Hermosa Beach for vacation, and he put me on a board and would roll me down the pier. I was hooked!

What motivates you to keep skateboarding?  

Mia:  Progression! Each time I land something that I wasn’t sure I could, it makes me want to push further.

How do you think skateboarding has helped you off the board?

Mia:  My parents constantly talk about how shy I used to be, and how much I’ve grown as a result of competing in skateboarding comps. It has forced me to push beyond my comfort zone..

When did you first go to a Skate Rising event and what made you want to keep coming back? 

Mia:  The first Skate Rising event I attended was at 91W. It was so great to see so many girls together, after being used to skateparks full of boys. It was a blast!

What was your favorite Skate Rising activity/service project and why?

Mia:  We made meals for the homeless, and then delivered them with my family. It was pretty cool to see how happy they were to get them.

Have you met friends at Skate Rising that you now skate with at other times or just stay connected somehow?

Mia:  Yes, I have some friends I met through Skate Rising who I skate with now, and who have become good friends.

What would you like to share about the Phoenix skate community?

Mia:  The skating scene in Phoenix is huge! There are over 30 public parks, and a whole bunch of private parks in people’s back yards. I’m lucky enough that my Dad built me a park at our house too. We have people over to skate all the time, and sometimes have groups of up to 50 girls to skate and hang out. It’s an awesome community!

Thanks Mia for taking the time to share!

School this term has been hard – more chemistry than life and the reason I’m not giving up is the persistence I’ve learned through skateboarding. What lessons have you learned through skateboarding? Skateboarding is sport, art, and so much more – so take the time to share why and how you have fun skateboarding.