Yes, we’d all rather be riding our skateboards, but sometimes you have to carry them – on the plane, bus, or when security is enforcing those no skateboarding signs!  Unity Backpacks got creative and eliminated the straps making it ever so quick & easy to go from riding to carrying your board.

I recently got to check in with Brandon the co-founder.

Why did you first come up with the idea? 

The idea of a Unity Skateboard Backpack came upon from a student facing the everyday struggles of commuting on campus. With only inadequate options on the market, we decided to come up with our own option.

Through months of product development we have launched a quality skateboard backpack with an innovative design to allow skaters world-wide to never carry their board by hand again!

Below the video shows how easy it is to go from riding to carrying your skateboard!

If there’s no straps how does the skateboard stay in place?

Riders simply peel & apply a pre-cut Unity Skatecro grip tape cutout onto their board. We offer small, medium and large Skatecros to fit boards of all sizes. Our current prototype is designed to hold boards up to 12lbs, comfortably. However, we are currently revamping our design to hold boards up to 15lbs!

Our pre-cut Skatecro is not our only grip tape option. Often times, users have a desire to create their own Skatecro designs by purchasing our DIY roll of Unity-Specific Skatecro. This allows users to either completely grip their board or get crafty with their designs.

Our grip has been tested both competitive street skaters to ensure the grip tape quality is consistent with it’s main purpose, to grip. Several semi professional skaters were surprised by the quality of the grip tape in terms of it’s ability to grip and allow for flicks/tricks.

Recently, many of our riders have been applying the Skatrecro, etiher DIY or pre-cut, to the underside of their board. The adhesive on the grip tape is industrial strength, designed to be applied to surfaces of many textures. It’s easily applied to a variety of name-brand boards (Penny, Sector 9, Carver, etc..)

Riders/wearers can choose what side of the board to “stick” to their Unity backpack.

Thanks Brandon for taking the time to answer the questions.  I love when people get creative at how to improve things & make things simple.

How are you maximizing your creativity with skateboarding?

Love the video above of how Liv aka @girlbrainz came back after an injury.

You can check out Liv on her IG and on @sk8babes.  I was amazed at her cart wheel.

Yes cart wheel.  Click above to see her land it.

Skateboarding is more fun when you have friends to share it with.  Liv has fun with Ang @gnarcastic – who are you having fun skateboarding with?

Brianna captioned this photo

Skate even when your left ankle hasn’t fully recovered.

Sometimes you want to skateboard so much, you just can’t wait for anything.

Brianna was skateboarding at Stevens Point Skatepark in Wisconsin.  When she’s not at the skatepark, she might be in class at UW, golfing or cross country skating.

I love that she has so many passions and that she shared cross country skating with us!

Where are you having fun skating?  When you take the time to share you inspire other girls to skate for fun!

Click any of these pictures to see videos of Brianna having fun skating.

I’ve had the pleasure of blogging about Pride Socks before when I met the founder Rachel at a Skate Rising event she was speaking at

Now, I’m happy to share Pride Sock’s latest release:

Pride Socks, an apparel brand empowering individuals to take pride in who they are, has teamed up with the youngest pro skateboarder, Sky Brown, to release a limited edition sock. The “Sky’s the Limit” sock will raise money for the Indochina Starfish Foundation (ISF), which works to ensure all children in Cambodia have their basic needs met.  They take kids begging for money off the streets and into the classroom.

The socks are available at Pride Socks on-line and every purchase donates $5 to ISF.

The Sky’s the Limit sock is part of Pride Socks’ “Custom For A Cause,” in which, Rachel teams up with individuals to create an original sock design benefitting a chosen nonprofit.

I love to see fashion & skateboarding working together to benefit the world!

Where are you having fun skateboarding and keeping it stylish on & off the board?  When you share your stories, you inspire more people to do the same.

@laims_on_skates captioned this

So proud of my girl I could watch her skate all day

I love to see girls get encouragement when they skateboard and try other things.

Encouraging others can be fun.  It benefits both the person being cheered & the cheerer.  Why?  Because when you cheer someone on you’re spreading positivity & positivity always grows exponentially and brings happiness.

@laims_on_skates is a cheerleader and skater.

How are you having fun skating?

One of the places this family has fun skating is West Beach Skatepark in Australia.  All around the world there’s fun to be had on & off the board so I hope you share soon.

Skate Rising, EXPOSURE Skate’s youth program for girls, meets at the Encinitas Skate Plaza the second Saturday of every month. The girls meet up to learn, be of service, and skate.

This past Saturday, December 9th was extra special because it was dedicated to showing Skate Rising participant Vivian Gomez that she is not fighting pediatric cancer alone!

Vivian is 10 years old, her favorite color is purple and she loves leis. So it was rad to see so many in the community come out wearing their purple, putting on a lei and showing Vivian she’s not alone as she fights DIPG, a rare form of brain cancer.

Before the skateboarding started, everyone heard from Dr. Tyler Seibert, a UCSD Oncologist on how simple acts of kindness can bring joy.  Kindness then abounded as eleven of the bravest girls I’ve even seen cut their hair for @locksofloveofficial.

Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

These are just a few of the girls and stylists from the Kelly Cardenas Salon who participated at the event.

The girls then made 70 activity kits for pediatric patients going through radiation treatment.

photo above @mmoorephotos

Everyone took time to sign Vivian’s card, which she received with a goody basket that included the hand knotted blanket below and an exquisite helmet from My Grey Matterz who participates at every Skate Rising by running the loaner equipment & educating everyone on how to protect your brain.

Then it was time to skateboard.  Neal Mims who’s always so kind to organize the Learn to Skate portion of the program lead the train!

How truly beautiful to see all the purple & leis cruising the plaza.

I always love to see handholding & support on & off the board.

photo above @jessicaannsepulveda

The support for Vivian’s Go Fund Me was truly amazing.

Above pro skateboarder Jono Schwan had to work hard to keep up with how generous people were.  Those who donated at the event got to pick either a free ice cream coin from Handles Ice Cream in Encinitas or a pair of Stance Socks.

The event ended with a raffle, which included 2 Grind for Life Skate Decks, an Autonomy deck, and a complete from 180 Skate.

Plus all the girls who participated received a 180 Skate Pink Tee.

If you weren’t able to make it, you can still support Vivian.

Vivian with pro skateboarder Andy MacDonald & Chris from GFL

You can support Vivian by making a #videosforvivian

We invite YOU to join us in putting many smiles on her face. . . take 30 seconds out of your day to wear the color purple if you have it (her favorite color) post a sweet message for Vivian and challenge three people to do the same.
Use the hashtag #VIDEOSFORVIVIAN
Watch this video to learn more!

@thekelsays

and/or donating to her Go Fund Me.

Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) has no known cure at this time, but I believe that all things are possible when we work together. Thank you to all you participated and will participate.

To find out more about Skate Rising contact the organizer Calli Kelsay at [email protected]

You can check out Skate Rising Encinitas the second Saturday of the month at the Encinitas Skate Plaza or if you’re in the Phoenix area you can check out Skate Rising Phoenix.

Skate Rising Phoenix’s Video For Vivian

unless noted photos: Gavin Silberman

Shannon shares this picture with the caption

All I wanna do is Skate!!

It’s so true, the feeling skateboarding can give you is something you just want more of.

Shannon’s been skateboarding for about a year and a half and is building up her courage to do more drop ins.  What are you working on and how are you having fun?  When you share, you inspire more girls to go for it!

Shannon’s an artist on & off the skateboard.  You can check out her wearable art at her Etsy Store – SplitRiverClothing.  And you can check out Oregon Art Supply Employee Show ‘At Shift’s End’ to see some of her pieces.  The one below is 1 of 6 that will be there!

Till next time keep it stylish on & off the board by always following your passions & encouraging others to do the same.

There aren’t many sure things in life.  So when you have the opportunity to have fun – take it.

Love this video & caption

Dropped in & didn’t smash my face!

from @racilong!  If you never try, you’ll never know – so take the risk and try.

Sometimes you can catch @racilong skating with her girls at the London House of Vans.

Where are you having fun skateboarding?  When you share your victories, struggles, and fun you encourage more girls to take the risk and have fun skateboarding.

I’ve had the pleasure to blog about Ava before.  One of the posts was a 2016 piece on FISE in Edmonton – Canada where she was the only girl who registered.  Cheered on by her 2 friends she went on to skateboard with the boys.

This year the girls were back!

click above for video

I love to see how much fun she has skateboarding and how she encourages other girls to skateboard. I’m happy to say she won 1st in Women’s this year.

I’m also thrilled at how she’s able to get the message out that

Girls Can Skate

Whether she’s at the local park

or on the slope

she inspires you to shred for fun!  Hope you check her and her sponsor SheShreds out because more girls skateboard and follow all their passions when they see girls having fun & supporting each other.

To find out more about FISE 2017 Edmonton click below:

I’m a long time Mac Duggal fan.  The most beautiful dress I’ve ever had was my Mac Duggal homecoming dress that I took on a skateboarding tour, wore to Winter Formal, and then donated to Princess Project.

Mac Duggal is back with more beautiful dresses.  Below is a link to their Prom 2018 video which is just the beginning because there’s hundreds of prom dresses on their site.

When you visit their site you’ll see prom dresses for everyone – all sizes & styles.

One of the things that makes prom magical is the dress. Saying yes to the dress is not just for brides!  Whatever you’re looking for – dark, bright, pastel, sparkly, two piece, mermaid, fitted, flared and more is on their site.

Plus it’s the perfect place to go if you don’t know what you want because it will give you a million possibilities.  There’s even options for  jumpsuits & rompers – which until I went to the site I never would have considered & now I’m in love.

If you prefer short dresses you can check out After 5.

Not sure if you’re going to prom?  Well you can be sure of the dress. I’m a firm believer that if you have the dress you can find an opportunity to wear it.  Prom dresses to me are holiday dresses so now is the time to wear yours!

I just found out my Winter Formal will be at the San Diego Zoo – so it’s time for me to make a choice.  Where will you wear your prom dress?  Hope you have a chance to skate in it – skateboarding or roller skating – I hope you share your pictures soon.  More girls do skate when they see girls having fun skating and that you can stay true to your style.

till then keep it stylish on & off the board