Unlike Southern California, unpredictable weather and a limited number of quality skateparks are persistent challenges in New England. This environment creates a rare breed of determined all-around skateboarders like Nora Vasconcellos.
Nora debuted at the X-Games last year with 6th place in vert and an appearance in the girls’ superpark demo, I have no doubt that she could have excelled in the street contest as well.
Day one began with a hailstorm so we road-tripped up to Rye Airfield, a 50,000 ft. gem of an indoor skatepark tucked away on the coast of New Hampshire. There, Nora boosted head-high airs and tech lip tricks on their brand new vert ramp as we took photos for the girls’ skate book and video for the documentary. Nora kickflip indy on Rye's new vert ramp
Nora and I began to discuss the logistics of arranging and organizing a women’s vert series that we are shooting to launch with an event at Rye January 2012.
The trek back from Rye to Nora’s house consisted of dodging lightening and tornadoes, but by the next morning the weather had cleared up enough to document Nora at her local park in Hingham, Massachusetts where she easily strung lines of tech lip tricks throughout the bowl.
Next steps in the documentary process include interviews with ESPN folk, people working in the skate industry, and compiling more footage of skilled skateboarding.
ESPN has recently published an article explaining their reasoning behind canceling women’s vert from X-Games. Read it here.
ESPN stated that women’s vert has failed to meet the criteria necessary to remain an X-Games event which consists of:”a solid year-round infrastructure, a growing participant base, an established annual competition schedule, rising youth talent pools, ample access to courses,” and “low barriers of entry into the sport.”
Although their reasoning has truth behind it, there are many loopholes in ESPN’s analysis.
“‘I think it’s a shame,’ vert skateboarding icon Tony Hawk texted about the decision to drop women’s vert skating, ‘especially with the amount of interest in women’s skating and new talent lately.'”
Tony Hawk’s statement disproves ESPN’s belief that women’s vert fails to meet the criteria of the existence of “rising youth talent pools.”
An example of the young talent Hawk was referring to:
lack of rising young talent? really? What about 14 year old Allysha Bergado?
Or nine-year-old Alana Smith:
Let’s explore the rest of the criteria necessary to be an X-Games event-
2.”ample access to courses”
A. I do admit that there are not enough vert ramps outside of San Diego. However, women have just as much access to vert ramps as men do. Any yet, the insufficient number of vert ramps has not affected the men’s contest.
B. There is a slow, but existing growth in the number of vert ramps outside of SD. However, elimination of vert events will only impede further progress.
C. If this is part of their reasoning, then why take out women’s park as well? Parks/bowls/pools are significantly more accessible than vert ramps. Last year they allowed the women to at least skate a demo in the park course- with the intent of turning it into an event in upcoming X-Games. And yet they have backtracked to exclude women’s transition skating completely.
4.”a growing participant base” –
A. See Hawk’s previous statement.
B. There has been a definite surge in the amount of young girls who skate street, vert, park and all of the above. For example: there were about 40 women competing in the Girls Combi Classic- which is more than double that of the preceding year’s Protec Pool Party- (once again, why exclude women’s park?).
C. ESPN’s move has a lot of potential to significantly inhibit further growth of the participant base. I started skating after I saw the women’s vert demo at the 2002 X-Games in Philadelphia. Lyn-z said it best: ” This, unfortunately, is going to end the growth for women’s vert skating as we know it.”
2. “low barriers of entry into the sport ”
A. True, there are very few, if any technical “barriers” or structures through which women and girls can work their way into professional women’s vert skating- this is fed predominantly by reasons 2 & 5.
B. I think the biggest “barrier” to entry now is that all of the vert events have been eliminated…
5. “a solid year-round infrastructure” & “an established annual competition schedule”
A. Completely true. But rather than stand by us as we hope and wait for the one competition we do have, they have eliminated the last remaining women’s vert event.
B. Once again- what about park? There’s a year-round World Cup series for bowl riding, so why not AT LEAST let us skate the giant, fun bowl you build for park?
Spreading awareness, and consequently, support, is one of the first steps towards beginning to change the current industry/media approach to women’s skateboarding.
filming all-around ripper Hunter in the Kapolei bowls in Hawaii
Thank you for all who have read, replied to and most importantly, reposted my last post. Every little bit helps. The amount of attention the news received implies that the most likely reason behind the omission, which is that people are simply not interested in women’s skateboarding, is flawed. Thank you again for the support.
As far as exposure for women goes, one of the progressive projects currently underway is a photo book by Julian Bleecker. Having acknowledged the lack of media support in the world of women’s skateboarding, Julian has been faithfully seeking out and photographing dedicated female rippers across the country in an effort to bring their talents and stories to light. Www.nearfuturelaboratory.com/thatwasthen
I’ve joined forces with him on the project, and we are currently in NJ preparing to shoot photos of Lorena Lima and then head to New Hampshire to document the versatile skateboarding talents of Nora Vasconcellos.
My involvement in the project has inspired me to proceed with a documentary project/ my senior thesis that will delve into the reasoning behind the industry’s decision to overlook women.
Hunter and Matt Reynolds in HawaiiLizzie Armanto checking out the prototype version of a magazine we compiled that consists of Julian's photos and interviews with talented female skaterspondering book layouts in the Nearfuturelaboratory
Please continue to spread the word. Any further feedback and recommendations are greatly appreciated.
No Pool Party, No Dew Tour, No X Games, No Maloof, No coverage by the skateboard media. Women’s vert and transition skateboarding seems to have been dismissed by the skateboarding industry.
Although I’m very grateful that we have been granted our very own combi contest, which turned out to be a great event last Fall, Vans and Protec seems to have made it clear that it is not worthy of being associated with the prestige of the Protec Pool Party as they unveiled the 2010 winners banner. Each preceeding banner lists the winners from the Men’s, Masters’ and Women’s divisions. However, this year’s banner has a blank space where the Women’s winner used to be listed. Ironically enough, the 2010 women’s combi contest has been the strongest showing in terms of numbers of competitors and the level of skating. And yet, it remains unacknowledged. Seeing as Vans has recently eliminated their girls’ skate team, this adds insult to injury.
Lizzie Armanto skates this pool with technical precision and grace. I have half a mind to go spray paint her name on the banner where it rightfully belongs. photo:JCB
Last week, ESPN made it clear that women’s vert and superpark will no longer be divisions in the X-Games. Seeing as Dew Tour has omitted women’s vert this year and Maloof has done little more than hint at the possibility of inclusion, there are virtually no women’s vert contests. We too want to feel the sense of accomplishment, joy and even purpose that comes with successfully finishing a polished run despite unnerving contest jitters.
Gaby Ponce, winner of last year's X-Games, photo: JCB
I’m not blind to the difference in levels between the divisions, but what I have experienced firsthand is the recent spike in the level and numbers of women and girls who skate. And somehow this too remains unacknowledged.
Although I have constantly felt more than welcome into many fun, high-energy sessions with great guys and pros who I’ve looked up to for the past decade, this series of news connotes the concept that women skateboarders are not truly a part of the world of coping and concrete that we have come to love.
We, too, are immersed and committed to the skateboarding community. But the media continues to convey the idea that our place in skateboarding is limited to cheering the boys on as they have all of the fun or scantily clad and posing suggestively in advertisements for wheels.
It’s time to look outside of the current skateboarding industry and start composing our own events.
Despite the surge of invincibility accompanying the taming of some terrifying transition with a new trick or solid run, our skateboards like to remind us that we are unfortunately mortal. The passionate outlet that drives us, skateboarding, and our ability to do it is as fleeting and delicate as the human body.
Just yesterday at the Protec Pool Party qualifiers, Josh Stafford was rushed to the ER after a collision in the pool. He will be sadly sidelined along with a broken-ankled Bucky and an injured Grosso during tomorrow’s event. Others are barely recovering from new ailments, Daniel Cuervo, Lincoln Ueda and Lester Kasai have all managed to heal up enough to ride. The fact that even Tony Hawk broke his pelvis a few months ago on a 540, a trick he’s been doing for close to two decades, shows just how easily we can be humbled by our precious planks of joy.
Bob Burnquist. X Games 2011. Credit JCB
I’ve come to find that despite whatever hobble-filled situation my skateboard has put me in, somehow the pang of not skateboarding has overwhelmed any physical pain or discomfort.
Having gone through my fair share of skate-related mishaps. I’ve developed a healing regiment to help me get back to skating in order to avoid nasty skate withdrawal symptoms.
Here’s a quick how-to on how to heal sprains and strains, which can give you some serious, long-term issues if you just ignore them.
1) The most obvious R.I.C.E method: Rest (stay off of your tattered limb until pain subsides!) Ice (Most important in the first 48 hours- 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off) Compression (Ace bandage, but the point of this is to drain the inflammation so don’t just trap the fluid in there, start wrapping tightly below the joint and then wrap more loosely as you go higher up) Elevation (keep your limb above your heart, allowing gravity to help decrease swelling.)
2) Various topical creams/ applications
1. Arnica Montana– this homeopathic remedy comes in both pill and cream form and helps decrease swelling and pain, and promotes healing. You can find this at most health food stores.
2. DMSO – a byproduct of tree sap that works as a really efficient and powerful anti inflammatory. There is a lot of uncertainty behind this product, but based on all of the research I’ve done as well as being a first-hand witness to its effects, I would highly recommend it. It’s important to get one that is at least 99 % pure DSMO and diluted to about 70% DMSO, 30% distilled water. You have to be careful when you use it because it is also capable of transporting things through your skin so you want to make sure you wash the area with warm water first and then make sure that nothing else comes in contact with that area until you wash it off about 30 min- 1 hour later. You can couple this with arnica gel to allow the arnica to get to the damaged tissue more quickly. You can get this online or maybe at health food stores.
3. Voltaren Gel– This is essentially ibuprofen in gel form. Anti-inflammatory and a pain killer. You might need a prescription for this.
4. Traumeel<a . This works really well, PLG has also recommended it to me. I got mine in Poland but I'm sure you can get ahold of it somehow…
5. It is important to take a Glucosamine Chondroitin supplements (pill form) even when you aren't injured to promote joint health/strength.
Also, in my desperation I've researched diets that are optimum to healing. Essentially it comes down to leafy greens and lean protein. Some specifics include: pineapple is the best natural source of Glucosamine, red meat increases the inflammatory response so it is best to avoid it especially within 48 hours of injury, artificial sweeteners like aspartame block your calcium intake, diuretics such as alcohol and caffeine should be avoided because they leech your body of valuable nutrients that you will need during times of healing.
The most important and difficult step is to stay off of your weakened limb until you can skate pain-free. It is much easier to do further damage to an already-wounded joint…
Needless to say, I get pretty desperate/borderline dramatic when it comes to striving for a quick recovery…
My not-so secret desire to perpetuate and prolong my Hawaiian visit to immediate permanent residency made itself clear when I reached into my pocket and realized that I lost my boarding pass at the Honolulu airport.
My initial perma-stressed brain responded with panic. As I began to realize the awesomeness of getting “stuck” in Hawaii, the United worker drone analyzed my blank expression and turned-out pockets. ” Are you.. (squinting at wrinkled boarding pass lying on her desk) Amelia Brodka?” she laced her question with a well-deserved patronizing tone as I dropped my head and muttered a yes.
How shameful.
How old am I again? 12?
Northshore's Bansai pool right across the street from Bansai PipelineNot only does Hunter push me off surfboards, but she also shoots chunks of coping at me as I attempt to kick back with some yummy macadamia nuts that extension was Maka-dang-dangWe managed to capture a wild Kalliewe attempted to extract the secret of the deathbox lines from her...but our efforts were futile. She alone dominates death, frontside at that.
A big Mahalo to Matt and the 808 crew for getting us into Cholos backyard wonders TWICE
Mighty Feeble
Then we meandered to yet another backyard playground…
Compete with 3ft mini with a spine, 8ft mini, and a little hut with a micro mini inside…
oooh ocean view
And that was only day 2…
So my subconscious attempt to stay in Hawaii failed…I slithered off of the redeye, right into 12 hours of work and class with my brain all maka-dang-dang from awkward plane “sleep”
As the semester began to draw to a close, the perpetual papers,projects and presentations drove my hyper-caffeinated brain to the brink of explosion.
A Hawaiian escape seemed like the best way to keep my sanity in tact…
On my first day, I learned that Hawaiians are not only genetically engineered to wrangle waves with water boards, but they have been bred to be the most hospitable creatures on the planet…
the home of the fantastic 808 crew and our temporary shelterHeimana!!!taming mother nature on earth day!mother nature struck back...Hunter pushed me off the board... how cruelCholos was sooooo fun
HONU!hawaiian shaved ice!coconut!
To cap our first North Shore adventure we meandered through a children’s graveyard in order to get to a spooky, skater-built pool… Heimana! the spirits struck back...
Does the use of fruit (in this case, lemons) bolster sales of skateboard goods?
I get it! The product here is a lemon-scented sunblock to prevent farmer's tan while skateboarding all day...right?Perhaps it would be more conducive to the industry to market their goods at work? Wearing shoes such as Vox is certainly helpful for executing front rocks. (photo cred: Dr. Bleecker, photoshop cred: moi)
Stacy Smith, a professor at my local brain feeding institution, the University of Southern California, has used this as an ingredient in one of her dishes :
“A steady diet of consuming skewed or stereotypical depictions of women as sexy or domesticated may facilitate the development and maintenance of attitudes, beliefs, and aspirations that are limiting.”
This neuron-tickling morsel was served in Communication and Mass Media, where I fed as a freshman.
As a junior, my diet consists of Gender in Media Industries and Products with chef Alison Trope, for which I’m currently compiling my final recipe for the semester with the help of this spice, suggested by Larry Gross:
“Close to the heart of our cultural and political system is the pattern of roles associated with sexual identity: our conceptions of masculinity and femininity of the ‘normal’ and ‘natural’ attributes and responsibilities of men and women. Ans as with other pillars of our moral order, these definitions of what is normal and natural support the existing social structure. the maintenance of the ‘normal’ gender-role system requires that children learn- and adults be discouraged from toppling- a set of expectations that channel their beliefs about what is possible and proper for men and for women.”
“Our experiences are likely to be limited to what the media choose to show and tell us”
Gnaw on that and savor its taste the next time your paws feel the gloss of Thrasher or Transworld Skateboarding.
Amelia Brodka 
