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Creating area for ladies — or queer, trans, and non-binary skaters, for that matter — within the traditionally male-dominated skate scene has by no means been a simple feat. Legendary feminine skaters like Elissa Steamer — the first pro female skater ever — and the queer, hard-hitting Vanessa Torres had been among the first to pave the way in which for higher inclusivity in skating. However, as Jonah Hill’s Mid90s confirmed in its launch final October, the informal misogyny and sexism that outline up to date skate tradition have lain comparatively dormant and unchecked for many years.
In 2019, nonetheless, that narrative now not appears to carry true.
With Skate Kitchen rocking the world final August and feminine skaters gaining large mainstream recognition on all platforms, it’s no secret that 2018 was a breakthrough yr for ladies in skateboarding. Vans launched “Girl Skate India,” an initiative that acted as the latest installment of their annual “This Is Off The Wall” marketing campaign, which showcases younger ladies in India gaining confidence via skateboarding. “Skate Like A Girl” — a program based over 10 years in the past to assist ladies get extra snug on their wheels — gained rising traction, receiving extra press than ever. And smaller, female-founded skate manufacturers watched their high skaters get signed by brands like Adidas or Nike — taking enormous strides in direction of nationwide recognition.
These seven inspiring feminine skaters completed some actually exceptional issues in 2018. And, with the 2020 Olympics proper on the horizon, they’re beginning off 2019 with extra momentum than ever — each on and off the ramp.
Lacey Baker
At simply 25 years outdated, the legendary Lacey Baker is likely one of the most well-known feminine skaters on the market right now — and 2018 proved to be one other wonderful yr underneath her belt. The primary overtly queer girl to hitch the Nike Skateboarding staff, Baker additionally designed the first-ever Nike skate shoe for ladies after becoming a member of Nike’s roster in 2017. Final yr, she produced a second iteration of the Nike SB Bruin High — made with a bespoke heel design that speaks on to LGBTQ inclusivity within the skate group.
Lizzie Armanto
Not everybody can defy gravity. However apparently Lizzie Armanto is amongst those that can. Late final August, Armanto made historical past as the primary girl to finish Tony Hawk’s infamous 360-vertical loop. Solely a handful of skaters have ever been capable of full the stunt, lengthy thought-about some of the harmful tips within the sport. Armanto is a two-time X Video games medallist — taking residence gold on the first ever Girls’s Skateboard Park occasion on the 2013 X Video games — and is gearing as much as take part within the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2019.
Nora Vasconcellos
As the primary girl to hitch the likes of Mark Gonzales and Daewon Tune on the famed Adidas skateboarding staff, Vasconcellos is unquestionably a skater to maintain following within the coming yr. All through her profession, she’s at all times been very candid in regards to the highs and lows of her battle with nervousness and the way she’s labored to beat her panic dysfunction as a way to hold skating. However final July, Vasconcellos watched her success manifest in a giant method when she obtained her own signature Adidas colorway — a brilliant purple hue accompanied by an embroidered floral design — for the basic Adidas Matchcourt RX.
Beatrice Domond
Florida-native Beatrice Domond has come a great distance from rising up as the one woman who skated in her city. First featured in William Strobeck’s 2014 Supreme movie, Cherry, Domond has been attracting nationwide consideration for the previous couple of years. She’s the one woman on Supreme’s skate roster, was featured as a finalist final yr in a 90-second short film for Uber by Mike Steinkamp, and even has a clip in Supreme’s 2018 video, Blessed. Her distinctive type and real positivity have garnered her sponsors like Vans and Fucking Superior — with rather more to come back in 2019.
Leticia Bufoni
Hailing from Sao Paolo, Brazil, 25-year-old Leticia Bufoni has lengthy been thought-about probably the greatest feminine skaters on this planet. In 2013, she grew to become the one girl to take residence three gold X Video games gold medals in the identical yr. And in 2015, she garnered worldwide consideration as the primary girl to earn a coveted place on the Nike Skateboarding staff. Final yr, she was featured on Forbes’ checklist of “Most Influential Girls in Sports activities 2018” — and took residence one more gold medal on the Women’s Skateboard Street at Norway’s 2018 X Games. With the 2020 Olympics proper on the horizon, Bufoni will certainly be a feminine skater to remember.
Allysha Le
Though Allysha Le, the 22-year-old Dickies-sponsored skater from Southern California, is lower than 5 ft tall, her top is unquestionably not indicative of the scale of her accomplishments in 2018. In between touring round North America along with her staff, Le competed as a semi-finalist in final yr’s Vans Park Collection, the annual park terrain skateboarding world tour for each women and men. Le additionally made cameos in Transworld Skateboarding’s thirtieth video montage, Duets, which she alluded to on Instagram with a gnarly nosegrind.
Rachelle Vinberg
20-year-old Rachelle Vinberg has been steadily gaining traction within the skate world for years. However, in 2018, she solidified her presence as a world power within the feminine skating scene along with her function as Camille, the daring and spirited protagonist of Crystal Moselle’s Skate Kitchen. Vinberg was scouted proper from a New York skatepark whereas mid-conversation with Nina Moran, a fellow skater and co-star within the movie, for her type and quirky character. And that real candor — alongside Vinberg’s ever-improving skate chops — is strictly what makes her so compelling: She’s not afraid to be herself. On social media, Vinberg isn’t too embarrassed to indicate herself falling or unable to land a trick — and he or she’s shocked the world along with her unabashed, trustworthy portrayal of what it means to be a lady in skateboarding.
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