Famous shoe and gear company VANS will be touring with skate clinics and events in a move to expand their line (obviously), but to change the sport by those involved, questioning "so where are all the girls?" When I was a kid how cool it was to pen art on your school binders BONES brigade or Tony Hawk logos. Skateboarding was a sport, but practically a religion involving rebellion, hardcore attitude, a respect for health and the environment. It was just us dudes, and a menace were we for Mall security guards and marble or granite curbs or surfaces.
Since I first picked up a pair of ski equipment or tried my first snowboard (Blacksnow, remember those??) my female friends were always involved. Lets face it, they shred with the best and often times were better at snowboarding than me! I could skateboard well and could rock it at skiing but boarding, not so much. Lucky for me they now make trick ski kits (must have!!) So if women can shred up a mountain from summit to base and back, where were they out in the skate parks?
As we would have it, they have been involved since the 70's with a handful of revolutionary girls breaking ground. Back when boards were little more than nicked roller skate wheels attached to a "banana board" of psychadelic plastic or simple plywood. This was the next step to the roller rink craze of past years but guys ran with it for the most part.
So why is it the girls are hidden in skater culture but hand planted at the top of snowboarding? Well you must always look to the trailblazers before a rapid change that can happen in bursts, and everything follows.
If an 8 yr old can rail slide in a Princess dress, that is going to shake things up BIG TIME!
I'm not about to sidewalk surf in a tight Speedo but I did have a yellow board just like that! Bikini is awesome, but can't get on board (hey a pun!) with the bare feet thang.. So from Princess dresses to bikini clad, and full circle back to thrasher girlz - so engulfed in skaterz religion they blend in with the guys in the crew . It is still a rarity though and I am sure VANS will get to the source of this, because as I always saw it - snowboarding and skating are parallel worlds (well other than me able to skate but a Noob on a snowboard).
You have pink and powerful just to say "hey this is a girl carving up the bowl" (mind you 80's neon pink was huge for anyone skating) and you have these trail blazers out in Afghanistan who are seriously breaking the barriers on wheels and cultural confines they are.
If I remember correctly, being a skater was always very rebellious as that is what it has always been about. Dangerous, cool, hated by security guards and drivers, breaking the norm and looking anything but. I did that, and for me I just need to get my trick ski pair so I can start doing the stunts snowboarders are doing, but will leave the skater trailblazing to this new club of girls and boys keeping the long tradition - but with a fresh twist!
Reporting from somewhere snowy for Steem Train News.