Skater's Edge
by Bonnie Blouin
G&S
TRUCKS
TOUGH
ENOUGH
FOR
DANFORTH
OUTH
GAS TRECKS
G&S TRUCKS
GAS TRUCKS
Gordon & Smith 7081 Consolidated Wy. San Diego, CA 92121-2604,
(619) 549-2690
y now, all of you should know that
By
up. And if you can't get past that fact, then
skating just isn't for you... No more wasted
breath
The last girls article in THRASHER
brought in a lot of positive response. As a
result I've become acquainted with
numerous pen pals, including the Women's
Skateboarding Club, and have participated
in "Push Push Then Go," Karen Zapata's
zine. Best of all, I got off my buns and head-
ed out to San Francisco to skate with Karen
Zapata and Amy Paul. It was first experience
skating with other dedicated females.
If you want something bad enough, you'll
achieve it, even if you have to travel 3,000
miles, quit your job, spend $1,000 and
experience the misery of having all your
equipment flown to another state. Yes, folks,
at all costs, always carry your deck aboard
the plane.
Anyway, it was great for me to skate with
another female. When facing the challenges
of a little healthy competition, pent up com-
petetive aggressions spring forth, and you
find you have a real friend you can learn stuff
with. The feeling of "if she can do it, I can"
emerges, and the "trick swap" causes a
major amount of stoke. Skinned knees and
bruised shins become a storybook of past
events. You dork about town plastering
stickers in the ladies room and blowing
people away with your mere existence. Most
of all, you have someone to share your
hopes, your fears and your dreams with, and
that, in itself, is an indescribable priviledge.
The worst part about being a lone female
"at home" is that those opportunities do not
exist. The competitive drive at a contest or
a heated session is missing. I don't compete
with the guys, not because I don't want to.
but because IT'S NOT THERE. I don't feel
it. None. Period. I skate with and for myself,
and I have no other reason for skating.
I don't skate with the sole desire of becom-
ing sponsored. I don't worry that Slim might
beat me in the next contest or that Jim might
learn a new move before I do. These are
driving forces that the guys have and take
advantage of. They have no conception of
what life without that competitive edge would
be like.
I suppose the early 80s are a prime
example. Think about how many godly
skaters faded into the woodwork; when the
contests ended, the gravy train ended...a
very small handful remained.
I no longer wonder why more girls don't
skate. Unless a girl has the total strength and
desire within herself to ride and to keep
riding, there is truly nothing to keep her
motivated. In fact, society and a lot of guy
skaters try to prevent girls from skating.
Laura Thornhill, Vicki Vickers and Patti
Hoffman are three women whose faces are
deeply embedded in my mind. Yes, they were
true pioneers, an inspiration to us by way of
example, but they are not involved now. They
cannot flow advice to girls who may need it.
Throughout skating's history guys have.
had role models of the same gender, whether
they were local shredders, out of towners,
pros or ams. Even through the dark ages.
they were able to look up to innovative
skaters like Steve Caballero, Neil Blender,
Duane Peters, etc., and these skaters were
"accessible" during that entire period.
Skateboarding has evolved for males into
what it is today because kids have been able
to learn from their role models. Johnny sees
Joe do a frontside air, Johnny thinks, "Hey,
I can do that, but I'm gonna do it this way,"
and he puts a little tweak into it and so on...
evolution.
When I see Johnny tweak that frontside
air I don't think, "Hey, I can do that because
he can." I honestly don't know if I can, and
the competitive push to make me try doesn't
exist. On the other hand, when I saw Karen
flappin' a rock 'n roll slide, I knew without a
doubt that I could do it because she could
and I did it. There is a fine mental line there.
Many times I have gotten down on myself for
"wimping out" and for not progressing as
fast as my male counterparts. I've felt guilty
to the point of wanting to give up, but I didn't
because I'm a skater. When I finally realized.
"Hey, I'm not in the same league as these
guys." I started progressing and having fun.
That is not to say that girls learn nothing
from guys. Without them and their support
I would not be here writing this. I wouldn't
be skating. It's just that since female
camaraderie and competition is scarce.
unless I have total confidence in myself, I
would never learn any trick. The guys are
there to advise me when I feel confident
enough to try a new trick.
Unfortunately, skaters, contest hosts and
sponsors are unaware of this. Life goes on
and we girls are expected to flow in an
environment dominated by males. It is not
as if we expect "special treatment" but I feel
it is very important that we develop our own
identity. Girls are girls and boys are boys, and
if you can think of any other sport, much less
any other walk of life, that considers us one
and the same, please step forward.
After spending time in California. I am
totally blown away that there are no women's
divisions at contests. Contest organizers
argue that there aren't enough girls enter-
ing to warrant a women's division. It takes
a lot of guts to stand out there and face 50
burly dudes who'd just as soon run over you
as take their turn. Dog eat dog. Personally,
if I'm about to drop in and I notice a 185 lb.,
six-foot monster across the way, looking
severely crazed, you're damn right I'm not
gonna meet him in the flat bottom. My 115
pounds crumples quite easily, and, besides,
I have no problem at all hurting myself on
my own.
Many girls will not enter contests for this
reason. It is very intimidating. Males seem
to think it is "their problem" and something
"they" will have to overcome if "they" want.
to ride, but the point is, it shouldn't be that
way. If a women's division was created and
publicized in time the blank pages would fill
in quite rapidly.
It is time for the distinction to be made.
We girls are out here skating because it is
something that we truly enjoy. We want to
feel that grind and want to catch some air
and we will, regardless of the odds against.
us. We don't have to be unfeminine to do
so; girls are quite graceful. We need only
the chance to excel at our own pace, to
progress in our own league and to be
recognized for our achievements as females
on our own terms.
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