Brookings, Oregon

Brookings has a pretty fun park, the first of many on drive north. The last time I was here was last summer when I was working as a wildland firefighter on the Klamath National Forest. I think I called into work sick and took a three-day trip up the coast with my friend who was also a fellow firefighter. When we got to the Brookings skatepark there was this little girl flailing around on roller-skates. She said her name was Erica and I told her how my name was Erica and how the girl I was skating with was also named Erica.
Of course she ripped off her roller-skates and ran back to her Mom’s car to grab a skateboard.

California's North Coast

Eager to get to Oregon, I stopped in Arcata only long enough to get a sandwich at the co-op and skate the park for a couple of hours. The park has got some crazy tight transitions and a unique snake run. Like every other time I've skated there, the locals were super friendly. It was also overcast as usual. There's one woman who rips up the Arcata park, you'll know who I'm talking about if you go there.

Ode to the Lilly!

Abby "Zace" Zsarnay Interview

While in Southern California's Ventura County I was able to get this interview with a local ripper. She's been regularly competing with the boys and has some impressive videos up on Youtube!

Name: Abby Zsarnay
Age: 14 years old
Years skating: 7 years and 2 years competitively
Favorite spot to skate: Locally, I love to skate the Oxnard skate park. But farther away, my new favorite skate park is San Jose, CA, Lake Cunningham skate park.
Describe your ideal skate day: I would like to spend a whole day, non-stop skating with my friends and my parents at the Oxnard skate park first. I would work on landing the 360 and the blunts. Then I would like to go to the San Jose skate park and work on my front side airs out of the 15-foot half pipe/ bowl. Lastly I would like to go to Woodward East in Pennsylvania because it’s a lot bigger than Woodward West and a way better set up. I would like to work with the pro vert skaters in the vert half pipe.
Favorite pro skater: Frank Hirata.
Knarliest slam: Probably when I was skating at Oxnard in the 8-foot bowl. I went up to do a Disaster. My foot slipped off my board on the way back in. In result, I did the splits since one foot stayed on top of the ramp and the other went in with my board. After the splits, I fell flat on the floor below on my side. From the wipe out, I pulled a leg muscle, got whiplash from the fall, and a minor concussion from my head hitting the cement ground. But luckily I was wearing a helmet and pads.
How often do you compete? At least once a month.
Advice to other girl skaters? Keep trying even if you fall. Just get back up and try again. Don’t give up just because you get frustrated or mad because you fell or can’t land something. Once you get frustrated, everything is going to become so much harder. Take a break from that trick, try something else and come back to it later.
Anything else? I am currently not sponsored but I do get “flow” from our local skate shop , One Way Board Shop. Which helps with all my gear. I hope to be sponsored in the near future.

California's Central Coast

All Girl Skate Jam

Before leaving the city my friend Lilly and I took the muni train to San Francisco's pier 30/32 to participate in the All Girls Skate Jam (AGSJ). The jam was held in the sweltering heat on a 5 foot metal half pipe amidst the death metal and chaos of the Vans warped tour. There was only a small number of competitors this time around (and no pros) so everyone who participated walked away with some loot.

Erin, from Ohio, and Abby, of Santa Paula California, competed for first place with a repertoire of stylish lip tricks and daring airs and inverts. Erin scored just above Abby claiming the first place prize snowboard. Lilly and I mustered up enough tricks to walk away with free boards. All the women were charging and taking good spills and getting up and trying it all over again. Everyone seemed to be having a blast skating and making new friends. Once we received our prises we got a special visit and photo op with the famous Animal Chin.

Patty Segovia, creator of AGSJ, said that next year the event in San Francisco will be going off. You can expect pros, generous money prizes, and well over 100 participants.
Check out more on the all girl skate jam in San Francisco

Hitting The Road

Today I told my mechanic I'd be driving from San Francisco to Canada. He popped the hood of my car and started poking around. "Do you have AAA?... yes but is it AAA plus?... and your not taking a rental car because its too expensive, right?"

So what if I break down? I am going on a skate trip, so no matter where it happens there is sure to be some asphalt where I can engage in one of life's greatest pleasures, right?

So, I'm hitting the road, in my not so predictable car, revisiting old spots and discovering new ones.

Right now females represent such a small percentage of skaters, small enough that at some parks boys will still tell you that they've never seen a girl skateboarding... but thats all changing. There's a lot of girls (and women!) out there with guts and drive, scabs and bruises, and I'd like to hear all your stories. As for me, skateboarding is more than a sport, its a way of life and an agent for change, and amongst many who don't share the passion, a lousy excuse to quit my job.