EBOOK
About
A vibrant, meticulously researched celebration of the women and non-binary skateboarders who defied a hostile industry and redefined skateboarding around the world
The experiences of heroic older women have traditionally been dismissed or buried in the history books, and the skateboarding industry has mirrored this trend. The conversation has focused on the iconic male professionals, their contest results, trick inventions, and sponsors, while female skateboarders rarely get mentioned beyond a token paragraph, and stories of their contributions and barrier-breaking have almost never been told. Until now.
With enthusiasm and empathy, Girl Gangs, Zines, and Powerslides celebrates the relentless participation of women in skateboarding from the 1960s onward who defied a hostile industry to carve out their own space through underground networks. Skater librarian Natalie Porter presents interviews and meticulous research, including the DIY zines created by female and non-binary skaters to expose this unacknowledged story while offering a personal narrative about the importance of community-building and validation, with or without your own video game.
Girl Gangs, Zines, and Powerslides disrupts the image of skateboarding as an exclusive male domain, offering historical context for the seemingly rapid progress of female skaters today seen competing on the Olympic stage. Discover how the collective action of a grassroots movement in the 1980s established meaningful change, building a foundation that has led to greater inclusion and diversity, which has inspired women, girls, and non-binary youth worldwide to roll on a skateboard for the first time and, sometimes, return to this passion as an adult.
A lifelong skateboarder and librarian, Porter scoured old zines and media for photos or mentions of women riders. Often, they went uncredited, unnamed, or were mentioned only in passing, as footnotes to the men dominating the culture. This book carves out space for the women who loved to kickflip, even if the boys never invited them.
Natalie Porter lives in Powell River on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin First Nation, began skateboarding in 1995, and works for the British Columbia Library Association. She is the founder of @womxnsk8history on Instagram and the online archive Womxn Skateboard History and is a subject expert for the Smithsonian's skateboarding advisory board.
Sales and Market Bullets
• SKATEBOARDING WILL BE A MANDATORY SPORT IN THE 2028 L.A. OLYMPICS.
• UNTOLD FEMINIST HISTORY: Spanning 1959 to today, this book focuses on California (the birthplace of skateboarding), Vancouver (Canada's skateboarding hub), and Montreal, where Porter was a part of the Skirtboarders girl gang. She covers the 1980s and 1990s, when skateboarding was marketed as a space for young men, and how diverse skaters challenged this narrative. Porter openly addresses challenging subjects, such as violence against women and the impact of the #MeToo movement, both of which have significantly shaped the world of women's skateboarding.
• CONFRONTING TONY HAWK: Natalie Porter tracked down and met pro skater Tony Hawk at a skateboarding conference in San Diego and grilled him with a question about women's skate history. She details how Tony Hawk responded in the book.
• BRINGING IN A NEW KIND OF READER: This book transcends skateboarding, captivating historians, academics, pop culture buffs, and readers of feminist biographies like Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk (Kathleen Hanna, 2024). Blending academic history with the DIY spirit of zines and skate mags, it speaks to readers of Thrasher Magazine, viewers of the documentary Underexposed (2012), attendees of events like California's Exposure Skateboard Contest, Skate Like a Girl advocates, and zinefest regulars alike.
The experiences of heroic older women have traditionally been dismissed or buried in the history books, and the skateboarding industry has mirrored this trend. The conversation has focused on the iconic male professionals, their contest results, trick inventions, and sponsors, while female skateboarders rarely get mentioned beyond a token paragraph, and stories of their contributions and barrier-breaking have almost never been told. Until now.
With enthusiasm and empathy, Girl Gangs, Zines, and Powerslides celebrates the relentless participation of women in skateboarding from the 1960s onward who defied a hostile industry to carve out their own space through underground networks. Skater librarian Natalie Porter presents interviews and meticulous research, including the DIY zines created by female and non-binary skaters to expose this unacknowledged story while offering a personal narrative about the importance of community-building and validation, with or without your own video game.
Girl Gangs, Zines, and Powerslides disrupts the image of skateboarding as an exclusive male domain, offering historical context for the seemingly rapid progress of female skaters today seen competing on the Olympic stage. Discover how the collective action of a grassroots movement in the 1980s established meaningful change, building a foundation that has led to greater inclusion and diversity, which has inspired women, girls, and non-binary youth worldwide to roll on a skateboard for the first time and, sometimes, return to this passion as an adult.
A lifelong skateboarder and librarian, Porter scoured old zines and media for photos or mentions of women riders. Often, they went uncredited, unnamed, or were mentioned only in passing, as footnotes to the men dominating the culture. This book carves out space for the women who loved to kickflip, even if the boys never invited them.
Natalie Porter lives in Powell River on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin First Nation, began skateboarding in 1995, and works for the British Columbia Library Association. She is the founder of @womxnsk8history on Instagram and the online archive Womxn Skateboard History and is a subject expert for the Smithsonian's skateboarding advisory board.
Sales and Market Bullets
• SKATEBOARDING WILL BE A MANDATORY SPORT IN THE 2028 L.A. OLYMPICS.
• UNTOLD FEMINIST HISTORY: Spanning 1959 to today, this book focuses on California (the birthplace of skateboarding), Vancouver (Canada's skateboarding hub), and Montreal, where Porter was a part of the Skirtboarders girl gang. She covers the 1980s and 1990s, when skateboarding was marketed as a space for young men, and how diverse skaters challenged this narrative. Porter openly addresses challenging subjects, such as violence against women and the impact of the #MeToo movement, both of which have significantly shaped the world of women's skateboarding.
• CONFRONTING TONY HAWK: Natalie Porter tracked down and met pro skater Tony Hawk at a skateboarding conference in San Diego and grilled him with a question about women's skate history. She details how Tony Hawk responded in the book.
• BRINGING IN A NEW KIND OF READER: This book transcends skateboarding, captivating historians, academics, pop culture buffs, and readers of feminist biographies like Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk (Kathleen Hanna, 2024). Blending academic history with the DIY spirit of zines and skate mags, it speaks to readers of Thrasher Magazine, viewers of the documentary Underexposed (2012), attendees of events like California's Exposure Skateboard Contest, Skate Like a Girl advocates, and zinefest regulars alike.