My skateboard items in the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American History, Art, and Culture in 101 Objects

I am in a book with items I donated to the Smithsonian. I'm honored to pass on my skate history to the new generation and to be included in American Asian History. Smithsonian Asian Pacific American History, Art, and Culture in 101 Objects invites readers to experience both well-known and untold stories through influential, controversial, and meaningful objects. Thematic chapters explore complex history and shared experiences: navigation, intersections, labor, innovation, belonging, tragedy, resistance and solidarity, community, service, memory, and joy.

Photo John Krisik took when he was the team manager for NHS. These items are in the Girlhood (It's Complicated) art exhibit.

Asian Pacific American History link.

Flyaway helmet I traded with a good friend of mine. Reb back in the late 70's. I liked the way she had pinstriped the helmet. I gave her a new one I had bought. I'm not sure how we decided to trade. I think she liked the new one I had bought and I told them I loved the one they pinlined. Long story short it's in the Smithsonian. I just ordered a book and can't wait to see it. I have know idea which items are in the book as they also have a trophy of mine I won at the UC Berkeley contest.

Skateboarding Longevity and Determination Flashback Issue 1 of Thrasher Magazine

Today, I saw a post about the 500th issue of Thrasher Magazine on Instagram. I looked back at the first issue on Thrasher's website and noticed it had an article about Downhill Skateboard Racing and the Gold Cup Series that I had skated in. (I still have my first copy.)

Spread from the first issue of Thrasher Magazine flashback. 

A look back and realization that not being the top women's team rider changed me and probably helped me in the long run. At the Capitola Classic and I was ahead of all of the women even with a crash and sliding 25 feet down the double yellow in short shorts and hitting my head. 

After John Hutson won on a set of special Park Rider wheels that were super tall and fast, Jay put the winning wheels on Terry Brown's board and she beat me at the finish line. Winning is winning but I ended up with more photos and press because I raced my heart out. I wasn't the big name I ended up not getting the special wheels and placing second. In the long run it made me fight harder and continue to skate decades later. 

(For anyone that wonders why I stopped competing in vert it was the Winchester contest judges that made me stop competing in scored contests and just do timed events and that's another story. Because I get asked alot but don't usually tell why)

Decades later Terry told me she never considered that she won that race. It was good to hear but I will always remember feeling like the second pro rider for Santa Cruz and not as important. I was still honored and proud to be sponsored Santa Cruz Skateboards and Independent Trucks.

 Competition is competition it is cut throat and not everyone likes competing. You can have a career as a free rider in some sports like Surfing legend Santa Cruz surfer Josh Mulcoy and freeskier Cody Townsend. Skateboarding not so much.

Capitola Classic Downhill in Action Now with Michele Baker. Photo: James Cassimus

Capitola Classic shot by Dan Devine took that is in the Smithsonian Collection

If you had told me I'd still be skateboarding and racing in 2022 I would probably think you were cray cray. I remember another competitor asking me what it would be like skating in 20 years? I told her I probably won't be skating that was 18 years ago. 

This weekend I will be racing in Southern California my first head to head race since Morro Bay Classic 2019

Video by Gary Fluitt and crew

 

Will Slalom Skateboarding and Downhill Racing make the next Olympics? Oldest skate career making some Herstory!

First slalom race with Lisa Harner Capitola 1975 Photo: Richard Oyama

Second downhill race Capitola Classic 1980 from the Independent Trucks Built to Grind book. Photo: Reg Caseilli

Santa Cruz Sentinel Article my mom cut out. I was the only woman racing downhill the year before. I have no photos and placed middle of the pack.

Hood River World Championships 2012 Photo: Steven King

Nevada City 2018 Photo: John Ravitch

The Bar (Bad Ass Ramp) at the Texas Sizzler is 9' tall on the far right and left images. It is tall and wobbly. No joke and you can't see the bottom and you go in kind of blind. You have a choice for a regular ramp and a shorter one. I am not sure if they are going to do that at the March race coming up. 

Girlhood (It's Complicated) Virtual Opening Female Skateboard Pioneers and BFF's

Here is a little back story to this event. Jane and Beth collected my Flyaway helmet and trophy. They have come out and personally interviewed us for more background on women in skateboarding, our herstory and what the items we donated meant to us and when and how were they used or won. Won in my case was because I gave them one of my first place trophies from the Berkeley Skate Contest years ago. 

 

Back story on the black flyaway helmet. That was Rebecca Botelho she did the custom pin striping. I was going to have her do one for me and instead we did a helmet trade and I gave her a new flyaway helmet and she gave me the black one. She still skates and is awesome. We skated together a few years ago when my husband had a cyclocross race down in Los Osos area. She is helping get a skatepark built in Cambria. www.skatecambria.com

I was super honored to be apart of this virtual opening yesterday. I put together my video and self-interview. I was going to hand it off to Daniel Carettoni of Santa Cruz Aerials so he could smooth it out. I didn't have a ton of time so I didn't redo my interview areas. When you get behind the camera or iPhone you don't always say exactly what you planned to say. I wanted to redo some of the slow bumpy talking. 

                                                    

1:13 Shows are skate pieces at the show

https://youtu.be/GVYesfMeMOc?t=2611 

                                                            

45:19 Cindy Whitehead

https://youtu.be/GVYesfMeMOc?t=2723 I am right after you. I am sending this to my friend Frances and thought I would share the links of where we want to watch from.

                                                            

47:35 My section

https://youtu.be/GVYesfMeMOc?t=2854

At the end of my video I put photo and video credits. Thank you to my friends that have been kind enough to take a photo or shoot with my camera when I ask them. If not for my dad who took most of my photos my story would not have been documented.

Credits:

Daniel Carettoni

Bill Golding

Richard Oyama

Gary Mederious

Michael Smiley Goldman

John Krisik

Dan Devine

John Ravtich

Michael Chantry

Ian Logan

Daniel A. Anderson

Gary Holl

Steven King

Randy Katin

Brad T. Miller

Jonny Miller

Maria Carrasco

Mary MacDonald

sorry if I missed anyone 

Day 9 of no sugar, no grains, no dairy, no alcohol  no fun. I am doing it until October 22. 21 days to exact.

The history of girlhood is not what people think; it is complicated. Young women are often told that girls are “made of sugar and spice and everything nice.” What we learn from the past is that girls are made of stronger stuff. They changed history. From Helen Keller to Naomi Wadler, girls have spoken up, challenged expectations, and been on the front lines of social change. Although definitions of girlhood have changed, what it means to grow up female in the United States has always been part of the American conversation. More details at girlhoodlive.com

I got a little love Smithsonian spotlight

https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/snapshot/shredding-judi-oyama

My helmet goes into the Smithsonian Collections with Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Cindy Whitehead, Laura Thornhill...

Women's downhill skateboarding got a little attention yesterday in Washington DC. Who'd of thought from skateboarding in my parents driveway to sneaking speed runs around Aptos and Santa Cruz with Legendary skater John Hutson my helmet would end up in a collection with so many well known skaters. How did I get included with this group of skaters? Maybe the decades of slalom skateboard racing, downhill, pool riding and my passion for helping spread the stoke with Board Rescue. My love for skateboarding and constant gathering of stickers, magazines, memorabilia I have stored that is now being sorted through to be added to the Santa Cruz Skateboard 40th Anniversary event set for Fall 2013 at NHS. I think I represent all of the unknown skaters that skated then and still skate for the rush, freedom, and adrenaline you get. Thank you Betsy Gordon and Jane Rogers for including me.

Downhill skateboarding is represented by donations of a Fly Away skate helmet worn by Judi Oyama in the 1980s and the board and helmet used by George Orton when he set the world speed record on a skateboard in 1996. Archival materials being donated include a complete set of the "National Skateboard Review," a chronicle of skate activity in the late 1970s run by Di Dootson; early editions of TransWorld SKATEboarding magazine; and newspaper articles.

Innoskate Tumbler about

Press Release National Museum of American History Smithsonian InstitutionFlickr images innoskate

Go Skateboarding Day and Women Skateboarders get some notice

Big day for women in skateboarding today. Super stoked for my skate friends Cindy Whitehead, Laura Thornhill Caswell, Patti McGee, Di Dootson and Robin Logan that made it out to Washington DC for the innoskate event. My flyaway skateboard helmet is being inducted to the Smithsonian collection as well. I was suppose to be working on a photo shoot that got pushed back a few weeks and so I didn't go. Thank you to Betsy Binckley Gordon and Jane Rogers for including me in with these amazing women.

The International Association of Skateboard Companies is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Go Skateboarding Day this week by partnering with the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the National Museum of American History in Washington D.C.

The two-day festival dedicated to skateboarding called Innoskate takes place this Friday and Saturday, June 21st and June 22nd, in the nation’s capitol. The event is a big deal for skateboarding and will provide a grand stage to showcase the sport to the rest of the country.

The Smithsonian welcomes skateboarders for Go Skateboarding Day - Shop-Eat-Surf.com Here are the items Cindy is inducting to the Smithsonian. Cindy Whitehead will be discussing innovation in skate footwear and fashion and its influence on the mainstream. photo: ian logan

Saturday's Innoskate program will be webcast. 10-year anniversary of Go Skateboarding Day