etnies

Meet Laura, the etnies Girl of the Month

Laura made this collage…oh yes, she’s artsy too.

Laura, the etnies Girl of the Month, is proof that good things can happen when your dad gives your bike away to charity. After sneaking out one night about three years ago, the Miami, Fla., native found herself in that particular predicament. Out of a bike and still not old enough to drive, Laura found skateboarding. Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention. Now 16 and a junior in high school, Laura is old enough to drive but she’s definitely not going to give up skating any time soon. We spoke with her about why she’s an etnies Girl, her advice for girls who want to learn to skate and some of her favorite things.

etnies Girl: What are your interests?
Laura: My interests are skateboarding of course, and guys, getting my car and graduating high school.

etnies Girl: What are your talents?
Laura: I guess my talents are that I'm athletic and a creative thinker.

“When I go to the skatepark, some of the guys get pissed when I land something they haven’t.”

etnies Girl: How did you get involved in skating?
Laura: When I was young, about 8, I was channel surfing and I landed on the X Games. I was so interested in BMX, inline and skateboarding. I didn’t get a board till I was 13, though. My dad gave my bike to charity because I snuck out one night and blades were too expensive, so it was skateboarding from there.

etnies Girl: What do you like about etnies Girl?
Laura: I like etnies Girl because they are a big supporter for girls’ skateboarding and because Elissa Steamer, one of my favorite pro skaters, rides for etnies.

etnies Girl: Why are you an etnies Girl?
Laura: I feel I'm an etnies Girl because I am independent—I don’t like to follow the crowd. Last year a girl in my PE class asked me why I skate; I told her because not as many girls skate compared to the number of girls who play soccer, basketball, softball and other sports. I’m a person who always wants to be happy and make others around me happy. I’m a sensitive person. Everything I do has to be fun, whether because the task is fun or because I make it fun.

etnies Girl: What do you do for fun?
Laura: I mostly skateboard for fun. On days when I can’t skate I’ll watch TV, watch a movie, or go to the arcade.

etnies Girl: Where do you find inspiration?
Laura: I find inspiration from watching anyone skate, from beginners to pros.

etnies Girl: What’s your biggest accomplishment?
Laura: When I got my kickflips down. It took me like six months of practicing kickflips to land them one out of two tries.

etnies Girl: So you’re better than most of the guys you skate with, right? Are the guys pretty cool about it, or are they pissed that they’re getting schooled by a girl?
Laura: Yea, they’re cool. They just feed off of me to land stuff and I feed off of them. When I go to the skatepark, though, some of guys get pissed when I land something they haven’t. Whenever I go there’s always one guy who wants to play SKATE with me, but I’m not sure why.

etnies Girl: A lot of the girls who write in to the site tell us that they want to skate, but they’re afraid guys will make fun of them. Was this ever an issue with you?
Laura: I don’t think I ever thought about that when I started. I do find guys who make fun of me, but there are always going to be haters. I ignore their comments and think about all the good comments I’ve gotten.

etnies Girl: Do you have any words of advice for girls who feel that way?
Laura: My advice would be to ignore them and find people who you want to skate with and who want to skate with you. They’ll give you confidence and push you to skate harder.

etnies Girl: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Laura: The best advice I’ve gotten was from my friend who I skate with. About a year ago, he told me to keep my knees up when I ollie and don’t slam down. He told me that after I got clipped on this gap several times. I took his advice and I cleared the gap.

etnies Girl: What’s really important to you?
Laura: The people I skate with are important because I can’t skate by myself; I don’t get pumped if I’m by myself. Also, my family—they have always been, and will always be, there for me.

Laura’s Favorite Things

Place: Any skatepark
Animal: Kittens
Color: Blue
Hangout: “My friend Hector’s house.”
City: Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Song: “Harnessed In Slums” by Archers of Loaf
Album: “Trapt” by Trapt
Band: Linkin Park
Book: “Emergency!”
Movie: “Master of Disguise”
TV show: “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”
Sport: Skateboarding
Game: Counter-Strike
Food: Chinese
Candy: Milk chocolate
Holiday: Christmas
Smell: New car smell
Hobby: Filming
Guilty pleasure: Cookies ‘n Cream ice cream
Athlete: Chris Cole
Hero: Firefighters
etnies Girl shoe: Gal 86

Be an etnies Girl of the Month

Would you like to be the next etnies Girl of the Month? E-mail a paragraph describing why you should be our next etnies Girl along with a photo of yourself to etniesgirl [at] soletechnology.com, or send it to:

etnies Girl of the Month
c/o Sole Technology, Inc.
25422 Trabuco Rd., Suite 105 #235
Lake Forest, CA 92609

Don't forget to include your name, age, address and phone number.

Enter the In the Raw Giveaway by Sept. 1!

The In the Raw Giveaway is almost over! Enter by Sept. 1 for your chance to win a gift pack that includes an In the Raw soy candle, lotion and body wash, and a pair of etnies Girl’s Fresh Sushi sandals. Ten lucky etnies Girls will win!

Lauren Takes Third at Slam City Jam!

Congratulations to Lauren Perkins, who placed third in Women’s Street this past weekend at Slam City Jam in Vancouver, B.C.! Stay tuned for photos and details from the event.

Leanne Nominated for Riders’ Poll Awards

The anticipation has been building and the votes from over 150 professional riders and more than 300 TransWorld SNOWboarding magazine readers are in! Congratulations to snow team rider Leanne Pelosi for being nominated for two TransWorld SNOWboarding Riders’ Poll and Readers’ Choice Awards, for Rider of the Year and Readers’ Choice. The winners will be announced at this year's Riders' Poll Awards, which will be held Sept. 8, 2005, in San Diego, along with the world premiere of Neoproto’s “Some Kinda Life.”

Enter the Love to Skate Giveaway!

If you love to skate, then we have the perfect contest for you!

Enter the Love to Skate Giveaway by Oct. 7, 2005, for your chance to be one of two lucky winners of a pair of etnies Girl skate shoes of your choice, an etnies Girl Mimas backpack, a Cherry Skateboards deck and Villa Villa Cola’s “Getting Nowhere Faster” DVD.

Good luck and get ready to skate your little heart out!

etnies Girl’s Skate Beginner Tips

Want to learn how to skate? Check out our beginner tips to help you get started and use the checklist to track your progress.

Skate Tips

• For any board sport, you first need to figure out your stance, regular (left foot forward) or goofy (right foot forward): Stand with both feet together and start leaning forward to see what foot you catch yourself with; that’s typically your dominant foot, which is the foot you want in back.
• Safety first: If you protect your noggin, wrists, elbows and knees, you’ll have more confidence and will progress more quickly because you won’t be so afraid to fall.
• It’s all about the shoes: You can’t just skate in any old shoe! You need to protect your feet, and your shoes have to be able to stand up to the abuses of grip tape and pavement. Look for a shoe that has a flat sole, padded tongue and cushioned footbed. etnies Girl’s Novice, Gal 86 and Kingpin are great shoes to try.
• Practice balancing on your board: You have to start somewhere, and for skateboarding that means simply getting comfortable standing on your board. Practice balancing on the grass or carpet indoors (assuming you parents won’t freak out).
• Practice pushing: Once you can balance on your board, practice riding your board on a flat surface, preferably somewhere safe and away from traffic—like a driveway.
• Learn the basics of riding: There’s a big difference between pushing and really riding your board. You need to learn how to turn left and right, kick turn, and navigate bumps and cracks in the pavement.
• Learn to turn: Turning or carving is the same for any board sport; if you lean to the right, you’ll turn right, and if you lean to the left, you’ll turn left. So if you’re regular footed and you lean forward (on your toes) you’ll turn right, and if you lean backwards (on your heels) you’ll turn left. The opposite is true if you’re goofy footed.
• Learn how to ride fakie: You need to practice riding fakie, or the opposite direction you normally ride. This doesn’t mean you flip your stance, it simply means you’re riding backwards.
• Learn basic skate tricks: Basic skate tricks you’ll need to learn include the ollie, tic tac, kickturns, shove-it and kickflip.

Skate Progress Checklist

• Figure out your stance, regular (left foot forward) or goofy (right foot forward)
• Practice balancing on your board
• Practice pushing
• Learn how to turn left and right
• Learn how to kick turn
• Learn how to ride fakie (backwards)
• Learn how to ollie
• Learn how to tic tac
• Learn how to kickturn
• Learn how to do a shove-it
• Learn how to do a kickflip
• Have fun!

How Did You Start?

Are you just learning to skate? Tell us about it! Let us know why you started skating, if these tips helped you, or whatever is on your mind. Have you been skating for awhile? Let us know how you got started, what helped you learn and if you have any tips you’d like to give girls who are just starting out.

Download a Copy

Click on the image below to download a PDF version of the Skate Beginner Tips so you can save a copy, print it out or e-mail it to your friends.

Skate Beginner Tips (1.7 MB PDF)

etnies Girl’s Snow Beginner Tips

Want to learn how to snowboard? Check out our beginner tips to help you get started and use the checklist to track your progress.

Snow Tips

• For any board sport, you first need to figure out your stance, regular (left foot forward) or goofy (right foot forward): Stand with both feet together and start leaning forward to see what foot you catch yourself with; that’s typically your dominant foot, which is the foot you want in back.
• Wear a helmet: A helmet doesn’t only protect you when you fall; it also protects you in case someone else on the mountain loses control of their board or skis and runs into you.
• Look where you want to go: As you cruise an easy slope, pick out a tree or other object in the direction that you want to turn. By focusing on the object, your body will tend to follow your eyes. Once you are going in the direction of the object, pick out another object farther down the hill and on the opposite side of the run. This exercise will also help you keep your head up and your body aligned as you finish your turn.
• Don’t look down: This goes along with looking where you want to go. It’s a natural instinct to want to look at your board to see what you’re doing, but if you do you’re going to lose your balance and fall.
• Stay out of the back seat: It might seem like putting your weight on your back foot will give you more control and keep you from falling, but it will actually do the exact opposite. You need to practice leaning on your front foot, which will give you the most control.
• Use your knees: Stance is crucial to good riding. Beginners and even intermediates often ride stiff-legged, but to ride with control, you need to flex deeply at the knees. The correct position is similar to rising from sitting in a chair. This mid-crouch stance, with your weight balanced evenly over both feet, cushions the bumps and allows you to keep your edge.
• Keep your edge: One of the most important things to remember when you’re first starting out is that you should always ride on one edge or the other. Press down with your toes to ride on your toeside edge, and lean back on your heels to ride on your heelside edge.

Snow Progress Checklist

• Figure out your stance, regular (left foot forward) or goofy (right foot forward)
• Practice sliding downhill on your toeside edge
• Practice sliding downhill on your heelside edge
• Practice toeside edge turns
• Practice heelside edge turns
• Practice linking your toeside edge and heelside edge turns
• Practice riding fakie (backwards)
• Have fun!

How Did You Start?

Are you just learning to ride? Tell us about it! Let us know why you started snowboarding, if these tips helped you, or whatever is on your mind. Have you been riding for awhile? Let us know how you got started, what helped you learn and if you have any tips you’d like to give girls who are just starting out.

Download a Copy

Click on the image below to download a PDF version of the Snow Beginner Tips so you can save a copy, print it out or e-mail it to your friends.

Snow Beginner Tips (1.7 MB PDF)

etnies Girl’s Surf Beginner Tips

Want to learn how to surf? Check out our beginner tips to help you get started and use the checklist to track your progress.

Surf Tips

• For any board sport, you first need to figure out your stance, regular (left foot forward) or goofy (right foot forward): Stand with both feet together and start leaning forward to see what foot you catch yourself with; that’s typically your dominant foot, which is the foot you want in back.
• Work on your swimming skills: About 95% of surfing is paddling, which means your upper body needs to be strong so you won’t get worn out quickly. You also need to be a good swimmer in order to be safe in the water.
• Always surf with a friend: The ocean is unpredictable, so you’ll want a buddy there with you. Plus, it’s way more fun to learn with a friend!
• Practice doing pop-ups: Before you even get into the water, you need to practice doing pop-ups on the sand. Lie flat on your surfboard with your hands on either side of your chest like you’re going to do a push up. In one fluid motion, push up with your arms and pop-up onto your feet.
• Watch your knees, please: When you do a pop-up, don’t go to your knees before getting on your feet. Equally important, your knees should be bent when you’re standing on your board; if they’re straight, your balance will be off.
• Practice paddling: Center yourself on your board, and then start paddling with deep strokes like you’re doing the crawl or freestyle stroke in swimming. Make sure that your hands are cupped with your fingers and thumb together to get the most out of your paddle.
• Catch a wave in the white water: Walk your board out to chest level white water, gently picking up your board every time a wave comes in, and then placing it back down in the water. When the next wave arrives, jump on your board and start paddling toward the beach. If you are not going fast enough the wave will go right over you, so make sure you to get some momentum going. Once you start getting propelled forward by the oncoming wave, do a pop-up and stand on your board like you practiced up on the beach. Now you’re surfing!

Surf Progress Checklist

• Figure out your stance, regular (left foot forward) or goofy (right foot forward)
• Work on your swimming skills to get better at paddling and to be safe in the water
• Practice doing pop-ups with your board on the sand
• Practice paddling
• Practice catching waves in the white water
• Practice turtle diving or duck diving through breaking waves
• Practice sitting on your board
• Practice catching waves on the outside
• Have fun!

How Did You Start?

Are you just learning to surf? Tell us about it! Let us know why you started surfing, if these tips helped you, or whatever is on your mind. Have you been surfing for awhile? Let us know how you got started, what helped you learn and if you have any tips you’d like to give girls who are just starting out.

Download a Copy

Click on the image below to download a PDF version of the Surf Beginner Tips so you can save a copy, print it out or e-mail it to your friends.

Surf Beginner Tips (1.7 MB PDF)

etnies Girl’s Moto Beginner Tips

Want to learn how to ride motocross? Check out our beginner tips to help you get started and use the checklist to track your progress.

Moto Tips

• Safety first: Before you even think about getting on a bike to go ride you need your safety gear. Most important is the helmet—you have to protect your noggin. You should also always wear motocross boots, knee pads/braces, a chest protector, gloves, riding pants and jersey, goggles and a helmet.
• Learn your bike: The first step in actually riding a dirt bike is learning the controls of the bike you are riding. You should have someone experienced in riding guide you through the controls and proper use of them, including turning the gas on and off, kick/electric starter, clutch lever, shifter, front brake, rear brake, kill switch and throttle.
• Start your bike: When first learning to ride it’s alright to have someone help you start your bike because it can be tricky, but you should start learning the proper way to start it yourself from the beginning.
• Start slow: Start in a dirt lot or a flat open area and just get comfortable with the bike. Taking off is the first thing. Let out the clutch slowly while giving the bike a little gas. You will feel the bike wanting to move so just go with it. But if it stalls give it more gas the next time and let the clutch out a little slower. You do not want to pop the clutch (let the clutch out quickly) and give it a lot of gas because the bike will loop out and your butt will be in the dirt. This may take a few tries, but once you get the hang of it, it will be easy.
• Learn the basics: Once you get rolling you should practice shifting, braking, turning and going over basic obstacles. Practice sitting up straight (good posture), standing up on the pegs and looking ahead to where you are going instead of directly in front or your wheel.
• Practice: Just like everything else in life, there is no way you will learn if you don’t practice. The big advantage in learning motocross is that it’s a lot of fun. You will be passing the guys on the track in no time. Now go have fun!

Moto Progress Checklist

• Get the gear (boots, knee pads/braces, chest protector, gloves, riding pants and jersey, goggles and helmet)
• Learn the bike controls (kick/electric starter, clutch lever, shifter, front brake, rear brake, kill switch and throttle)
• Learn how to start your bike
• Learn how to take off (let out the clutch, give it gas and go)
• Learn how to brake with both the front and rear brakes
• Learn how to turn
• Learn how to go over bumps
• Learn to stand up
• Learn how to hill climb
• Learn how to jump
• Have fun!

How Did You Start?

Are you just learning to ride motocross? Tell us about it! Let us know why you started, if these tips helped you, or whatever is on your mind. Have you been riding for awhile? Let us know how you got started, what helped you learn and if you have any tips you’d like to give girls who are just starting out.

Download a Copy

Click on the image below to download a PDF version of the Moto Beginner Tips so you can save a copy, print it out or e-mail it to your friends.

Moto Beginner Tips (1.1 MB PDF)

etnies Girl’s BMX Beginner Tips

Want to learn how to ride BMX? Check out our beginner tips to help you get started and use the checklist to track your progress.

BMX Tips

• Safety first: Before you even think about getting on a BMX bike to go ride, you need your safety gear. Most important is the helmet; you have to protect your melon, so find a helmet that fits snugly and is well padded. It’s also a really good idea to wear knee pads, elbow pads and shin guards, and if you don’t like calluses you should wear some gloves. You might feel like a dork, but this isn’t a fashion show. Safety first!
• It’s in the fit: You should find a bike that fits you well. Some frames are longer then others and that can make a huge difference in how you ride. Adjust the handlebars so they feel comfortable. If they’re too far forward, you’ll be going OTB (Over The Bars) and if they’re too far back you’ll have them in your lap. Adjust the seat to a comfortable level, and just generally make the bike fit you.
• Put on the brakes: If your bike has front and rear brakes (some come with only rear brakes) figure out which is which. Always learn to ride with at least one finger on the brake lever (preferably your pointing finger), and use two if it makes you feel more comfortable.
• Start slow: Ride in an open area and get comfortable with the bike. Taking off is the first step. Start off with one foot on the forward pedal (whichever foot you feel more comfortable with) and your back foot on the ground, and then push off in one fluid motion. Once you get some momentum, place your back foot on the available pedal. Always look forward, not down, and you’re off!
• Practice the basics: Once you get rolling you should practice pedaling as smoothly as possible. When you’re able to cruise at a decent speed, practice coasting without pedaling because that will lead to stopping. Next you should try pedaling while standing up on the bike. This tends to be a lot harder for people then just sitting and riding. Try to get comfortable with speed pedaling and quickly braking before you try to take your bike on any ramps. Knowing how to stop your bike puts you in control of what happens.
• Learn basic BMX skills: Basic BMX skills you’ll need to learn include bunny hopping, roll backs and manuals on flat ground. These three skills are what make up most of the tricks in BMX.

BMX Progress Checklist

• Get the gear (helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, shin guards and gloves)
• Make sure your bike fits you properly (adjust the handlebars and seat)
• Learn the bike controls: pedaling, balancing, braking and stopping
• Learn how to take off (pushing off and starting pedaling)
• Learn how to turn left and right
• Learn how to pedal while standing up
• Learn how to bunny hop on flat ground
• Learn how to do roll backs on flat ground
• Learn how to manual on flat ground
• Have fun!

How Did You Start?

Are you just learning to ride BMX? Tell us about it! Let us know why you started, if these tips helped you, or whatever is on your mind. Have you been riding for awhile? Let us know how you got started, what helped you learn and if you have any tips you’d like to give girls who are just starting out.

Download a Copy

Click on the image below to download a PDF version of the BMX Beginner Tips so you can save a copy, print it out or e-mail it to your friends.

BMX Beginner Tips (1.1 MB PDF)

The Dove Girls: You Decide

Dove has an arresting new ad campaign for its new line of firming lotions, and unless you just crawled out of a cave, you’ve seen the “Dove Girls” everywhere—in magazines, at bus stops, on buses, on billboards, you name it. These “real women” (according to Dove, the women featured in the ads were discovered all across the U.S. and the photos are not retouched) are stripped down to their plain white skivvies and proudly showing off their size 4 to size 12 bodies, in all their glory. The idea is that stick-thin models don’t need firming lotions, so it isn’t fair to put pictures of them in ads for the product.

More than an ad campaign, however, Dove is calling The Dove Girls part of its “Campaign for Real Beauty.” In a press release, it states stark figures about the way women are portrayed in the media: "Models weigh an average of 23 percent less than the average woman. Twenty years ago, models weighed an average of 8 percent less." The company has started the “Dove Self-Esteem Fund” for young girls and is collecting photographs of real women for its “Million Faces Album,” which aims to show a “new, wider definition of beauty.”

So what do you think about the Dove Girls? Is it refreshing to see “real women” being celebrated as beautiful? Do you think the whole campaign is just a little too politically correct? Do you think it’s hypocritical for Dove to say that these real women are beautiful…but they still need their firming lotion? Has this campaign encouraged you to be more accepting of your own body?

Tell us what you really think: Do you love the Dove Girls or are you ready to see them to go?

Libby’s etnies Visit

Libby is A-OK after her sesh at the etnies Skatepark.

Last week Libby, April 2005’s etnies Girl of the Month, dropped by etnies during her whirlwind West Coast tour of prospective colleges. She was ever-so-delightful in person (as we knew she’d be), so we took her on a tour of the etnies campus (we’re up to four buildings now) and the STI Lab. She also picked out a pair of Gal 86 from the Company Store and shredded the etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest for good measure. Oh, and did we mention that we took her out to lunch? She’s a star, so she deserved the star treatment, ya know?

Don’t You Want to Be an etnies Girl?

So why haven’t you applied to be the next etnies Girl of the Month already? Leave a comment telling us why you deserve to be the next etnies Girl along with your age and, if you’re extra nerdy (which we love) add a link to a picture of yourself. Make sure to leave your CORRECT (no funny business!) e-mail address in the e-mail field, or we won’t be able to contact you if you’re chosen. (Don’t worry, your e-mail address won’t show up in your comment.)

If you’re feeling shy or just a little old school, you can also send us a letter (don't forget to include your name, age, address and phone number):

etnies Girl of the Month
c/o Sole Technology, Inc.
25422 Trabuco Rd., Suite 105 #235
Lake Forest, CA 92609

Maybe, just maybe, you’ll win and get styled by etnies, just like Libby…

Post X Games Skate Team Report

We’ve got some good news and we’ve got some bad news in this edition of the skate team report…

Elissa on the podium at the X Games: winning gold helps to take the pain out of breaking a foot.

First the good news: As you probably already read on the site, team rider Elissa Steamer won the Women’s Skateboard Street event at X Games 11, European team rider Evelien Bouilliart from Belgium placed second and team rider Lauren Perkins placed fourth! etnies came this close to a clean sweep. Congratulations, ladies!

And now for the bad news: In the course of her win at the X Games, Elissa Steamer broke her foot. She was trying to kickflip down the nine stair and landed primo, then her foot folded back underneath her. She continued skating in the contest and ended up winning…what a trooper! Since her foot is now broken, she will just be taking it easy at her home in San Francisco and healing for the next few weeks or so. Get well soon, Elissa!

Evelien learns that all day at etnies = fun + games.

Lauren Perkins has had a pretty hectic schedule since the X Games. After the event, she and Evelien did a quick photo shoot at etnies, before she flew to the East Coast last weekend for Op Girls Learn To Ride skate clinics in New York City and Philadelphia. At the events, she gave girls skate tips, signed some autographs and got to do some skating of her own. Elissa was going to go to the clinics too, but since she hurt her foot etnies flow rider Stefanie Thomas took her place. On Monday, Lauren started a Check It Out Girls Magazine road trip, which will end in Vancouver for Slam City Jam. Lauren, however, will be on the trip just through tomorrow, flying home when they get to San Francisco. After that, she’ll be home for a week or so before flying up to Vancouver for the contest.

As you can tell from the photos, Evelien Bouilliart thoroughly enjoyed her first trip to the U.S., even though it was a short one. She got to skate some of the local Southern California parks, did some street skating in Los Angeles and participated in a photo shoot at etnies with Lauren.

Make sure to visit the X Games 11 Photo Gallery to check out photos from the event.

Op GLTR Clinic at etnies Skatepark Aug. 20!

It’s not too late to register for the Op Girls Learn To Ride skate clinic sponsored by etnies Girl tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 20, at the etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest!

Op Girls Learn To Ride will take over the skatepark for this girls only skate clinic, which is open to skaters of all levels of abilities, from beginner to advanced, ages six and up. Professional instructors will help you learn to skate for the first time or improve upon your existing skills. It only costs $25, so register today!

For a complete listing of Op Girls Learn To Ride clinics sponsored by etnies Girl, visit the Calendar.

X Games 11 Photo Gallery

Evelien (left) and Elissa celebrate after medaling at X Games 11.

etnies Girl skaters dominated the X Games 11 Women’s Street competition! Visit the X Games 11 Photo Gallery to check out photos of team rider Elissa Steamer, who won the event, European rider Evelien Bouilliart, who finished second, and team rider Lauren Perkins, who finished fourth. For a recap of the contest, make sure to read “Elissa and Evelien Dominate the Podium at X 11!” in the blog.

Push, the etnies Girl Jam This Weekend!

Which pro skater is ready to step up and take the title of 2005’s European female champ? Just wait and see what happens at Push, the etnies Girl Jam on August 21, 2005, at the fifth annual European Skateboard Championships presented by etnies and Carhartt in Basel, Switzerland.

etnies Girl’s Evelien Bouilliart (far right) won the first stop of Push, the etnies Girl Jam that took place in Munich, Germany.

The first etnies Girl Jam was held in Malmo, Sweden, at the etnies European Open in 2002, where six girls competed. By 2004, the number had nearly tripled, with 16 girls competing against each other in the European Championships in Basel. Even more girls are expected to participate this year, including etnies Girl riders Louisa Menke from the Netherlands and Evelien Bouilliart from Belgium. Although Bouilliart has only been competing for one year, she won the first Push, the etnies Girl Jam in Munich, Germany, this past May and just recently took silver in Women’s Skateboard Street at the X Games.

The contest format will consist of a 45 second run followed by a five minute jam session, giving the girls just enough time to get revved up and show off their skills while the judges and audience sit on the edges of their seats in anticipation about whom will be chosen as the female European champion of 2005. Stay tuned for contest results and news about upcoming Push, the etnies Girl Jam events.

Learn How to Skate With Op GLTR and etnies Girl Aug. 13 and 14!

Op Girls Learn To Ride and etnies Girl are taking over two different skateparks this weekend for girls-only skate sessions! Join us this Saturday, Aug. 13, at Chelsea Piers Skatepark in New York City or this Sunday, Aug. 14, at the ESPN X Games Skatepark in Philadelphia for clinics open to skaters of all levels of abilities, from beginner to advanced.

Straight off their respective first and fourth place finishes at X Games 11, etnies Girl skaters Elissa Steamer and Lauren Perkins will be at the clinics to sign autographs, answer your questions and give you pointers. etnies Girl will also have a photo op set up so you can take pictures with Elissa and Lauren, and the photos will come with a magnetic frame that you can customize yourself. You’ll also receive a raffle ticket with your registration packets that will give you the chance to win some cool etnies Girl gear.

Get more information or register now for the following clinics:

Aug. 13 skate clinic in New York City at Chelsea Piers Skatepark

Aug. 14 skate clinic in Philadelphia at the ESPN X Games Skatepark

If you miss these clinics, your next chance to meet Elissa and Lauren and attend an Op GLTR skate clinic hosted by etnies Girl will be on September 18 in Orange County, Calif., at the etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest.

Elissa and Evelien Dominate the Podium at X 11!

Elissa ollies over the double set and into the bank.

Lauren blasts over the gap.

One thing's for sure, etnies knows skateboarding. That's why we have some of the best riders in the world on our team. And the team made etnies proud last weekend at the Women's Skateboard Street event at X Games 11.

Last year's bronze medalist, Lauren Perkins, had her own cheering section in the stands, who spent much of their time waving Volcom's custom made "Lauren" signs as she blasted ollies over the launch gap, feebled and front boardslid the flat bar, 50-50 grinded the hubba and boardslid the big rail during the rail/hubba jam session.

Lauren was just shy of making the podium with Evelien and Elissa but fourth is nothing to be ashamed of when you're competing against the best in the world.

Evelien signs for a fan.

Evelien Bouilliart has been competing for only a year. Although admittedly nervous, it didn't stop her from destroying the handrail jam session with frontside and backside 50-50's, feebles, frontside 5-0s, lipslides and smith grinds.

Congrats, Evelien, on winning the silver medal at your first X Games, and for enduring a lengthy autograph signing session for the fans!

Elissa's broken-footed kickflip.

With her birthday only a few days away, Elissa Steamer couldn't ask for a gift better than an X Games gold medal. The most consistent skater and one of the few who landed nearly all her tricks, Elissa told EXPN "I'm kind of surprised that I won, these girls are awesome. I'm happy that I did as well as I did."

Elissa didn't hold back as she landed trick after trick after trick in her runs and the jam sessions: ollies over the double set into the bank, stylish shifties and kickflips over the the gap and down the stairs, front and backside noseslides on the ledges, krooked grinds on the flatbar and 50-50s down the hubba, just to name a few.

Evelien landed this 5-0 with ease.

Midway through the rail jam, Elissa attempted a kickfip down the stairs but had to bail in order to avoid a collision with Vanessa Torres. After getting up, sticking the kickflip and then skating the launch/gap jam, Elissa, and the paramedics, realized she'd been skating on a broken foot for the second half of the rail jam and the entire launch jam session.

This is Elissa's second consecutive X Games gold medal and we don't doubt she will nab a third next year. Hearty congrats to Elissa, Evelien and Lauren for skating hard and making etnies proud!

Champs!

Elissa and Christian Hosoi share a moment.

Stay tuned for more photos from the event...lots more.

X Games 11 Update!

Elissa contemplates the course today

Elissa Steamer is set to defend her X Games gold tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 5, at 2 p.m., during the X Games 11 Skateboard Street finals, alongside Lauren Perkins, who placed third at last year’s X Games, and etnies Europe shredder Evelien Bouilliart. Stay tuned for the results, and good luck to Elissa, Lauren and Evelien!

Meanwhile, Ryan Sheckler placed fourth today in the men’s Skateboard Street finals, even after taking a nasty slam on a back smith that left him being carried off the course by paramedics. In other etnies X Games news, yesterday morning Rooftop jumped 62’2” on the Mega Ramp, setting a new world record for the longest backflip on a BMX bike ever! Congrats, guys!

Stay tuned for more photos and complete X Games 11 coverage!

Lauren Perkins hanging at the X Games today

Evelien Bouilliart will be competing in her first X Games tomorrow

Two Kooks and the King of Creedle

This Saturday, Aug. 6, The Surf Gallery will unveil its latest show, “TWO KOOKS AND THE KING OF CREEDLE: An Art Exhibition by Thomas Campbell, Alex Kopps & Estaban Bojorquez.” Stop by between 6 and 10 p.m. to check out the artists’ latest creations and enjoy live music by the Mattson 2.

Artist, photographer and filmmaker Thomas Campbell is well-known in the surf community for his films “The Seedling” and “Sprout,” but he is most recognized as a fine artist, with major contributions to the "Beautiful Losers" show. Alex Kopps is a designer, graffiti artist and fine artist from Oakland, Calif., and Estaban Bojorquez is a long-time Malibu local, known for his three-dimensional found object sculptures.

The show runs from Aug. 6 to Sept. 7, 2005. For more information, visit The Surf Gallery or call 949.376.9155.

August’s Snow Team Report

Leanne Pelosi

Summertime and the livin’ is easy! Here's a quick update on what the etnies Girl shredders are up to...

Janna Meyen is on her way to New Zealand, where she’ll be shredding and filming for the Volcom video for the next month.

Leanne Pelosi has been one heck of a busy bee lately! She recently wrapped up her summer camp, MGT Snowboard Camp, with some of her good friends, finished editing her part in the upcoming Misschief Films video, bought a new car and purchased a new condo in Vancouver.

Alexis Waite is no slouch herself and recently purchased a new apartment in Portland, Ore. She says it made more sense to be based in Portland rather than Bend, Ore., due to her hectic travel schedule throughout the winter. She also just finished editing her part in Misschief's new video. Other than that, she'll be slowly but surely getting settled into her new pad.