etnies

Meet Cary, the etnies Girl of the Month

Cary, the etnies Girl of the Month, loves snowboarding. And when we say “love,” we’re not talking about how you love, say, pizza or puppies. We mean it’s her ultimate passion in life and the reason why she gets out of bed in the winter. In other words, she loves snowboarding with a capital “L.” We chatted with the 17-year-old Southern California resident about why she’s an etnies Girl, where she finds inspiration and some of her favorite things (besides snowboarding, of course).

etnies Girl: What are your interests?
Cary: My interests are writing, poetry, dancing, modeling, art, playing guitar and whatever I feel is fun and self-expressive.

etnies Girl: What are your talents?
Cary: I really don’t know. People say I’m good at dancing, singing, writing and snowboarding. I can also balance books on my head and make some people laugh.

“I love snowboarding because it’s one thing I can do for only myself. It’s something I feel like I’m at home with.”

etnies Girl: How did you get involved in snowboarding?
Cary: My mom first started snowboarding while I was still skiing at age 4, so she was the main reason why I got into it. When I got a little older, around 10 years old, I started snowboarding. That’s when I noticed that skiing wasn’t my thing and I didn’t like to fall with my legs spread open. I picked up snowboarding fairly quickly, and I enjoy it more than skiing. Nevertheless, I still would like to ski one day and see if I still remember how to “squash grapes.” I’m also getting into surfing. I got into surfing this summer and bought a pretty decent used board. I plan on doing it frequently throughout the year. My mom and I are trying it together.

etnies Girl: What do you like about etnies Girl?
Cary: What I like about etnies Girl is that you find and see girls wearing it who transcend the norm. The girls who wear it are diverse; their attitude and interests reflect on their character and style.

etnies Girl: Why are you an etnies Girl?
Cary: I’m an etnies Girl because I can kick ass! OK, just kidding. I’m an etnies Girl because I do what feels right to me. I’m not afraid to be an individual and I strive to be my best. I’m true to myself. That's who I think an etnies Girl is—someone who can stand up for the things they love despite the status quo. She’s a girl who believes in herself, is not afraid to be her own person, takes the initiative, and strives for the things she wants out of life and for what makes her happy.

etnies Girl: What do you do for fun?
Cary: I always have fun with my cousin, Noodle. We sing karaoke. We dance at parties when no one else is dancing. We eat a lot of good food and that’s always fun. We speak in our native tongue mixed with the languages we learned in school. That’s three or four languages in one sentence! Anything we do is an adventure.

etnies Girl: Where do you find inspiration?
Cary: Good friends and family inspire me. I have a handful of good friends who I truly admire and get my inspiration from. They encourage me to go for my dreams and let nothing get in my way. Music is my addiction; it keeps me going and releases everything inside of me. And my mother inspires me. She’s the strongest woman I know—a single mom who has raised me, her only child, alone, and still managed to give me all I need and more. She’s always reassuring me that I can make something out of myself and that I’m a good person.

etnies Girl: What’s your biggest accomplishment?
Cary: I’m so glad that I have made my way through high school. It’s been a car crash for the past three years. That I’m going to be graduating in 2006 is such a relief because I know I have made it and have become a much stronger person. My high school experience has made me grow as an individual, and it has sparked something inside of me that I never thought was there: a strong will.

etnies Girl: Why do you love snowboarding so much?
Cary: Oh man, I love snowboarding because it’s one thing I can do for only myself. It’s something I feel like I’m at home with. It keeps me thinking optimistically about anything I come across. It takes my mind off peer pressure and the superficial things that so many teenage girls put up with. I’m just happy I found something that I love. I get so psyched talking about it with my friends, setting up my board, and when I hear other people talk about it.

etnies Girl: Do you have any trips planned already for this winter?
Cary: I go to Mammoth almost every weekend. It’s easy when you have a season pass!

etnies Girl: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Cary: “Trust your own love.” I actually got it from a song. I trust myself, do what I want and love what I do—so with that in mind, my dreams will prevail.

etnies Girl: What’s really important to you?
Cary: My family, my good friends and my passion. I don’t want to take life too seriously because then I won’t be happy. I just want to live one day at a time and to enjoy every stage and accept every obstacle as a growing experience. My family supports me and helps me out in any circumstance.

etnies Girl: Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?
Cary: I want to someday be a filmmaker and make snowboard films. If there is anyone in the L.A. area who rides and wants to chill out, leave me a comment, please. It’s so hard finding people who ride out here, especially girls. I hardly know any and I would really like to ride with more people who also enjoy riding as much as I do. Lastly, thank you to Sarah and etnies Girl for picking me as the September etnies Girl of the Month!

Cary’s Favorite Things

Place: “MAMMOTH!”
Animal: Horses, walruses, zebras, unicorns, frogs, fireflies, dragonflies
Color: Pale purple, electric blue, turquoise
Hangout: “Anywhere I call fun; for instance, somewhere where my cousin Noodle can sing karaoke.”
City: Huntington Beach, Calif.; Tokyo, Japan; Vancouver, British Columbia; Cebu, Philippines
Song: “There are too many to name!”
Album: “There are too many that I like.”
Band: Days Away, Mae, Cursive, Frou Frou, Head Automatica, Coheed and Cambria, Underoath, Pinback, At the Drive In, The June Spirit, Mock Orange, Aloha, The Early November, Bjork
Book: Manga
Movie: “Adam Sandler movies.”
TV show: “Eat Bulaga!” (a variety show in the Philippines)
Sport: “Snowboarding for serious!”
Game: “Spoon! You can play this with your friends. When you’re at the lodge eating and chilling out, take turns mixing any nasty concoction together that you can fit on a spoon; give it to your friend and watch them it eat it. Then it’s your turn to eat their concoction. Whoever spits it out first loses.”
Food: “Sushi, Filipino food, tuna sandwiches, oatmeal raisin cookies and anything that pleases my taste buds.”
Candy: Jelly Bellys, Gummi Bears, caramel
Holiday: Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween
Smell: “Anything pleasant to my nose.”
Hobby: Dancing, writing, guitar playing, drawing, singing, photography
Guilty pleasure: Tiramisu, ice cream, root beer floats, cheesecake
Athletes: “Hana Beaman, Markku Koski, Danny Kass, Eddie Wall, Janna Meyen, Natasha Zurek…there are so many!”
Hero: “My mom for sure and my snowboard family crew.”
etnies Girl shoe: Lo-Cut ll

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.

Push, the etnies Girl Jam Hits Rome Oct. 2!

Get ready for the fourth Push, the etnies Girl Jam this Sunday, Oct. 2, at one of Europe’s best outdoor parks, The Spot, in Lido de Ostia, Rome! etnies Girl European riders who will be competing include Belgium’s Evelien Bouilliart and Holland’s Louisa Menke.

For more info and an event schedule, visit Skateboard Europe.

Moto Team on Fuel TV Tonight!

Tarah Gieger (Photo: Carl Stone)

Fuel TV’s “GKA” will feature the opening round of the 2005 AMA/WMA National Motocross Championship held at Glen Helen Raceway tonight at 7:30 p.m. (check you local listings). Motocross team riders Tarah Gieger and Sarah Whitmore placed first and second respectively at the race, so be sure to tune in!

Sheckler and Dew Raise Some Cash!

Skated, Signed and Sold for $810!

Props to Ryan Sheckler and the Dew Action Sports Tour for raising close to $2000 on eBay for Hurricane Katrina relief!

Pretty Self Explanatory...

Samoa Contest Winner!

CJ is stoked!

Mucho conrats to Karlene from Encinitas California for winning a free trip to surf Samoa with the etnies team! Karlene won with an entry sent via regular US Mail! Can you believe that? Wow, just goes to show technology isn't the best for everything now is it? She will be hitting the beach with CJ Kanuha, Jonathon and David Dupont, Mary Osborne and Jeff Flindt, editor of Surfing magazine. Congrats Karlene!

The rest of you will see photos and news from her trip once all is said and done. As for the future, there will be more contests soon. Don't give up! Thanks to all who entered.

Stay Updated With Site Alerts!

Do you like to be the first to know when something really important happens?

If that sounds like you, then sign up for etnies Girl Site Alerts, short e-mails sent to you directly by etnies Girl that will give you access to breaking news as it happens. So you’ll be the very first to know about new contests, important team news and more.

Being in-the-know has never been so effortless.

GvR Volunteers Wanted!

Wanna be a part of the action? Be a part of skateboarding history? etnies is looking for volunteers to work the GvR contest. We need assistance on a wide range of tasks and you will be compensated with free shoes and a warm feeling in your heart knowing that you contributed to the greater good of skateboarding. If you’re down for the cause, submit your info. Great, thanks.

Sheckler Auctions for Katrina Victims!

Skated and Signed!

Right now on eBay are some auctions for Ryan Sheckler's stuff.

From Ryan's site:

Ryan has donated five skateboarding packages to the Dew Action Sports Tour. These packages are now on eBay (search Dew Action Sport Tour) and all of the proceeds will go directly to the RED CROSS for KATRINA RELIEF.

The packages consist of the following and everything is signed and shipped directly from Ryan's store with a Certificate of Authenticity.

1. Ryan Sheckler signature ALMOST Locker 3 Deck.

2. Ryan Sheckler signature NINJA Bearing set.

3. ALMOST Round 3 DVD signed by Ryan.

4. Limited Edition Guinness Book of World Records Poster signed by Ryan.

5. Certificate of Authenticity signed by Ryan and serialized to match the four items noted above.

Most of the auctions only have a few days left, so get over there and bid!

Caption This Trio!

My, what large eyes you have, Tarah Gieger…

We snapped this photo of etnies Team Manager extraordinaire Beau Brown, motocross team rider Tarah Gieger (middle) and surf team rider Mary Osborne, and knew we had a jewel on our hands. Now it’s your turn to caption the sucker! The person with the best caption wins the satisfaction of knowing that they’re that much wittier than the rest of our readers…and maybe something else if we’re feeling generous. You just never know.

Leanne Whistler Question Interview

Leanne Pelosi

Our favorite Canuck, snowboarder Leanne Pelosi, has an interview in her local paper, the Whistler Question. Check it out and dream about the coming snow season…

Tell Us About Yourself!

Hey you! Why don’t we get better acquainted?

That’s right—we want to know more about YOU, etnies Girls. That’s why we’re asking you to fill out the first etnies Girl Web Survey so we can get a better idea about what you like, what you wear and how you spend your time. It’s short and 100 percent anonymous, so you’ve got nothing to lose. You do, however, have something to gain! As a little “thank you” we’ll give you an exclusive Ryan Sheckler wallpaper when you’re done.

Just think of it: a dreamy Shecky wallpaper on your computer at all times. Filling out a survey has never been so rewarding.

Start 'Em Young...

The younger the better...never too early.

Enter the GvR Pit Crew Sweepstakes!

Want to be a part of history in the making? Last year's Goofy Vs. Regular contest went down in the record books as one of the most memorable events of 2004 and etnies is doing it all over again in October—but this year we need your help! etnies is hand selecting two lucky winners to be the pit crew for both Team Goofy and Team Regular. Enter the GvR Pit Crew Sweepstakes by Oct. 6 for your chance to win a free trip to etnies for a weekend of skating, hanging with some of the biggest pros in the world and getting styled with a ton of etnies gear. Good luck!

Skate Team Report and Weekend Event Lineup

Lauren at Slam City Jam, where she placed third for the second year in a row. Go girl!

This weekend is going to be a busy one for etnies! The etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest is hosting two girls’ events, the Wicked Wahine Bowl and Street Contest on Saturday, Sept. 17, and an Op Girls Learn To Ride skate clinic sponsored by etnies Girl on Sunday, Sept. 18.

The Wicked Wahine Bowl and Street Contest on Sept. 17 will be an all day affair with bowl and street contests for a variety of ability levels, including beginner, intermediate and Pro/Am, and etnies riders Elissa Steamer, Stefanie Thomas and Kenna Gallagher will all be in attendance. Stefanie and Kenna will be skating in the Pro/Am street contest and possibly the bowl contest; Elissa will just be cruising around and hanging out since she still isn’t completely healthy from her X Games foot injury. An autograph signing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. with Elissa, Stefanie and Kenna, so be sure to stop by to meet them and get their autographs. A bunch of etnies gear will also be raffled off and given away all day long, so make sure to come out and show your support for etnies and girls’ skateboarding!

The second event of the weekend is an Op Girls Learn To Ride skate clinic sponsored by etnies Girl on Sept. 18, also at the etnies Skatepark. Last month, Lauren Perkins and Stefanie headed out to New York City and Philadelphia for clinics, and everyone had a blast—you definitely don’t want to miss out on these events. The Op GLTR clinic this Sunday will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and Elissa, Stefanie and Kenna will be there signing autographs and helping girls of all ability levels learn how to skate and do new tricks.

And now, here’s what the skate team has been up to lately…

Elissa Steamer has been at home in San Francisco skating a bit and still working on getting her foot back to normal. She ended up stretching some tendons and ligaments—and didn’t break her foot, as was originally thought—when she slammed at the X Games, but she’s healing quicker than anticipated. As mentioned above, she’ll be at the etnies Skatepark this weekend.

Get better soon, Evelien!

Stefanie Thomas has been in Long Beach working and skating as much as possible. Last weekend, she attended the ASR trade show in San Diego to visit her sponsors and see some old friends.

Kenna Gallagher just started school, and has been skating up in San Francisco. She was also at ASR over the weekend, and had a Satori Wheels demo in the San Diego area on Sunday afternoon.

Lauren Perkins, after having some time off to heal the ankle she injured before the X Games in early August, has been skating as much as possible. She also just started school, so she is concentrating on trying to get ahead in her studies before some upcoming trips she has planned. This weekend she is heading out on a family camping trip to the Central California coast. She’ll be bringing her skateboard, as they plan to hit up the Santa Barbara Skatepark at some point.

Evelien Bouilliart is back in Belgium, going to school and resting her ankles. She hurt both ankles during the summer; most recently, a few weeks back at the etnies European Championships in Switzerland. Since school has started, she will definitely have some time to heal up 100 percent, before a likely more hectic travel schedule in 2006.

And that’s all she wrote! Check back next week for all the details on this weekend’s events at the etnies Skatepark.

Lending a Helping Hand...

etnies CEO Pierre Andre Senizergues and employees sending off their donation to the survivors of Hurricane Katrina

Today at the etnies warehouse in Lake Forest, CEO Pierre Andre Senizergues and his employees joined together in sending off their gift-in-kind donation of 5,000 pairs of shoes and 5,000 pieces of apparel to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

In a semi truck filled to the brim, the wearable contribution will head from Orange County straight to devastated areas and into the hands of Hurricane Katrina survivors. Those touched by the natural disaster are still in vital need of the basics and etnies found an organization willing to make the connection.

While many nonprofits are collecting only monetary donations for Hurricane Katrina relief, the United Way’s funded organization Giving Children Hope has made the effort to accept any and all donations possible. The Orange County based organization aims to help children and their families gain self sufficiency and promises that “over 99% of all contributions provide direct aid to those who are helped!”

etnies and Giving Children Hope representatives worked together with forklifts to successfully load all 449 boxes on 16 pallets which totaled 9,091 pounds. In response to receiving a gift of this size, Giving Children Hope’s director of operations Kevin Turrill said, “We don’t see these kinds of gifts very often. I think it’s wonderful.”

Again Pierre Andre Senizergues displayed his dedication to helping those in need, especially when relating to children and young adults. He has answered the national call to action and furthered his support by agreeing to match all monetary donations made by his etnies employees. Senizergues responded, “As a company we were shocked by the amount of devastation that Hurricane Katrina left. It is not only a privilege to be in a position to help in a meaningful way, but it is our responsibility as a corporation to make a difference in the lives of those who have lost so much–even the shoes on their feet.”

Leanne Wins Two Riders’ Poll Awards!

Congratulations to etnies Girl snow team rider Leanne Pelosi, who won not one but two awards at the 7th Annual TransWorld SNOWboarding Riders’ Poll Awards in San Diego, Calif., last Thursday. Leanne deservedly won both TransWorld’s Rider of the Year and Readers’ Choice Awards, upping her total TransWorld Poll Awards to three. Winning once at the TransWorld Poll Awards is a big deal (which she did last year), but three awards in two years is huge!

Leanne was on fire this past season, winning a plethora of major rail jams, including the Roxy Chicken Jam in Park City, Utah; Winter Gravity Games at Copper Mountain, Colo.; the U.S. Open at Stratton Mountain, Vt.; the McDonald’s Rail Jam and the Ripzone Rail Jam in Whistler, British Columbia; the Vans Triple Crown in Breckenridge, Colo.; the Pipe to Pipe at Mt. Hood, Ore.; and SG Magazine's Queen of the Mountain at Mountain High, Calif. Leanne also has a featured part in “As If!” a full-length all-girls video due out this fall from Misschief Films.

The Arto: A Favorite Shoe Amongst Kittens!

Even at six weeks old, Kinky the kitten is stoked on the Artos!

THAW Madness!

Check out the screen grabs from the new Tony Hawk American Wasteland video game in the Gallery!

etnies Girl Sponsors Wicked Wahine Contest

etnies Girl is proud to announce the Wicked Wahine Bowl Series #4, the girls-only skateboard contest series, will take place at the etnies Skatepark in Lake Forest, Calif., on Sept. 17, 2005. The contest will include beginner, intermediate and Pro/Am divisions for both bowl and street skaters with cash, prizes and awards up for grabs.

The Wicked Wahine Bowl Series is an organized series of events that have been designed to promote girls in skateboarding. Traditionally, women's skateboard contests have been a smaller and less recognized part of larger men's events. Additionally, the few women's events, which do exist, are designed strictly for street and vert skaters. Wicked Wahine recognizes the importance of offering a bowl contest for females and offers a series of events held at pools and parks across the United States, allowing the ladies to compete for cash and prizes.

Vendors from the local community as well as the skateboard industry will be on hand providing products, food and services to spectators and participants. Spectators will also be able to participate in product raffles and free product giveaways donated by etnies Girl and other contest sponsors. For more information or pre-registration, visit Wicked Wahine.

Learn How to Skate With Op GLTR and etnies Girl on Sept. 18

Your next chance to attend a special Op Girls Learn To Ride skate clinic hosted by etnies Girl will be on Sunday, Sept. 18, at the etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest!

We’ll be taking over the skatepark for this girls-only clinic, which is open to skaters of all levels of abilities, from beginner to advanced, ages six and up. etnies Girl pros will be there to give you tips, answer your questions, sign autographs and take pictures. Plus, etnies Girl will have other fun activities for you to do, you’ll have chances to win etnies Girl gear and every participant will receive a goodie bag crammed full of great stuff. Whether this is your first time skating or you want to improve upon your existing skills, this is the clinic for you. 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.

Sheckler Firsthand!

Debuting Sunday, September 4 at 9:00 PM Eastern time (6:00 PM Pacific time) and telecast seven additional times during the month, catch 15-year-old pro skateboarder Ryan Sheckler in FUEL TV’s original 30-minute series “Firsthand”.

Sheckler’s “Firsthand” episode provides a sneak peak into the San Clemente, California pro’s recent competitive efforts from his third-place finish at the 24th Munster Monster Mastership World Championships of Skateboarding, to his victory at the second stop of the Dew Action Sports Tour, The Right Guard Open in Denver, Colorado. Providing an inside look into Sheckler’s world, we’ll also follow him to a meeting with his clothing sponsor, Volcom, and watch as he participates in a spirited backyard skate session with his close friends.

September air times for “Firsthand” – Ryan Sheckler:

• Sunday 09/04: 9 PM East / 6 PM West
• Sunday 09/04: 12 AM East / 9 PM West
• Monday 09/05: 9 PM East / 6 PM West
• Wednesday 09/07: 9:30 AM East / 6:30 AM West
• Wednesday 09/07: 8:30 PM East / 5:30 PM West
• Wednesday 09/07: 11:30 PM East / 8:30 PM West
• Wednesday 09/07: 2:30 AM East / 11:30 PM West
• Friday 09/30: 9 PM East / 6 PM West

Hurricane Relief: What You Can Do

Photo: Marko Georgiev for The New York Times

Are you wondering what you can do to help people devastated by Hurricane Katrina? Here are some of the best organizations working to rescue, feed and help victims. Remember that every little bit helps—you can donate as little as $5 that you saved from a babysitting gig, or decide to donate more. Whatever you can do to reach out to people in need will be appreciated.

American Red Cross
800-HELP NOW (435-7669) English
800-257-7575 Spanish

America’s Second Harvest
800-344-8070

AmeriCares
1-800-486-HELP (4357)