etnies

Band of Horses Contest & Artist Page!

We here at etnies are big Band of Horses fans, and to celebrate the new release of Cease to Begin, Band of Horses is the etnies Artist of the Month for November and we're giving away a Band of Horses prize pack featuring a free pair of etnies shoes, a Band of Horses T-shirt and a copy of their new CD Cease to Begin. Fill out the form to enter and good luck!

Wallpapers Galore!

We've just uploaded tons of new Wallpapers for your desktop, cellphone, whatever! Just get 'em up!

Leilani Gryde on the WCT!

Keep your eye on Leilani Gryde as she hits up the last few WCT events this year. Leilani was invited as some of the other girls on the tour were unable to make the remaining comps. Get all the live results in Mancora, Peru as they happen!

All New Footwear Apparel & Accessories!

Have you checked out all the new Holiday footwear, clothing and accessories yet!? Do it and start making those holiday wish lists!

Brianna!

Meet Brianna, a 13-year-old from Laguna Niguel, California, and our newest etnies Girl of the Month!

etnies Girl: Tell us about yourself...
Brianna: My name is Brianna Heath but I go by Bri. I am 13 years old. I grew up in Aliso Viejo, California, but I now live in Laguna Niguel, California. I go to Aliso Viejo Middle School, and I am in the 7th grade. I love to skateboard, though I am not very good at it!

What are your interests?
I love to skateboard above all. But I also like to do a lot of other things. Basketball, modeling, shopping, hanging out and being with my friends and family.

What are your talents?
My talents are, basketball, singing and modeling.

How did you get involved in skateboarding?
Well first my brother started to skateboard and I thought it looked pretty cool so I decided to give it a try and I loved it! Like I said I am probably not the best skateboarder though. I am also on a basketball team. I have tried to do many other things like: gymnastics, cheerleading, ballet and soccer, but they just didn't fit me. I do like to watch football, soccer, and basketball. I appreciate the lifestyle of an athlete because I know that there are many difficulties, but it is all worth it in the end.

What do you like about etnies Girl?
What I like about etnies Girl is that it gives support to all of the girl athletes across the U.S. that compete in male-dominated sports. I also love every piece of clothing and accessory in the etnies Girl line. Everything has its own style and is very unique! Every member of the etnies Girl team is awesome and should keep up the good work!

Why are you an etnies Girl?
I am the etnies Girl because I am kind, fun, energetic, quirky, confident, stylish, independent, funny, nerdy and a dork all rolled into one! I follow my dreams and don't let anyone stop me along the way. I have a big heart and I am very nice, but I stand firm for what I believe in. That is what I believe being an etnies Girl is all about!

What do you do for fun?
I do a lot of things for fun! I guess you could say I am a daredevil. Any challenge you give me I will at least try my best. I skateboard, hang out with my friends, dance to music, sing and so much more!

Where do you find inspiration?
I am very easily inspired! I get inspired for skateboarding from any pro skater and sometimes even my brother! I get inspired for life from my surroundings, like my parents, friends, scenery and sometimes just words that someone speaks.

What’s your biggest accomplishment?
My biggest accomplishment so far would have to be winning etnies Girl! This is such a big honor for me. I am very excited to have this title!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten?
The best piece of advice I've gotten was from my mom. She told me to just follow my heart and not do what everyone else is doing because it seems cool. Also, to treat others the way you would want to be treated. I take this to heart because I believe that it helps me make a lot of important decisions and will help me throughout my entire life.

What’s really important to you?
My family and friends are the most important to me because I know that they will always be there for me no matter what I am going through. They will always support me and give me that extra push I may need. They are also important because I always want to make them proud of me and my accomplishments. My academic and personal goals are important to me also because I know that if I do not meet my goals and strive to accomplish them I will get nowhere in life.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?
Well I am very easy to talk to. Besides being American, I am also Indian, Swedish, French and, Irish. I am learning how to play drums and bass. I also want to learn how to speak French and Spanish. My favorite colors are black and turquoise. I really want to become a model. I have a piercing in the top of my right ear. And I love all my friends they are really awesome! <3

Brianna’s favorite things:

Place: Anywhere my friends and I can hang out and have fun!
Animal: Chinchilla
Color: Black and Turquoise
Hangout: Aliso Viejo Town Center
City: Venice, Italy
Song: Teenagers
Band: My Chemical Romance
Book: Song of the Sparrows
Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean: 1,2 and 3
TV show: So You Think You Can Dance
Sport: Skateboarding, Duh! :)
Game: The Simpsons Game
Food: Mexican
Candy: Sour Punch Straws
Holiday: Christmas
Smell: Juicy Couture Perfume
Hobby: Modeling
Guilty Pleasure: Betty Crocker Warm Delights
Athlete: Ryan Sheckler
Hero: Mom and Dad
etnies Girl shoe: Club Tattoo Bernie

Get Your ME Shoes Before the Holidays!

GGOB Colton Cancelled!

We regret to inform you that due to most of Southern California being on fire this week, the Girls Get on Board Moto clinic scheduled for this Saturday, October 27 at the Honda Rider Educational Center will be postponed until further notice. Sorry about that. Stay tuned to etniesGirl for more details soon.

Keep-A-Breast at GvR!

Keep-A-Breast is a bunch of good people doin' good things for a good cause. They were at GvR Surf last weekend and you can read a little about their experience over on their MySpace page.

Marie-France Roy!

Now that you are on the ThirtyTwo Pro Team do you feel that you are at the top of your game?
Me? No, I’m still a baby. I’ve got lots of work to do.

What riders are at the top of snowboarding right now?
For women I would say Leanne Pelosi. She’s been killing it for several years. Also Tara Dakides, Hana Beamen and Natasha Zurek are up there.

Who are your sponsors?
Rome, Oakley, Red Bull, etnies, Whistler Blackcomb, Axis Board Shop and Magical Go-Go Wax. Not only do they make wax but they also make snorkels for when you ride in powder, that’s going to be the new style.

Current snowboarders that you look up to?
There are a bunch. Some have more style than others. Some are more consistent,. Some are more technical. I like to see people ride with personality, like Laura Hadar. You can tell she’s a badass. Andrew Hardingham. He’s not that well known but he’s gnarly and he does these home videos that are super fun to watch.

Who influenced you to get to this point?
Tara Dakides, Barrett Christy, Nicola Thost, JP Walker. I don’t know what tricks they did to influence me back then but I thought they looked happy when I would watch their video parts.

What’s up with contests?
Here’s the thing with women riders and contests: the more conservative you are the more likely you are to land your ticks, which then leads to contest wins. Women riders are not at that level of throwing huge tricks and landing every time like the guys are, but contests are a good place to get exposure. Guys, well they can’t be conservative because tons of riders will land their runs but women aren’t to that point yet. Sometimes straight airs and 360s will still win some of the women contests.

Where does the most progression for the sport take place?
Free-riding and filming. You get the whole winter to try to learn new tricks and to land them on film so what comes out of those days is your best. With contests you can land lame tricks and win. I don’t want to win off a backside three ‘cause I will feel like shit. I would rather try harder tricks and not land them than win off a three or a straight air.

How can they make contests better for the progression of the sport and for riders?
I wish the judges would pay more attention. It’s too obvious when someone throws a rad trick and they don’t win. You think "Were the judges even watching?" But sometimes you will win and you will feel like you don’t deserve it. Everyone knows who should have won.

Contests you are entering this year?
Vail Sessions, Vans Cup, Abominable Snowjam, GvR. Go Regular!

Any scariest moments?
I have had a lot of those. Sometimes when you are in the air and you know you are going down. You feel like "This is the end of my season and my career!" That happened at Super Park last year when we were hitting this 85-footer and I landed on the knuckle and bounced halfway down the landing. But I was fine.

Where is home?
Whistler Blackcomb. That’s where I live now.

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in a really small town about an hour outside of Quebec, it’s absolutely beautiful there. There was no park at the local mountain, La Massif, just a lot of free-riding. I would ride with my brothers in the woods. We were always trying to find powder. La Massif doesn’t really have a lot of cliffs because all the cliffs they do have are surrounded by trees.

What’s your favorite part of snowboarding?
Riding with your friends and having fun. It’s fun to do contests, but the best is in the Spring with your friends, trying new tricks and ugly grabs.

What new tricks you are working on?
I want to learn all four sevens. I can’t do backside or cab sevens yet. I also want to land a front-side 1080. I’ve been trying to get that one but it keeps alluding me. Last year Red Bull put on a shoot just for me to land my first 1080. The shoot lasted for a week and I never landed it. I felt bad because the whole shoot was for me to land the 1080 but it just didn’t work out. I want to get that trick.

Do you spin front-side off of your heels or toes?
I spin off my heels.

How long have you been riding?
12 years.

How old are you?
I’m 23.

How did you get started in snowboarding?
My brothers got me into it. My Dad had bought a season pass and my brothers went straight to snowboarding and I went skiing with my Dad. After a day of skiing I was like this is lame and my brothers were having so much fun snowboarding. I new I had to get on that program. So the next day I went snowboarding and my brothers were bummed because they thought I would be tagging along all the time and they were older and cooler. But they were cool. They helped me out a lot.

Favorite ThirtyTwo boot to ride?
The Lashed. I like a softer boot and the Lashed look amazing. The Vela is really good also. I rode the Broport all of last year and they were really good to me. They are still in prefect condition.

Favorite etnies shoe?
The Callicuts and the Hi-Top’s.

How do you feel about hi-fives?
Is this a trap? I think high-fives are awesome. High-fives all around.

High-fives or rocks?
I like the handshake and if someone does the rock, I do the rock and then act like I’m gonna smoke the rock and then uh-uh, oh no, I’m not down for that. So I throw the rock on the ground.

Film crews you are working with?
This year I filmed with Rome, they were so cool because they wanted me to have a full part. I also shot with Runway, which was super good and maybe I will film with both of those crews this next year.

What are your biggest achievements?
My part in Any Means. It couldn’t have been better. I mean it could have been better of course. It was just so fun, and I’m stoked on how my part turned out. It’s not always easy to film with guys, I wouldn’t want to be in Alaska with Jeremy Jones or anything. But the guys push me more. Girls aren’t as experienced and tend to over-think things. The guys will also hit all the kickers first. So I can judge how they hit them and watch and learn. Also, the guys get pumped when I land something, but the girls are more competitive with one another and I don’t want to have to deal with competition, especially when you just want to do good for yourself, I hate the vibe.

Who is your favorite band?
That’s too hard. I couldn’t tell you, it changes all the time but if I had to choose one it would be Patsy Kline. Artists that I’m listening to now would be Regina Spektor, Rage Against the Machine, Anti-Flag, the stuff I listened to in high school and some Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, some techno.

Do you have any hobbies outside of snowboarding?
I like animals, all of them.

Do you have a collection?
I used to. I like spending a lot of time in nature. I received a degree in Ecology and have always loved to learn all about that stuff. Leaning about ecosystems and having aquariums with fish and salamanders is amazing.

What else do you rock?
I like trying to surf, I’m a beginner but it doesn’t matter to me because just being out on the water is great. I also like skating mini ramp.

If you weren’t a pro snowboarder what would you be?
I would be a hippie in the woods harvesting sea horses. Sea horses are my favorite animal.

What trips are in the works for this year?
I might go to Russia. Red Bull and Oakley put a trip together for cat-boarding and heli-boarding that I might be in on. These trips are always last minute and I’m sure there will be more trips.

New Galleries!

We've been busy uploading tons of new photo galleries lately. That means you should go lurk the scene and enjoy!

Suri Cruise!

Check out Suri Cruise and her new etnies in this week's US Weekly magazine!

New Holiday Product in the Online Store!

Avril Hearts etnies Hoodies!

Always good to see someone we are fans of, like Avril Lavigne, rockin' our gear. Check the etnies Girl Haight Hoodie shes wearing as seen on People.com! The sweatshirt will be available in the Spring of 2008 so keep your eyes peeled!

The Donnas! New Artist & Contest!

The Donnas are an etnies Girl fav for years now, and also our October Artist of the Month. In honor of that, etnies Girl is giving away a Donnas autographed Donnas CD and some free custom etnies Donnas shoes to three lucky winners! Just fill out the form for your chance to win!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

etnies Girl is proud to announce its partnership with Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC) by releasing a special-edition tee shirt and sandal during the month of October, National Breast Cancer Awareness month. In an effort to support the cause, etnies Girl has designed a special-edition tee shirt and sandal that will be sold at select stores nationwide and online beginning in October.

Both products feature an upbeat, Las Vegas themed design that encourages girls to enjoy and celebrate life and always to remember that life is not a gamble. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of each item will be donated to B4BC to help fund breast cancer awareness and educational programs.

A Slight Update!

Evelien Bouilliart, smith grinds the 11 stair.

Congrats to the Regular footers! We killed it!

etnies Girl had a ton of great representation at the GvR Dawn of the Shred Jam. Elissa Steamer, Lauren Perkins, Evelien Bouilliart, Rachel Reinhard, Lorena Lima, Louisa Menke, Stefanie Thomas and Alize Montes (bowl). Four of the top eight finalists were etnies riders! Go, girls! Also congrats to our second place winner and the newest etnies Girl flow rider, Rachel Reinhard out of Colorado! This was Rachel's first world cup skateboarding contest and competed like a pro! Great job Rachel! Thanks to all the girls that came out to represent.

On the surf front, Congrats to AUS rider Sally Fitzgibbons for giving it her all in the NAB Beachley Classic last week. She won the trials to compete in the contest and definitely gave Beachley a run for her money. Also big ups to Leilani Gryde for getting invited to compete and ending up quite well among the top WCT women's surfers!

Beneath The Surface!

Our very own Mary Osborne is featured in Beneath the Surface. Premiering this week! Check the trailer!

Fitzgibbons Defeats Beachley to Advance to Round 3!

Oakley Wildcard Trialist winner and etnies Australia distributor rider Sally Fitzgibbons (Aus) caused major upset during Round 3 of the NAB Beachley Classic on Tuesday when she defeated 7-time ASP World Champion, Layne Beachley (Aus), to advance directly into Round 3.

Fitzgibbons posted the highest individual wave score of the day, an 8.50 (out of 10.00) and looks set to be a serious threat in the upcoming rounds.

Congrats, Sally! And good luck in the coming rounds!

Mary Osborne: Journalist at Heart

Mary Osbourne took a break from the beach last weekend and decided to roam around GvR last weekend and interview all sorts of people. This batch of interviews is the result. Take a few minutes to watch and enjoy. Pretty entertaining if you ask me. Plus, we all need to come together... the skaters, the surfers, the boys and girls... you know, unity. Or... well, something like that.