Thank you to Jana, coming out to report for The Berrics on such a cold day!

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“Remember the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater on the PlayStation? And how it only had one female skater, Elissa Steamer? Activision dropped the ball when it came to providing icons for young female skaters to emulate, but Where the Ladies at NYC?, organized by local girls’ skating groups, is aiming to rectify this. The event is a weekend-long fest of free skate events starting on Friday, where you can meet other skate girls, trick out at a Brooklyn indoor skatepark, eat free BBQ and discuss the future of girls’ skating, like, for instance, maybe adding some more names to this lonely Wikipedia page.

Organized by Uptown Skate School, Girls Riders Organization and Skate Like a Girl to bring female ”
Full story on Brokelyn

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Thank you Skate Daily.

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X Play Nation is a recent book out following action sports with a specific look into the world reality right now for the women in the chapter ‘Parity’. Thank you Alex for including Girls Riders Organization in your book. You can get your copy here.

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X GAMES 17 w/ BOARDING 4 BREAST CANCER from MAHFIA.COM

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By Chris Cowbrough

It’s safe to say that 11-year-old Madi Thomas has found her niche and her love. The quiet, athletic Thomas, the daughter of Mike and Michelle Thomas of Kettle Falls, is dedicated to becoming the best skateboarder she can be.
At this juncture of her “career,” it’s obvious that the diminutive youngster has been dogged in her pursuit of an ultimate goal—status as a professional skateboarder.

Madi is a young lady of few words, but this 4-foot-5, 67-pounder has no trouble talking about a sport that pretty much consumes her morning, noon and evening at the Kettle Falls Skate Park.
“It’s just fun to do,” Madi says between a little carving on the concrete at Kettle Falls. “I want to be as good as I can be.”

It’s obvious that Madi dominates her Kettle Falls skateboard environment. She is as smooth on one of her numerous skateboards as she is committed and dedicated by her sport.
After all, this sprite has goals and ambitions. There is no reason she won’t be able to qualify for the X Games and pick up a professional sponsorship at some point in the not too distant future.
She grinds a few rails, pulls off a couple of kickflips, rolls through a backside and stops in front of her parents.

Madi likes to let her skill on a skateboard do the talking.

Her father Mike watches his daughter negotiate the half-pipe and adds that “I think Madi has a natural ability for the sport, but she also works hard at it….she has a comfort level that you don’t see out of kids this age…and Madi has style. She skates with a lot of confidence.”
It’s unusual to find someone so young so motivated. But Madi loves what she does and knows that it’s all about repetition. You’ve got to put in the time.

“In the summer, she is pretty much here all day long,” says her mom, Michelle. “She loves skating with her friends and getting better…she never seems to get bored with it.”
Not even a teenager yet, Madi has already drawn the interest of the Girls Riders Organization, Inc. (GRO). She is a member of the GRO team, an organization charged with inspiring, educating and supporting girls involved in action sports.

Madi, whose profile can be found on the GRO website, and who can be seen in action on YouTube, is sponsored currently by Pyramid Skate & Screen in Post Falls, Idaho and by Riggz Indoor Skatepark in Spokane.
Madi, with her smooth, effortless style and aversion to hitting the concrete (so, who wants to fall?), competed last month in Los Angeles and finished sixth in her intermediate division. She was easily the youngest skater in the competition and was competing against women in their 20s.
Yes, she more than held her own.

Competing for the most part against boys and men

“Oregon Bifecta will be a great environment for her,” Mike says of another big event that like the California competition, features a women’s division.
For the most part, Madi, who has been skateboarding since 2008, competes against the boys—and men.
Her best buds at the Kettle Falls park are boys—her friends Tanner and Tyler come to mind.
“We started skating at the same time,” Madi says of Tanner.

Michelle Thomas, who played a major roll in getting the Kettle Falls Skatepark off the drawing board and into the ranks’ of reality, says that Madi and Tanner are both competitive with each other and supportive.
“They push each other and are competitive with each other,” Michelle says, adding that “they are also friends and very good for each other.”

“Tanner and I try to learn new things,” Madi adds.
The youngster is a student of her sport. Count on the fact that she was glued to the recent X Games boarding.
“She is unique, I think, in that a lot of kids we see in competitions are about winning that prize…Madi is of the opinion that when she competes with people better than she is, it makes her better,” Michelle says.
Madi smiles at the complements from her mom and adds, with some prodding: “I guess I pride myself on my consistency and staying on the board.”

Madi may not say it in so many words, but she appreciates her family’s support of the passion and the pursuit. Mother Michelle and father Mike have both done more than their share to see that their daughter has a quality place to skate. There is even a half-pipe and a rail in the family’s basement at home.
“I’d like to finish that basement sometime,” Mike says with a smile.

Basement half-pipe

Don’t count on that happening anytime soon. After all, the Kettle Falls Skatepark, which was designed and built by William Emfinger of Rice, is a great place to hone a demanding skill set, but this is four-season country. In the winter, Madi needs that half-pipe and rail in the Thomas home.
“I don’t want my dad to finish it,” Madi says of the family basement.
As good as she is, dad may consider expanding the basement skate park—not dismantling it.

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X-Fest

The X Fest fan area featured sponsor and industry booths, live music and a bazillion giveaways as well as autograph signing sessions with all sorts of athletes. gro teamed up with organizers again this year to hold “Girls Day” complete with BMX and skate clinics for girls as well as the chance to meet some of the athletes. Olympic champion Lolo Jones was on hand to sign autographs as well as BMX riders Angie Marino, Nina Buitrago, Mini Park, Peta Shepard and Camila Harambour, skateboarders Rachel Reinhard, Candy Jacobs, Alysha Bergado, Justyce Tabor and moto athletes Vicki Golden, Maria Forsberg, Ashley Fiolek and Livia Lancelot .

Read The Full Story Here.

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“GRO”, Girls Riders Organization, recently made a pit stop by Camp Woodward in PA to share our love for action sports, and aslo continue on our 5 year long journey of promoting Females in action sports.

Angie Marino, Courtney Payne-Taylor, Mandy Esch, Nicole Noller, and Kara Ellis all joined in sessioning Woodward and some of the new facilities. Thanks due to Camp Woodward for all of their generous hospitality. Get more information on camps and facilities at www.campwoodward.com

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The word is spreading for getting girls into X Games. ESPN has taken note and took a minute to sit down with Angie Marino for an interview.

Read the article on ESPN

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