Since the beginning a select few women have been skating. Peggy Oki was one of the original Z-Boys, Patti McGee got the cover of Life Magazine back in 1965. For some reason there has always been a gender gap with the boys going bigger and having better style than the girls, but thanks to a long list of girls throughout skateboarding’s history, that gender gap is closing. Here we have a list of 10 girls who are writing the next chapter of women’s skateboarding history. Some are poised to cross the gender divide and be just as good as the boys.
RELATED: 10 Iconic Skate Spots That No Longer Exist
RELATED: 25 Best Skateparks in America
Evelien Bouilliart
Hometown: Aalter, Belgium
Sponsors: Hoopla Skateboards, Etnies, Nixon, Von Zipper, Bones, Zumiez Belgium, Rockstar Bearings
Europe's top female skater has got to be Evelien Bouilliart. She has been winning contests since 2005 and shows no signs of stopping. Her part in Element Europe's Ride Up shows a girl unafraid to step to rails and stairs while more recent footage shows Evelien progressing in a more technical direction.
Marisa Dal Santo
Hometown: La Grange, Ill.
Sponsors: Ergo, Emerica, Yeah Boardshop
Under the guidance of Jamie Thomas at Zero, Marisa Dal Santo put out the legit video part from a female in Zero's Strange World. Marisa hits big rails, does flip tricks down big sets and generally rips at a level most dudes can't even reach. She has since stepped away from Zero and moved back to Illinois but can still be seen giving younger girls a run for their money in X-Games events the world over.
Alana Smith
Hometown: Phoenix, Ariz.
Sponsors: Hoopla, DC, Triple Eight, 187
At just 12 years old, Alana Smith became the first female to land a McTwist in competition and only the second female ever to land one at all. Growing up skating with jagger Eaton and Trey Wood at Kids That Rip has set the stage for Alana to close the gender gap and compete at the same level as the boys.
Alexis Sablone
Hometown: Old Saybrook, Conn.
Sponsors: None
When Alexis Sablone come onto the scene in PJ Ladd’s Wonderful Horrible Life, she blew minds. No girl had skated street at the level she was skating. Even now, 11 years later, few girls have the pop and style Alexis did then. After taking a few years off to earn and Architecture degree from Columbia she is back to skating. Most recently she has been competing in the X-Games and other female skate events. Fingers crossed she is filming out on the streets and will drop a new video part soon.
Leticia Bufoni
Hometown: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Sponsors: Volcom, Osiris, Bones, Nixon, Oakley, Crail Trucks
Leticia Bufoni may be the winningest woman in skateboarding, taking top honors at almost every contest she enters. She holds it down on the streets as well as you can see in her video for the X-Games Real Women contest. Get to know Latecia's story more and see more skating in All Eyes On Leticia Buffoni from The Berrics.
Lacey Baker
Hometown: Covina, Calif.
Sponsors: Billabong, Pawn Shop Skateshop, Independent
In competition, Lacey Baker consistently places in the top with two second place finishes in 2013 X-Games events. The true measure of a skater is their video part and Lacey Baker can lay claim to the best female video part to date with her Bombshell part for Thrasher. Her deep of tricks is deeper than any girl out there right now.
Nora Vasconcellos
Hometown: Pembroke, Mass.
Sponsors: Welcome Skateboards, Bones, MovieTickets.com, Converse, Bern
With more power and style than most girl skaters, Nora Vasconcellos goes higher, farther, and faster than any other girl out there. You can see from this video of Nora's practice before her 2013 Girl's Combi Classic contest win that she is raising the bar for girl skaters everywhere. In addition to ripping, she's also pretty funny. See her skating and goofing off with Brittney Conrad in Blog Cam #52 from Girls Skate Network.
Amelia Brodka
Hometown: Linden, N.J.
Sponsors: Vox Footwear, tragedy Skateboards, Theeve, S-One, Bull Tacos, 187, Rye Airfield
This USC double major graduate has gotten a lot of attention lately because of Underexposed: A Women's Skateboard Documentary which she directed. She also co-created Exposure, a women only skate contest, which featured the first ever 540 by a women in competition. She also rips vert and bowls. On or off her board, Amelia is pushing women's skateboarding to the next level.
Lizzie Armanto
Hometown: Santa Monica, Calif.
Sponsors: Vans, Santa Monica Airlines, Bones, Independent, 187, Mahfia, and Penny
Santa Monica native Lizzie Armanto grew up skating the deep bowls of the Venice Beach skatepark and quickly gained the respect of pros and locals alike. Lizzie competes in vert and bowl contests all over the world and "has placed first overall in the World Cup of Skateboarding points race" according to her website. Check out her most recent winning run at the Van Doren Invitational.
Sarah Meurle
Hometown: Malmo, Sweden
Sponsors: Vans, Bellows, WeSC, Ace Trucks, Rockstar bearings
Sponsored since the age of 14, Sarah Meurle attended Sweden's skateboard high school, Bryggeriet, and is pro for Bellows Skateboards. She has one of the best styles of all female skaters and a mean nollie heel. Check out her recent indoor park footage from last winter and her most recent video part from about a year ago.
