Look at us now

With a collection of skate photos I’d shot hiding in the dark corners of my hard drive I had begun contemplating how I could put them out into the world. Send them on an almost-direct-route to the trash folder at the big magazines? Post them in the Instagram vortex? There had to be something more.

To Instagram’s credit though, it was there that I began discovering other female skate photographers and with a new awareness of the under-appreciated creative talents in women’s skateboarding, Yeah Girl was born. It began on the Gold Coast, Australia in 2016, as a way to shine the spotlight on female skaters and photographers—from the big names to the ones you might not have heard about yet.

By the time the 2017 Yeah Girl exhibition came about—this time in Copenhagen, Denmark—the shift was becoming apparent. Nora Vasconcellos had joined the adidas global pro team. Lizzie Armanto had made the cover of Thrasher Magazine and joined Birdhouse. Leticia Bufoni was welcomed to Nike. Meanwhile, on a grassroots level, skate crews around the globe were gaining traction, launching themselves into the spotlight through social media.

Then there was the announcement of skateboarding in the 2020 Olympic games. Love it or hate it, there’s no denying the impact this has had—and will have—on the opportunities for female skateboarders. With the Olympics comes a wave of media, more sponsorship deals and higher prize money.

Now, here we are in 2018 with the third annual Yeah Girl exhibition in Los Angeles, where skateboarding’s roots run deep.

In curating Yeah Girl I have always tried to give a global perspective, with photos from photographers around the world. One of the great things about skateboarding is its ability to break down barriers. It knows no boundaries— not backyard fences nor racial divides.

Gracing the walls at this year’s exhibition are photos shot in India, Brazil, South Africa, Cuba, the US, the UK, Australia, Denmark and Cuba. You won’t just see skate tricks; you’ll see passion, curiosity, wonder and creativity.

As women’s skateboarding grows it’s important that we maintain the DIY culture that has made it what it is today, and continue to tell our story from the heart, offering an authentic perspective from a grassroots level.

Yeah Girl LA 2018 presented by Vans is on at The Seventh Letter Gallery in Los Angeles Friday, May 25th – Saturday, May 26th.