Girl’s pro street scene is booming.

The street finals at the Bristol X Trials comp was rained out, which didn’t effect the girls because the prelims are always counted as the finals for the girls. FYI if a girl qualifies at the end of the prelims into the top ten, she then gets to compete against the guys in the finals. Fab does it all the time in vert and Martina Svobodova qualified into the men’s street finals at the YOZ Games August 8, 2000 in Munich, Germany. She finished in 9th place. Yeeehaaaah! Martina is doing great.   (right - Fallon Heffernan)

As the in-line researcher I had to interview her and she says she wants to move to the States to live so she can be in the center of the scene. She wants to inspire more girls to skate, which is a blessing to the girl’s scene. We won’t see her until the X Games in Philly.

Only qualified girls as of July are Fab, Martina and Ayumi. Fab is qualified in both disciplines. They are also qualified into the Gravity Games. Two wild cards in vert and Three in street are left.
  (left - Kelly Mathews)

Vert is questionable because no other women have showed up to skate vert this year but street is very promising with the 3 darlings on tour, Fallon, Kelly and Anneke.

Fallon (right) seems to be exploding with energy. Remember she’s the youngest girl skating on the Pro Tour, only 14, and wisps around the course like if it’s a water slide. Wish I were 14 again…..well not really, thank god because the pressures these girls put on themselves is incredible. My favorite trick Fallon was trying for was a disaster fishbrain but unfortunately it was looking like a farside makio. The chick is 540 gap transferring from one quarter pipe to another with ease. Annoyed with the judges ruling once again, Fallon has jokingly threatened to skate in a bikini at the X Games.

I think she should do it in protest because this year girls have absolutely no coverage at all on the pro tour. Well I am not going to jump the gun on that statement, you might see a blur here or there on the ESPN coverage of an ASA event. (Left - Karma Suchan-Alley-opp soul attempt)
Since Echo Entertainment and Todd Grossman at Bandwagon Productions is filming most of the ASA footage for ESPN, I think our coverage is getting more realistic. So, if any of you girls know Todd, cause he’s a Californian vert skater turned film producer, I suggest you get him to film you street skating. If the footage is good then they might use it for one of the ASA segments.
Then call the ASA and simply ask if you are not going to show girls on the street course at comps anymore, then why not show where they really shine - AT REAL STREET SKATING.  (Right - Karma Suchan - Mute air over spin)

Just to stray a little from the Bristol event - it is my very deep concern that many of the girls are not taking a stand to making their scene a more solid one. I believe protesting comp results are not going change anything. What I DO suggest is turning that prize money into cameras and film equipment or something on the line.
I tried to do a film project and I still want to, but I don’t have the $$$$$$. I certainly tried to step things up with my girls comps, but for some reason getting other skater girls to join forces in the process of it all was really hard, so I organized the entire events myself.
LOOK, here is where you can compare yourselves to the guys. Many of the pro guys started their own companies, or began their own film projects and not all of them had big sponsorship dollars to pay for things.

Back to the girl’s skating………….

(Left - Kelly Matthews - Wall ride) Kelly, hands-down is the most powerful skater on tour. She’s got those wall rides and mistrials. I think she’s the only girl doing mistrials in her runs. I don’t know about you girls, but not to many guys can do mistrials. But I’m also waiting for the 720s from you as well girly………..Step it up!

Karma was representing the 30 and over crowd. She makes me realize I wasn’t dreaming when I was competing. Karma is a strong skater and she has the tricks to skate on the pro tour and although her amplitude doesn’t compare to the girls HALF her age, i.e. Fallon, I am sure she can hold her own at a mean ass skate season at the Skatebarn in Wenthrop Washington, just outside of Seattle which she owns and operates.

  (Left - Anneke Winter - Top side soul)

Anneke Winter showed up from Germany and although she has lost her American travel budget from Roces, she looked strong. Don’t know if she will have a chance to qualify for the big comps since she missed half the tour. She will have to win the Rome or Barcelona ASA events in July for a chance.

Veteran vert skater Robin Miller (Left)and Camp Woodward former instructor has been traveling with the X Games, winter and summer, as one of the announcers. She absolutely loves it and has graduated College as an engineer major. Robin, you brain you- Congrats!

More when I get back from Milwaukee- peace

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