And Knoop got in the social media game. It's been really fun to help get them out there because they're killing it and there's not a platform [for people to see it]. We go to skateparks now and there are kids who know who these girls are. There are kids reciting things from videos they've seen on the Girls Skate Network.
Even the boys at the skatepark know who some of these girls are -- all from the YouTube channel. That's where people are going for content. They're going on their phones and they're watching videos -- not waiting for a big event to tell them what's happening. Call it YouTube, GoPro or Facebook, or call it a whole new way of sharing media that circumvents the gatekeepers who have historically decided what content does and doesn't make it into the world. Whatever the contributing factors, the result is the same: Women are connected directly to each other now; they don't need anyone else to tell them what's up.
Nora Vasconcellos is a picture-perfect example of a skateboarder who isn't so well known at contests, but has a huge following online. The ability to upload quick and easy mini video edits -- a practice ignited by Instagram's adding video to its platform in August -- has correlated directly to the growth of female skateboarders' social media presence. X Games Real Women gold medalist Leticia Bufoni, for one, has more than , followers on Facebook, and nearly , on Instagram.
Her 15 second Insta-clips regularly clock more than 10, likes and hundreds of comments. Whitaker claims that she's seen traffic increase substantially on GSN videos the past two years, but that "last year has been the biggest change. The transition to social video and content sharing may be the key to unlocking a new future of possibility for female skateboarders. It solves the issue of production, which has plagued women's skateboarding from the beginning because there just aren't a lot of people producing content at a professional level.
Whitaker and Woozy both create the videos that get uploaded to their respective online channels. Both women admit that while they see more females skateboarding these days, there aren't many girls trying to do what they do -- take pictures or film and create substantive edits that further the story of women's skateboarding.
Being some of the sole creators of women's media is a heavy burden to bear, but the pressure is lessened with social media. I see girls shooting each other, but it's not with a 7D, it's with their iPhone. It's happening, it's just do-it-yourself style. Eventually -- Whitaker, Knoop, Woozy and the growing network of skateboarding females hope -- this increased exposure will translate into sustainable careers and income opportunities, something that doesn't currently exist outside of the occasional contest payout.
It's crazy. For her part, Knoop says she's "not waiting around for anyone. We've been able to help girls with travel this past year, which has been huge because that was the original goal. And if we grow, the sky's the limit. In the new dawn of this direct-to-consumer age, the only limits on women's skateboarding will be the ones set by women themselves.
They -- the publishing gatekeepers of yore -- don't have a say anymore. And with a growing community and increased exposure, female skateboarders are in good company. They're not the only ones. Learn more. X Games Aspen Schedule Announcement. X Games Aspen Returns Jan. Adjust game screen size. Game controls. Adjust or maximize. X-Girl , play times Requires Y8 Browser. Added to your profile favorites. Human validation. Thank you, your vote was recorded and will be displayed soon.
Tags All tags. Add this game to your web page Share on Website. Add this game to your web page X-Girl. Join other players talking about games. Visit the Y8 Forum. Go to Forum Hide. Hodges became the women's amateur plus champion and took eighth place in the super mini class at the Ricky Carmichael Amateur Supercross held at Daytona Speedway on March Just having confidence makes you look that much better," Gieger said at the photo shoot.
Hodges took home the girls motocross and supercross championships, as well as Women plus supercross championship. She's been racing against guys for most of her career as well, and in , she became the first women woman to place in the top 10 in an AMA Arenacross Lites Main event and the first woman to qualify for an AMA Arenacross Premier class.
Learn more. X Games Aspen Schedule Announcement. X Games Aspen Returns Jan. X Games Aspen Is Back!
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