In 1982, Cyndy Pendergast wrote in to Thrasher with pictures of her feminine skate crew from Chicago. Cyndy would go on to be a legendary skater from The Turf skatepark, competing and sometimes beating the native guys in pool and bowl, and it’s because of fellow skater Marla Rainey, who most well-liked to be behind the digicam that this crew and Cyndy, specifically, was documented.
Within the October 1982 subject of Thrasher it was written: “Betty Hunt… since she acquired bored with seeing solely male skaters in THRASHER Cynthia Pendergast of Chicago, In poor health, forwarded pics of her and “the ladies” skatin’ a few of their native spots like Rockfords’ Reservoir, Evanston Banks and numerous swimming pools. Cindy [sic], Marla, and Sharon are bored with studying about Illinois skaters complaining of no skate spots. Yeah! Let’s hear from extra ladies skaters on the market.”
Just one picture by Marla was revealed, exhibiting 4 of her fellow skaters, however I used to be lucky to be in contact with Cyndy, who despatched the batch! Cyndy mentioned that this spot was “the wave” close to the Chicago Aquarium. Cyndy is carrying the Flyaway helmet and her buddy, Sharon is within the Protec helmet. Cyndy mentioned that Sharon was significantly good at skating vert and in addition loved longboarding.
Images of Sharon (Zalewski ?) in Chicago 1982 by Marla Rainey
Cyndy reported that, “We misplaced one board to Lake Michigan and a diver introduced it up out of the water for us, we had a blast there with the free wave.” And like a typical photographer, “Marla appeared to largely need to take photos of me skating which is why I’ve so many. She virtually by no means needed pics taken of her… she was into cameras and skating.”
Images of Marla Rainey (elusive photographer!)
It was additionally famous that Sharon had a brother who ran a skateshop in Chicago “on the north aspect, not too removed from Rainbow Skatepark,” which will need to have been Windward Boardshop. The shop was based in 1982 by Lester Zalewski and a ripping feminine windsurfer title Jackie Butzen in Chicago’s Lakeview neighbourhood on Clark Road.
The store was additionally close to the “Rainbo Rink” which was 4836 Clark at Lawrence Road subsequent to the Kinetic Playground on 4812 Clark (similar constructing). “The Rainbow” was briefly a skateboard park, and Cyndy was on their official skateboard workforce!
The location was most generally remembered as an ice-skating and roller-skating rink, even showcasing wrestling matches for a time! The part of the constructing that turned the music venue (Kinetic Playground) was initially the Rainbo Gardens ballroom and featured a variety of musicians from B.B. King to Led Zeppelin, Canned Warmth, Janis Joplin, Fleetwood Mac, Grateful Lifeless, Jethro Tull, The Who, The Animals, and even Fugazi. Sadly, the constructing was demolished in November 2003 and have become a condominium – The Rainbo Village. There’s a Flickr album exhibiting the ultimate days of the Rainbo as a roller-skating rink.
The crew of skaters weren’t a proper lady gang, as Cyndy largely skated with the blokes at The Turf all through the Nineteen Eighties, however she appreciated these instances skating road and pure banks together with her feminine mates when she couldn’t make it to a skatepark.
Cyndy was appreciative of how there’s extra media consideration round ladies in skateboarding right now and mentioned: “I maintain listening to from younger skaters how ladies’s skating is simply selecting up now and I’m like, naw, we have been there again within the 70s, 80s, we’ve all the time been there skating… this isn’t new for girls. I inform them what’s new is that you’re now listening to extra about ladies skaters.”
I extremely advocate studying Cyndy’s full bio, obtainable right here to get a full image of this skater (and far more pictures!) and the adversity she overcame throughout a seemingly darkish interval within the skateboard business that hardly ever celebrated or inspired feminine skaters, not to mention a badass queer skater who refused to develop out her hair to appease to California-based sponsors!
In the meantime, over at Thrasher an initiative was launched in 1984 referred to as “The Betty Hunt,” which was meant to encourage feminine skaters to ship in pictures and make their whereabouts identified. There have been some skaters who adopted via, however I believe not everybody needed to be scrutinized by the readership or editorial workforce of Thrasher. Happily, Bonnie Blouin got here alongside to fill a void and make historical past as the primary feminine columnist for this iconic journal.
Reference:
Pendergast, Cyndy. Electronic mail dialog. October 27, 2024.