When a skateboarder (and their photographer) discovers {that a} picture of them was chosen to grace the duvet of a skateboarding journal, it’s a massive deal worthy of a celebration and social media celebrations. Over the many years, this degree of promotion has typically eluded feminine and non-binary skaters which has meant that any cowl pictures unearthed are fairly rattling particular.
Earlier within the 12 months, editor Michele Addelio of Bottom Journal reached out as he was gleaning “first covers” of girls skaters for quantity 25, which got here out Could 2024 (you possibly can prepared my interview in it, as effectively!). I cherished the concept, and being a tad obsessive, I’ve taken it a step additional. Please discover my new “Journal Covers” web site web page containing all of the covers I might discover to this point! It’s additionally in the principle drop-down menu.
In sure many years (primarily the Eighties and Nineteen Nineties), there was an perspective that solely males “deserved” the privilege of being coverboys. Even a photograph of a lady skateboarding inside {a magazine}’s pages could be criticized by some for taking away valuable promoting area or a chance for a younger man to be proving his skateboarding prowess. Boo!!! This explains why zines and magazines like Examine It Out, Quell, OH-SO, Bigfoot, Dolores, Magazine de Zine, and Mess Magazine had been created – to create area and visibility.
I’m nonetheless pulling collectively nitty gritty particulars (as not all publications checklist the skaters and photographers clearly or dates), but it surely’s a pleasant overview and I can’t wait to search out extra.
I’m additionally completely delighted that Thrasher journal is rectifying the previous by celebrating a few of the legendary feminine road skaters of the Nineteen Nineties. Elissa Steamer graced the duvet of March 2024, and now Alexis Sablone has captured the duvet for September 2024. The efforts of Michael Burnett present that it’s by no means too late to honour rad skaters. And with Alexis, Thrasher is as much as 9 girls now… preserve that statistic useful for “skateboard trivia.”
I hope different magazines step up as a result of the longer they wait, the extra awkward it will get, particularly when there’s not even a “first feminine” cowl to characteristic. C’mon individuals, make some magic occur!