etnies

Fletcher Interview!

As promised, check out the new Eric Fletcher interview on his Team Page!

Things that are LAME

Motorized skateboard, moped, rollerblade, bicycle and razor all in one. X-treme!

You know those things in life that are extremely lame but probably (somewhat) fun to ride, but only if your friends don’t see you on it and never find out?

Here’s a short list I’ve compiled of some of those things:

• Riding a moped
• Rollerblading
• Riding a go-ped
• Fat chicks
• Ugly dudes? (for the ladies ;) )
• Sponging (bodyboards)
• Heelys
• Any kind of motorized skateboard invention
• MySpace (or at least MySpace bulletins)
• Unicycles
• And the granddaddy of 'em all… the Razor scooter

I left out a bunch, but you get the idea. Today I’d like to officially add one more to the ever-growing list… the Wheelman. Decide for yourself, check the video.

Bowlmasters Recap! Rune 3rd!

Although the rain forced the contest into a one-day event rather than two, the etnies Bowlmasters went off and Rune took third! Congrats Rune!

Here's some video of Rune for you to feast your eyes on:

Alley oop back smith!

Madonna!

The Viking Strikes Again!

Congratulations to etnies Girl Norwegian skater Kristina Westad for taking first place this past weekend, May 27, at the Girl’s Skate Jam at the Pioneer Skatepark in St Albans, UK. Kristina—who is known as “The Viking” because she’s from Molde, Norway, and a real fighter—had a winning run that consisted of a backside boardslide on the flat bar, frontside boardslide on the down rail, backside 50-50, a nice 360 flip, smooth frontside 5-0s on the quarter and a stylish lipslide on the rail. As if winning first place wasn’t enough, she also won the Best Trick session with a huge frontside flip into the bank. Go, Viking, go! After getting second at the etnies Girl PUSH JAM at the etnies European Open in Munich just two weeks ago, this is already the second big success this month for Kristina. etnies Girl team rider Evelien Bouilliart was skating as well, but unfortunately she tweaked her ankle. We wish her all the best and a quick recovery!

etnies Girl Sponsors “Soo Not a Model” Search

You got attitude? You got style? You got a chance!

Simply log on to Soo Not a Model, fill out the form and submit a photo of yourself, and you could get a chance to be one of six West 49 models rocking etnies Girl gear in the winter 2006 issue of Fashion 18 magazine.

Elissa On Zero!

Celebrate skateboarding!

Elissa Steamer has joined some of skateboarding's elite over at Zero skateboards, who also happen to be celebrating their 10th Anniversary. Can you believe that one? And you know Mr. Jamie Thomas ain't puttin' on no half-ass skateboarders...Congrats Elissa, can't wait to see you ripping with the rest of the team! As more info on the Elissa/Zero scoop becomes available, we will keep you in the loop!

Mary Osborne to Co-Host Fuel TV’s “The Daily Habit”

etnies Girl surfer Mary Osborne will co-host Fuel TV’s “The Daily Habit” on Tuesday, May 30, at 6 p.m. PDT (9 p.m. EDT) with a rebroadcast the following day at noon PDT (3 p.m. EDT). Watch Mary as she joins host Zeke in the studio to talk about her surfing travels, experience on MTV’s “Surf Girls” and her favorite music picks. During the broadcast, viewers can text messages for Mary into the show to the number 42248 (HABIT) and see their messages live on-air.

GSD 2006!

Yo fools! There's less than a month until Go Skateboarding Day. Prepare yourselves.

Slap and Skateboarder!

Silva! Krooks!

Check out the July Skateboarder and the June Slap for tour articles featuring the Stereo crew, namely, etnies flow rider and smooth operator, Tony Silva. The issue of Slap also has a slightly controversial reference to Mr Sheckler. But that's all I'm gonna say for now. Seek and ye shall find.

National Day Of Slayer!

Slayer has most likely been played at more skateboardiong events and skateboading videos than any other band ever. Why? 'Cuz they gey you hyped and make you wante to just destroy everything in sight! Celebrate National Day Of Slayer on June 6th at your local skatepark, mall, in your house, office or wherever. Just honor SLAYER!!!

More New York etnies Ramp Drama!

You would think that little ol' etnies and some skateboarding fun couldn't cause so much trouble in big, bad New York City. Hell, we aren't even trying that hard! Despite what you may have heard, the etnies ramp is still alive, well, and pissin' off the neighbors!

Join etnies on the Journeys BBQ Tour!

Wanna grill up some fun this summer? Come visit etnies as we tour the nation on the Journeys Backyard BBQ Tour!

etnies On The Journeys BBQ Tour!

Wanna grill up something cool this summer? Come visit etnies as we tour the nation!

Bowlmasters Is This Weekend!

The annual etnies Bowlmasters contest is happening this weekend. So if you happen to be over in Austria, or feel like commuting to Austria for one of the biggest events of the year, go for it.

Welcome to the New etnies Girl Site!

Welcome to the brand new etnies Girl Web site!

In addition to having a whole new look and feel, the site has some features that we're pretty excited about. For starters, you can leave comments throughout the site now—including the Community, Trends and Lifestyle sections—not just in the Blog. You can also easily send articles that you like to friends, and peruse through the updated Team section. And don't forget to check out the Footwear and Clothing pages for brand-spanking-new Fall 2006 product, which will be available in stores on June 1.

If you're wondering where all of your old blog comments are, they unfortunately didn't make it to the new site. Just think of it as another reason why you should register for a user profile (all you have to give is your desired username and an e-mail, which just takes a second) so you can start filling up the site with your comments again!

We've also heard from some of you who are concerned about whether you are still registered for our current contests: the ME (my etnies) Giveaway, the Win a New Wardrobe From etnies Girl contest and the etnies Girl's New Music Search. No need to worry—if you signed up for the contest on our old site, you're still entered to win. And just so you know, the games will be back up on the site again soon.

We have plenty of tricks up our sleeves, so stay tuned for new features that will launch in coming weeks and months. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy the new site. Take a look around and let us know what you think.

More Rune Pro Tec Footy!

The fine folks at Thrasher have posted some more footy from the Pro Tec contest where Rune slayed (well most of the competition anyway) and got second! Check it out!

Sheck In Premiere Mode!

Ummmm...jealous?

Shad caught Shecky and a few ladies on camera last weekend!

Chris Sorman Turns 21!

Happy birthday to our amazing spinmaster, online poker addict and etnies ThirtyTwo international team rider, Chris Sorman. This Swedish ripper just turned 21, and we wish him all the best, with plenty of success and luck to come in the future! Party on, Sorman!

STI Lab Is Blowin' Up!

The June issue of Wired magazine has a sweet article on our one-of-a-kind STI Lab! Check it out if you can!

Rune Got 3rd!

Congrats to Rune Glifberg for taking third place in the 8th annual Quiksilver Bowlriders contest last weekend in Malmo, Sweden. Yeahhhhhh Rune!

Deegan & Hilton Wallpapers

Take a look at the new Sobe No Fear Gold wallpapers featuring Brian Deegan, Nicky Hilton and some smokin' hot Playboy Playmates! Good stuff!

etnies Bowlmasters!

The annual etnies Bowlmasters contest is happening in a few weeks. So if you happen to be over in Austria, or feel like commuting to Austria for one of the biggest events of the year, go for it.

Be an etnies Girl of the Month!

Would you like to be the next etnies Girl of the Month?

We’re looking for cool girls who know how to be themselves and follow their own path, whether they’re into skating, surfing, snowboarding, riding motocross or BMX, or making their mark through art, music, fashion or other creative pursuits.

Leave a comment telling us why you deserve to be the next etnies Girl along with your age and a link to your Web site or MySpace page. Just make sure to leave your correct e-mail address in the e-mail field, or we won’t be able to contact you if you’re chosen. (Don’t worry, your e-mail address won’t show up in your comment.)

You can also e-mail a paragraph describing why you should be our next etnies Girl, along with your name, age, address, phone number and a photo of yourself, to etniesgirl [at] soletechnology.com, or send it to:

etnies Girl of the Month
c/o Sole Technology, Inc.
25422 Trabuco Rd., Suite 105 #235
Lake Forest, CA 92609

Thanks to everyone who applies and good luck!

Treeridin!

Australian etnies pal, Timmy Burdett makin' good use of a tree.

etnies Design Contest From 1989!

A dear friend passed this one on to me this morning. Check out this etnies design-a-shoe contest from 1989 on When We Was Rad!

Arto, Sheck & Fletch On The Zumiez Couch Tour!

Arto, Ryan and Fletch will be at some stops on this year's Zumiez Couch Tour. Here's some more info!

Sally Fitzgibbons Second in the World!

All of us at etnies Girl would like to send out a huge congratulations to etnies Australia shredder Sally Fitzgibbons for placing second Monday at the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships at Maresias Beach in Brazil!

The Under 18 Girls final was an exciting one, with Sally in the lead literally until the last minute when Pauline Ado from France grabbed a wave that gave her an 8.93 (out of 10) to beat Sally by less than half a point. The final score says a lot about the level of surfing of the top two girls as compared to the rest of the field: Ado narrowly won by 15.50 points, Sally placed second with 15.06, Brazil’s Diana Souza took third with 9.50 and New Zealand’s Airini Mason came in fourth with 7.33. All said and done, being able to say that you’re number two in the world isn't too bad…especially when you’re just 15 years old!

Sally has been unstoppable as of late, just last month winning the girls’ 16 and under division at Rip Curl’s GromSearch Australian National Championship and the Wild Surf Co/Billabong Pro-Teen Girls event, and placing second at the Billabong Girls Easter Surf Festival World Qualifying Series (WQS). Expect to see great things from this one in coming years. You heard it here first!

Euro Open Video!

Phillip Schuster!

SkateboardEurope has been sweet enough to send us some video from last weekends Euro Open!

It's not every day you see a backside flip like this.Yeah Conhuir!

We raved about Axel in the last post, check this little man out!

Evelien can feeble!

This is how Austrians do it. Dominik Dietrich's BS Heel is lovely.

Can't go wrong with a kickflip grab or a BSNBS either!

Tony Hawk Foundation Awards $150,000 In Skatepark Grants

At its first meeting of 2006, the Tony Hawk Foundation Board of Directors voted to award $150,000 in grants to 19 public-skatepark projects in the U.S. Formed in 2002 by skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, the Foundation has helped hundreds of communities address the need for safe, quality places for kids to skate. Through grants and its Technical Assistance program, the Foundation provides advisory and financial aid to low-income communities developing free, public skateparks.

Skateboarding is one of the fastest-growing sports today, and has been widely recognized as a safe and healthy activity. Currently only about 2,000 skateparks serve the needs of more than 13-million skateboarders in the U.S. While municipalities are eagerly pursuing skateparks of their own, most have no experience developing the specialized facilities. The Tony Hawk Foundation Technical Assistance Program offers help to ensure that the parks are properly designed and built.

Since 2002, the Tony Hawk Foundation has awarded 291 skatepark grants, worth more than $1.3-million. The Foundation’s Board of Directors meets twice annually to review grant applications from municipalities and community groups pursuing public skateparks. The Board favors projects that demonstrate the greatest need, significant involvement of skaters at every step of the skatepark process, and a commitment to hiring experienced skatepark specialists to ensure a quality park. Of the 100 projects that applied, the following were awarded grants this term.

Thanks to the THF for doin' the right thing!

Sarah Whitmore Takes Second in WMA Opener at Glen Helen

Sarah Whitmore (left) at the finish line; Tarah Gieger (right) on the track. [Photos via Steve Giberson for Transworld Motocross]

etnies Girl team riders Sarah Whitmore and Tarah Gieger kicked off the highly anticipated 2006 Women's Motocross Association (WMA) Pro National Series at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, Calif., this past Saturday, May 13. Sarah, who was coming off a second place finish overall for the series last year, finished strong in second place and Tarah, who was competing for the first time in 11 months after recovering from a serious injury, finished in ninth.

Sarah Whitmore

Tarah’s return was definitely noticed in the first moto, as she assumed the lead in the second lap. She held strong for several laps before hitting a rock that sent her into a wall as she was riding one of the steep uphills of the track. At that point, Sarah passed her, finishing in third place. Tarah, once back on track, was held back in the sixth place spot for the remaining few laps and through to the finish.

The climate changed a bit for moto number two. Sarah held on against tough competition for fifth place, getting her second overall. Tarah also had a slow start and managed to finish in 10th place, giving her an overall finish of ninth.

Next up, both girls will compete in round two of the WMA Pro National Series held at Hangtown MX in Sacramento, Calif., on May 20, followed by round three at Thunder Valley MX in Lakewood, Colo., on July 22, round four at Washougal MX in Washougal, Wash., July 27-29, round five at Broome-Tioga at Binghamton, NY, Aug. 18-19, and round six at Steel City Raceway in Delmont, Penn., Sept. 1-2.

Rune Video On TWS!

TransWorld has posted some footy of Rune from the Pool Party on Saturday!

Fletcher Stats Added!

Fletch, switch, kickflip.

We just added Stats Eric Fletcher's new Team Page! Interview coming soon!

etnies Girl Skaters Sweep PUSH JAM!

Evelien Bouilliart

The old saying that good things come in threes was evident this past weekend, as etnies Girl skaters Evelien Bouilliart, Kristina Westad and Ianire Elorriaga swept the top three spots at the first stop of the etnies Girl PUSH JAM 2006, held at the etnies European Open in Munich, Germany.

Triple trouble (left to right): Evelien, Ianire and Kristina [Photo via www.skateboard.de]

Evelien, who won the contest last year, defended her title with a solid first place finish. Known for her fearless and stylish skating, the 16-year-old from Aalter, Belgium, killed the rails with feebles, lipslides and smith grinds, and even pulled out a frontside bluntslide during the best trick session.

Kristina, a newcomer hailing from Molde, Norway, who is nicknamed “The Viking,” came with a big bag full of tricks that put her in second place. Highlights included 360 flips over the hip, kickflipping the London gap and frontside boardslides on the rail.

Ianire, a two-time European Champion from Bilbao, Spain, rounded out the etnies Girl sweep by taking third place. She skated the course full throttle, and one of her highlights was a backside disaster on the big quaterpipe.

Congratulations to Evelien, Kristina and Ianire!

The next stop of the etnies Girl PUSH JAM 2006 will take place at the etnies Bowlmasters in Brixlegg, Austria, on May 26-28.

Rune Got Second!

Rune, Omar, Patch

Rune Glifberg was ripping hard on Saturday at the Pro Tec Pool Party and landed himself in second place! Style for miles and the most difficult and tech skating of the day. Kickflip backlip first flippin' try, backside tails around the corners, sick standup backside nosegrinds, frontside heelflip first try, right out of the gate...Rune was on fire...makin' etnies proud. Thanks Rune!

Also can't forget to mention Brian Patch who was goin' all out as well this weekend and got third place right under Rune...not too shabby considering his foot was like, completely rebuilt last year.

Some Euro Open Follow-Up!

Axel!

Full Cabbage!

Here’s the latest from our Euro correspondents!

The youngest skateboarder of the weekend, eleven-year old Axel Cruysberghs made it all the way through Prequalification to the Super Finals. Not even four feet tall, Axel did frontside boardslides on the fourteen-foot long rail and 360 flips over the centerpiece. This was Axel’s first time in the Euro Open—he traveled all the way from Belgium to Munich with his dad to compete.

Last year’s overall winner Chris Pfanner, from Austria, got fourth place by smith grinding the soccer rail and full cabbing the hip.

The bets were high on Chris Oliver from the UK. But a backside kickflip transfer over the corner and nosegrinding the soccer rail only got him third in the Super Finals.

Second place went to Philipp Schuster from Austria for his clean, technical trickery and frontside tailslide to 270 out also on the soccer rail.

Georges Agonkouin from France surprised the judges with clean crooked grinds on the endless rail and well deserved first place.

Feebleien!

All eyes were on etnies gal Evelien Bouilliart, from Belgium this year because she set the bar so high in 2005 by winning most of the Girls Jams. In ‘06 she proved that girls’ skateboarding is growing more and more. Being the youngest of the group, Evelien impressed the crowd with her raw style and bag of tricks.

With 17 nations represented, the first stop of the etnies European Open ended with the best trick contest. Lem Villemin from Germany backside noseblunt slid the yellow rail and Bas Janssen from the Netherlands busted a kickflip frontside tailslide on the soccer goal.

Congrats to all and thanks to the sponsors!

Check out more coverage and the full results!

Dominik Dietrich BS heel

Dont forget!

etnies Bowlmasters is next! May 26–28 at the Cradle in Brixlegg, Austria. Be there!

Mammoth WCI Photos

Lexi (right) having some good times in the pipe and LP (left) with a frontside invert

Picture time! Check out these photos of Leanne and Lexi from last week’s West Coast Invitational at Mammoth Mountain. Want to see more? Of course you do! For a bunch more photos, including shots of Party Pelosi illustrating how she got her nickname, visit SNOWBOARD Magazine.

WCI Rail Jam set up

One More Euro Open Reminder!

The etnies European Open is kicking off in Munich today and goes through the weekend. etnies riders Conhuir Lynn , Steve Forstner (Europe) and Tuukka Korhonen (Europe) will be in attendance. Be there if you can. Good luck guys!

5 best blog comments here after a week get a free copy of the new etnies European Open DVD! it features tons of etnies Euro team footage and more from past events and unreleased footage from the etnies High 5 video from back in the day!

Good Luck Rune!

This year's Pro-Tec pool contest is happening on tomorrow from 3-10 pm at the Block at Orange. Last year, Rune stole it with ease. Can he repeat? There's $90 Gs on the line this year, get there if you can! Good luck Rune!

etnies Girl PUSH JAM Kicks Off in Munich

The first stop of the etnies Girl PUSH JAM 2006 will take place this Sunday, May 14, at the etnies European Open in Munich, Germany. etnies Girl team rider Evelien Bouilliart from Belgium feeble grinded her way into a well-deserved first place at last year’s inaugural event, and she’s pumped and ready to defend her title this weekend. Other etnies Girl skaters who will be competing are European team riders Louisa Menke (Holland) and Lisa Schairer (Germany), and European B team riders Ianire Elorriaga (Spain) and Kristina Westad (Norway).

The remaining stops of the etnies Girl PUSH JAM 2006 will take place at the etnies Bowlmasters in Brixlegg, Austria, on May 26-28; the etnies Girls Camp in Basel, Switzerland, on August 7-10; the European Skateboard Championships in Basel, Switzerland, on August 11-13; the etnies European Open in Paris, France, on September 15-17; and the etnies European Open in Rome, Italy, on October 6-8.

Good luck, ladies!

Fletcher's Check Out!

Fletch, switch, kickflip.

Aside from the Ali Payday we mentioned earlier this week, the July issue of TransWorld SkateBoarding has an Eric Fletcher Check Out and a little teaser for something Sheck-related that's coming in the August issue. Get it!

Coming soon...

etnies Girl Signs Evelien Bouilliart

etnies Girl is thrilled to announce the addition of Belgian skateboarder Evelien Bouilliart to our team. Evelien has been riding for the etnies Girl European team for a few years now, and after several impressive contest finishes in 2005, recently signed on to represent etnies Girl.

Evelien, who is just 16 years old, started skating in 2000 in her hometown of Aalter, Belgium. She was on fire in 2005, placing second at X Games 11 (her first major U.S. competition), first at the Push, the etnies Girl Jam at the 2005 etnies European Open in Munich, Germany, third at the 2005 World Championships of Skateboarding in Münster, Germany, and first at the Mystic Skate Cup girls’ contest in Prague. Earlier this year, she also finished second at The Global Assault in Melbourne, Australia.

Between trips to New York City for the etnies 20 year anniversary party and Orange County, Calif., to visit etnies Girl headquarters, Evelien has been at home in Belgium skating and going to school. However, the 2006 season is heating up, as she will compete in the etnies Girl PUSH JAM at the etnies European Open in Munich, Germany, this weekend, and travel to the Mystic Skate Cup and X Games 12 in July, and Slam City Jam in August.

Evelien joins fellow skateboarders Elissa Steamer and Lauren Perkins, snowboarders Leanne Pelosi, Janna Meyen and Alexis Waite, surfers Mary Osborne and Serena Brooke, motocross riders Tarah Gieger and Sarah Whitmore, and BMX riders Nina Buitrago and Stacey Mulligan on the etnies Girl team.

Welcome to the team, Evelien!

etnies Girls Get on Board Skate Clinic May 13 in Nags Head, N.C.

Learn how to skate this Saturday, May 13, with Elissa Steamer and Lauren Perkins!

etnies Girls Get on Board will be holding a skate clinic in Nags Head, N.C., on May 13 from 8 a.m. to noon. Open to females of all ages and skill levels, the clinic includes four hours of instruction from Lisa Whitaker and etnies Girl skaters Elissa Steamer and Lauren Perkins, and after the clinic you can stick around to watch an all girls skate jam presented by Wicked Wahine.

Location:

Outer Banks YMCA Skatepark
3000 South Croatan Highway
Nags Head, NC 27959

Schedule:

7:45 a.m. – registration begins
8:00 a.m. – clinic begins
12:00 p.m. – clinic ends, open riding/jam session begins, small snack provided, photo ops with riders

Includes:

• Four hours of instruction from Lisa Whitaker, Elissa Steamer and Lauren Perkins
• etnies gift bag full of magazines, stickers and all sorts of fun swag
• Donation to Boarding for Breast Cancer
• etnies Girls Get on Board T-shirt and patch

Registration:

The clinic is $40 if you register online through May 12 and $45 if you register the day of the event.

You will never forget the first time you hop on a skateboard, and we want to be there when you do it! See you this weekend!

Vote For Mike!

At home behind the microphone.

Mike Escamilla has recently been a guest host on the show Hostile Takeover on Sirius radio’s Radio Faction. They have a vote going on at the Faction website for "favorite host" and the winner will get a show on Faction.

Hook up an etnies rider and go VOTE for Mike!

Eric Fletcher Team Page!

Check out Eric Fletcher's new Team Page! Interview and stats are coming soon!

Go Skateboarding Day Site!

Check out the new Go Skateboarding Day site!

Pro Tec Contest This Weekend!

This year's Pro-Tec pool contest is happening on Saturday, May 13 from 3-10 pm at the Block at Orange. Last year, Rune stole it with ease. Can he repeat? There's $90 Gs on the line this year, get there if you can! Good luck Rune!

etnies European Open!

The etnies European Open is kicking off in Munich this weekend. The contest is from May 12-14 and etnies riders Conhuir Lynn , Steve Forstner (Europe) and Tuukka Korhonen (Europe) will be in attendance. Be there if you can. Good luck guys!

TEN Years of Women’s Longboarding

Catch etnies Girl team rider Mary Osborne and many other talented surfers in TEN, a new film about women’s longboarding. Shot from 1995 to 2005, TEN has incredible footage from California, Costa Rica, Australia and Hawaii, and features our very own Mary Osborne, as well as Daize Shane, Kim Hamrock, Cori Schumacher, Summer Romero, Kristy Murphy, Kassia Meador and many more.

TEN will be shown in theaters on the following dates:

May 11 – Pierside Pavilion 6 Theatres in Huntington Beach, Calif., at 7 and 9 p.m.
May 18 – Manhattan Village 6 Theatres in Manhattan Beach, Calif., at 7 and 9 p.m.
May 19 – The Wave House in Mission Beach, Calif., at 8 p.m.
May 25 – La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas, Calif.

Catch Art in the Dark in NYC

In NYC and looking for something fun to do this week? Check out Art in the Dark tomorrow, Wednesday, May 10, at Sway in SoHo. One night only, the event will feature the work of 18 artists illuminated only by the glow of flashlights in the spirit of artist salons. The performance will take place from 10 p.m. till midnight, and will be followed by a dance party with DJs Lady Miola and Easy Killer.

Among the artists whose work will be on display is Ana Paula Capelupo Negrao, a photographer who has had photos published in Check It Out Girls Magazine, Transworld Skateboarding Business, SG Magazine, Automatic and many others.

Sway
305 Spring St.
New York, NY 10013
(212) 620-5220

Hate Pads? Do Something About It!

Skateboarding needs your help! Do your part to end discrimination against skateboarders in California by sending an e-mail to California State Senators by tomorrow, May 9, 2006. It will only take you a minute, but it could make a world of difference!

Tarah Gieger Video Clip on Transworld MX

Tarah and Sarah (left to right) in San Francisco

Tarah Gieger is back!

Now fully recovered from a crash last year at Washougal that left her with a fractured skull and chipped vertebrae, Tarah was released to ride in February after taking nearly seven months off to recuperate. Tarah won round one of the WMA National Championships at Glen Helen last year, and is getting ready to defend her victory at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, Calif., this Saturday, May 13. Before her accident, Tarah was tied with teammate Sarah Whitmore for second place in the WMA standings, and ended up placing fifth overall in the series despite sitting out the final round at Steel City due to her injuries.

Check out this video clip on Transworld Motocross for an interview with Tarah about her injury, what she did with all of her free time last year and her plans for this year, as well as footage of her riding.

Good luck to Tarah and Sarah this weekend at Glen Helen!

NYC Rooftop Mini Ramp Sesh!

Long overdue, but here's some fun times with Ronnie Creager and Eric Fletcher on the new rooftop mini ramp at the etnies NYC showroom! it was the morning after the big party, the ramp was soaked, and Creager used a ramdom board he found on the roof!

More Team Reportage!

etnies 20-Year Anniversary NYC April 6, 2006

Tyler Lepore survived the etnies 20 year Anniversary despite meeting a few strange NYC vets. He went crazy buying up tons of art books and a few special items for a special person. He’s back in Vancouver shredding local resorts as well as hitting up Whistler when it’s good. Ty’s been busy this season with snowboarding, home improving and maintaining his passion for doodling and working on his bike. You may catch him tossing back a few wildcats in Kevin Sansalone’s new film scheduled to be released this fall.

Tyler and friend caught off guard.

Benji Ritchie, A.K.A. Loose Lips, is back in Whistler after the NYC extravaganza. He’s still going out in the backcountry where it just keeps snowing and snowing. Benji’s been filming with the Whiteout crew all season so be sure to check out his part later this fall.

Benji Ritchie and Tyler Lepore signing some posters for all those eager kids...
Way to go guys!

Stian Solberg has been on a mission this season. He flew from Norway straight to Canada earlier this season to dive right into being the road warrior all season long. He’s been filming with Defective films all season and shooting with various photographers. You might catch Stian along the West Coast during the Young & Restless tour with some of the other shredders like Eric Jackson and Freddy Austbo. Be sure to check www.thirtytwo.com for details.

Here’s a sneak peak at what Stian’s been doing all season.

Party Pelosi and Sexi Lexi. Before a huge bottle of Vodka and tons of Redbull.

Jussi Tarvainen took a little bit of a break from snow shredding this month due to a slight knee injury. Nothing serious just landed flat one too many times but he’s been a trooper all season long. He’s stoked on his work visa so he’s been livin’ it up as a foreigner living the Cali dream. Jussi’s been filming with the Mack Dawg crew all winter so be sure to check him out. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed...

Stian and Markku sharing the festivities and getting involved for Chris Edmunds birthday.

Last but not least, Wille Yli-Luoma’s nowhere to be found. Just kidding! Wille’s been on a crazy mission this season. He’s been filming with the Volcom crew and from what I gather, he’s been killing it. I can’t wait to see the footage ‘cuz some of the lines I’ve seen him do, I can’t even comprehend. Just check out this line he did last month. Be sure to check him in the new Volcom flick.

Lexi and Leanne trying to put the moves on. C’mon ladies! He’s six years old!

‘Til next time...

If you look real carefully, you can see Wille’s line about 3/4’s of the way to the right of this photo. I’m sure this looks a lot different from the top.

Ali's Payday!

Get a hold of the new TransWorld Skateboarding for a chance to win a buttload of Ali Boulala stuff!

Caia Koopman Art Show in L.A.

If you live in the Los Angeles area, make sure to check out an upcoming show by one of our favorite artists, Caia Koopman. She will be showing 10 new paintings in a group show at Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City, Calif., from May 6 through June 5, 2006.

A native of California, Caia attended UCSC in Santa Cruz, Calif., where she earned her B.A. in Fine Art. Santa Cruz also turned out to be the place that seduced her into the local skateboarding scene. It was there that she learned to skate ramps, streets, pools and Derby Park. Skateboarding led to skateboard graphics, and her first limited edition T-shirt design for Santa Cruz Skateboards. After earning her art degree, Caia moved to the mountains to snowboard and spent many winters following the snow. It was this love for snowboarding that inspired her to strive for a career creating snowboard graphics and later branching out to become a commercial artist. Since then, her artwork has been featured in numerous national and international magazines, including Surfing Girl, Mademoiselle, Details, Snowboarder Magazine, Teen and Teen People, and her paintings have been used commercially for many years as graphics for snowboards, skateboards and wakeboards. Caia has also been featured on MTV for her snowboarding and painting.

Inspired by color, dreams, nature, politics and life, Caia's paintings tend to incorporate a connection between people and the environment. She loves beauty and color and tries to capture a certain wisdom and knowing, as well as a sense of mischief, in her characters. Caia is currently working as a freelance illustrator and painter in Oceanside, Calif.

Corey Helford Gallery
8522 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 287-2340
Tuesday–Saturday: 12 to 6 p.m.

Supercross Finale LIVE on SPEED TV!!!

The finale of the greatest Supercross season ever is this Saturday night in Vegas! SPEED Channel is stepping up big and hosting 3.5 hours of LIVE television coverage, including every 125 and 250 heat race, semi-final, last chance qualifier and main event.

It all starts at 10PM ET / 7PM PT.

Have a party, call up some chicks, invite all your friends and watch Supercross LIVE!!! It's going to be a good one!

Rider Blogs!!!!

So check it out. Starting...NOW, stay on the look out for personal blogs from Taj and Rooftop on etniesbmx.com! Look on the left sidebar where the different Categories are listed and you will see "Taj's Blog" and "Rooftop's Blog". Click on one of those and you can see everything they have been posting without all the other clutter.

We've been working really hard on this with Taj, as it was his great idea in the first place, and he has carte blanche over what he posts on his blog (no FCC interference here!) so look out for all kinds of random goods that you won’t find anywhere else!

Leave some comments and show some love because these guys are taking time out of their busy schedule to share their thoughts, ideas and photos with you!

UPDATE: Taj's blog posts now have a red title and Mike's blogs are all in blue.

etnies, Fast Forward and $20,000!

Some serious ripping is gonna go down on this Wilshire replica at Fast Forward to win $20,000. I would be there if I was from or near Texas next month...

Stereo Signing!

The Stereo crew will be signing your stuff at Active in Burbank this Saturday night!

Win a New Wardrobe From etnies Girl!

Do you ever find yourself staring into your closet in the morning and wishing that a new wardrobe would magically appear? etnies Girl wants to make your wish come true! One grand prize winner will be randomly selected to win a new wardrobe from etnies Girl—including a pair of Easy-E, Flats sandals, Script tee, Amber Cap, Tonya Belt and Iggy Pant—and four runners-up will each receive one pair of shoes of their choice. Enter by June 30, 2006, and get ready to make room in your closet. Good luck!

etnies Wood 'E'

Besides being a damn good rider, Hannu Cools, one of our etnies BMX riders from Belgium, is a landscape architect by trade and is also pretty handy with a chainsaw after work...you don't want to fuck with him or he might go all Texas Chainsaw Massacre on your ass!

The first ever etnies logo carved out of a tree trunk? Probably.

Pads Still Suck!

Help end discrimination against skateboarders in California by sending a letter of support to the Senators on the Committee who will be voting on May 9th.

Early May Team Stuff!

Here’s the crew checking out a zone for some Pow-pleasure...E-Jack, John J, Spike, and Zim.

“Spring showers...May brings flowers” is slightly an understatement this season. Even the saying “Miracle March” is a month off...at least for the West Coast it is. Check out what some of the ThirtyTwo/etnies Snow team riders have been up too:

Here’s a shot of E-Jack pointing out his lines.

Fredrik Austbo is chillin’ on the coach recovering from his knee surgery. Unfortunately, he blew out his knee before the Olympics and didn’t realize it until after all the excitement. He’s doing well and keeping a positive attitude about everything. Luckily, he’s so young he’ll be bouncing back in no time. Good Luck Freddy, we’ll see you soon. Oh yeah and happy belated birthday. Freddy just turned 18 on April 20th. 4/20? What?

John J spotting his landing. You can see him slay this jump in the new Standard films out this fall.

John and Eric Jackson have been quite the busy bro’s this season. They’ve been spending the whole season destroying where ever they go. They’ve been up and down the West Coast and ventured out to Montana a handful of times. They’re in Whistler right now slaying it with Standard films. They’ve encountered a few roadblocks during their mission but nothings stopping them from having fun and killing it in the backcountry. If you haven’t checked out the new Snowboard magazine lately, you should cause The Jackson brothers have a full interview in there explaining their passion for shredding. It’s pretty cool. Anyways, they’ll continue to slaughter ‘til this summer. If you want to try and meet these guys, you may get lucky at the premiere of Standard films sometime this fall. Be sure to check for dates and details.

That’s right kids, its not all that fun in the backcountry when your sled burns down. E-jack watching a brand new Polaris 900 sled burn straight to the dirt.

Markku Koski has been in the US for a bit now getting his shred on. He’s been hanging out in Tahoe with the Defective crew filming and shooting photos. He’ll be in the states til the end of April then back to Finland for a bit and then off to Lapland or Hemsedal, Norway. Check out some of the images from the Sierra at Tahoe shoot. Be on the look out for Markku in the Defective film scheduled to be released sometime fall of 2007.

Kitto’s! (translation..."Thanks!" in Finnish)

Here’s Chris Edmunds (Defective filmer) getting roped up for the sick angle. Good thing Chris had a light lunch this day.

Markku Koski killing the pipe while Chris follows him on the cable cam. Defective films scheduled to be released sometime in the fall of 2007. Markku always looks like he’s having a good time while shredding. He makes it look so easy.

Yup... That was a good day. Thanks Markku for brightening up our day...

Plan B??!!!!!!!!

Come by the etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest this Saturday for some free fun with the Plan B dudes!

Brokeback Surfing

Good game

Is this one of those unwritten rules or something? Drop-in on a guy and get your ass grabbed.
What the hell!?

“Sixteen Days” Art Show in Orange County

If you live in the Orange County, Calif., area, make sure to check out “Sixteen Days,” an exhibit of new work by one of our favorite up-and-coming artists, San Francisco-based Casey O’Connell, and Los Angeles-based artist Jesse Hotchkiss. Both artists’ careers have been highly influenced by the art backgrounds they’ve had since childhood, which shows in their strongly inspired, raw and personal work. “Sixteen Days” features Hotchkiss’ landscapes and what O’Connell humbly describes as “layers and layers of overzealous mistakes.” The show will run through May 14, 2006, at Subject Matter Gallery at The LAB in Costa Mesa, Calif.

Subject Matter Gallery
The LAB
2930 Bristol St., Suite A-101
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 668-9887
Monday–Saturday: 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Chris Sörman Stomps His First Backside 1260!

Photo by Anders Neuman

Our swedish shred dawg and online poker nerd Chris Sörman stomped his first ever backside 1260 last weekend in Are, Sweden. Chris was filming with the European Pirate Crew for his video part in their upcoming movie!

Chris warmed up with a backside 900, followed by a BS 1080, and finally hammered out the BS 1260, first try! We kid you not! Watch out for Chris! He's got more craziness in his pocket for use at a later date...

etnies Soccer, I mean...Football

I think I like these better than the Lo-Cut Golf! Just kidding, these aren't for real...pretty good PhotoShop job, eh?

Step Uppage!

Who knows what it is or why. Just Step Up!

Shred This Summer at MGT Girls Session!

Happy MGT Campers!

Take your riding to the next level this summer by attending MGT Girls Session!

Brought to you by etnies Girl-sponsored MGT (More Good Times) Snowboard Camp and Camp of Champions, MGT Girls Session starts July 6, 2006, on Blackcomb Glacier in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. This unique session will feature coaching from some of the biggest names in snowboarding—including etnies Girl team riders Leanne Pelosi and Alexis Waite—an all-girl contest and special MGT-only after camp activities.

At the five- to eight-day camps you’ll get to shred seven hours a day on North America’s biggest summer terrain park. With all of the snow Whistler has had this year, including a 25-year record for the snowiest month in January (15.6 feet), this exclusive camp terrain park is going to be insane! Prices start at $970 + 7% GST without accommodation and $1150cdn + 7% GST with accommodation. Register now and receive a copy of Misschief Films’ “As If!” and a free camp tee.

This camp is exactly what you need to improve your snowboarding skills, and you’re sure to have a blast in the process. With a name like “More Good Times,” it has to be good!

For more information or to register, visit MGT Snowboard Camp.

Boulala interview!

The long-awaited, much-anticipated Ali Boulala interview is up!

Biggest Gallery Ever!

I don't need to tell you who these guys are, do I?

Plenty more photos have been added to the New York Gallery!

Go Skateboarding Day 2006!

Go Skateboarding Day is less than seven weeks away. What will you be doing?

Sign Up for etnies Girl Updates!

Stay updated on all of the latest etnies Girl happenings, products, events and promotions by signing up for the etnies Girl Newsletter, Site Alerts and RSS Feed!

Can Rune Win Pro-Tec Again?

This year's Pro-Tec pool contest is happening on May 13 from 3-10 pm at the Block at Orange. Last year, Rune stole it with ease. Can he repeat? There's $90 Gs on the line this year, get there if you can! Good luck Rune!

Stereo in the New 411!

The upcoming issue of 411VM features our good friends from Stereo, including etnies flow rider, Tony Silva. Check out the trailer!