etnies

Mary Osborne’s Costa Rica Team Journal

The past month has been crazy with lots of fun travels. It all started off in Cabo, Mexico, with the Paskowitz Surf Camp, where I taught the top CEOs, investors, and pilots for Mesa Airlines how to surf. Then I was home for two days before I was off again to the Big Apple for the etnies launch party. I love NYC! I then flew back home for a day, repacked, and jetted to Tamarindo, Costa Rica, for six days to hang with the crew from my surfboard sponsor, Robert August. Here is an excerpt from an evening in my travel journal.

APRIL 14, 2005

“Completely out of breath, dripping with sweat and dying of thirst, I finally made it.”

I finally arrived after two long flights into Tamarindo, Costa Rica. I have only been here once before, so finding the Casa de Augusto was pretty interesting. I knew the house was located at the top of the hill, and almost everyone in the town new of either Wingnut, Sam August, or the legendary Robert August himself. Unfortunately, I need to work on my Spanish because I had trouble explaining how to get to the house to the cab driver. So I had the cab driver drop me off at the North end of Tamarindo, and I started walking. It was about 95 degrees out with humidity that made me drip sweat nonstop, but the best part about it was trying to drag my carry on size luggage with wheels down the cobblestones and dusty roads. Every two steps, it tipped over.

Mary with (left to right) Wingnut, Robert August, a friend and Sam August

About 15 minutes later, I could see the house located on the hillside. I threw my heavy bag on top of my backpack and started hiking up the hill. Completely out of breath, dripping with sweat and dying of thirst, I finally made it. The house is exactly how I remembered it. There are empty beds waiting for surfers to crash on, surfboards of every shape and size stacked to the ceiling and paintings of local surf spots throughout the house. Due to my crazy schedule, I’m meeting the gang on the tail end of their trip. Most of the crew has already been here for two weeks or so for the annual Robert August Surf & Turf.

Wingnut wears short shorts

This evening, the gang decided to cook up a tasty dinner. Classic surf tales were traded back and forth throughout the meal from longtime surfers like Robert August, Wingnut, Mark Martinson and Sammy August. It was a night I’ll never forget. There I was, eating dinner and laughing my head off while listening to the most classic surf stories told by a wide variety of surfers spanning several generations. I should have had a tape recorder. Surfing has no age limit whatsoever. It’s amazing to think about—whether you are older, younger, male or female, someone always has a great story to tell that another surfer can relate to. It’s pure fun, and it makes dinners (and trips) like this one unforgettable.

Mary

The Final Skate Team Report of April

Elissa Steamer just returned home to San Francisco after spending six days in Kapalua, Maui. Lucky her! The trip to Hawaii was her prize for winning the Triple Crown series last year. She took her sister with her and just passed the days by chilling on the beach, golfing, checking out the island and relaxing. Late next week, she will head down to Los Angeles to celebrate being named Check It Out Girls Magazine’s “Best Female Skater of 2004.” This is the second year that the Best Female Skater of the Year Award has been presented, and she has won it both years. Congratulations, Elissa!

Lauren Perkins has had a mellow schedule since returning home from an etnies trip to New York a couple of weeks ago. Other than taking a three-day trip to Mammoth, she’s been at home in Huntington Beach skating, doing homework and enjoying the nice weather Southern California has been having lately. Lauren will probably be attending the Check It Out Girls party next week, as well.

Meet Libby, April’s etnies Girl of the Month

Libby, April’s etnies Girl of the Month, hit her first rail just three days after trying snowboarding for the first time, and she hasn’t looked back since. The 16-year-old Concord, Mass., native now attends a boarding school in Bethel, Maine, called Gould Academy, where she gets out of school at noon in the winter so she can go to the mountain. Her dedication has paid off; this is just Libby’s second season riding and her first season competing, and she’s already been named overall varsity champ of the MAISAD (Maine Association of Independent Schools Athletic Directors) series, and qualified for the USASA (United States of America Snowboarding Association) Nationals, where she placed fifth overall. She’s been skating for six months and, in the spring, will join Gould’s skate team. Something tells us she’ll do just as well. We spoke with Libby about how she got into snowboarding and skating, what she likes about competing and the best piece of advice she’s ever received.

etnies Girl: What are your interests, Libby?
Libby: Snowboarding is my main interest, but I skate, paint and play guitar as well.

etnies Girl: What are your talents?
Libby: I think my talent is learning things fast. I picked up snowboarding and skating relatively quickly.

etnies Girl: How did you get into snowboarding?
Libby: I skied for 11 years and one day I realized that I wasn’t having fun with it anymore, so I convinced my parents to get me a snowboard. We went to this shop in New Hampshire and I knew nothing about snowboarding, so I basically let the guy there pick a board for me. I spent a day and a half on the bunny hill and then hit up the big hill. After three days, some guys convinced me to hit this rail. I was pretty scared, but I did it anyway. I 50-50ed and came off early, but I didn’t fall or get hurt. After that day, I knew that snowboarding was what I wanted to do, and that I wanted to try my hardest to progress. Going to Gould Academy and joining its competition team has really helped my snowboarding out. We compete in two series: MAISAD (Maine Association of Independent Schools Athletic Directors), which is an interscholastic program where we compete against other schools’ teams in slopestyle and halfpipe, and USASA (United States of America Snowboard Association).

etnies Girl: When did you start skating?
Libby: I really started skating when they built a skate park in Concord. I really had nothing to do, so I decided to learn how to skate. I continued skating at Windells, where I went for snowboarding last summer. That rainbow rail was super-duper fun, but I definitely prefer to skate mini ramps. Gould also has a skate team that is sponsored by Redbull, which will give away half a scholarship to Woodward at the end of the season. I met my best friend, Amelia, at Gould. She’s an avid skateboarder and is sick at vert. I definitely look up to her and she inspires me to learn new tricks even if I am afraid.

etnies Girl: What do you like about etnies Girl?
Libby: etnies Girl expresses the independence of girls. Its style is like no other and goes more along with what girls really want, instead of a stereotype. I like how it is very supportive of girls and their place in sports such as surfing, skating and snowboarding. etnies Girl understands that we can do anything we set our minds to while still being awesomely stylish.

“If you really want something, all you have to do is believe in yourself and work hard for it.”

etnies Girl: Why are you an etnies Girl?
Libby: I’m an etnies Girl because I am creative, independent and intelligent. I like to have my own style and I’m not afraid to be me, nor am I ashamed of who I am. I always make an effort to be nice to people, even if they are mean to me. I have a good sense of humor and a great outlook on life.

etnies Girl: What do you do for fun?
Libby: Snowboard, skateboard, listen to music, play guitar, paint, draw, watch movies, tell jokes. I love to make people laugh. One of my favorite jokes is: Why does Snoop Dogg wear a raincoat? Fo’ drizzle!

etnies Girl: Where do you find inspiration?
Libby: Mostly from pros and my friends. I see them ride or skate and they motivate me to improve. I find a lot of inspiration from music and the feeling certain songs give me. If I find a really good song, it will pump me up to try new stuff.

etnies Girl: What’s your biggest accomplishment?
Libby: Going to the USASA Nationals and being the highest placing girl from the East Coast in my age group, not to mention fifth place overall.

etnies Girl: How did you get started competing?
Libby: I did my first competition in January. It was a rail jam and I went on my own, not with my school. I really wanted to prove myself to my coaches by trying my first competition on my own. I also wanted to get the feel of competing; however, I was the only girl who showed up, so I decided to compete against myself and try some new tricks. I really started competing with my school through the MAISAD and USASA series. Going to the USASA Nationals was a big step for me. To compete with girls my age from all around the country was awesome. I met so many cool people and overall it was a great experience. It snowed the day of our competition, so they stopped it after our first run. We had to make up our second run the next day, right before our team had to leave for the airport! I didn’t even find out what place I got until my parents called me in the terminal.

etnies Girl: What are your goals with competing?
Libby: My goals are to maintain a good pace of progression throughout my snowboarding career and always to have fun whenever I am snowboarding.

etnies Girl: What do you like most about competing?
Libby: I like how competitions push your comfort level to go further than you’re used to.

etnies Girl: Do you have any advice for girls who would like to compete, but who are scared?
Libby: If you really want something, all you have to do is believe in yourself and work hard for it. Some people take competing the wrong way. If they don’t place well, they feel discouraged and disappointed. If you do poorly, or even if you win, you should push yourself the next time to do better. Look at not placing well as a reason to practice that extra hour or to try that bigger spin. If you have a bad attitude and don’t have fun, you won’t do better the next time. I also find the biggest obstacle you have to overcome is yourself.

etnies Girl: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Libby: Probably what my mom told me about competing. She sent me an e-mail right before Nationals because I was nervous. In it, she said:

“You always love challenges; just remember it is about the experience. Do the best you can do and give it your all. Sit quietly and in your mind imagine the entire run: standing at the start going down the mountain, how you see your body moving on the board, etc. Keep doing this over and over. This way, when the day comes, you have already made the run at least 100 times.”

etnies Girl: What’s really important to you?
Libby: I believe it’s really important to find a place where you are happy, but not at other people’s expense. By taking advantage of people, you become undeserving of what you want—not to mention that it is super-duper unfair.

etnies Girl: Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?
Libby: Last summer, I went to Tanzania with my family because we have a friend who owns a safari company. I had a ton of fun, saw about a bazillion zebras and climbed Kilimanjaro with my dad. I definitely suggest going there; everyone is so nice and you get to see some awesome wildlife.

Libby’s Favorite Things

Place: “Anywhere with snow!”
Animal: “Giraffes and my friend Justin.”
Color: Sapphire blue and neon green
Hangout: Sunday River and Rye Airfield Skatepark
City: Boston
Song: “‘Dynomite’ by Ima Robot. This song always gets me pumped for snowboarding. I hope that if I get a video part one day, this will be the song that is playing in my section.”
Album: “The Resignation” by RX Bandits
Band: “Dead Kennedys, Ima Robot, RX Bandits, The Smiths, Supermodel Suicide. I have a bunch more favorites. It’s hard to pick just one band ‘cause they are all different.”
Book: “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Movie: “Video Gangs”
TV show: “Pimp My Ride”
Sport: Snowboarding
Game: Tony Hawk Underground
Food: Chicken fingers
Candy: Starbursts
Holiday: Christmas
Smell: Watermelon candy and gum
Hobby: Snowboarding
Guilty pleasure: “The OC”
Athlete: Lauri Heiskari
Hero: “My friends.”
etnies shoe: “The Floyd is sweet!”

Be an etnies Girl of the Month

Would you like to be the next etnies Girl of the Month? E-mail a paragraph describing why you should be our next etnies Girl along with 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

Don't forget to include your name, age, address and phone number.

Want Wallpaper?

We just added a bunch of desktop wallpapers to the site today, so check out the Wallpaper page and start downloading!

Your computer will thank you.

Enter the Shoe Giveaway by April 30!

You only have four more days to enter the March Shoe Giveaway, which has been extended to April 30, for your chance to win a pair of Lo-Qwan-Do and be a future etnies Girl of the Month!

It’s free and easy to enter. All you have to do is tell us in 300 words or less why you or someone you know should be an etnies Girl of the Month. Are you an up-and-coming skater? Is your friend a fashion genius who customizes all of her clothes? Is your sister in a cool band? Does your cousin volunteer all of her free time to a great charity? Tell us about it!

The writer of the best entry will receive a pair of Lo-Qwan-Do, and they, or the person they nominated, will be featured on etniesGirl.com this year as an etnies Girl of the Month. Two runners-up will also receive a pair of Lo-Qwan-Do.

Hurry up and enter to win today!

Enter the Shoe Giveaway by April 30!

You only have four more days to enter the March Shoe Giveaway, which has been extended to April 30, for your chance to win a pair of Lo-Qwan-Do and be a future etnies Girl of the Month!

It's free and easy to enter. All you have to do is tell us in 300 words or less why you or someone you know should be an etnies Girl of the Month. Are you an up-and-coming skater? Is your friend a fashion genius who customizes all of her clothes? Is your sister in a cool band? Does your cousin volunteer all of her free time to a great charity? Tell us about it!

The writer of the best entry will receive a pair of Lo-Qwan-Do, and they, or the person they nominated, will be featured on etniesGirl.com this year as an etnies Girl of the Month. Two runners-up will also receive a pair of Lo-Qwan-Do.

Hurry up and enter to win today!

Nikita Chickita Snowdown Results

On Saturday, April 16, the first ever Nikita Chickita Snowdown was held at Northstar-at-Tahoe, and etnies Girl riders Leanne Pelosi, Alexis Waite and Laura Hadar were all there to represent. Leanne tied for third in the pro slopestyle competition and came in second in the pro rail jam, Alexis tied for fifth in the pro slopestyle competition and took fourth in the pro rail jam, and Laura came in eighth in the pro slopestyle competition. Awesome job, ladies!

Results

Pro Slopestyle

1st Marie-France Roy ($2500 & Trip to Iceland!)
2nd Natasza Zurek ($1500)
3rd (tie) Chanelle Sladics ($650) & Leanne Pelosi ($650)
5th (tie) Erin Comstock ($150) & Alexis Waite ($150)
7th Marybeth Swetkoff ($100)
8th Laura Hadar ($100)
9th Laura Berry ($50)
10th Magalie Dubois ($50)

Am Slopestyle

1st Iris Lazzareschi (Trip to Iceland!)
2nd CC Marie Curry
3rd Abby Lockhart
4th Robyn Borneman
5th Dana Starr
6th (tie) Destinee Perata & Laurie Currier

Pro Rail Jam

1st Erin Comstock ($1500 & Trip to Iceland!)
2nd Leanne Pelosi ($750)
3rd Marie-France Roy ($500)
4th Alexis Waite ($250)
5th Chanelle Sladics ($150)

Am Rail Jam

1st Iris Lazzareschi (Trip to Iceland!)
2nd Abby Lockhart
3rd Erin Podue
4th Lairie Currier
5th Dana Starr
6th Kirstin Seitz

Overall Best

Trick – CC Marie Curry ($500)
Style – Iris Lazzareschi ($100)
Tree Jib – Iris Lazzareschi ($100)
Vintage Trick – Colleen Quigley ($100)
Trick on Hip – Natasza Zurek ($100)

Teen Vogue Chic Clique Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to the following winners of the Teen Vogue Chic Clique Giveaway:

• Alli of Woodinville, Wash.
• Amy of Garland, Texas
• Meghan of Wilsonville, Ore.
• Shari of Cordes Lakes, Ariz.

The lucky winners each received a pair of Lo-Slip, a Tattoo T-shirt, a Val Handbag, a Shakedown jacket, and a pair of Belize 2 jeans, as well as an item from Teen Vogue’s "Shopping Spree!," all courtesy of Teen Vogue and etnies Girl.

The fifth winner of the contest will have to remain anonymous for now because, believe it or not, we’re still waiting to receive a signed waiver from her so we can mail her the prizes!

Teen Vogue Chic Clique Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to the following winners of the Teen Vogue Chic Clique Giveaway:

• Alli of Woodinville, Wash.
• Amy of Garland, Texas
• Meghan of Wilsonville, Ore.
• Shari of Cordes Lakes, Ariz.

The lucky winners each received a pair of Lo-Slip, a Tattoo T-shirt, a Val Handbag, a Shakedown jacket, and a pair of Belize 2 jeans, as well as an item from Teen Vogue's "Shopping Spree!," all courtesy of Teen Vogue and etnies Girl.

The fifth winner of the contest will have to remain anonymous for now because, believe it or not, we're still waiting to receive a signed waiver from her so we can mail her the prizes!

etnies and Journeys Cabo Contest Winner

Congratulations to Shannon of Omaha, Neb., who won the etnies and Journeys Cabo Contest! Shannon and a friend will fly to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, to learn how to surf from the etnies surf team on May 20-22. She also won an etnies prize pack, which includes a pair of etnies sandals, a towel, a T-shirt and a hat.

Make sure to keep checking the Contests page for more opportunities to win.

etnies and Journeys Cabo Contest Winner

Congratulations to Shannon of Omaha, Neb., who won the etnies and Journeys Cabo Contest! Shannon and a friend will fly to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, to learn how to surf from the etnies surf team on May 20-22. She also won an etnies prize pack, which includes a pair of etnies sandals, a towel, a T-shirt and a hat.

Make sure to keep checking the Contests page for more opportunities to win.

etnies Girl Sponsors Girlie Skate Camps

etnies Girl is proud to sponsor Girlie Skate Camps again in 2005 after a successful inaugural year in 2004. This year's Girlie Skate Camps have expanded their reach beyond last year’s one location, Barcelona, Spain, to four different locations throughout Europe, including Prague, Czech Republic; Montpellier, France; Manchester, United Kingdom; and Madrid, Spain. Also new this year, select Girlie Skate Camps will be televised on European television networks YOZ and Eurosport.

The all-female skate camps are open to all levels and abilities, and include approximately four hours of skate lessons each day taught by professional skate instructors and female pro skaters like etnies Girl team riders Elissa Steamer and Lauren Perkins. The camps also include accommodations in a local hotel or apartment, goody bags from sponsors and plenty of additional organized activities and fun.

2005 Girlie Skate Camps Schedule

Prague, Czech Republic – July 3-10 – 530 euros/week
Montpellier, France – July 17-24 – 530 euros/week
Manchester, United Kingdom – July 30-August 6 – 530 euros/week
Madrid, Spain – September 25-October 2 – 530 euros/week

Elissa Named C.I.O.’s “Best Female Skater”

And the winner is...

Congratulations to Elissa Steamer for being named Check It Out Girls Magazine’s “Best Female Skater of 2004”! This is the second year in a row that Check It Out’s readers have named her their favorite skater, making Elissa the only person ever to receive the magazine’s “Best Female Skater” award. She will be presented with the award on May 6 in Los Angeles at a party that will also include live music, Check It Out’s issue 17 launch and the premiere of “Shake Junt,” a video featuring Elissa, the Baker team, Peter Eldridge, Ryan Nix, Jon Flip and many others. Thank you to everyone who voted for her!

Celebrate Earth Day by Getting “TRASHed”

To celebrate the 35th annual Earth Day taking place tomorrow, April 22, check out “TRASHed: The Art of Recycling,” featuring original recycling bin artwork by artists, musicians, athletes and writers such as Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, Bob Burnquist, snowboarder Tricia Byrnes, the late Hunter S. Thompson and more. The show will be in San Francisco tonight, in Orange County on April 22-23 and in L.A. on April 23-25. If you can’t make it to any of these shows, don’t despair; you can also catch the TRASHed exhibition at the 2005 Coachella Valley Music Festival on April 30 and May 1.

etnies' New Ads! Do You Love 'em or Hate 'em? Tell Us!

We at etnies decided to try something a little different and run some ads that celebrate how good we have it as skateboarders, surfers, dirt bikers, snowboarders and BMXers, while poking a little lighthearted fun at people who have chosen a more traditional path in life.

What other company would give you the chance to tell those responsible for the ads in your favorite magazines what you actually think? Not many. Now take a look at etnies' new "I Wish" ads and let us know if you think they suck ass or kick ass.

Click on the crippled jock to vote.

Elissa and Lauren Heart NY!

Ryan Sheckler and Lauren Perkins smile for the camera at etnies’ Fall ’05 product launch party in NYC, while etnies’ Don Brown lurks in the background

On Monday, Elissa Steamer and Lauren Perkins returned from a whirlwind trip to New York City. They’d been there to participate in a couple photo shoots for various magazines, to attend etnies’ Fall 2005 product launch party, to do a couple of signings and a demo at two Bob’s Stores locations in New Jersey and Connecticut and, of course, to enjoy the city’s sights and sounds. Let’s just say that the girls did all of the above and more! Everything went off without a hitch—the weather was beautiful the entire weekend, the party was “off the chain” (to quote Elissa) and the signings and demo at Bob’s went off as well. Thanks to everyone who made the trip a huge success…the girls had a blast!

Elissa at the KCDC mini-ramp in Brooklyn

Elissa is chilling at home in San Francisco after the weeklong New York excursion. She’ll be hanging out and skating there until she leaves for a trip to Hawaii with her sister later this month. She won the trip, incidentally, by winning the Triple Crown contest series last week. Congrats, Elissa! Last we heard she’s bringing her sticks (golf clubs) with her. Lucky her…

Elissa and Lauren with the Bob's crew in Freehold, N.J.

Lauren is in Huntington Beach catching up on schoolwork. A week in New York will definitely make you fall behind. By now, though, she is probably completely caught up so she can get back to her normal routine of skating (at Volcom during the night), going to the beach and shopping. Lauren is leaving this weekend on a three-day trip to Mammoth since she loves snowboarding and this may be her last chance to ride this season. Also, be sure to check the latest issue of SG Magazine (June ’05 cover) for a six page article featuring Lauren in Mexico we told you about awhile back. Congratulations, Lauren!

Nikita Chickita Snowdown Set for April 16

This Saturday, April 16, the first ever Nikita Chickita Snowdown will be held at Northstar-at-Tahoe, and etnies Girl riders Alexis Waite, Jacqui Berg, Leanne Pelosi and Laura Hadar will all be competing in the etnies Girl-sponsored event.

The all-girls slopestyle and rail jam invitational will bring the most progressive female snowboarders in the world together for a day of fun, style and, of course, a chance to vie for their share of the $10,000 prize purse and one of four trips to the Icelandic Park Project in Iceland.

With a park designed by Northstar-at-Tahoe, the Nikita Chickita Snowdown will feature both Am and Pro Slopestyle and Rail Jam divisions. Both divisions will be invite-only, with the Pro riders responsible for choosing what Ams will compete. The day-long shred session will also feature live music and a BBQ, and will be topped off with one hell of an after party.

Snow Team Report: Euro Tour, Nikita Chickita and More!

Spring madness! Get your speed wax and iron ready, ‘cause you're going to need it. Here's a quick update on what the snow team has been up to…

Alexis Waite and Leanne Pelosi have been terrorizing the Alps and wreaking havoc in Europe on their Euro tour mission, which they’ll be returning from this week. While there, Alexis placed third at the Roxy Chicken Jam. Congratulations, Lex! In between slaying rails and shopping like fiends, they’ve also been filming with Misschief Films. As soon as they make their way back to the states, they’ll be heading off to Tahoe to compete in the Nikita Chickita Snowdown at Northstar on April 16. Shortly after the contest, they'll be driving down to June Mountain for the ThirtyTwo team photo shoot. For the exclusive team shoot, the unbound snow park crew will be cutting the pipe at June Mountain as well as building a few jumps.

Janna Meyen was last seen in Bend, Ore., concentrating on filming and shooting photos. After winning every contest she entered this season, she took a little breather to gather her thoughts, and now has shifted into full film mode with the Volcom crew. She says she's feeling great and can't wait to get into the groove. She's also excited to meet up with the rest of the ThirtyTwo crew at June Mountain for the team photo shoot on April 15-22.

Get Your Surf Team News!

Mary Osborne has been traveling nonstop lately! On March 30, she was in Venice, Calif., for a benefit for Surfers Healing, a charity for autistic children formed by Israel and Danielle Paskowitz, owners of the Paskowitz Surf Camp. The event was hosted by Sal Masekela and featured musical performances by Sugar Ray and Donavon Frankenreiter, as well as live and silent auctions with prizes that included a surfboard autographed by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, a Nirve beach cruiser, a guitar signed by No Doubt, Oliver Peoples sunglasses and more. Celebrities were “auctioned off” too, and a private surf lesson with Mary was auctioned off for $850.00, with all proceeds going to Surfers Healing. That weekend, she traveled to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with the Paskowitz Surf Camp to instruct the CEO, investors and pilots of Mesa Airlines (owners of America West) how to surf. It was beautiful down there, and she took a photo of Cabo in the morning with her cell phone so you could see for yourselves. Then she jetted off to NYC for etnies’ Fall ’05 product launch on April 7, and last Sunday, April 10, she left for a week-long photo shoot with Robert August Surfboards.

A snapshot of beautiful Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, which Mary Osborne took with her trusty cell phone…

Jodie Nelson is no slouch, herself. She took a little time off to go snowboarding in Telluride, Colo., recently, but then she was right back to work. (If you can call being a pro surfer “work”!) On April 2, she was a guest at the 2005 Tempe Music Festival in Arizona, where she signed autographs for Fender alongside skaters Jesse Fritch and Frank Hirata, and BMXers Adam Banton and fellow etnies team rider Taj Mihelich. She also got to introduce some of the bands that played that day. On April 6, Jodie hosted a TV show for FUEL featuring Taj Burrows’ new surf movie, “Fair Bits.” Then she headed off to Santa Cruz on April 7-9 to host The Game. On Monday, she had a photo shoot in L.A., and did interviews with Salt and Foam magazines. Other than that, she’s been training, shooting photos when the surf is good, and getting ready for the Lowers contest the end of this month.

Make sure to check out the new issue of SG Magazine, as Jodie has a two-page spread from Indonesia and more; and in the new issue of The Surfer’s Journal, make sure to look for an article about a trip she took to Mexico with Brad Gerlach, Dino Andino and Mike Parsons. You can also read the story and view photos and video on Surfline now.

Push, the etnies Girl Jam

Mark your calendars! etnies Girl has confirmed dates for its new skate series, Push, the etnies Girl Jam!

etnies Girl Sponsors 2005 Girlie Surf Camps

After the success of last year's surf camps in Biarritz, France, etnies Girl is proud to sponsor Girlie Surf Camps for the second year in a row in 2005. This year's Girlie Surf Camps have expanded their reach with four different locations in Europe, including Italy, Spain, Ireland and France, as well as a two-week trip to Morocco. Also new this year, select Girlie Surf Camps will be televised on European television networks YOZ and Eurosport.

etnies Girl pro Jodie Nelson shows some muscle at a Girlie Surf Camp in 2004

The all-female surf camps are open to all levels and abilities, and provide campers with two lessons each day, all of the necessary equipment (including surfboards), yoga lessons, barbecues, accommodations close to the beach, a board workshop and goody bags from sponsors. The lessons are taught by local surf schools and female pro surfers like etnies Girl team rider Jodie Nelson.

"Girlie Surf Camp was such a fun experience for me to be part of," says Jodie Nelson, etnies Girl pro and Girlie Camps surf instructor. "It was so cool to see so many girls from so many different countries come together just for the love of surfing. The atmosphere at the camp was so chill, everyone was free to be themselves and some of the characters at the camp are hilarious! For me it was just so rewarding to see everyone so stoked and dedicated to becoming a better surfer."

2005 Girlie Surf Camps Schedule

Viareggio, Italy – May 14-21 – 430 euros/week
Oualidia, Morocco – June 16-30 – 890 euros/2 weeks (food included)
Salinas, Spain – July 9-16 – 430 euros/week
Lahinch, Ireland – September 2-9 – 430 euros/week
Biarritz, France – September 3-10 – 530 euros/week (food included)
Biarritz, France – September 10-17 – 530 euros/week (food included)
Biarritz, France – September 17-24 – 530 euros/week (food included)

Meet Elissa and Lauren This Weekend!

Elissa Steamer and Lauren Perkins flew to New York City this week, and will be on the East Coast until Monday. Yesterday, the girls did a couple of photo shoots for various mags, and that evening they attended etnies’ Fall ‘05 product launch party in Manhattan.

Over the weekend, they will be doing autograph signings at the Bob’s Stores in Freehold, N.J., and Manchester, Conn. They will also be doing a small demo at the Manchester location. Contact Bob’s Stores for more information; addresses and telephone numbers are below.

Saturday, April 9 (1-3 p.m.)
Bob’s Stores (Freehold location)
91 Trotters Way
Freehold, NJ 07728
Tel: (732) 866-0909

Sunday, April 10 (12-4 p.m.)
Bob’s Stores (Manchester location)
220 Hale Road
Manchester, CT 06040
Tel: (860) 648-1111

etnies Girl’s Vegetarian-Friendly Kicks

Are you concerned about having cute kicks that are also vegetarian-friendly? etnies Girl has got you covered! For the Spring 2005 footwear line, the Floyd in Black/Pink and all of the Trixie are vegetarian safe, as are the Chula, Wedge, Dyna, Charm, Zipper and Fielder II sandals, so you can enjoy wearing them with peace of mind.

Lauren’s Top 10 Songs

etnies Girl skater Lauren Perkins is never far from her MP3 player. She always listens to it before—and sometimes even during—contests. Check out the 10 songs she currently has on heavy rotation:

“How We Do” by The Game (featuring 50 Cent)
“One, Two Step” by Ciara
“Right Here in My Arms” by H.I.M
“Love Me for Me” by Ashlee Simpson
“(I Got That) Boom Boom” by Britney Spears (featuring Ying Yang Twins)
“Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson
“I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty
“Knockin’ on Heaven's Door” by Bob Dylan
“Wild World” by Cat Stevens
“Close Yet Far” by CKY

etnies Girl Sponsors 2005 Op GLTR Series

etnies Girl is proud to announce it has signed on as supporting sponsor of the 2005 Op Girls Learn To Ride (Op GLTR), the original series of action sports instructional clinics for females. Op GLTR, now entering its sixth year, has assembled an unprecedented 200 action sports clinics and camps throughout the United States and Canada this year. The clinics will be conducted by top instructors in the sports of snowboarding, skateboarding, wakeboarding, motocross, BMX freestyle and racing, mountain biking and surfing.

etnies Girl will work with Op GLTR to create promotions and special events online, at retail and at the etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest. Additionally, Teen Vogue has just announced it has signed on as the new presenting sponsor and, as such, will provide marketing, media and event support.

"etnies Girl is excited for this opportunity to partner with Op GTLR, to share our passion for skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing with girls in the U.S. and Canada," says Patrice Fernandez, etnies Girl brand marketing manager. "These events reinforce our history and commitment to women's participation in action sports, and are the perfect means of sharing our values of encouraging girls to express themselves in a healthy, fun and adventuresome way."

To view the complete 2005 schedule of events, visit Op Girls Learn To Ride.

WMA Announces 2005 National Motocross Schedule

The Women’s Motocross Association (WMA) released the 2005 AMA/WMA National Motocross Championship schedule today. The Championship will commence at Glen Helen Raceway’s Pro National warm-up race “The Prequel,” and will conclude at the Steel City Raceway National with the traditional final moto on Sunday prior to the AMA Pro Motocross Championship races. Highlights include WMA pro racing at four of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship events.

2005 AMA/WMA National Motocross Championship:

Rd 1 – May 14-15 – Glen Helen Raceway, San Bernardino, Calif.
Rd 2 – May 21-22 – Hangtown Classic, Sacramento, Calif.
Rd 3 – July 23-24 – Thunder Valley Motocross Park, Lakewood, Colo.
Rd 4 – July 30-31 – Washougal Motocross Park, Washougal, Wash.
Rd 5 – Sept. 3-4 – Steel City Raceway, Delmont, Pa.

In 2004, WMA Nationals were featured regularly on FUEL TV’s “GKA.” The WMA also had several segments on “Two Wheel Tuesday,” which airs on the Speed Channel, and racing highlights from the Hangtown Classic were included in the 125cc AMA Motocross coverage for ESPN2.

In addition, the WMA will have three WMA Cup Warm-Up races (May-August), promote two inaugural women’s classes at the Areanacross Finals at the US Open in Las Vegas (October), and host the 3rd Annual Z1R Helmets WMA Cup at the Cycle Ranch MX Park, Floresville, Texas, in November.

MTV Shooting TODAY at etnies Skatepark

MTV’s new countdown show the “Weekend Dime” is shooting TODAY from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest. Go to the park to get on the show and claim your 15 minutes of fame. Helmet and pads required. The show will air next Saturday, April 9, at 10 a.m.