Women hit the half pipes in Encinitas

  • 2014-11-26
On the November 8 weekend, Encinitas welcomed skateboarders to the city for a keenly fought contest.

The event, titled ‘Exposure 2014’, took place at the skate park at the Magdalena Ecke YMCA. The contest was limited to women and girls, who are competing in a sport in which men outnumber them by a wide margin.

There were 66 participants who competed in bowl and vert ramp events. A vert ramp resembles a half-pipe, with a flat bottom and sides that rise to the vertical. Sponsors, photographers, and hundreds of spectators were there as well.

Nora Vasconcellos, a 21-year-old pro, said she enjoyed seeing so many women of different ages at the contest, particularly the younger girls. Skaters from age 5 to 50 took part, coming from as far away as Australia. Vasconcellos also noted that thanks to Exposure and similar events, women's skateboarding is becoming more well known.

Exposure is the work of another professional skateboarder, Amelia Brodka, who founded it to help women riders find sponsors and win more cash prizes. She also made a documentary called ‘Underexposed’, outlining how difficult it is for women to compete as professional skateboarders, since there are so few sponsorships available.

Exposure gave $20,000 in prize money, some of which went to Carol's House, a shelter for domestic abuse survivors, located in Encinitas.

Event organizers could work with a banner printing company to create striking Banners supporting women skateboarders.
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