New Poster

Big thanks to Peter Mounier of Mounier Giclee in Morro Bay, CA for blowing up Ralph Palumbo's photo of me into poster size. Peter is a whiz with the giant scanner!

OC Kids story

Fun story in the September 2006 edition of OC Kids magazine. (Special thanks to photographer Ralph Palumbo and his daughter/assistant for all their patience getting this shot just right.)

East Coast Wrap Up

Had a terrific turn out for the East Coast Mighty Mama Skate-O-Rama last Sunday. Nearly 20 women met at Wakefield Skatepark to spin our wheels. Special thanks to Patti Hurst for going out of her way (so many times, so many ways) to make the event so great. For photos, check out Maggie Winters' shots at:
http://web.mac.com/mj.642/iWeb/Site/Home.html

Below: Patti and I in our post-skate delerium!

Washington D.C. on Aug. 13th

Calling all East Coast skate women (you don't have to be a "mom" to roll with us): the next Mighty Mama Skate-O-Rama will be on Sunday, August 13th in the Washington D.C. area.

We will meet at 2:30 pm at the Wakefield Skatepark in Annandale, VA (skating starts at 3 pm). The skatepark is located at 8100 Braddock Rd. in Annandale, VA.

Phone: (703) 321-7081

website: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/skatepark/

Wakefield Skatepark is offering a special discount rate of $4 for women 18 years old and up. The skatepark rents helmet, elbow and knee pads for $5/day (the Skate Moms highly recommend wrist guards, too, but the skatepark only has a few pair so bring your own). Please wear full safety gear and SKATE AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Novice lessons, compliments of the International Society of Skateboarding Moms, available on a first-come, first-served basis.



After a couple hours at the skatepark, we'll grab some grub then move on to an (as of yet) unspecified spot in D.C. for our Rolling for Reading book campaign. This is where we skate while handing out books to kids. My publisher, Putnam, very generously donated several boxes of new children's books for this roll-out. Yea Putnam! If you'd like to participate on this roll-out, please bring a backpack in which to carry some books. If you have new or GENTLY used books you'd like to bring a lot to contribute, by all means do.

Directions to Wakefield Skatepark:

From the Beltway, take Exit 54-A West, skatepark is approximately one-quarter mile off the Beltway at 8100 Braddock Rd. in Annandale, VA. Phone (703) 321-7081.

Please check back here for updates (especially the morning of the 13th, just in case!).

MMSOR report

Well, Sunday, May 14 was one awesome day indeed. The 2006 Mighty Mama Skate-O-Rama was so much fun, I wish Mother's Day came twice a year. Nearly 30 moms and "aunties" came out for the celebration at Laguna Niguel skatepark along with many, many supporters.

Particpants included Isabelle C., Amy B., Kristin M., Wednesday A., Melissa S., Patricia M., Maureen F., Mandy E., Nellie J., Tracey S., Rose B., Gale H., Sharie L., Patrice G., Jaime S., Tamara M., Quynn L., Sheila K., Elaine N., Vicky O., Ji H., Christy N., Dawn C., Karena G. and me.

A special moment, for me personally, was the arrival of my parents, Orlando and Dorothy. My dad, who decades ago drove my friends and I all over kingdom come looking for cool skate spots, is now wheelchair bound due to a stroke three years ago, but I still saw a flicker of happiness in his eye when I jumped on my board and did a few skate tricks for old times' sake.

A huge thank you again to all the incredibly generous sponsors who donated product to our amazing raffle, which netted $729 for the library at Orangewood Children's Home. Sponsors included:

Gravity, Fanatic, Skaterbuilt, Van's, etnies, Skatelab, Pro-Tech, Bell, Judi Oyama, RockinRonsRockets, Justin's Custom Bags, Backleash, Tum Yeto, Curly Grrlz, Barnes & Noble, Diedrich's Coffee, Chili's, BJ's Pizza, Champagne Bakery, HB Wahine, Infinity Boardshop, artist Gale Hart, Sempson Graphics, Vitamin Water, Maggiano's, Sk8kleen Soap, pro skater Mike Ogas, Sk8supply.com, Connie's Skate Place and many others!

A huge thank you to Master of Ceremonies Dan Hubbard of Stunt Teams for doing his always awesome job (third year in a row, yea!). Big thanks to to all the volunteers, especially Kristin M. and her brood, for helpful service.

The Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register gave us fantastic coverage--front page of both papers' Metro sections and lead photos on both their websites. Links to both can be found at www.webvira.com/skate/mmsor

Next up: the Eastern Mighty Mama Skate-O-Rama in Washington D.C. on Sunday Aug. 13th. Details TBA.

Mighty Mama Skate-O-Rama May 14!

We are one day away from our big annual event!

We have one awesome raffle this year (with all proceeds going to the library at Orangewood Children's Home). If you're around Laguna Niguel, CA, please come by to watch and/or buy some raffle tickets to support the cause! Tickets are $1 each or 25 tickets for $20!



2006 MIGHTY MAMA SPONSORS


Van’s (20 pair of skate shoes)
Gravity Skateboards (2 decks, 3 sets wheels, t-shirts, hats)
Fanatic Skateboards (6 decks in three sizes).
Etnies Girl (10 pair of skate shoes)
Vitamin Water (6 cases of beverages)
Chili’s ($100 in gift certificates)
Maggiano’s ($50 gift certificate)
Champagne Bakery ($50 gift card)
BJ’s Pizza ($100 in gift certificates)
Skaterbuilt (1 deck, 2 sets of wheels)
Sk8kleen (100 “skateboard wheel” soaps & gift bag)
Art by Gale Hart
Identity Boardshop
“Skate Date” lesson with pro skater Mike Ogas
Tum Yeto (12 shirts and sweatshirts)
Bell safety gear (36 pair of kids’ elbow/knee pads)
Backleash (skateboard leashes)
RocknRonsRockets skateboard bearings
Sk8supply.com ($25 gift certificate)
Dustin’s Custom Bags (two bags)
Pro Tech (six helmets in new cool colors)
Curly Grrlz Skateboards (six T-shirts)
HB Wahine (gift basket with hoodies; mini-ramp tickets)
Diedrich Coffee ($10 bag of beans)
4 Alva padded skatebags (donated by skatemom Amy!)
Sempson Graphics (cool MMSOR banner)

Ladies' Home Journal May issue

Check out the May issue of Ladies' Home Journal, a magazine I never expected to find my way into!

Freelance writer Stephanie Stephens did an excellent job, and I was really impressed by the fact checking crew at LHJ. They went over each and every detail!

Page 150 of the May 2006 issue if you're interested.

The Mighty Mama Raffle!

Thanks to some wonderful generosity on part of our many sponsors, the raffle for the 2006 Mighty Mama Skate-O-Rama looks to be the best ever.

The event, held on Mother's Day, Sunday May 14, at Laguna Niguel skatepark, raises money for the library at Orangewood Children's Home for neglected and abused youth.

Prizes to be raffled off include 20 pair of skate shoes from Vans, 10 pair from etniesGirl, six decks from Fanatic Skateboards, two decks and three sets of big, groovy wheels from Gravity Skateboards, decks from Curly Grrlz Skateboards and Skaterbuilt, RocknRonsRockets skateboard bearings, a whole lotta T-shirts from Tum Yeto, Sk8kleen soaps (shaped like skateboard wheels!), private skateboard lessons with pro skater Mike Ogas...and much more.

Check out www.skateboardmom.com for details.

Rolling for Reading

Members of the International Society of Skateboarding Moms typically grin as they spin--having fun, of course, is a top priority. But the club also tries to give back with our Rolling for Reading program, which puts new and gently-used children's books into the hands of kids in need. We distribute the books on skateboards, of course!

I currently have a very large stack of books in my living room that will be donated to the Orangewood Children's Home after the May 14th Mighty Mama Skate-O-Rama. Normally, we try to roll out books to kids every other month. If you have some new or very gently used children's books you'd like to donate, or you're a skateboarder with a little time on your hands and goodwill in your heart, please contact me.

Leopard the Cat

This is my cat, Leopard. She keeps an eye on things. She growls like a dog, but is as fierce as her namesake! She specializes in sneak attacks, but at night, she curls up like a furry bowling ball and keeps our bed nice and warm.

More magazine, April 2006

Sherri Cruz did this profile of me for the April 2006 edition of More magazine, geared toward women over 40. One thing's for sure, magazines really do know how to make you look younger (make up, lighting!).

Cushy skateboard

Spotted this vinyl, upholstered skateboard at the CA Boom modern home expo in Santa Monica last weekend. Perfect for barefoot skating!

The Perfect School Visit

Last week, I had the pleasure of doing an all-day author visit at George White Elementary School in Laguna Niguel, CA. I have done about 30 school visits in my career, and I must say this was one of the very best. The George White Knights really know how to treat an author!

First, they had a reserved parking spot waiting for me when I drove up. This is a very big help when you're lugging a half dozen skateboards and other props into a school!

Second, from the moment I walked into the front office, all the teachers and staff members knew who I was and why I was there. Big smiles all around. This really makes a visiting author feel welcome! Plus, I can tell the school did a great job in generating enthusiasm about my visit. Kudos!

Third, the students were not only primed and ready, they were super psyched! I have done presentations at schools where the students had never heard of me, or my book, until the moment I was being introduced. Such a pity! At George White, it was obvious that the kids had not only heard of me and read my book, some had actually memorized a few lines. Wow!

I could go on and on (a tasty lunch! enthusiastic helpers!) but the bottom line is, this school went out of their way to make the whole experience one the students won't soon forget. And I'll never forget the entire student body sitting out in the rain, chanting "Skateboard Mom! Skateboard Mom!" as I did my finale of skateboard tricks.

Thank you George White Knights! And special thanks to Jill Brick, Susan Riley, Susan Suhr, Mrs. Koci, and of course Principal Spelber for being brave enough to take a beginning skateboard lesson from Skateboard Mom!

Skate Moms in the News

Oddly enough, the International Society of Skateboarding Moms and I have been featured in approximately 200 media outlets including Good Morning America (we helped co-host Charlie Gibson skate down Times Square, penny loafers and all), CNN, The Early Show, ESPN2, the British Broadcasting Co., National Public Radio and more newspapers and magazines than I can remember. Here are a few if you're interested:


National Public Radio's "My Fellow Americans" series:
http://www.npr.org (type "Skateboard Mom" in search key to find story)

USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2004-06-29-skateboard-mom_x.htm

USA Today sidebar:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2004-06-29-skateboard-resources_x.htm

About.com (long)
http://skateboard.about.com/cs/proskaters/a/InterviewBarbOd.htm

A very cool multimedia article on skate mom Tara Ryan:
http://www.courierpostonline.com/multimedia/skatermom.htm

Smash! Mash! Crash!

Hi all. After a year, I'm finally getting around to write on this blog. So here's an update.

If you're interested in children's books, my second book, SMASH! MASH! CRASH! THERE GOES THE TRASH! comes out this fall with Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry Books. Will Hillenbrand did an awesome job with the artwork. Very cool! Here's the cover:

2006 Mighty Mama Skate-O-Rama

Yep, it's that time again. The third MIGHTY MAMA SKATE-O-RAMA is coming up on Sunday, May 14, 2006 at Laguna Niguel skatepark in south Orange County, California. The event is a skateboard festival for women of all ages--and a fundraiser for the library at Orangewood Children's Home for abused and neglected kids. For more info, please visit my website, www.skateboardmom.com