By Holly Fertsch
Zoe Herishen, a 15-year-old skater, and Ocean City Skatepark have teamed up again this year to make skateboarding more inclusive for women and girls. This year, in addition to their annual Chica de Mayo event, they are hosting two all-girls skate clinics this summer. The first of these events was held on July 6.
Last year, Herishen and the Ocean City Skatepark hosted their first all-girls skate clinic. The goal was to provide encouragement and a place of belonging for female skaters. They decided to hold two all-girls clinics this summer because of how successful the first one was. These events are open for all ages and abilities.
Herishen first started skating when she was five years old. After getting tired of being the only girl at the skateparks she frequented, she decided to make it her mission to get more girls involved in skateboarding and to build a community for female skaters.
In 2022, I had the privilege of reporting on and participating in Ocean City skatepark’s first all-girls skate clinic. I witnessed many young girls step on a board for the first time and learn the basics. This year, I saw how much those girls had progressed in their skating ability. There were also plenty of new faces and new friendships made.
Willie Fannon, who works at Ocean City Skatepark, volunteered at the clinic. However, he commented that Herishen ran the show. This event was organized by girls and for girls.
The skate clinic was loosely organized into three groups: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The beginner group was for girls who were just learning how to roll down banks, a certain type of ramp, with volunteers holding their hands. One stand-out beginner was Brigid Lally, who was only three years old.
The intermediate group rolled down ramps independently. They practiced going down steeper banks. I saw one girl fearlessly zoom down the steepest bank in the park. She fully committed to staying on her board. Committing to tricks, no matter how scared you are, is a skill that has taken me years to learn. Skateboarding, at least for me, is about overcoming your fears and developing resilience. These girls demonstrated that admirably. I watched one girl wipe out a few times only to get right back up and try again. It was amazing to watch.
The intermediate group also focused on kickturning (lifting their front wheels to pivot) on transition and rolling back down the ramps “fakie,” which means backward.
Girls who had mastered all of those skills were sent to the advanced group, which was taught by Herishen. They gathered at the edge of the shallow bowl, which is the smaller one of two swimming-pool-like structures made for skating. Herishen asked each girl what they wanted to work on, then provided one-on-one, individualized instruction to every member of her group. As a result, these girls battled out a variety of tricks.
In the bowl, girls lined up and took turns working on their trick of choice, with Herishen giving tips to each skater. They worked on axle stalls, 50-50s, rock-to-fakie and backside disasters. These tricks require centering your weight over the coping on the very edge of the bowl. Fannon promised some girls that he would play Taylor Swift music if they landed the tricks they were working on.
Violet, who has been skating for four or five years, battled out rock-to-fakie. Violet’s mom commented that Herishen does a great job organizing these events and helping skaters progress.
Maeve, who was five years old, also joined the advanced group after mastering rolling down each bank. She dropped in for the first time with Herishen’s help.
After a water break, Herishen took the advanced group to the deeper bowl and explained how to create a line to compete in skate contests. A line means the series of tricks skaters attempt as they carve a path through a space. She explained how to get points in skateboard competitions. Then the girls had a mock skate contest, and Herishen gave them encouragement as they completed their lines. One girl asked about dropping in switch, meaning opposite of her natural stance, which really impressed me. I can barely skate across flat ground in switch stance. Forget dropping in the deep end switch!
As a participant, I was shocked at how much my own skateboarding skills have progressed as a direct result of attending these events. At last year’s all-girls skate clinic, I worked up the courage to drop into the shallow bowl with volunteers holding my hands. Dropping in means perching on the edge of a quarterpipe, leaning your weight forward and “dropping” your front wheels onto the ramp. Dropping in is a rite of passage in the skateboarding world. At the time, it was the highest drop-in I had ever attempted. This year, I was able to drop in independently several times with encouragement from volunteers.
It was an exceptionally hot day, so they had another water break before playing a game of skate limbo. Volunteers held a stick out for participants to skate under. Herishen helped younger and newer skaters make their way under the stick as it got lower and lower. Eventually, participants had to lay on their boards to make it under the obstacle.
Next, there was a free skate session. Participants were free to skate on their own, but Herishen and volunteers remained on hand to help out as needed. Herishen held skaters’ hands as they went down banks and introduced herself to each skater she helped.
The skate clinic ended with a group picture and a raffle. Brigid Lally, age three, won a cruiser board. Her mom commented that it was Brigid’s first time skating and said, “it’s good it’s all girls. Now she has someone to look up to.”
The skaters encouraged each other as they tried new tricks and even made plans to hang out after the skate clinic. In my own experience, it is easy to feel isolated as a female skater.
Despite higher rates of female skaters than ever before, women and girls remain the minority at most skate parks. However, thanks to Zoe Herishen and the Ocean City skatepark, these skater girls have a community and a place to belong.
If you missed out on this all-girls skate clinic, the next one is on Aug. 24. Tracey Herishen, Zoe Herishen’s mom, commented that they are planning on getting local sponsors for the next event. It looks like this next skate clinic is gearing up to be even more fun than the July 6 one. There is a $50 fee for each participant. Visit this website to register: https://ocnj.recdesk.com/Community/Program?category=17.
Interested in other events and skate lessons at the Ocean City skateparks? Visit https://ocnj.recdesk.com/Community/Program?category=17 to sign up for one-on-one skate lessons or for any of the various skate camps held this summer. The Ocean City skatepark requires all skaters to wear helmets and pads. Unsure where to buy skate equipment? Heritage Surf Shop is one skate shop on the island that sells skateboards, helmets, and pads. If you’re having difficulty getting skateboarding equipment, talk to an employee at the Ocean City skatepark for recommendations and assistance. The skatepark is located at 550 Asbury Ave. in Ocean City, next to the firehouse. See their Facebook page for information about future skate events: https://www.facebook.com/oceancityskatepark/.
