By Holly Fertsch
Zoe Herishen has been skating since she was five years old. However, she was usually the only girl at the skate parks she frequented. Herishen decided to change that. On August 11, she ran a skate clinic just for girls at the Ocean City Skatepark.
Over twenty girls participated in the skate clinic. Herishen and other female volunteers taught girls how to push, kickturn on banks, drop in, and even do 50-50 grinds. Participants ranged from girls as young as four years old to teenagers. Volunteers met the girls where they were as far as skill level and offered one-on-one, personalized skate lessons to each girl.
Just before the event, there was a heavy rain shower. Luckily, it stopped just in time for the skate clinic.
The clinic started off with grouping the girls by what skill they wanted to work on. One group was for girls who were just learning to push. Pushing off the ground whilst balancing on a skateboard is the most basic skill of skating. Girls who had never set foot on a skateboard were cheered on as they propelled themselves across the park. Herishen held a young skater’s hands as the participant stood on a skateboard almost as tall as her.
Another group worked on going down banks, which is a type of ramp. Some girls practiced going up ramps and coming down fakie. Fakie is a term for riding backward. They also worked on kickturning on the ramps: going up the ramp, lifting their front wheels, and pivoting to ride back down.
The third group congregated at the shallow bowl to practice dropping in. Dropping in means perching your board on the edge of a bowl or ramp, then shifting your weight forward to “drop” onto the ramp. Learning to drop in is a rite of passage in the skateboarding world. Standing on an edge and bracing yourself for the “drop” can feel terrifying. This skill is about overcoming a mental barrier and facing fear head-on. Once your front wheels hit the ramp and you speed forward, it feels like an exhilarating adrenaline rush. Volunteers held girls’ hands as they lurched forward to drop into the bowl. Some girls were more advanced and worked on other skills such as tail stalls, 50-50 grinds, and rock-to-fakie. This skate clinic was open to all ages and all abilities, and the volunteers did a fantastic job of individualizing the lessons to each skater.
After these individualized skate lessons, the girls took a break to enjoy Playa Bowls and water bottles that were donated for the event. Joe Wallash of Playa Bowls commented that he saw this event on Facebook and wanted to help.
Then, Herishen announced that it was time for a game of “skate limbo”. Two volunteers held a stick that skaters had to skate under, and gradually lowered it as the game went on. Girls bent their knees and crouched down as they rolled under the bar. Herishen held a little girl’s hands and gave encouragement to help her participate. As the bar got lower and lower, girls began laying on their boards to make it under. Herishen announced that anyone who did a hippie jump (that is, jumping over the bar while the board rolled under and landing back on the board) would automatically win. Two girls bravely attempted to jump over the stick and were applauded for their effort. The game was a hit, and girls giggled as they worked out ways to make it under (or over) the stick.
Next, there was a free skate session. Volunteers skated with the girls and often stopped to offer tips or encouragement.
Finally, the skate clinic ended with a raffle. Herishen drew participants’ names out of a helmet and gave out prizes. Girls won skateboards, penny boards, helmets, pads, T-shirts, and water bottles. It was a great end to a great day of skating.
Herishen lives in Woodridge, NJ, but spends her summers in Wildwood. She rarely competes in skate contests but loves organizing these events for female skaters. She has previously organized female skate events in New York state. “When she was 8, she came up with the idea for girls-only skate events,” her mother, Tracey Herishen, explained. Herishen organizes a Chica de Mayo skate event every year. She held a Chica de Mayo at the Ocean City Skatepark in 2021. She decided to hold another girls’ skate clinic at Ocean City Skatepark this year, one that was only for this park and not part of her usual Chica de Mayo events. The goal was to get more girls involved in skateboarding.
Tracey Herishen commented that it is often harder for girls to learn to skate at parks with few other girls and aggressive boys. Jen Vallieres, the mom of 4-year-old Maeve, explained why the all-girls event was beneficial for her daughter: “It really helps her self-confidence. My son skates here, and my daughter wanted to be like her brother but was nervous. It’s good for girls to have a space together.” Tracey Herishen said that she expected a lot of friendships to be made at the skate clinic.
On a personal note, as a woman who skateboards, I could relate to feeling isolated in the male-dominant world of skating. My dad taught me the basics of skating when I was a kid, but I didn’t get serious about it until recently. I began longboarding in college and was reminded of how much I love the feeling of going fast on my board. I still didn’t have any friends who skated, though. Then the pandemic hit. During the lockdown, I exchanged my longboard for a skateboard. I skated in my garage and empty parking lots. I practiced the basics and learned to ollie, which is the foundation for learning flip tricks. My dad and I even built a small mini-ramp that I learned to drop in on. As the lockdown lifted, I began frequenting skateparks. It is normal for me to be the only female skater there. This is not to say that male skaters haven’t been welcoming to me. I often get pointers on my ollies from the guys at the skateparks I frequent, and my dad has gone above and beyond in teaching me how to skate. However, standing out is always an awkward experience.
Lately, I haven’t been skating much. I’ve been busy with work and nervous about going to skateparks alone. However, participating in Herishen’s All Girls skate clinic has reignited my love of skateboarding. I was thrilled to be a part of such a welcoming space for female skaters. I also loved the chance to progress as a skater. I had an opportunity to drop in the shallow bowl, which was the highest drop-in I’ve ever attempted. It’s not insanely tall like a vert ramp, but it felt very high up to me as I perched on the edge of it. Volunteers encouraged me to try it, and a volunteer helped me balance as I tipped into the bowl. My front wheels hit the ramp, and my adrenaline surged as I sped forward. It was an amazing experience!
The Ocean City Skatepark is located at 550 Asbury Ave. in Ocean City, next to the firehouse. Helmets and pads are required to skate. To see future skate events and learn more, visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/oceancityskatepark/.
Photos by Steffen Klenk
