Friday, May 4

All Girl Board Jam Paves Way for Women

Press Release

Encinitas, CA - The women's movement in action sports has begun with the announcement of the All Girl Board Jam. "Our motto; All girls, all ages, all abilities," states tour founder Patty Segovia. The All Girl Board Jam is intentionally designed to be an inclusive contest series in the sports of skateboarding, surfing, and snowboarding, where girls from across the globe can participate in their sport of choice.

The All Girl Board Jam consists of a three-stop tour which kicks-off this summer in New York City with the All Girl Skate Jam (date TBA shortly). Additional stops include the All Girl Surf Jam, scheduled to take place this fall on the North Shore of Oahu, and the All Girl Snowboard Jam, set for winter 2002. Each stop will feature a $20,000 prize-purse for a total of $60,000 in prize money, the largest of its kind in women's action sports. Over 100 girls are expected to compete at each event. Professional athletes expected to compete include Elissa Steamer, Amy Caron, Vanessa Torres, and Cnaan Omer in skate, Jennie Waara, Cara Beth Burnside, Shannon Dunn, and Janna Meyen in snow, and Keala Kennely, Megan Abubo, and Veronica Kay in surf.

"As the recognized leader in girls' skateboarding, we are pleased to continue to pave the way by pushing the envelope and offering the largest prize purse in women's skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing," says Segovia. "The future looks bright for women in action sports and I can't wait to see where the girls will push the level of progression next. I don't think any of us can fully predict what level the girls will take it to this year."

Sanctioned by the International Girls Skateboarding Association (IGSA), the All Girl Skate Jam is an open event and will include both street and vert competitions. The contest will feature three divisions; grom (7 & under), amateur, and pro, so girls of all ages and abilities can participate. In addition to all the skateboarding action, the event will include a festival-like atmosphere, complete with live music, food, and sponsor booths where spectators can swing by to check out the new goods and get some freebies along the way.

The All Girl Board Jam was born from the roots of the All Girl Skate Jam. The concept for the original All Girl Skate Jam germinated in 1990 when Patty Segovia helped organize the first girls' skateboarding demo in Reno, Nevada. Segovia, an established female action sports photographer, was disappointed at the lack of the same recognition and luxuries then enjoyed by their male counterparts. After almost seven years of planning, Segovia pooled her resources from the action sports world along with her contacts among skateboarding's female pro ranks, and the first All Girl Skate Jam was born in 1997. Originally an annual event, the popularity of the contest and demand from female skaters around the world have caused the All Girl Skate Jam to incorporate into an international tour. In 2001, Segovia has branched out to attract female participants in surfing and snowboarding in order to develop the All Girl Board Jam tour. Part of the tour's proceeds will be donated to mental health charities which benefit those who suffer from mental illness and provide funding for ongoing research.

For additional information, log on to www.allgirlskatejam.com.