SKATEBOARDING FOR EVERYBODY
Amber Gedman’s here trying to tell me that her signature trick is a nose grind front shuv, but after watching her manual an entire block of N. 3rd Street outside KCDC Skateshop in Brooklyn back in 2019 I’m calling her out on that. Either way, Amber’s a versatile skater who’s been ripping under the radar for years. And that fact cannot be disputed.
I have always felt a great kinship with Celina Meehan because once, before we knew each other, I leant her my ID to get into a bar in Seattle. Neither of us remembered until we met a second time a few years later and put it together. There is an old legend that says if someone successfully uses your ID to get into a bar, it means you are forever linked as “Sisters of Libation”.
The original four headed for the semi-finals were Christiana Means, Sammaria Brevard, Lacey Baker and Candy Jacobs. Sadly Portland’s hometown hero, Christiana, had to forfeit her spot because of an Olympic team commitment in the Philippines. So previous challengers Monica Torres and Chelsea Castro staged a “redemption round,” with Torres ultimately earning her spot in the final four.
