Girl Gangs, Zines, and Powerslides: A History of Badass Women Skateboarders

by Natalie Porter

"All thriller, no filler.”— Dr. Indigo Willing, sociologist and lead researcher of Skate, Create, Educate and Regenerate and co-author of Skateboarding, Power and Change


A vibrant, meticulously researched celebration of the women and non-binary skateboarders who defied a hostile industry and redefined skateboarding around the world


With enthusiasm and empathy, Girl Gangs, Zines, and Powerslides celebrates the relentless participation of women in skateboarding from the 1960s onward who defied a hostile industry to carve out their own space through underground networks. Skater librarian Natalie Porter presents interviews and meticulous research, including the DIY zines created by female and non-binary skaters as a means of communication, to expose this unacknowledged story while offering a personal narrative about the importance of community-building and validation, with or without your own video game.


Girl Gangs, Zines, and Powerslides disrupts the image of skateboarding as an exclusive male domain, offering historical context for the seemingly rapid progress of female skaters today seen competing on the Olympic stage. Discover how the collective action of a grassroots movement in the 1980s established meaningful change, building a foundation that has led to greater inclusion and diversity, which has inspired women, girls, and non-binary youth worldwide to roll on a skateboard for the first time or rediscover their youthful obsession as an adult and feel inspired to drop once again.

340 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 16, 2025

About the author

Natalie is a skater librarian and writer living with gratitude on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin First Nation. She is the founder of the Womxn Skateboard History archive and Instagram account, and was interviewed in Thrasher magazine (May 2025) and Bust magazine (Winter 2023).

In 2003, Natalie wrote a thesis paper called "Female Skateboarders and their Negotiation of Space and Identity" from the perspective of women in skateboarding - a first in academia. Natalie is now a subject expert for the Smithsonian Museum's skateboarding advisory board, and a columnist for Closer Skateboarding magazine.

Natalie has been skateboarding since 1995 and became a librarian in 2009.

Reviews

[K.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how conversational and accessible this book was. I wasn't familiar with a lot of the subject matter before reading this, but It almost felt like a friend walking me through her special interest research journey, albeit one imbued with authority and competence. Porter includes interesting perspectives, and allows others to share their experiences, providing useful context along the way. I learned a lot about some rad skaters.

From a historiographical perspective, I found the book's content especially compelling. As the author, Porter highlights her own initial internal hesitance in reaching out to key figures and sources, which immediately frames the challenges of recovering some marginalized or less history, even now, This subculture seemed to pose some interesting challenges because much of the contemporaneous record was published in amateur zines from within the skating community, many of which are likely to have a legacy media presence or digitized back issues etc.

[Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelve out of five. An instant classic that will surely age like fine wine. Much love to Natalie, and much love to the future of skateboarding this book will help cultivate.

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a real pleasure. A librarian is tracking down women skateboarders through history, and her enthusiasm is infectious. Natalie Porter is so passionate about the girls and women who achieved so much, and it's impressive how much information she was able to track down and how many people she talked to personally.
I do think the print version is better -- the narrator has an odd cadence, and it didn't really suit the material. Also, I saw a print version and it's totally worth just being able to see the photos -- the tricks seem impossible.
Thanks to Netgalley for letting me have access to the audiobook

This is a review of the audiobook.

[Darlene Messenger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from the publisher for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
The author is a librarian in British Columbia, Canada with extensive knowledge of the culture surrounding skateboarding. The views she holds are liberal interpretations of inclusion, diversity, especially within the scope of women in skateboarding throughout the years. Informative and interesting, this book will appeal to those feeling marginalized by gender, sexuality or other social factors. I recommend to sociology and psychology majors as well as students of culture.

[Enid Wray]

An interesting read focusing on women in sport - and how undervalued, under-represented and unwelcomed they have been, especially as it relates to the skateboarding community.

[Craig Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome blend of thorough history, memoir, and investigative work. Enjoyable, surprising, and heartfelt creative non fiction

[Emma Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Girl Gangs, Zines and Powerslides is a deep dive into the history of women in skateboarding by skateboard librarian Natalie Porter. I was drawn to this book because skateboarding is something I’ve always been interested in but never really taken part in myself, partly down to it being a male dominated activity that didn’t really feel accessible to me as a girl. Although Porter primarily explores the history of the sport, many of the issues she raises still resonate today.

Told through the firsthand stories of influential women in skateboarding, Girl Gangs, Zines and Powerslides amplifies the long-overlooked female and nonbinary pioneers in the sport. Rather than following a strict chronological order, the book focuses on individual stories spanning different time periods. Although this does feel like a deliberate approach, I did find myself wishing at times for a clearer sense of progression to better understand how things have developed over time.

I knew this book was told from a feminist perspective right from the beginning, but I was surprised to discover the extent to which women and nonbinary skateboarders have been marginalised throughout the history of the sport. Although progress has been made, it was disheartening to see that women and nonbinary skateboarders remain underrepresented and face many of the same challenges today.

Overall, Girl Gangs, Zines and Powerslides is an insightful exploration into the vibrant history of women in skateboarding. Despite covering some heavy topics, it still manages to celebrate the culture. Porter’s extensive experience as a librarian ensured the book was meticulously researched and felt deeply authentic throughout. A must read for anyone interested in feminist subculture!

Thank you to Natalie Porter, Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the advanced audio copy of this book.