Cherry’s on top
Issue #20
Emilie Oliver’s skateboarding company
By Jen Hazen
Published: June 1st, 2004 | 12:00am
Sometimes it sucks to sit on the sidelines and watch a bunch of guys skateboarding when you want to join the fun. Or maybe you’ve walked into a skate shop to buy a new deck, only to be asked if you're getting something for your boyfriend.
As the owner of Cherry Skateboards, Emilie Oliver is changing these stereotypes about female skateboarders with her business, Cherry’s team, and skate events just for girls.
When and why did you start the company?
I started the company almost three years ago when I began skating. My friend Sarah Drexler got me into it. Before I met her, I had played around on skateboards a little. I grew up in North Carolina and there were really great skater guys who I hung out with, but whenever I suggested showing me how to skate, they would literally say, “Girls don’t skate.” At the time, I never saw any girls skate, so I thought maybe there really weren’t any.
I didn’t pick up skateboarding then, but secretly, I was dying to learn. I met Sarah when I was going to school in Boulder and she asked me to meet her at the skate park one day. She was killing the mini-ramp! She said that she would teach me everything she knew. Now I’m a transition skater. I like to skate bowls, swimming pools, and ramps.
One day we were discussing how there’s no representation of girl skaters in the industry. I was about to graduate from college and so I decided to start a company that supports women and skating. At the time, some guy companies tried to target girls, but everything was pink, frilly, and flowery. That’s so unrealistic — as though we would wear that skating! A lot of skate companies had ads of girls in bikinis, too. Not only was this unsupportive of women who skate, but women were degrading women in general. Cherry was born because we didn’t want to support companies like that.
I’ve sat and watched so many times, thinking, “God, I would love to do that”, but I always think about breaking bones.
That’s definitely a hurdle to get over. You are going to hurt yourself. For a lot of girls, it’s the intimidation factor — going to a park by yourself. There are a lot of guys who are supportive, but there are a lot of guys who aren’t. Maybe they’ll make rude remarks, and it just takes one before you’re saying, “Never mind, I’m getting out of here.”
I think that those are the two main factors, but girls can do it! There’s no reason that there shouldn’t be more girl skaters. ... I’m not going to say that skateboarding is easy. It takes a certain amount of willpower and it’s really frustrating. It’s definitely a hard sport, but there is no reason physically that women can’t skate and be good at it. The main thing is breaking that the standard that has been set for so long.
What goodies are available through Cherry Skateboards?
Just decks and clothing right now. In the future, I want to make clothing for girls. Another aspect of the girl skater issue is that people perceive them as tomboys. Yes, we can still be women, and we love that! We’re not saying that we want to be boys. I’ve met so many skaters who are just beautiful, and you put them on a skateboard and they kill it!
There is a stigma, you’re right. Why does it matter what you wear, except that you want to skate? It’s frustrating.
It is frustrating! I know a lot of girl skaters who have a hard time with even looking cute, wearing heels, and dressing up … and they’ll skate and it will be a totally different thing.
Any advice for someone who wants to learn how to skate?
When I first started learning, I would go to the skate park at nine in the morning when I knew that no one was going to be there, so I could just push around and learn stuff without feeling intimidated.
I would recommend getting a board. Practice pushing around and getting used to balance. This may sound cheesy, but I do recommend watching the Tony Hawk’s Trick Tips video. There’s a web site called Girlsskatebetter.com and there are amazing trick tips there, too. Also, check out the cherryskateboards.com event page for girls’ skate nights across the country. Every girl who has ever imagined herself skating needs to go skate!
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