This interview with pro skateboarder Amelia Brodka originally appeared in the pages of our newest collection's catalog. Enjoy!

Amelia Brodka is a Polish-born skateboarder who moved to the U.S.A. with her family for what her parents told her was, a “summer vacation” when she was 8 years old. Amelia started skating in 2001 and has since had an extremely full and well-documented career. She’s not only claimed (and continues to claim) podiums for herself, but also found a way to give back to the female skate community along the way by founding the non-profit organization Exposure Skate. Currently residing in Southern California and enjoying the good life, Amelia splits her time between organizing all-female skate days and seeking out the best vert ramps and parks to skate for herself.

What’s your favorite part about skateboarding?
My favorite part about skateboarding is the feeling you get when you overcome fear and self-doubt and finally roll away from a new trick.

What drew you to choose transition (vert and bowl) over street?
I skated mostly street when I lived on the East Coast but lost interest in jumping down stair sets when I moved to the land of abundant skateparks.

What are challenges you have faced or still face?
Challenges are constant but they are opportunities for growth.

Describe Exposure in two sentences or less
Exposure Skate is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers women and girls through skateboarding.

How many events does Exposure put on every year?
Exposure runs one major event each year- the world’s largest women’s skateboarding event which features Pro and Am Vert, Bowl and Street competitions as well as skate clinics and a vendor village. Additionally, we run monthly Skate Rising youth events focused on community service and skateboarding as well as adult clinics and girls’ sessions.

What’s the best thing (to you) that’s come out of Exposure Skate?
I love seeing the global community of girls’ skateboarding come together to share their love for the sport. It’s such a treat seeing beginner, amateur and professional street, bowl and vert skateboarders from 15 different countries all in one place!

If you've been following our feed, you'll have been staying up to date with the latest happenings on hill at Big Boulder for Ms. Superpark. What the feed doesn't always give you a beautiful laid-out space where you can appreciated all of the images that are coming out of the long days of riding.

Snowboarder Mag does an amazing job at capturing the moments and the vibes of what it's like to be on hill with nearly 100 ripping female riders. We won't try to out-do the pros here, so check out these excerpts from the Snowboarder Mag photo recaps from Day 1 and Day 2 and if you like this sampling, be sure to go read the full pieces on their site here

Day 1 -

Words - Mary Walsh

"True to form of snowboarders in general, female riders especially have always been hell bent on making it happen, whether "it" is a movie project, video part, snow chasing road trip, or grassroots event—and when Ms. emerged as a way to come together for a week of park laps, the stoked was high. Over the past few seasons, women have gathered at only a few events designed specifically for them, Snowboy Productions' IT'S TITS! at Boreal, Kimmy Fasani's Amusement MTN, Nine Queens, and park camps, backcountry clinics, and ride weeks around the world. There was momentum and anticipation to add Ms. Superpark back into the fray as another opportunity for the community to come together, rider together, and push one another to showcase the creativity and talent within the collective group...

Far on rider's left, Boulder's Freedom park is a haven for jibbers. It's loaded with different features and it was the first place that crew of ladies started warming up and throwing down. The Rude Girls arrived all the way from Banff and started getting clips on the rails. Maria Thomsen immediately started putting on a clinic and Jenaya Jenkins, Lexi Rolland, Taylor Elliot, Taylor Davis, Savannah Shinske and more went from 0 to 60 right away. Soon the minipipe was being lapped, as Desiree and Bridges went plant-for-plant in the perfectly-cut pipe. A loaded crew including Savannah Golden, Nelly Steinhoff, Summer Fenton, Alice Gong, Kelsey Boyer, Christine Savage, and were hotlapping side hits and the minipipe...

Over on the rider's right side of Boulder, Madison Blackley was casually charging as soon as the lifts started to turn. The Salt Lake Native is best known for her tenacity in the streets, but she has heavy jumping chops, as well. Just before lunchtime, when the Boulder park crew had put the finishing touches on the Ms. Lane in Boulder Park and the sun had softened the snow just enough, Mads kicked off the first session of Ms. on the hi. Setting the line with her was Desiree Melancon, who was sending methods high over the horizon. Nelly Steinhoff, Emma Crosby, Kailey Bogart, Ty Schnorrbusch, and more were warming up for the week with a serious hip session."

Day 2 - 

Words - Mary Walsh

"If day one didn’t convince you already, maybe the day 2 recap will—5 years was way too long of a wait for Ms. Superpark to be back on hill! Tricks are being thrown down all over the hill, NBDs are in the air, and lucky for us, the handful of veterans and huge crew of up-and-comers here at Big Boulder are more than up to the task of pushing the limit of what was set a demi-decade ago...

Midway down the Boulder Park trail, side-by-side quarters were the site of a big day two session. Handplants, airs, liptricks and tranny finders were all fair game as the new arrivals (Stefi, Nirvana, Jill, and Jess) pointed it into the rider's right wall alongside Kelsey Boyer, Emma Crosby, Cori Stevenson, Summer Fenton, and more. Laura Rogoski and Christine Savage were dropping in for doubles. Savannah Golden was initiating surfy tranny finders. Stefi and Jess opened up the rider's right wall with proper handplants. The quick-dropping, consistent-stomping session not only offered plenty of fodder for the upcoming day 2 video, but also catalyzed trick-learning. Madison Blackley was dialing in McTwists. Jill Perkins and Maria Thomsen were learning handplants for the first time. Luminaries, veterans, and up-and-comers rode alongside one another and each trick that was landed launched a subsequent idea or variation.

[Jess Kimura], you have been a part of seminal projects that are devoted to women's snowboarding, most recently The Uninvited. Why do you feel that women's-specific projects, whether movies, events, etc. are important in snowboarding?
I think it's important just to get to know the whole community of all the girls. These events are super essential for supporting and feeding off each other. Today I was at the quarterpipe and I was learning handplants just from looking at all the other girls and getting so much inspiration. I think it's just super important that we all get together, inspire each other, and support each other because I think that's when we evolve the best. It's just dope to see all the girls kill it and that makes you want to step it up."

To read the rest of the articles and catch up on everything else Ms. Superpark, head over to Snowboarder.com now. Thanks again to Big Boulder Park for building the parks and hosting and to Monster Energy for coming in on supporting the girls and women out there riding all week.  

Hello one and all!

Gather around, because we've got some important news here- the final (! 😢 it's ok, don't cry), stop for our North American G.W.R. winter series is coming up quick and it's going to be one you definitely can't miss. We'll be at Ari Morrone's home mountain, Big Boulder park at Jack Frost resort, throwing down with both snowboarders and skiers!

You can expect tons of prizes, giveaways and possibly even some $$$  (👀🔥🍞)! given away to girls and ladies who land their best tricks.

What's more? If you pre-register using the form below and show up as one of the first 40 people to check in, you'll get a FREE, limited edition Nikita Fanny Pack (waht! Yes.). Seriously, you don't want to miss out on this.

Sign up now and we'll see you March 9th at Big Boulder resort for the best day of your winter!

Boardsliding into the G.W.R Rude Girls Recap Like......

On Jan 26th the second annual G.W.R. by Nikita Clothing hosted at Sunshine Village with Rude Girls went down.

Wow, what an amazing turnout. If you were at Sunshine Village the photos are up, please go tag yourself tag your friends. And if you weren't there get inspired by all these lovely ladies and go ride!

When I say Rude Girls y'all say YEAHH. Check out all these boarder babes. Who else wants to do a female shred day every day?

Can't wait to see you all next time coming in live from Nikita Clothing featuring Girls Who Ride.

Words By. Riley Elliott

ATTENTION ALL EASTCOASTERS: 

G.W.R. IS HEADED YOUR WAY! (SIGN UP HERE)

This month, we looked back at the winter Olympics to propel our playlist forward with the infectious energy of Kaleena Zanders.  Kaleena is a recording artist responsible for the powerful song, "Stronger Than I've Ever Been" which was featured in conjunction with numerous days of the 2018 Olympics and used in major commercials aired during the event.

With all of this buzz and all of this soul centered around one person, we had to catch up with her and feature her as our April G.W.R. artist! So, settle in, sit back, and enjoy. 

Your song “Stronger Than I’ve Ever Been” was catapulted into the homes of millions around the globe, during the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. How did it feel to have your words and voice represent the persistence of so many athletes who have dedicated their life to their craft? 

I was truly blown away, surprised & elated that my song would be used this way. When I wrote "Stronger Than I've Ever Been" with producing duo dirty Monster, I used my own experience from sports. I played varsity basketball all of high school & played rugby in college. Because I used to eat sleep and breathe sports, dirty Monster & I were able to capture all those feelings and emotions of winning & losing and having to keep going. Playing sports has taught me invaluable lessons that I still apply to my life today. 

Kaleena Nikita Clothing Strong Than I've Ever Been from Nikita Clothing on Vimeo.

Every comment on the official music video for the song is not only overwhelmingly positive, but borderline obsessive! Our team felt the same way after pushing play on the piece for the first time- what was the process like for creating a visual that so powerfully matched the audio, or did you have the storyline in mind when you created the track?

A long time friend of mine Cameron Thower who is a great director reached out to me to ask me if I'd like to collaborate on a music video for the song. I was overjoyed because I truly felt that this song needed to be represented with an important video. We brainstormed together and came up with the concept. It took a lot of courage for me to come out & I wanted to show a mothers alliance to her children and the challenges of keeping a family united under these circumstances. Cameron along with the excellent DP Jesse Aragon, was able to execute our vision seamlessly.

Obviously, you have the depth and soul to write and sing ballads, but we noticed that you have also collaborated with several dance and electronic artists as well, like Breathe Carolina & Dropgun for your remake of R&B classic Rhythm Is A Dancer or California with SNBRN (also obsessed). How different is that recording process for you? 

Dance music is a huge love of mine & propelled me into a whole different music community. Recording dance songs are so fun & knowing that people all over the world in clubs and different festivals are jamming to my songs is so rewarding! My goal is to make people happy with my voice. The genre that I am dying to get back to is rock. Because we write really well together, dirty Monster and I have been in the studio writing some heaving hitting rock, slightly hip hop songs. I like to call it "Gangster Rock". And, still I have some more piano driven songs coming which I can't wait to share!

Tell us a little bit about the 30 songs/ artists you chose for our April Spotify Playlist #ForGirlsWhoRide! What artists inspires you to stay energized and moving?

Kaleena Nikita Clothing from Nikita Clothing on Vimeo.

I started off the playlist with a 90's theme, two dance classic remixes "Work" by Gigamesh & myself then "Rhythm Is A Dancer" by Breathe Carolina, Dropgun & myself. Then I put in an original 90's cut "Pump up the Jam" by Technotronic to continue the theme and bring out that winner, boss girl feeling and transition into the next few tracks that have that same "bad ass" feeling. Toward the middle of the playlist is usually when the workouts or practice become more challenging so I put in cerebral but hard hitting songs, like "Thunder" by Netsky & Emeli Sandé to keep the mind in the game. I from California so west coast gangster rap was a huge influence on me growing up naturally, I threw in a hard hitting banger called "Afro Puffs" by Lady Rage. Then I ended it with all the success and glory of making it through the workout, practice, or game. "I made it" by Fantastia. 

You’ve had a big year already and we are certainly hope you are taking some time to enjoy a bit of the “glory"; is there anything in particular that you want to achieve this year, music or otherwise? 

I would like to make a 5 song EP filled with motivational songs and plan for a tour. I would also like to travel to Ibiza & Thailand this year.

For all of our global followers that would love to see you live or hear more music by you, where can they find out more about you?

On Spotify I'll be releasing more music oh so soon and I talk a lot about where I am performing on instagram. My links are below :-)
Please follow me on Spotify
Instagram 
Soundcloud
Facebook

Huge THANK YOU to Kaleena for working together with us on this, and for all of the energy and inspiration she's bringing to the world right now. We hope you're already moving to the G.W.R. April playlist by Kaleena Zanders, she knows how to curate some dance music!

#forgirlswhoride

Originally posted on TWSnow- you can check out the full article here!

All photos - Ashley Rosemeyer

Why aren't there more women's events? This is the biggest takeaway from G.W.R. by Nikita Clothing at Carinthia Parks on March 31^st.  Girls traveled from Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to be at this single-day event. With so much interest and enthusiasm for something like this, it should be a no-brainer to get more of these progression and jam session days going. If you're a girl and you live somewhere they don't have an event like this, start organizing it! Get out there and bring people together!

With more than 70 girls gathered together at Carinthia's Lower Nitro Park on the morning of March 31^st, the excitement was high and the energy was infectious. Throw-back jams started playing over the speakers provided by Carinthia and the G.W.R. by Nikita Clothing at Carinthia Parks was on. If you're not familiar with G.W.R. events by Nikita yet- the format runs like this; the day starts off with a morning jam session coached by Nikita teamriders, and then after a short break for lunch everyone gathers again at the top of the park to throw down tricks they've just learned (or have already mastered) for a massive giveaway of prizes and goods. Prizes are handed out for riders when they land sick tricks, their personal best tricks, or even when someone just slams super hard; they earn themselves a giveaway and a huge round of applause for going for it.

Was that not enough? Head over to TWSnow now to get your fill on the rest of this recap and see more photos from our G.W.R. event at Carinthia!

With a personal style we love, and an energy to her sets we can't ignore, Lee K was our undeniable pick to curate this month's G.W.R. by Nikita playlist.

“For me, techno has a lot of energy, and even though it doesn’t have lyrics, to me, it has a lot of soul. It’s dark and hits a certain place in me.”

San Diego based, international techno DJ @lee_k_ first discovered her love for techno music after listening to ambient 90’s house bands like #AphexTwin and #TheProdigy.

Lee K is a San Diego based DJ, who spends most of her time traveling the globe (currently in Berlin) to play festivals and other music events or in a studio. She started experimenting with turntables while in Los Angeles for college, and even though many artists flock to the city for newfound opportunities, she opted to return to San Diego’s calmer scene. “L.A. can be very distracting,” she says. “I feel like being in North County really lets me decompress when I’m home, and then I can go out on the road.” Quote via @sdcitybeat

Whether you're gearing up to let loose or settling in to blow off steam, this playlist by Lee K will be your perfect companion throughout the weekend and through the week. Scroll down and push Play.

Originally posted on Transworld Snowboarding, you can see the full article here!

All images - Jessika Hunter

Last month, the first ever G.W.R. snowboarding event by Nikita Clothing with Rude Girls Snow and Skate took place at Sunshine Village.

The day started off with a gathering of more than 50 girls at the top of Wolverine's Kids Play Park. The park itself had been designed by Abby Furrer, a manager and buyer at Rude Girls shop, and the participants of the G.W.R. event had exclusive access to it all day. The regular park had been turned into a girls-only snowboarding zone for several hours and the ladies loved it. (Don't worry folks--there were two other parks that riding patrons could visit on Saturday, Sunshine Village made sure everyone had a great day that day.) The park was the perfect mix of inviting and challenging, and the everyone took to it right away.

Nikita brought out team riders Taylor Elliot, Summer Fenton and Ari Morrone to hang out with the Rude Girls shop team riders and help teach the girls who showed up for the event a new trick or two. Nikita team riders and Rude Girls riders stationed themselves at various features throughout the park, and girls had the opportunity to cruise or session any feature they wanted. The stoke level was at an all-time high, and soon enough girls all throughout the park were pushing themselves and landing new tricks they learned that day, as well as spending time perfecting the tricks they already had in their bag. Everyone was cheering each other on after both hearty slams and victorious lands.

Head over to Transworld Snowboarding to read the rest of the recap and see all of the awesome photos that Jessika Hunter captured during the event! Stay tuned for the announcement of our next G.W.R. location, we can't wait to get it started.