20 Years of Girl
Over the past 20 years, Girl has become one of the elite names in skateboarding. But Girl is more than just one board brand packed with skateboarding’s best: It’s a family of brands extended into several markets that drives the culture and industry. Every one of their videos is a watershed moment that’s anticipated, dissected, and watched ad infinitum. They’re able to change with skateboarding, but always maintain an unmistakable look. Here are twenty moments from their 20 year history that celebrate the entire story of the brand that took everyone by surprise, changed the entire game, and still continue to push their own limits and vision further each year.
The Birth of the Brand
Unlike the hyped formation of the Plan B “dream team” a few years earlier, Girl seemed to go from rumor to fruition in weeks. Folklore blames the break between Rick Howard and several future Girl riders on a dispute over an invoice for wheel royalties, but that’s never been confirmed. What did happen was some of skateboarding’s biggest names and talents left the World Industries blanket to focus on something more cooperative and fun, especially after the high pressure filming for Plan B’s first two videos. Following the rumblings, Girl Skateboards debuted in 1993.
The Logo
Conceptualized by Rick Howard, the company’s logo was realized when Girl’s current art director Andy Jenkins found some clip art for a women’s bathroom sign. Though Girl veered away from the OG logo for a while, it’s become the icon of the company. Several artists have hand painted and designed wooden OG models to show their take on the classic.
Goldfish
With its skits, jump ramp sessions, and casual vibe, Girl’s debut video “Goldfish” was a departure from Plan B’s “go big, go hard” productions. The emphasis was on fun, but the skating was still top shelf, with Howard, Carroll, and Koston all dropping memorable full parts. It also featured a skit with Lance Mountain titled “The Parallel” that depicted him as a jaded ex-pogo stick pro who eventually finds the fun in it again.
Chocolate
With Girl’s roster packed and the company in full motion, the brand decided to start Chocolate Skateboards in 1994. With a stacked lineup of Keenan Milton, Chico Brenes, Daniel Castillo, Paulo Diaz, Richard Mulder, Shamil Randle, Gabriel Rodriguez, and Ben Sanchez, it was apparent from the jump that Chocolate wasn’t just a sister company, but a heavy hitter with unique art direction.
Mike Carroll, 1994 Skater of The Year
Several Girl family riders, including Koston and Marc Johnson, have won Thrasher’s coveted Skater of The Year award, but Mike Carroll was the first to do it. He also might have had the most memorable acceptance speech in the Award’s history, inviting the EMB crew on stage and calling out all his other homies to join him saying, “I don’t deserve this award, we all deserve it.”
Mouse
Following Chocolate’s “Las Nueve Vidas de Paco” video in 1995, Girl returned with “Mouse,” but no one expected the reverberations from it to still be loosening bolts today. Largely absent from “Goldfish,” Guy Mariano’s part in “Mouse” was a classic from the opening notes of “Watermelon Man.” His mix of speed, technical advancement, and stance-challenging lines, reestablished him as one of the best, but it was Keenan Milton’s crispy switch kickflip over a picnic bench that stands out as the video’s biggest single trick. Keenan Forever.
Sheff vs. Method Man
Skateboarding has always had an undeniable love for The Wu-Tang Clan, but that doesn’t mean it’s always reciprocated, especially on stage. During a 1998 performance, Sean Sheffey was inspired to grab Method Man’s microphone, hoping to keep it as a souvenir of the performance. He wasn’t impressed, and the moment later appeared in an issue of 411 Video Magazine.
Fourstar
Formed in 1996 by admitted shop-a-holics Guy Mariano and Eric Koston under the Girl umbrella, Fourstar has continued to challenge conventional skate fashion and thrive. The brand is constantly redefining itself and released the popular “Super Champion Funzone" video in 2005, documenting a tour of Japan.
Tim Gavin Retires
The first Girl OG to officially retire, Tim Gavin bowed out after giving the skate world some memorable parts and laughs. The Gav quickly found himself a new niche after meeting some surfers in Malibu who wanted to start a skate shoe company. DVS was formed in 1995 and Gavin’s signature shoe remains a staple of the line.
Chilling With Diddy
With Spike Jonze directing the video for Diddy’s fourth single from No Way Out (then known as Puff Daddy), in “All About the Benjamins” a bunch of Girl all-stars managed to snag roles as extras. Koston, Rick, Carroll, Tony Ferguson, Keenan, and Chico all got to take part, but it was Cheeks who emerged with the hero shot of him and Puffy.
Winning
Skateboarding isn’t about winning, but Eric Koston happens to be really good at it. Frosty pulled first place finishes in X-Games, Tampa Pro, Gravity Games, Slam City Jam, and more. At 38-years-old, he continues to compete and push the limits of what can be done on a board.
Royal Skateboard Trucks
Not afraid to expand in any direction, Girl riders Guy Mariano and Rudy Johnson took on the skateboard truck market by forming Royal in 1997. The company charged forward with several Girl family riders, including Mike Carroll and Mikemo Capaldi, and is also home to Jerry Hsu, Daryl Angel, and Wes Kremer.
Lakai
With a successful clothing brand in Fourstar established, Carroll and Howard decided to take on the skate shoe market with Lakai. With a name taken from an abbreviated nickname of an infamous San Francisco native named Malakai, the brand has carried out its mission of making “The Shoes We Skate” since 1999. They also released “Fully Flared,” one of the most popular skateboarding videos ever in 2007, and continue to thrive in one of the most competitive markets in skating history.
The Art Dump
Girl's milestones aren't just marked by what the riders are doing on a board, but also what's on the actual decks. Their unique aesthetic has become one of the most recognizable in skating thanks to the Andy Jenkins-led Art Dump. A collective that has included artists and designers Andy Mueller, Eric Anthony, and Evan Hecox, the Dump is always turning out clever, bold, and often funny graphics with each drop.
Crailtap
Crailtap has grown to be more than just a hub blog for the Girl family’s brands, but a mandatory daily view for anyone into skateboarding. With its columns The Ringer and Daily Randoms, and a steady flow of multi-media, including the always-entertaining Crail Couch, the Tap’s become an online staple.
Yeah Right!
Packed with visual tricks, epic skating, and even an Owen Wilson cameo, Girl once again redefined the skate video with “Yeah Right!” Ty Evans and Spike Jonze orchestrated one of skateboarding’s best documents with so many bangers you could argue for almost anyone’s part as the video’s best. Perhaps even more surprising than Owen Wilson’s cameo was the elusive Gino Iannucci on an absolute warpath, destroying everything with undeniable finesse.
Guy Mariano’s Comeback
Guy Mariano was always a bit of a mystery, either putting out full parts that changed how people looked at skateboarding or giving you a little taste of how advanced he was. As the 2000s progressed, Guy faded out of the pro ranks, eventually getting his board and pro status revoked by Girl. Everyone wanted a Mariano comeback to happen and when photos and footage started emerging, expectations soared. Guy not only surpassed what people thought he was possible of with a barrage of footage, photos, and next level parts in “Fully Flared” and “Pretty Sweet,” but he continues to lead skateboarding into his late 30s.
The Tours
Between filming trips and countless tours, Girl and their brands come off as serious road dogs. Over the years they’ve circled the globe, releasing a grip of great tour videos, including “Harsh Euro Barge,” “Oi! Meets Girl!” and “High Fives Up The I-5”, but it wasn’t until they were matched against the Cash Money Vagrants of the Anti-Hero team that were they really challenged. Over two tours, the teams mixed it up and hit the road like true American outdoorsmen to skate, camp, and find trouble.
(RED)
In an industry flooded with collabs, Girl has done more than just co-brand. By partnering with HIV/AIDS awareness foundation (RED), Girl has been able to create products with them that help eliminate the HIV/AIDS epidemic by contributing over 50 percent of their limited edition products’ profits to the Global Fund.
The Trunk Boyz
The Girl family’s newest members are a crew that’s been on everyone’s radar since they started dropping hammers all over skateboarding. Comprised of Vincent Alvarez, Elijah Berle, Cory Kennedy, Raven Tershy, and Stevie Perez, the Trunk Boyz have just started to make their mark on skateboarding by attacking everything put in front of them. They’re not just the future of Girl and Chocolate—they’re absolutely the present.
Pretty Sweet
The most recent chapter in Girl cinema, “Pretty Sweet” proved to be Ty Evans’ swan song with the brand and an introduction to a new era for Girl and Chocolate. Continuing the stretch the limits of skate video production, “Pretty Sweet” cemented the Trunk Boyz as a crew of all terrain rippers, but it was OG Guy Mariano who closed out the video with a NBD and part that should have landed him the SOTY he deserves for years of dominance.
Over the past 20 years, Girl has become one of the elite names in skateboarding. But Girl is more than just one board brand packed with skateboarding’s best: It’s a family of brands extended into several markets that drives the culture and industry. Every one of their videos is a watershed moment that’s anticipated, dissected, and watched ad infinitum. They’re able to change with skateboarding, but always maintain an unmistakable look. Here are twenty moments from their 20 year history that celebrate the entire story of the brand that took everyone by surprise, changed the entire game, and still continue to push their own limits and vision further each year.