ENCINITAS —— Patty Segovia's father bought her a mode of transportation when she was 16. It wasn't a convertible Ford Mustang 5.0 or a Pontiac Trans Am —— heck, it didn't even have an engine —— but it was exactly what she wanted.
It was a brand new skateboard, and Segovia said she wouldn't have traded it for the fanciest car in the world. She had an insatiable fascination for the sport and loved going out, grinding rails and skating empty pools whenever she had the chance.
As a female skater, Segovia was in the minority. And oftentimes, Segovia was a demographic of one in and around her Fullerton home. She was usually the only girl riding at Orange County's skateboarding hot spots, and the reception from the boys wasn't always welcome.
"There were times when I'd go out and get heckled," said Segovia, who now resides in Encinitas. "I was often the only girl skating in back yards and on the street, and some of the guys didn't like me being there."
After a while, Segovia's father didn't like her being there, either. He took away her skateboard two years after he gave it to her because she was getting hurt too much.
Some guys, including Mike McGill, inventor of the McTwist trick, were more receptive. He allowed Segovia to practice with him and, over time, her technical skill improved.
The landscape for female skateboarders, however, did not. Skateboarding's popularity grew exponentially in the late 1980s, but only for guys. Contests became more prevalent and prize money increased, but only for male competitions. Women such as Segovia remained on the outside looking in.
Segovia was tired of feeling like an outcast in her own sport, so she set out to do something about it.
She created the All Girls Skate Jam organization, which held its first female-only demonstration in Reno in 1990. The concept was popular among young girls and older women alike and grew from the occasional demo to a string of contests. This year, the girls' jam is part of the Vans Warped Tour concert series and is in the midst of showcasing female skateboarding in 49 different cities.
In addition to giving girls a place to compete, Segovia also wanted to give them a place to learn how to ride in a safe, comfortable environment. That's why she established girls-only action sports summer camps in 1999. The 2005 AGSJ Summer Day Camp takes place this Sunday through Thursday in and around North County. It costs $400 and includes instruction in yoga, surfing, downhill skateboarding and street skating.
"The camp is open to all girls of all ages and all abilities," Segovia said. "I want to help them get involved and teach them how to do it right."
The camp will feature instruction from Segovia and many famous action-sports athletes including legendary skateboarder Cara-Beth Burnside, downhill skater Isabelle Caudle, and surfers Julie Cox and Linda Benson.
"I want to support the growth of girls skateboarding in any way that I can," said Burnside, who will compete in the X Games competition Thursday-Aug. 7 in Los Angeles. "Patty's always been supportive of my skating and I want to be supportive to all the girls who want to learn. This is still a male-dominated sport and it can be challenging for girls not to want to give up. But I think it's important for girls to excel in skateboarding and prove that we belong."
At a glance
Additional skate camp information:
- WHAT: All Girls Skate Jam Summer Day Camp —— lessons in yoga, skateboarding and surfing
- WHERE: Various sites throughout San Diego County
- WHEN: Sunday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
- COST: $400 per student. Contact Patty Segovia at (760) 942-5916 or (760) 703-5070 for more information.
X Games are here
ESPN's X Games competition will take place in the Los Angeles area from Thursday through Aug. 7. The competition will feature more than 150 athletes competing in 17 different disciplines. ESPN and ABC will air the competition live throughout the weekend. Tickets are on sale for all events. The skateboarding and BMX will take place at Staples Center in downtown L.A. , Motocross primarily at the Home Depot Center in Carson, wakeboarding at Long Beach Marine Stadium and Surfing at Puerto Escondido in Mexico.
Local wins Free Flow Tour stop
Taylor Smith, an 11-year old Encinitas resident, won the Free Flow Tour skatebaording competition in Orange on July 20. Smith finished third at the Free Flow stop in Encinitas on July 16, but was unmatched in Orange County. He will advance to the Free Flow Tour finals, which takes place on Aug. 17 at the Dew Action Sports Tour's Vans Invitational in Portland, Ore. If he wins there, Smith will receive a wild-card spot in the AST's PlayStation Pro in Orlando, Fla.
On the tube
- Thursday: X Games, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., ESPN
- Friday: X Games, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., ESPN
- Aug. 6: X Games, 10 a.m.-noon, ESPN; noon-3 p.m., ABC; 6 p.m.-8 p.m., ESPN.
- Aug. 7: X Games, noon-3 p.m., ABC
Local events
- Today-Sunday: U.S. Open of Surfing, Huntington Beach Pier, 8 a.m.
- Thursday-Aug. 7: X Games, various sites (Home Depot Center in Carson, Staples Center in L.A., Long Beach Marine Stadium and Puerto Escondido, Mexico)
The Action Sports Column runs every other Saturday. To suggest story ideas, report upcoming local events or offer general comments, contact staff writer Scott Bair at (760) 739-6642 or sbair@nctimes.com
